2020年5月13日星期三

Yahoo! News: Terrorism

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Terrorism


McConnell puts blame for 2020 coronavirus failure on Barack Obama, in office 2009-2017

Posted: 12 May 2020 07:02 AM PDT

McConnell puts blame for 2020 coronavirus failure on Barack Obama, in office 2009-2017The Senate majority leader criticized the former president on a Trump campaign live stream despite the presence of a "Playbook for Early Response to High-Consequence Emerging Infectious Disease Threats and Biological Incidents."


CIA Believes China Tried to Prevent WHO from Declaring Coronavirus ‘Global Health Emergency’: Report

Posted: 12 May 2020 03:59 PM PDT

CIA Believes China Tried to Prevent WHO from Declaring Coronavirus 'Global Health Emergency': ReportThe CIA reportedly believes that China attempted to prevent the World Health Organization from declaring a global health emergency during the beginning stages of the coronavirus pandemic in January.In a report titled "U.N.-China: WHO Mindful But Not Beholden to China," the CIA detailed that China threatened to cease cooperating with the WHO's coronavirus investigation if the agency declared a global health emergency, Newsweek reported on Tuesday. The threats came at the same time that China reportedly "intentionally concealed the severity" of the outbreak in order to hoard medical supplies.U.S. officials told Newsweek that they could not say whether Chinese premier Xi Jinping was personally involved in the effort to pressure the WHO. A German intelligence report published by Der Spiegel last week concluded that Xi was indeed involved in the effort.The WHO declared a global health emergency on January 30, about one month after China confirmed the emergence of the then-unidentified pathogen in the city of Wuhan."Let me be clear: This declaration is not a vote of no confidence in China. On the contrary, WHO continues to have confidence in China's capacity to control the outbreak," WHO Director-General Tedros Anhanom told reporters at the time. The coronavirus outbreak has since become a pandemic, causing over 4,000,000 confirmed infections and killing almost 300,000 worldwide as of Tuesday.Accusing the WHO of mishandling the crisis and kowtowing to China, President Trump in April announced he would suspend U.S. funding for the organization."I'm instructing my administration to halt funding of the WHO while a review is conducted to assess the WHO's role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus," Trump said at a White House press conference. "The WHO failed in this basic duty and must be held accountable."


Federal judge halts the Justice Department's effort to drop its case against Michael Flynn

Posted: 12 May 2020 09:24 PM PDT

Federal judge halts the Justice Department's effort to drop its case against Michael FlynnJudge Emmet Sullivan said that because of the political nature of the case, he expected third parties to weigh in on the matter in the coming days.


Angela Merkel says Germany has 'hard evidence' Russia hacked her emails

Posted: 13 May 2020 04:49 AM PDT

Angela Merkel says Germany has 'hard evidence' Russia hacked her emailsAngela Merkel threatened Russia with consequences yesterday on Wednesday as she accused Vladimir Putin's intelligence services of hacking her emails. "We always reserve the right to take measures, including against Russia," Mrs Merkel told the German parliament. Germany has "hard evidence" Russian intelligence was behind a 2015 hacking attack in which her emails were compromised, she said. It was the first official confirmation of claims that have been extensively reported by the German press in recent days. "I can honestly say that it pains me," Mrs Merkel said, voicing her frustration at what she called Russia's "outrageous" behaviour. "Every day I try to build a better relationship with Russia, and on the other hand there is hard evidence that Russian forces are doing this." The allegations centre on a 2015 hacking attack on the German parliament's internal computer system in which several MPs' email accounts were compromised. It emerged last week in a report in Spiegel magazine that one of Mrs Merkel's email accounts was among those affected.


US election: What do last night’s results mean for the Democrats this November?

Posted: 13 May 2020 05:15 AM PDT

US election: What do last night's results mean for the Democrats this November?Tuesday night was election night across the US, with two bellwether special elections for seats in the House of Representatives and various primaries for races in November. Both elections were triggered when the incumbents resigned, putting one Republican seat and one Democratic one up for grabs.After massive spending on all sides and fierce intra-party competition, the results show that the Democrats have some serious ground to make up – but also that their up-and-coming progressives are more than able to upend the establishment across the country.


