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Showing posts from June, 2020

Hong Kong activists call for protests over security law as city marks handover anniversary

Carrie Lam toasts ‘success and affluence of our motherland’ at flag-raising ceremony as city awakes under shadow of new security laws As Hong Kong awoke to the first day of life under new national security laws imposed by Beijing , activists have called on residents to defy a ban on protests and take to the streets. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2BtgoWD

Governor signs historic bill to remove Confederate symbol from Mississippi flag

Lawmakers have seen increasing pressure to change the flag amid a nationwide reckoning with systematic racism Mississippi has officially retired the last state flag in the US with the Confederate battle emblem, a racist symbol that has served as a source of division for generations. Republican governor Tate Reeves signed a historic bill withdrawing the state’s 126-year-old flag on Tuesday. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/31yqWP0

Arizona Issues New Shutdown Order As Coronavirus Cases Spike - NPR

Arizona Issues New Shutdown Order As Coronavirus Cases Spike    NPR Arizona orders bars, gyms to close again    Reuters Coronavirus leads Arizona governor to close bars, clubs, gyms for 30 days    Fox News Michael Hiltzik: Arizona rations healthcare amid COVID-19    Los Angeles Times Multiple Arizona gyms say they'll stay open, defying governor's executive order    CBS News View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/3dL8FjV

Coronavirus: Los Angeles joins Florida counties in closing beaches during July 4th weekend - USA TODAY

Coronavirus: Los Angeles joins Florida counties in closing beaches during July 4th weekend    USA TODAY Coronavirus live updates: Here’s what to know in South Florida on June 30    Miami Herald What Florida beaches are closed on July 4?    AL.com Florida shatters single-day record for new coronavirus cases    CBS News More than 6,000 new coronavirus cases in Florida as the death toll hits 3,500    Miami Herald View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/3icWlMA

FDA to require covid-19 vaccine to prevent disease in 50 percent of recipients to win approval - The Washington Post

FDA to require covid-19 vaccine to prevent disease in 50 percent of recipients to win approval    The Washington Post Pressed by Sanders, Trump Health Officials Agree Everyone in US Should Be Able to Get Covid-19 Vaccine Regardless of Income    Common Dreams Coronavirus Vaccine, Vladimir Putin, TikTok: Your Tuesday Briefing    The New York Times Summer may be key turning point in fight against coronavirus: report    Fox News AstraZeneca says Brazil close to coronavirus vaccine deal    Moneycontrol View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/3eZ1QMI

China discovers new swine flu with pandemic potential

Chinese researchers have discovered a new type of virus in pigs that can infect humans and is capable of causing a pandemic, according to a new study. The disease, which researchers called the G4 virus, is genetically descended from the H1N1 swine flu. from CNN.com - RSS Channel - World https://ift.tt/3dPl1as

GOP Deny, Downplay Questions About Russian Bounty Scandal

One of the few remaining areas of broad bipartisan consensus on Capitol Hill has been a tough policy toward Russia— a topic that frequently creates a stark contrast to President Trump, who has maintained personally warm ties to its leader, Vladimir Putin, and has generally followed behind Congress on Russia counter-measures.But the cognitive dissonance between those things proved increasingly difficult to square on Tuesday for members of the GOP after reporting in the New York Times detailed that Trump was briefed on a Russian effort to place bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan. The report said that Trump was given response options in March but had not decided on one, instead appearing to let the issue fade.Senate Republicans, who have shown a willingness to break with the president on foreign policy and on Russia in particular, responded to the news on Tuesday with a range of responses—skepticism, brush-asides, diatribes against the media and leakers—but few seemed to treat the sto...

