Worldwide / 30

South Korea tightens curbs in capital to control virus surge

August 16, 2020

Out those, 267 were locally transmitted cases, mostly in Seoul and surrounding areas. South Korea, meanwhile, reported no additional fatalities, keeping the death toll at 305. The two-week measures starting on Sunday will allow authorities in Seoul and towns in neighbouring Gyeonggi Province to shut down high-risk facilities such as nightclubs, karaoke rooms, movie theatres and buffet restaurants if they fail to properly enforce preventive measures.

Thousands swarm Belarus streets to protest police violence during peaceful demonstrations

August 16, 2020

The unification project was never properly implemented, and more recently, Lukashenko had rejected calls by Moscow for closer economic and political ties as an assault on his country's sovereignty. "Ukraine considers Belarus a particularly close country, and is ready to make every effort to help it go through this hard stage without having its sovereignty weakened, to settle the crisis while respecting fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens", the statement concludes.

NSW Opposition Leader 'shocked' by Premiers response to Ruby Princess report

August 16, 2020

The Ruby Princess , which docked at Sydney's Circular Quay on March 19, has been linked to hundreds of cases and more than 20 coronavirus-related deaths across Australia. The NSW government then erred by allowing disembarked passengers to immediately travel interstate and overseas, breaching a newly-minted public health order.

VJ Day: China played an important role in setting back Axis powers

August 16, 2020

In Seoul, President Moon Jae-in told a crowd that South Korea would willingly discuss any disputes about the war with Japan. At least four Japanese cabinet ministers paid their respects in person at Yasukuni, which honours 14 Japanese wartime leaders convicted as war criminals by an Allied tribunal, as well as Japan's war dead.

North Korea lifts virus lockdown of border city: KCNA

August 16, 2020

Kim stressed the need to restore the flood-hit areas to ensure that damage from flood or natural disaster is avoided in the future, saying he "cannot make the flood-affected people celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Party homeless". "The occupation of North Korea's new premier will be to exhibit the place has recovered from the latest flooding and has upgraded public wellbeing facilities" by the Oct celebration anniversary, he explained.

Ontario education minister says he would support staggering beginning of school year

August 16, 2020

Ontario students will be back in class September, but their schedules and class sizes may vary depending on where they live. But she said board staff are looking at whether some of its reserves could be used to augment the TDSB's portion of a previously announced $30 million fund for staffing to cut elementary class sizes to 15 to 20 students.

Tropical Storm Kyle forms in the northwest Atlantic Ocean

August 16, 2020

Kyle is moving east-northeast near 35 km/h and will continue in this direction until late Sunday or early Monday, when it is expected to shift to the east. "Josephine is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 miles per hour (24 km/h), and this general motion is expected to continue for the next day or two followed by a turn toward the northwest late this weekend or early next week".

Still Unknown: Where Did New Zealand Outbreak Originate?

August 16, 2020

Ms Ardern said 30,000 New Zealanders have been tested in 48 hours, and a total of 29 cases have been identified in the outbreak, all part of the same cluster. It remains unclear where the latest outbreak originated. "We can do all of that again". On Saturday, Victoria recorded 303 new cases and four deaths, following 372 new infections and 14 deaths on Friday.

Tankers ship Iranian fuel cargoes to US for seizure

August 16, 2020

Another unconfirmed report has said that the four oil tankers - Luna , Pandi , Bering , and Bella- have been seized in the high seas in recent days and are now en route to Houston. Last year, the White House pledged to sanction any actor involved in purchase or transaction of Iranian oil, citing Tehran's alleged support for militant groups in the region and its ballistic missile programme.

NZ PM Jacinda Ardern extends partial lockdown for Auckland

August 16, 2020

The lockdown in Auckland, home to 1.7 million people, was extended for almost two weeks on Friday after New Zealand confirmed 12 new coronavirus cases and one probable case. Health Minister Chris Hipkins said earlier that genome testing suggested the new virus outbreak had originated in Britain or Australia. Nearly a dozen other infections have been directly linked to the facility.

India reports 64,553 new COVID cases, recovery rate improves to 71.17 pc

August 16, 2020

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Saturday said a total of 2,85,63,095 samples have been tested up to August 14 of which 8,68,679 samples were tested yesterday. In a tweet, he said he is under home isolation as per COVID-19 guidelines after testing positive. Kerala Chief Minister along with four other Ministers including Health Minister, Assembly Speaker, and State Police Chief has entered into self-quarantine after coming in the primary contact list of Malappuram District ...