Dozens dead in Mexico after drinking adulterated alcohol

Posted: 13 May 2020 08:57 AM PDT

Dozens dead in Mexico after drinking adulterated alcoholPolice are searching for the source of the bootleg liquor which has left 46 dead in two states.


FEATURE-Cancel or strike: Pressure mounts to help U.S. renters amid coronavirus

Posted: 13 May 2020 05:00 AM PDT

India's prime minister announces huge virus relief package

Posted: 12 May 2020 08:12 AM PDT

India's prime minister announces huge virus relief packageIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Tuesday that the government will spend more than $260 billion, the equivalent of nearly 10% of the country's GDP, on a coronavirus economic relief package designed to make the world's second most populous nation more self-reliant. "The package's main aim is to build a self-reliant India," Modi said in a televised speech, adding that it will help the country compete globally. India entered its sixth week of a stringent nationwide lockdown on Tuesday, pushing an economy already enfeebled before the pandemic to the brink of collapse.


Owner of house Ahmaud Arbery purportedly entered before fatal shooting is getting death threats

Posted: 12 May 2020 10:24 AM PDT

Owner of house Ahmaud Arbery purportedly entered before fatal shooting is getting death threats"If the McMichaels are going to justify what they did, they are going to have to look elsewhere for help," said an attorney for Larry English.


Supreme Court appears split on whether Congress and prosecutors can see Trump's tax returns

Posted: 12 May 2020 04:16 PM PDT

Supreme Court appears split on whether Congress and prosecutors can see Trump's tax returnsThe Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in two cases that could help decide whether President Trump can keep his tax returns private.


FBI Accidentally Reveals Name of Saudi Diplomat Suspected of Supporting 9/11 Hijackers

Posted: 13 May 2020 07:45 AM PDT

FBI Accidentally Reveals Name of Saudi Diplomat Suspected of Supporting 9/11 HijackersThe FBI has accidentally revealed the name of a Saudi diplomat who is suspected of directing support to two of the September 11, 2001, plane hijackers.In a federal court filing by Jill Sanborn, the assistant director of the FBI's counterterrorism division, the diplomat's name was redacted in all instances except one. In that instance, Sanborn's document refers to a diplomat formerly stationed at the Saudi embassy in the U.S. as "Jarrah," Yahoo News reported on Tuesday.The name refers to Mussaed Ahmed al-Jarrah, who served at the Saudi embassy from 1999 to 2000. Al-Jarrah "was responsible for the placement of Ministry of Islamic Affairs employees known as guides and propagators posted to the United States, including Fahad Al Thumairy," according to a declaration by former FBI agent Catherine Hunt, who has assisted some of the families of 9/11 victims.Al-Thumairy is a Saudi cleric who served as imam of a Los Angeles mosque. FBI reports released in 2012 revealed that Al-Thumairy and another individual were suspected of being "tasked" with aiding two 9/11 hijackers, although agents could not prove the suspicion conclusively.Some families of 9/11 victims have seized on the disclosure as hard evidence that the Saudi government had some level of involvement in the attacks."This shows there is a complete government cover-up of the Saudi involvement," Brett Eagleson, a spokesman for the families, told Yahoo. Eagleson noted that the Justice Department had informed families of al-Jarrah's identity in September 2019, it had done so while forbidding the reporting of al-Jarrah's name to the public.The U.S. maintains an alliance with Saudi Arabia that has deepened in recent years as the two countries have placed pressure on Iranian forces throughout the Middle East. The Saudi government has repeatedly denied that any of its representatives were involved in the 9/11 hijackings.