Gas explosion at Iran medical clinic kills 19

Gas leak at Sina At’har clinic in northern Tehran kills 15 women and four men, say fire officials An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran has killed 19 people, Iranian state TV has reported. Video posted online appeared to show more than one explosion and thick black smoke rising from the Sina At’har clinic. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2YL1sfa

Gas explosion at clinic in Iranian capital kills 19

An explosion from a gas leak in a medical clinic in northern Tehran killed 19 people, Iranian state TV reported on Tuesday. Spokesperson for the Tehran Fire Department told state TV that the toll had risen to 19 from 13. State-run IRNA news agency also quoted Maleki as saying the dead included 15 women and four men. Maleki added that firefighters had rescued 20 people. from World News Headlines, Latest International News, World Breaking News - Times of India https://ift.tt/2NFxovc

Judge temporarily blocks tell-all book by Trump's niece

A tell-all book by President Donald Trump's niece cannot be published until a judge decides the merits of claims by the president's brother that its publication would violate a pact among family members, a judge has said. The bookhas been written by Trump's brother's daughter, Mary Trump. An online description of it says it reveals "a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse." from World News Headlines, Latest International News, World Breaking News - Times of India https://ift.tt/2Vy0Esd

Pentagon says Trump greenlit ‘redeployment’ of 9,500 US troops from Germany as Congress seeks to challenge plan

US President Donald Trump’s plan to draw down the US contingent in Germany has been set in motion, with the Pentagon saying that 9,500 troops out of 34,500 stationed there will be removed pending consultations with allies. “The Secretary of Defense and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff briefed the President yesterday on plans to redeploy 9,500 troops from Germany,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement on Tuesday, noting that the proposal had already been approved. Pentagon statement on U.S. troop levels in Germany: pic.twitter.com/L1lMgPu5IS — Amanda Macias (@amanda_m_macias) June 30, 2020 The plan to scale back the US military presence in Germany was made public by Trump earlier this month. He did not reveal the timeline for the withdrawal, and it was not immediately clear where they would be heading. The US contingent in Germany is expected to be slashed by 9,500 troops, meaning that Washington will still have a sizable 25,000-strong presence there. Tru...

Pompeo pushes Iran arms embargo at U.N., Russia says U.S. knee on Iran's neck - Reuters

Pompeo pushes Iran arms embargo at U.N., Russia says U.S. knee on Iran's neck    Reuters Pompeo: If UN lets Iran arms embargo expire, it will 'betray' ideals of peace, security    Fox News U.S. finds little support for extending arms embargo against Iran    The Washington Post Pompeo calls on UN Security Council to reject Iranian 'extortion' | TheHill    The Hill Pompeo asks UN to extend an international arms embargo on Iran    NBC News View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2ZnYWLd

WHO official says 'worst is yet to come' on coronavirus l ABC News - ABC News

WHO official says 'worst is yet to come' on coronavirus l ABC News    ABC News Bars Open Near Me: You Can Grab a Drink in These States    Newsweek US could see 100K new coronavirus cases per day, Fauci says    Atlanta Journal Constitution More states halt reopenings as COVID-19 cases surge    CBS This Morning Coronavirus-hit Arizona reverses course on reopening    BBC News View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2CP0s14

Security Council trying again for first COVID-19 resolution

The U.N. Security Council is trying again to reach agreement on its first resolution on COVID-19 since the coronavirus started circling the global in February, after a lengthy dispute between the U.S. and China over mentioning the World Health Organization. A revised draft resolution by France and China was submitted for a vote Tuesday and the result is expected to be announced on Wednesday. The draft resolution backs Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ March 23 call for global cease-fires to tackle the pandemic, and demands an “immediate cessation of hostilities” in all conflicts on its agenda including Syria, Yemen, Libya, South Sudan and Congo. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3ijDS0Q

High court sparks new battle over church-state separation

The Supreme Court elated religious freedom advocates and alarmed secular groups with its Tuesday ruling on public funding for religious education, a decision whose long-term effect on the separation of church and state remains to be seen. In Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, the high court ruled 5-4 that states must give religious schools the same access to public funding that other private schools receive, preserving a Montana scholarship program that had largely benefited students at religious institutions. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eUdMja

China accuses Australia of mass espionage, peddling rumours and stoking confrontation

Foreign ministry in Beijing says evidence of Australia spying activities is ‘irrefutable’ but provides no new evidence The Chinese government has labelled Australia a “fervent intelligence gatherer”, as it accuses Canberra of a mass scale espionage project that is “jeopardising others’ sovereignty and security”. In a statement sent to Australian media on Tuesday morning, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said a report in the Global Times which claims Australian spies in China are instigating defections, spying on Chinese students and feeding fake news to the media to hype up theories about Chinese spying, is only “the tip of the iceberg”. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2ZkxGwZ