California Is Facing the Worst Power Grid Emergency in 14 Years

August 16, 2020

The California Independent System Operator, which called for the outages, has not imposed such action on the state's energy grid operators in two decades, since the "rolling blackouts" in 2001. Dale Kasler covers climate change, the environment, economics and the convoluted world of California water. The weather agency posted excessive heat warnings for much of California for Friday through Wednesday.

Woman attacked by shark at Shelley Beach, Port Macquarie

August 15, 2020

He then helped the woman out of the water and up the beach where an ambulance was waiting. Three paramedic crews and a specialist medical team in the Westpac Helicopter responded. a tremendous act of bravery", state Surf Life Saving chief executive Steven Pearce said. He added that it was the third serious shark attack on that stretch of coast in recent months.

Russian Federation starts producing vaccine

August 15, 2020

One of the leading vaccine candidates from the United States, developed by Moderna and the National Institutes of Health, is also now beginning a Phase 3 trial . "In general, military members are considered to have special priority" for new vaccines and therapies, he said, but stressed that decisions have yet to be made on who will go to the front of the line.

Suresh Raina joins MS Dhoni in announcing retirement from global cricket

August 15, 2020

The 2011 World Cup-winning captain is yet to give details of the development as to whether he is retiring from the game entirely or if he is only bowing out from worldwide cricket. Best wishes for his future endeavours. "#MSDhoni", senior India off-spinner R Ashwin said in a tweet. "What a magical career!" said former England batsman Kevin Pietersen.

China criticizes US health secretary for visiting Taiwan amid ongoing pandemic

August 15, 2020

China views democratic Taiwan as merely a wayward Chinese province and its "sacred" territory, awaiting the day the island can be brought under its control - peacefully or militarily - with no right to state-to-state relations. Azar's trip to Taiwan and Washington's recent sanctions against Chinese officials send "wrong signals" to rioters in Hong Kong and separatists in Taiwan, he said.

Israel claims it foiled hackers targeting defence industry

August 15, 2020

They built fake profiles on Linkedin, a social network that is used primarily for job searches in the high-tech sector. The hackers then impersonated high-level employees of large global companies and approached their supposed "counterparts" in the Israeli defense industry, offering them jobs.

Huge Smoke Cloud Seen as Lake Fire Forces Evacuations

August 15, 2020

No casualties were reported but the blaze prompted the mandatory evacuation of around 100 homes in communities about 40 miles (65 km) north of downtown Los Angeles, with a further 5,000 homes threatened. Although some structures were lost, a number of structures were saved by firefighters, he said. Those asked to evacuate were sent to Highland High School in Palmdale and Castaic Sports Complex in Castaic.

Japan marks 75 years since end of World War II

August 15, 2020

That day is commemorated in the United Kingdom as Victory in Japan Day, although the surrender document was formally signed only 18 days later. The foreign ministry said in a statement that the government expresses deep disappointment and worry about the repeated visits and ritual offerings by Japan's government and parliament leaders to the Yasukuni Shrine that beautifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals.

Belarus braces for fresh protests as pressure grows on Lukashenko

August 15, 2020

The same media outlet quotes Valery Petrov, Vice President of Market Development and Regulation for the Russian Association of the Cryptoindustry and Blockchain , as stating that should sanctions be imposed in the IT sector, they may "instantly" polarize the Belarusian crypto sector.

Iran's president says UAE made 'huge mistake' with Israel deal

August 15, 2020

Israel and the United Arab Emirates have reached an agreement to fully normalize relations after years of secretly working together on countering Iran and other issues. Turkey, a powerful regional rival of the UAE, said history would not forgive the Gulf country for making a deal which undercut the 2002 Arab peace plan, which had proposed peace in return for Israeli withdrawal from all occupied territory.

US Postal Service warns of significant risk of late main-in votes

August 15, 2020

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy - a major Republican campaign donor who owns millions in stocks of post office competitors - said the postal service maintains "ample capacity" to handle unprecedented numbers of mail-in ballots this fall.

Bald Eagle Protects Michiganders’ Privacy, Sends Government Drone to Early Grave

August 15, 2020

A bald eagle launched an aerial assault on a drone operated by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy - known as EGLE - ripping off a propeller and sending the aircraft into Lake Michigan. Flight data showed the drone had hit the lake about 150 feet from shore, and landed in 4 feet of water. Gaining momentum as it fell, its last communication came at 34 feet above the water, falling at 30 feet per second, or 20.4 mph.

Trump Condemns Recent Attacks on Press Freedom in Hong Kong

August 15, 2020

Beijing tightened its grip on the city with this new law, which criminalizes secession, subversion, terrorist activities, and foreign collusion with penalties of up to life imprisonment. The news follows a decision by the company to stop reviewing the requests entirely as the result of a China-implemented law that explicitly impacts Hong Kong.