Saudi Arabia to enter full lockdown for five days after Ramadan as coronavirus cases rise

Posted: 13 May 2020 10:22 AM PDT

Saudi Arabia to enter full lockdown for five days after Ramadan as coronavirus cases riseSaudi Arabia has said it will impose a full, 24-hour lockdown during the five-day Eid al-Fitr festival, which falls at the end of Ramadan, due to rising coronavirus infections. The curfew will be imposed from May 23 to May 27, following the end of the fasting period for Muslims, the Saudi interior ministry said in a statement. The kingdom has reported some of the highest number of coronavirus cases in the Gulf region and is now trying to slow the spread of the disease at a time when millions of Muslims will be celebrating the end of their fast. Most parts of the kingdom were put under full lockdown following the outbreak, but last month the government relaxed the curfew between the hours of 9am and 5pm. Shopping centres and retailers have been allowed to reopen, except in major hotspots including the holy city of Mecca, where confirmed cases have substantially increased, despite a stringent lockdown.


AOC and other Bernie Sanders allies are helping shape policy for Joe Biden. Here's who else is helping

Posted: 13 May 2020 01:11 PM PDT

AOC and other Bernie Sanders allies are helping shape policy for Joe Biden. Here's who else is helpingMembers of the groups include prominent Democrats like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rep. Pramila Jayapal and former Secretary of State John Kerry


Coronavirus lockdown: Two hotels demolished in Nigeria 'for breach of rules'

Posted: 12 May 2020 08:08 AM PDT

Coronavirus lockdown: Two hotels demolished in Nigeria 'for breach of rules'The managers of the two hotels in southern Nigeria's Rivers state deny that they broke the rules.


The Supreme Court just heard a pair of cases that could decide whether anyone will see Trump’s tax returns

Posted: 12 May 2020 02:23 PM PDT

The Supreme Court just heard a pair of cases that could decide whether anyone will see Trump's tax returnsThe Supreme Court on Tuesday met by teleconference to hear a pair of cases that will likely determine whether anyone sees Trump's tax returns and related financial records.


On tape, Bolsonaro cites protecting his family in push to swap top Rio cop: source

Posted: 12 May 2020 12:48 PM PDT

On tape, Bolsonaro cites protecting his family in push to swap top Rio cop: sourceBrazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said in an April cabinet meeting that he needed to change Rio de Janeiro's chief of the federal police to protect family members under investigation, a person with knowledge of a video of the meeting told Reuters. The video was shown on Tuesday to investigators looking into accusations by former Justice Minister Sergio Moro, who resigned two days after the cabinet meeting, alleging Bolsonaro was trying to interfere in law enforcement for personal motives. The fresh evidence in the federal investigation of the president fanned a political crisis distracting Bolsonaro from a widely criticized response to the coronavirus pandemic, eroding his popularity and rattling financial markets.


Gregory McMichael, who is charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, worked for years in DA Jackie Johnson's office without required gun training

Posted: 13 May 2020 07:45 AM PDT

Gregory McMichael, who is charged in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, worked for years in DA Jackie Johnson's office without required gun trainingIn a 2014 letter, DA Jackie Johnson called his longstanding lapse of training a "great embarrassment to me and to Investigator McMichael."


Trump ramps up expulsions of migrant youth, citing virus

Posted: 13 May 2020 08:36 AM PDT

Trump ramps up expulsions of migrant youth, citing virusThe young migrants and asylum seekers swim across the Rio Grande and clamber into the dense brush of Texas. Many are teens who left Central America on their own; others were sent along by parents from refugee camps in Mexico. Under U.S. law they would normally be allowed to live with relatives while their cases wind through immigration courts.


Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci got into the most pointed exchange of the Senate coronavirus hearing so far