US ends sensitive defence exports to Hong Kong: Mike Pompeo

The United States said Monday it was ending the export of sensitive military items to Hong Kong, no longer treating the financial hub separately from China. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was taking the measure due to China's push forward with a security law that Hong Kong activists say will curb the city's freedoms. from World News Headlines, Latest International News, World Breaking News - Times of India https://ift.tt/2Vuz673

On his first U.S. visit as president, Mexico’s Lopez Obrador to fly commercial - The Washington Post

On his first U.S. visit as president, Mexico’s Lopez Obrador to fly commercial    The Washington Post Mexican president: Trump 'has been more respectful' toward Mexico | TheHill    The Hill One year later, watchdogs criticize Mexico’s National Guard    Washington Post Mexican president expects loss of tax-paying jobs to end in July    Reuters Lopez Obrador Defends His Trump Visit: ‘I Am Not a Sell Out’    Bloomberg View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2BPqjWo

World News Briefs -- June 29, 2020 (Evening Edition)

CNBC: Nearly half the U.S. population is without a job, showing how far the labor recovery has to go * The employment-population ratio — the number of employed people as a percentage of the U.S. adult population — plunged to 52.8% in May, meaning 47.2% of Americans are jobless. * As the coronavirus-induced shutdown tore through the labor market, the share of population employed dropped sharply from a recent high of 61.2% in January, farther away from a post-war record of 64.7% in 2000. * “To get the employment-to-population ratio back to where it was at its peak in 2000 we need to create 30 million jobs,” said Torsten Slok, Deutsche Bank’s chief economist. * Investors will look to this week’s June jobs report for an update on the pace of the labor market recovery. Nearly half of the population is still out of a job showing just how far the U.S. labor market has to heal in the wake of the coronavirus. The employment-population ratio — the number of employed people as a perce...

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- June 29, 2020

LIBYAN MILITARY commander Khalifa Haftar (left) walks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the Presidential Palace in Cairo in April 2019. (photo credit: REUTERS) Judah Waxelbaum, Jerusalem Post: Egypt is prepared to go to war in Libya Egypt is hellbent on ensuring any remnants of the Arab Spring come nowhere near their borders. After a fourteen-month campaign on Tripoli, forces loyal to the Libyan National Army are in retreat. To those who support the UN-recognized government in Tripoli, this should serve as great news. Since 2012, a power vacuum has consumed Libya following the fall of longtime Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. Both sides of the civil war view themselves as the true leaders of Libya. The Government of National Accord is the product of a 2015 UN-brokered agreement, known as the Libyan Political Agreement. This agreement was deemed unacceptable by neighboring Egypt, which originates from their political history with those who make up the GNA. Read m...

Once again, US-Russia tensions soar despite Trump

Donald Trump has spent much of the past four years musing about warmer ties with Russia. Top Democrats have demanded answers and even some Republicans have urged retaliation after reports, first published by The New York Times, that a Russian unit offered rewards to Taliban-linked militants to kill US-led forces in Afghanistan. The furor comes weeks after Trump again offered an olive branch to President Vladimir Putin, speaking of inviting him to an expanded summit of the Group of Seven, from which Russia was kicked out over its 2014 takeover of Crimea. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3ih2XcI

AP FACT CHECK: Actually, 20% of US lives in a virus hot spot

It’s been a frequent Trump administration talking point on the recent spike in COVID-19 infections: Don’t worry, only a small sliver of U.S. counties is at greater risk. In offering this reassurance, Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar have said that only 3% or 4% of counties in the country are seeing a surge in cases. Focus on the “encouraging signs," Pence told senators last week. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3dHPMhK

'White power' flare-up in retirement haven reveals tensions

There has always been a low-boil tension in The Villages retirement community between the Republican majority and the much smaller cohort of Democrats, but a veneer of good manners in “Florida's Friendliest Hometown" mostly prevailed on golf courses and at bridge tables. A video clip of that confrontation in America’s largest retirement community was tweeted approvingly by Trump last weekend and then taken down. “It's like a powder keg here," said resident Alan Stone. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3eNU20y