Hezbollah will respond if Israel behind Beirut blast: Nasrallah

August 15, 2020

At the now-devastated port, rescue workers continued to recover the remains of those killed by the ignition of a huge shipment of ammonium nitrate fertiliser left unsecured in a warehouse for six years. Hezbollah was waiting for the Lebanese probe's results and if it found "this was a terrorist sabotage operation, and that Israel had a role, then not only Hezbollah will respond.

Students returning to class September 10, teachers provided additional prep time

August 15, 2020

The B.C. government says teachers will return to school on September 8, and that students will be there by September 10 for orientation. On Aug. 10, School districts were provided with readiness checklists to ensure they are updating their health and safety plans and considering, communicating and consulting with their unions, Indigenous rightsholders, staff and families in their local communities.

Newly released video show onlookers' reaction to George Floyd's death

August 15, 2020

The video made available Thursday comes from fired Officer Tou Thao , one of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of Floyd, a handcuffed Black man. When a woman who identifies herself as a Minneapolis firefighter arrives, Thao yells at her, "Back off!" PHOTO: Former Minneapolis police officer Tou Thao , seen in an artist's sketch, attends a court hearing in Minneapolis, June 4, 2020.

The dispute between Greece and Turkey in the Mediterranean, France involved

August 15, 2020

Macron asked Turkey to cease oil and gas exploration in contested waters that has spurred tensions with Greece . France criticised its North Atlantic Treaty Organisation ally Turkey over a drone strike this week in northern Iraq, while Erdogan accused French counterpart Emmanuel Macron of seeking to "bring back a colonialist structure" as he visited Lebanon after last week's catastrophic Beirut explosions.

Spanish region imposes smoking ban to curb virus spread

August 15, 2020

Other Spanish areas are allegedly contemplating introducing the ban. Friday's nearly 3,000 new cases, although little changed from Thursday, were about double the average in the first 12 days of August and brought the cumulative total to 342,813 - the highest number in Western Europe.

Biden VP pick: Kamala Harris chosen as running mate

August 15, 2020

However, after a fast start her campaign fizzled as she struggled with sending a clear message on policy positions and drew fire from progressives her questioned her law and order actions as California Attorney General. In short, some do not feel that Harris is the progressive prosecutor she pretends to be, and many on the far left do not feel she's progressive enough.

Google will no longer respond to data requests from Hong Kong authorities

August 15, 2020

Everything's back now. And it will fail". "Hong Kong is a very complex problem because we've given tremendous amounts of money in the form of incentives to make Hong Kong free, to make Hong Kong work - and to our detriment". So I don't think they have intention of taking me to China or anybody to China. "And Hong Kong can never succeed having China, as opposed to the thousands of geniuses that ran it, having China run it", he added.

Japan marks 75th anniversary of WWII surrender

August 15, 2020

A moment of silence was observed at noon for the approximately 2.3 million military personnel and 800,000 civilians who perished in the war, including those killed in the USA atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Abe pledged to play a greater role in tackling global problems. "Under his objective of turning Japan into a" lovely" and" normal" country, Abe has gradually driven to cleanse Japan of its awkward wartime background and develop its army by extending the translation of Japan's ...

S. Korea reports 103 more COVID-19 cases, 14873 in total

August 15, 2020

The daily tally almost doubled from 56 new virus cases reported Thursday and also marked the highest level since July 25, when new virus cases reached 113. Cases tied to a church in Yongin, south of Seoul , jumped to 72, an increase of 60 from the day before. South Korea adopted a three-tier distancing plan in June.

Trump Announces UAE to Open Diplomatic Ties with Israel

August 15, 2020

Foreign Minister Heiko Maas echoed Seibert's remarks, saying in a statement: "We hope this agreement will be the starting point for further positive developments in the region and that it will also give the Middle East peace process new impetus".

UK Citizens Rush to Return From Netherlands, France Before Mandatory Quarantine Imposed

August 15, 2020

Clement Beaune, France's junior minister for European affairs, called the move "a British decision that we regret and which will lead to a measure of reciprocity ", but said he hoped things "will return to normal as soon as possible". "We can't be remotely complacent about our own situation". "The advice from all the travel operators is very clear: to contact them in advance". P&O Ferries has limited availability, but one person travelling with a auto from Calais to Dover can buy a ...

Kabul begins release of final 400 Taliban, talks to follow

August 15, 2020

The Loyal Jirga , while approving the release of the final 400 Taliban prisoners, asked authorities to monitor the freed prisoners to ensure they did not return to the battlefield. But a meeting of thousands of prominent Afghans organized by Ghani last weekend agreed that the remaining inmates should be set free to help end decades of bloodshed.