Posted: 12 May 2020 10:01 AM PDT

Rand Paul and Anthony Fauci got into the most pointed exchange of the Senate coronavirus hearing so farThe tone remained civil, but Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) were not on the same page when the former testified remotely before the Senate on the coronavirus pandemic Tuesday.Paul, who has recovered from a reportedly asymptomatic case of COVID-19, made the argument that kids -- who have low mortality rates -- should return to school next fall. He said Fauci and other experts need to be "humble" about what they don't know about the virus, adding that Fauci isn't the "end all" of coronavirus-related decisions.> Dr. Fauci to Sen. Rand Paul on COVID-19:> > Based on data, children generally do "much better than adults and the elderly, and particularly those with underlying conditions. But, I am very careful, and hopefully humble, in knowing that I don't know everything about this disease." pic.twitter.com/6vtcdFYN1i> > -- PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) May 12, 2020Fauci replied that he doesn't consider himself the ultimate authority. Instead, he said his job as a public health official mandates he give advice based on scientific evidence. In fact, he said, the reason he's not ready to support opening schools or the economy is because he's aware there's a lot he doesn't know about the new virus. He noted that while it's clear kids respond much better to infections generally, there are worrying cases of a mysterious inflammatory disease possibly linked to COVID-19 found in children.Fauci's words didn't seem to have much of an effect on Paul's thinking, though. As he left the chamber, he said he believes government intervention hasn't altered the virus' trajectory, even in hot spots like New York. > Sen. Paul leaves coronavirus hearing and tells cameras: "here's the other question and this is unprovable. I think New York would have lost the same amount of people whether we did anything or not"> > "A lot of what happens with the virus is independent of what government does"> > -- Burgess Everett (@burgessev) May 12, 2020More stories from theweek.com Coronavirus will win. America needs to make a plan for failure. 1 of these 7 women will likely be Joe Biden's running mate Will the Supreme Court crown Trump king?


NASA researcher arrested over alleged secret China connections

Posted: 13 May 2020 11:32 AM PDT

NASA researcher arrested over alleged secret China connectionsA university professor funded by NASA has been arrested for allegedly keeping connections to the Chinese communist government a secret from US authorities.The FBI arrested University of Arkansas professor Simon Saw-Teong Ang, 63, for allegedly defrauding NASA and the university "by failing to disclose that he held other positions at a Chinese university and Chinese companies".


The White House is testing its staff for coronavirus using a device that often gives false negatives

Posted: 13 May 2020 09:57 AM PDT

The White House is testing its staff for coronavirus using a device that often gives false negativesAbbott Laboratories has said its ID NOW test system, which gives results in 13 minutes, can wrongly say someone is virus-free when they are not.


As COVID-19 looms, conditions for migrants stalled at U.S. border are a 'disaster in the making'

Posted: 12 May 2020 02:01 AM PDT

As COVID-19 looms, conditions for migrants stalled at U.S. border are a 'disaster in the making'Migrant health care workers operating in the border cities of Juarez, Matamoros and Tijuana say the conditions are right for a coronavirus outbreak.


Joe Biden assault claim: What does 'believe women' mean now?

Posted: 12 May 2020 04:36 PM PDT

Joe Biden assault claim: What does 'believe women' mean now?The rallying cry of the MeToo movement has been tested by allegations against Joe Biden.


Death toll from Kabul maternity hospital attack rises to 24

Posted: 13 May 2020 11:54 AM PDT

Death toll from Kabul maternity hospital attack rises to 24Officials on Wednesday raised the death toll from a militant attack on a maternity hospital in Kabul to 24, including mothers, nurses and two babies. A day after the shooting rampage, 20 infants were under medical observation, lying swaddled in blankets in hospital cribs. Militants had stormed the hospital Tuesday, setting off an hours-long shootout with police. As the gunfight raged, Afghan security forces carried out babies and frantic mothers. The clinic in Dashti Barchi, a mostly Shiite neighborhood in Afghanistan's capital, is supported by international aid group Doctors Without Borders. One woman gave birth as the shooting was taking place, the aid group said in a statement Wednesday. It said the woman and her baby were doing well. The Interior Ministry initially said Tuesday that 16 people were killed and more than 100 wounded. Wahid Majroh, the deputy public health minister, on Wednesday raised the death toll to 24 and said 16 people were wounded.


Spanish antibody study suggests 5% of population affected by coronavirus

Posted: 13 May 2020 03:38 AM PDT

Spanish antibody study suggests 5% of population affected by coronavirusPreliminary results from a nationwide coronavirus antibody study showed on Wednesday that about 5% of the overall Spanish population had contracted the novel virus - about 10 times more than the tally of diagnosed cases suggests. The results point to 2.3 million of Spain's 45 million population being affected by the virus, if without symptoms in many cases, considerably more than the official count of under 230,000 cases. "We have not been surprised" by the results, Illa said.