Crowds pack Arizona river as U.S. posts record COVID cases for three days running - AOL

Crowds pack Arizona river as U.S. posts record COVID cases for three days running    AOL Florida sees third day of record-high coronavirus cases in one week    Fox News Coronavirus resurges as Americans ease into reopenings    Face the Nation New U.S. coronavirus cases break record; Pence cancels campaign events in Arizona, Florida    NBC News Florida adds another 8,530 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Miami-Dade hits single-day high    Miami Herald View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/31x3dhM

Global report: Covid-19 cases exceed 10m as anxieties rise over US - The Guardian

Global report: Covid-19 cases exceed 10m as anxieties rise over US    The Guardian Global coronavirus death toll exceeds half a million: Live    Al Jazeera English China reports 17 new COVID-19 cases, including 14 in Beijing    Reuters Half A Million In Lockdown As Beijing Fights New Virus Cluster    NDTV China puts half a million Hebei residents under Wuhan-style total lockdown after coronavirus spike linked to    The Sun View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/3i9UnfQ

Russia Just Opened A Massive Cathedral In Honor Of Its Armed Forces

Business Insider: Russia just opened a massive cathedral in honour of its armed forces, with steps rumoured to be made from melted Nazi tanks * Russia has just opened a massive cathedral in honour of its military, a major project favoured by President Vladimir Putin. * The cathedral serves the Russian Orthodox faith. Its military connection is no coincidence. * Putin has made the glorification of the military a major part of his appeal to Russian voters throughout his 20-year leadership. * The opening of the cathedral overlaps with a referendum that could see Putin remain as president until 2036. * When the project was announced, Russia's defense minister promised the steps would be poured from "German trophy hardware" — rumored to be a reference to melted-down Nazi tanks. * The building is filled with symbolism in honour of Russia's military history — but also caused controversy with a planned mosaic of Putin that was ultimately cancelled. Read more .......

A Look At The US Navy's Newest Frigate

An artist rendering of the guided-missile frigate FFG(X). Marinette Marine Corp. Business Insider: Trump jokes that he helped design US Navy's newest 'yacht with missiles' * President Donald Trump jokingly accepted responsibility for the aesthetic design of the US Navy's latest series of guided-missile ships. * "The ships that they were building, they look terrible," Trump said. "I would change designs, I looked at it. I said, 'That's a terrible-looking ship, let's make it beautiful. It'll cost you the same, and maybe less.'" * "It's like a yacht with missiles on it," he added. President Donald Trump jokingly accepted responsibility for the aesthetic design of the US Navy's latest series of guided-missile ships. "The ships that they were building, they look terrible," Trump said in a Thursday speech at the shipyard in Wisconsin where these warships are built. "I would change designs, I ...

The men who bake up a 'blessing' in Tehran

Bakeries are easy to locate in urban centres of Iran where all one has to do is spot a queue spilling onto sidewalks or simply detect the irresistible scent of freshly baked flatbreads. The baker moves and gesticulates constantly as he works in what resembles a dance in front of gas-fired ovens. Once they are done, the baker again uses the tongs to retrieve the bread, and hangs it on the wall or piles it up. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/31Cn0gb

Chesapeake Energy, fracking pioneer, files for bankruptcy owing $9bn

The Oklahoma City-based company helped turn the US into a global energy powerhouse but ran up huge debts in the process Chesapeake Energy, the shale gas drilling pioneer that helped to turn the United States into a global energy powerhouse, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The Oklahoma City-based company said on Sunday that it had been forced to enter chapter 11 protection because its debts of $9bn were unmanageable. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3871PnB

Coronavirus Victoria: everything we know about Melbourne's Covid-19 clusters

The city is on a 10-day suburban testing blitz after premier Daniel Andrews revealed hotspots were largely caused by extended families Follow our Australian coronavirus liveblog Can you travel to and from Melbourne suburbs with coronavirus outbreaks? Sign up for Guardian Australia’s coronavirus email Download the free Guardian app to get the most important news notifications Melbourne has embarked on a 10-day testing blitz, aiming to test at least 50% of people in 10 suburbs. This is due to problematic rates of community transmission of coronavirus in these areas, as well as persistent outbreaks and clusters. Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2NxRmYF