Over 1,000 in Georgia district quarantine as high school shut

August 15, 2020

Students will be on campus for two days a week based on their last names and will spend the rest of their school week engaging in digital learning. The Herrin School District says if you have not been contacted, your son or daughter was not in close contact with that student.

European Union holds urgent talks on Greece-Turkey energy dispute

August 15, 2020

Greece responded by sending its own military vessels to monitor the situation. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Friday he hoped that all parties involved in a dispute in the eastern Mediterranean Sea will act according to worldwide law and that there will be no conflict.

Packet of mysterious seeds can reach your home too, government issued warning

August 15, 2020

Commenting on the directive, Federation of Seed Industry of India Director General Ram Kaundinya in a statement said, "Right now it is only an alert for a possible spread of plant diseases through seeds coming from unauthorised sources without orders".

United Kingdom government to record COVID-19 deaths with new methodology

August 15, 2020

Since the United Kingdom previously had no cut-off time for recording coronavirus deaths, health experts had expressed concern that the count may have also included deaths due to other causes. Last month, health secretary Matt Hancock (pictured) ordered an urgent review into how Public Health England calculated daily Covid death figures.

UK airports braced for travel chaos after France quarantine ruling

August 15, 2020

The government, wary of a second wave of the novel coronavirus, also added the Netherlands, Malta and three other countries to its quarantine list. France warned that it would reciprocate the measures. "For me personally, I am in the fortunate situation that when I get back I can work online at the moment and I'm off studying so being stuck at home is not the worst thing for me in terms of responsibilities".

GAO: Acting DHS chief Chad Wolf, deputy not legally appointed to jobs

August 15, 2020

The GAO analysis traces the violation back to a tumultuous period at DHS in 2019 when then-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned. GAO General Counsel Thomas H. Wolf should step down and return to the position he previously held in the department and Cuccinelli should resign, according to Reps. But GAO concluded that those changes would apply only if the secretary was unavailable in an emergency, not in a case in which the job was vacant because of a resignation.

US Justice Department says Yale illegally discriminates against Asians, whites

August 15, 2020

Media captionThe BBC takes a look at American public opinion on Michigan's affirmative action policies. The letter blasted Yale , located in CT, saying that " unlawfully dividing Americans into racial and ethnic blocs fosters stereotypes, bitterness, and division ".

FBI ‘fully cooperative’ in Durham investigation, bureau says

August 15, 2020

Fired FBI Director James Comey had been criticized for his investigations of Hillary Clinton and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election cycle, despite his claim of awareness that announcements can unduly impact elections. An FBI supervisory special agent told Mr. Howoritz's team that investigators wanted a "definitive answer" to whether Mr. Page had ever been a source for another US government agency before he signed the renewal application.

DuBois School District gives details on hybrid learning schedule

August 14, 2020

Bedford County students will also be required to wear face coverings for the school year. An online option will be available for all students. Marcia Smith, an associate superintendent in the Springdale district, that the increase in the Don Tyson School of Innovation is necessary to give a virtual instruction option to all who desire it.

Moderna lands US COVID-19 vaccine contract worth up to $8bn

August 14, 2020

By far, the British government has secured access to six different vaccine candidates as part of the government's strategy to build a portfolio of promising new vaccines should any be found to be safe and effective. The deal also gives the government an option to buy an additional 400 million doses in batches of 100 million doses over the first half of next year, suggesting the U.S.

Canada-US border restrictions extended to at least September

August 14, 2020

The U.S. has the most cases of COVID-19 worldwide and is seeing tens of thousands of new cases daily and more than 1,000 deaths per day from the virus. Much of Canada's food supply comes from or via the U.S. The Pigeon River border crossing into Canada. Canada sends 75% of its exports to the US and about 18% of American exports go to Canada.

Donald Trump Plots to Destroy Showering

August 14, 2020

Because my hair - I don't know about you, but it has to be ideal. The US Department of Energy has proposed to amend the definition of a showerhead to skirt water conservation regulations after the president complained of alleged low water pressure.

US, Slovenia to 'exclude untrusted vendors' from 5G

August 14, 2020

The New York Times in June reported that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan - including American troops, citing US intelligence officials. "As for 5G tenders, we have no decision in this regard yet", he said. Police in Belarus said Thursday they had detained hundreds more protesters as demonstrations continued.

U.S. seeks to extend arms embargo on Iran at Security Council

August 14, 2020

Putin said Russian Federation, which is an ally of Iran in the Syrian civil war, remained fully committed to the nuclear deal and that the aim of a video summit would be "to outline steps that will allow to avoid confrontation and escalation of the situation in the security council".

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