Judge Tosses Charges Against Ex-Michigan State President in Larry Nassar Case

Posted: 13 May 2020 09:22 AM PDT

Judge Tosses Charges Against Ex-Michigan State President in Larry Nassar CaseA judge on Wednesday dismissed criminal charges against former Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon, who was accused of lying to police while they were investigating former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar. Simon, who was the university's president for 14 years, was charged in November 2018 with two felony counts of lying to a peace officer in a violent crime investigation, and two misdemeanor counts of lying to a peace officer. The 59-year-old was the fourth person to be charged by the attorney general's office in its investigation into Michigan State University and its doctor-turned-convicted sex abuser Larry Nassar."The prosecution did not provide evidence sufficient to give a reasonable person probable cause that Dr. Simon knew during her 2018 interview that her purported knowledge in 2014 of Dr. Nassar's name and the 'nature' and 'substance' of the complaint against him were relevant," the Eaton County judge said, according to the Associated Press.Former MSU President Lou Anna Simon Charged for Lying to Police in Nassar CaseProsecutors alleged that while questioning Simon in May 2018 about whether she knew of past investigations concerning Nassar, Simon claimed she was only aware of a "sports medicine doctor" that was the subject of a Title IX investigation in 2014, but not who it was specifically. Investigators believed the former president's claim was untrue."When asked about whether she was aware of any investigation involving Larry Nassar prior to 2016 she falsely or misleadingly said that 'I was aware that in 2014 there was a sports medicine doc who was subject to a review' when in fact she knew it was Larry Nassar who was the subject of the 2014 MSU Title IX investigation," the charging document said.Amid public pressure, Simon stepped down as MSU president in January 2018—just hours after Nassar was sentenced 40 to 175 years in prison after pleading guilty to seven counts of sexually assaulting minors.Last October, Simon was ordered to stand trial. At the time, one of her lawyers, Lee Silver, said they would vigorously defend against the charges. "We are disappointed by the district court's ruling in light of the complete lack of evidence to support the charges against Lou Anna Simon," Silver said. The investigation centered around Nassar, the former MSU employee and gymnastics doctor, who had been accused of molesting at least 250 underage girls and 1 young man, including several well-known Olympic gymnasts.In 2014, he was the subject of a Title IX complaint, the same complaint Simon allegedly lied to investigations about—but he was ultimately cleared to continue treating patients for another two years, until victims began to come forward in The Indianapolis Star.Nassar, who pleaded guilty in three separate criminal trials yielding a combined sentence of 300 years, is serving his time in a Florida jail.Larry Nassar's Former Boss Convicted of 'Misconduct in Office'In addition to two sexual assault trials, the disgraced doctor was also sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges, including receipt and attempted receipt of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and destruction and concealment of records and tangible objects.Along with Simon, William Strampel, former dean of osteopathic medicine and one of Nassar's former bosses, former MSU gymnastics coach Kathie Klages, former USA Gymnastics CEO Steve Penny, and former USGA trainer Debbie Van Horn were all charged in the investigation for their role in facilitating, or covering up, Nassar's behavior. Strampel was found guilty in June, 2018, of misconduct in office and willfully neglecting his oversight after prosecutors argued he "abused his power" in office, made explicit comments to female medical students, and "sexually propositioned" at least two, whom he inappropriately touched.Read more at The Daily Beast.Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast hereGet 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.


Republicans are hobbling Congress amid the coronavirus so Trump can keep abusing power

Posted: 13 May 2020 12:15 AM PDT

Republicans are hobbling Congress amid the coronavirus so Trump can keep abusing powerRepublican resistance to operating remotely leaves us without a Congress just when we need it most, to fight coronavirus and look into Trump failures.