Russian bounties to Taliban-linked militants resulted in deaths of U.S. troops, according to intelligence assessments - The Washington Post

Russian bounties to Taliban-linked militants resulted in deaths of U.S. troops, according to intelligence assessments    The Washington Post Trump thanked 'great people' shown in Twitter video in which a man chants 'white power'    CNN Trump denies knowing about intelligence report that Russia put bounty on U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan    USA TODAY The 'white power' video that Trump retweeted is not what the media are saying it is    Washington Examiner Outrage over Trump’s retweet of supporter shouting ‘white power’ – as it happened    The Guardian View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2VvhR5E

Thunderstorms Could Bring Damaging Winds, Hail To CT: Timing - Patch.com

Thunderstorms Could Bring Damaging Winds, Hail To CT: Timing    Patch.com WATCH: Scattered showers, storms Sunday    WSYR Not a whole lot of change today, or in the near future    KCRG More heavy rain Sunday    WTHR Watching for more showers & thunderstorms to end the weekend    NBC4 WCMH-TV View Full Coverage on Google News from World - Latest - Google News https://ift.tt/2BJUXjZ

This U.S. Navy Ship That Was Made In The Soviet Union

#DYK , the @MSCSealift USNS Lance Cpl. Roy M. Wheat is a Maritime Prepositioning Force Ship named to honor @USMC Marine and Medal of Honor recipient LCPL Roy Wheat who smothered a mine with his body to save fellow Marines during the Vietnam War. #MeettheFleet #Togetherwedeliver pic.twitter.com/9cgekGX1zi — USTRANSCOM (@US_TRANSCOM) June 26, 2020 Forbes: Meet The U.S. Navy Ship That Was Made In The Soviet Union As a rule, the Navy’s ships are built in American shipyards, but there’s one notable exception. U.S. Transport Command recently showcased a Soviet ship now serving in the U.S. Navy on its official Twitter account. The tweet is part of a ‘meet the fleet’ effort to raise awareness of the less well-known ships in the U.S. Navy. And the 15,804-ton Maritime Prepositioning Force Ship USNS Lance Cpl. Roy M. Wheat and other transport ships do deserve more attention. This ship has a unique back story because it was built at a time and place which put it on the other side duri...

Egypt Wants A Lot Of Tanks? 500 Russian T-90MS To Be Exact

Defence-Blog: Egypt reportedly signed contract for 500 T-90MS main battle tanks The Egyptian Ministry of Defence and Military Production concluded an agreement with Russia’s Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) corporation and arms export agency Rosoboronexport to license-build 500 T-90MS main battle tanks, local media reported on Saturday, citing sources in the defense industry. According to the sources in the Russian defense industry, Uralvagonzavod (UVZ) corporation will build a facility to assemble T-90MS tanks under license in Egypt. Complete localization of T-90MS tanks in Egypt is not anticipated, as a large number of parts of T-90MS tanks will be imported from Russia. Read more .... WNU Editor : Civil war in neighbouring Libya. Internal unrest. Battling ISIS and other militant groups in the Sinai. Deteriorating relations with Ethiopia over their Nile dam. I can understand why Egypt wants a lot of battle tanks. from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3idHiCa

Trump skewered by conservative critics over report of Russia paying bounty for killing U.S. troops

A #NeverTrump Republican group skewered the president for his inaction in the face of intelligence reports that Russia paid cash bounties to Islamic militants for killing American troops. The new ad from the conservative Lincoln Project accuses Trump of looking the other way from the damaging report to protect his cozy relationship with Russian strongman Vladimir Putin. “Putin paid a bounty to kill American soldiers,” the group said in a tweet. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3874fm8

The rise of disinformation during coronavirus – Australian politics live podcast

Katharine Murphy speaks with Jack Wallace and Tom Uren, analysts from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, about their recent investigation into online disinformation, and China’s increasing employment of it since the outbreak of Covid-19. What are the differences between disinformation peddled by China and the US governments, and what role has it played in Australian politics? Continue reading... from World news | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3eERmSR