German firms plan charter flight to send staff back to China

Posted: 12 May 2020 05:49 PM PDT

German firms plan charter flight to send staff back to ChinaGerman firms plan to charter a flight to China this month, business leaders said Wednesday, as Beijing appears ready to further ease a ban on foreigners imposed over coronavirus fears. The idea is to eventually extend a similar plan to other European countries, Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber in China, told AFP. Talks are under way for "a fast-track procedure" allowing employees of German companies to re-enter China on the special flight, said Jens Hildebrandt, executive director for the German Chamber of Commerce in North China.


54% of participants in a new poll cited the Trump administration as a major source of misinformation on the coronavirus

Posted: 12 May 2020 12:02 AM PDT

54% of participants in a new poll cited the Trump administration as a major source of misinformation on the coronavirus"For Democrats, it is the Trump administration; for Republicans, it is the mainstream national news media," a Gallup staffer said.


Tom Tiffany wins seat held by former Rep. Sean Duffy in Wisconsin special election

Posted: 12 May 2020 08:04 PM PDT

Hong Kong to prioritize passing of contentious anthem bill

Posted: 11 May 2020 09:58 PM PDT

Hong Kong to prioritize passing of contentious anthem billHong Kong's government will give "priority" to a contentious bill that seeks to criminalize abuse of the Chinese national anthem, the city's leader said Tuesday, days after a pro-Beijing lawmaker wrested control over a key committee that vets bills. The proposed law is aimed at ensuring that residents of Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory, respect China's national anthem. Under the bill, those who use the anthem for commercial purposes, or publicly and intentionally insult the anthem, such as booing it during soccer games, could face fines of up to 50,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,450) and up to three years in prison.


Exclusive: OPEC+ wants to maintain oil output cuts beyond June - sources

Posted: 12 May 2020 08:21 AM PDT

Exclusive: OPEC+ wants to maintain oil output cuts beyond June - sourcesOPEC and its allies want to maintain existing oil cuts beyond June when the OPEC+ group is next due to meet to shore up prices and demand, which has been hit by the coronavirus pandemic, four OPEC+ sources said on Tuesday. Global oil demand has slumped by about 30% as the crisis has curtailed travel and economic activity, building up oil inventories globally. Brent crude prices fell 65.6% in the first quarter, before the OPEC+ grouping agreed its deepest oil cuts.


Gunmen storm Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kabul, killing two newborns

Posted: 12 May 2020 01:15 PM PDT

Gunmen storm Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kabul, killing two newbornsSeveral doctors leapt to an adjacent building after at least three attackers wearing police uniforms entered the hospital, according to officials.


Germany sees worrying COVID figures after weeks of relaxation

Posted: 13 May 2020 05:05 AM PDT

Germany sees worrying COVID figures after weeks of relaxationScientists are watching closely as the "reproduction value" of the virus behind COVID-19 has risen above a crucial threshold for 2 days in a row.


Coronavirus: China’s new army of tough-talking diplomats

Posted: 12 May 2020 04:06 PM PDT

Coronavirus: China's new army of tough-talking diplomatsHow Beijing is mounting an aggressive campaign to defend its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.


A train station worker has died after a man who said he had the coronavirus spat at her

Posted: 12 May 2020 04:44 AM PDT

A train station worker has died after a man who said he had the coronavirus spat at herTicket office worker Belly Mujinga died with Covid-19 two weeks after a member of the public who claimed he had the disease approached her and spat at her.


Supreme Court battle over Donald Trump's finances carries risks for all three branches

Posted: 12 May 2020 07:03 AM PDT

Supreme Court battle over Donald Trump's finances carries risks for all three branchesThe high-stakes battle could result in historic rulings on a president's immunity from invesigation while in office and Congress' oversight powers.


Bolsonaro orders gyms and hair salons to reopen despite Brazil becoming 'global epicentre' of virus

Posted: 13 May 2020 07:47 AM PDT

Bolsonaro orders gyms and hair salons to reopen despite Brazil becoming 'global epicentre' of virusBrazil witnessed another record breaking daily death toll from coronavirus as it cemented its place as an emerging global epicentre for the disease. The official toll of 881 deaths was second only to the US, while its total of 177,589 cases surpassed Germany and came within touching distance of France. The total death toll now stands at 12,400, the sixth worst in the world, but experts say the real figure is far higher due to lack of testing and poor record keeping. The rising numbers came as hard-Right president Jair Bolsonaro has issued a decree to reopen all gyms and hair salons in Latin America's largest economy, even in regions with strict lockdowns in place. Mr Bolsonaro, who gained the 'Tropical Trump' moniker even before the crisis, has turned Brazil into a pariah in the region and much of the world for playing down the severity of the disease. He referred to the virus as a "little flu" and has been battling with state governors to lift lockdowns before the peak of the infection curve. His latest decree — classifying gyms, fitness centers, hair salons and barbershops as "essential services", which may remain open during isolation measures — has been branded as "irresponsible" by several of Brazil's states, with governors refusing to obey the president's orders. Rio de Janeiro governor Wilson Witzel said President Bolsonaro was "edging towards the precipice, and trying to take Brazil with him". In the northeastern state of Maranhão, left-wing governor Flavio Dino reckoned that the president is only looking to "cause trouble".


Poll: Taiwanese distance themselves from Chinese identity

Posted: 12 May 2020 07:09 AM PDT

Poll: Taiwanese distance themselves from Chinese identityAbout two-thirds of Taiwanese don't identify as Chinese, according to a survey released Tuesday that highlights the challenge China would face in bringing the self-governing island under its control. The U.S.-based Pew Research Center found that 66% view themselves as Taiwanese, 28% as both Taiwanese and Chinese and 4% as just Chinese. The results are consistent with other polls showing that people in Taiwan increasingly identify only as Taiwanese, Pew said.


Moscow says it ascribed over 60% of coronavirus deaths in April to other causes

Posted: 13 May 2020 01:14 PM PDT

Moscow says it ascribed over 60% of coronavirus deaths in April to other causesThe city of Moscow said on Wednesday it had ascribed the deaths of more than 60% of coronavirus patients in April to other causes as it defended what it said was the superior way it and Russia counted the number of people killed by the novel virus. At 242,271, Russia has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in the world after the United States, something it attributes to a massive testing programme which it says has seen almost 6 million tests conducted. The disparity between the high number of cases and the relatively low number of deaths has prompted Kremlin critics and various Western and Russian media outlets to question the veracity of Russia's official death statistics.


2 Target customers who refused to wear face masks were arrested after a brawl that broke an employee's arm

Posted: 13 May 2020 09:06 AM PDT

2 Target customers who refused to wear face masks were arrested after a brawl that broke an employee's armA video posted by the LAPD shows a fight that resulted in the arrests of Phillip Hamilton, 31, and Paul Hamilton, 29 for battery.


Israel waging 'imaginary battle' against Iran troops in Syria: Hezbollah

Posted: 13 May 2020 10:23 AM PDT

Israel waging 'imaginary battle' against Iran troops in Syria: HezbollahLebanon's Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah charged Wednesday that Israel had been waging an "imaginary battle" against Iranian troops in Syria, insisting that Tehran had sent only "military advisers and experts". Nasrallah also denied Iran and its allies were in a battle for influence with Russia in the neighbouring country and said their chief aim was "preventing Syria from falling under the hegemony of America and Israel".


Goodbye offices? Working from home might be here to stay

Posted: 13 May 2020 05:53 AM PDT

Goodbye offices? Working from home might be here to stay"The views around work from home have completely changed," one expert said.


Student who made elevator noose pleads guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct

Posted: 13 May 2020 05:15 AM PDT

Student who made elevator noose pleads guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conductA student pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct for making a noose out of string and leaving it in a residence hall elevator.


A group of states is demanding Amazon and Whole Foods reveal how many of their employees have the coronavirus

Posted: 12 May 2020 03:07 PM PDT

A group of states is demanding Amazon and Whole Foods reveal how many of their employees have the coronavirusAn unknown number of Amazon and Whole Foods workers have contracted the coronavirus in recent months. State officials want to know the exact number.


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