The coronavirus outbreak poses a "perfect storm" for the war-ravaged country, warns Save the Children.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aUtgkj
Thursday, April 30, 2020
Coronavirus: How can I help?
Giving blood, writing a diary, or reading a story to your friends' children are just some of the options.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aW1bsG
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aW1bsG
As Coronavirus Sickens Mexican Workers, U.S. Presses Their Factories to Stay Open
By Unknown Author from NYT World https://nyti.ms/2VTwZdm
Trump Officials Are Said to Press Spies to Link Virus and Wuhan Labs
By Mark Mazzetti, Julian E. Barnes, Edward Wong and Adam Goldman from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3bViVpr
As Several States Loosen Rules, California Closes Some Beaches
By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3d3Ymar
Food Lines a Mile Long in America’s Second-Wealthiest State
By Tracey Tully and Bryan Anselm from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/2SoMybb
U.S. Stocks Have Their Best Month Since 1987
By Unknown Author from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/3bUbdfo
Trump and Kushner Engage in Revisionist History in Boasting of Success Over Virus
By Peter Baker from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/3d4UJB6
Killing C.I.A. Informants, China Crippled U.S. Spying Operations
By Mark Mazzetti, Adam Goldman, Michael S. Schmidt and Matt Apuzzo from NYT World https://nyti.ms/3bU8X7J
New world news from Time: ‘We Never Considered a Full Lockdown.’ South Korea’s Health Minister on the Country’s Fight Against Coronavirus
It wasn’t looking good for South Korea in mid-February. The nation had the world’s second highest number of coronavirus cases after China, owing to a cluster of infections that arose from the Shincheonji Church in the city of Daegu, some 150 miles south of the capital Seoul.
But thanks to early preparations, and a robust public health response based around extensive testing and tech-powered contact tracing, the nation’s tally of infections has been kept to just 10,765, about half directly related to Shincheonji. More impressive still, no major lockdown or restrictions on movement have been imposed, save a few scattered curfews.
On Apr. 15, some 29 million people turned up to vote in parliamentary elections—yet no known infections arose, thanks to strict social distancing at the polls. On Wednesday, South Korea had zero local infections for the first time since the outbreak was first recorded 72 days previously (though four new cases had been imported.) “This is the strength of South Korea and its people,” President Moon Jae-in said on announcing the news.
South Korea’s health and welfare minister Park Neung-hoo explained to TIME exactly how his nation engineered such a remarkable turnaround. The following written answers were translated from Korean and have been edited for length and clarity.
What was your reaction when you first heard about the virus? I imagine you must get a lot of these alerts that turn out to be nothing?
The bitter memory of MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) puts me on edge whenever a novel virus infection is reported, so we thoroughly check up on any new viral outbreaks. [South Korea had the second-largest number of MERS cases after Saudi Arabia and its public health response was highly criticized.] So we tried to collect as much information as possible, and I thought that quick, early action should be taken.
What were the most critical policies toward containing COVID-19?
As COVID-19 displays very unique features, we needed to be creative and innovative, as well as using traditional methods to combat the virus. For example, drive-thru screening clinics, an ICT [information and communications technology] app called Special Immigration Procedure [provided to new airport arrivals], and Life Treatment Centers for patients with mild symptoms were innovative. If we had failed to separate them and tried to put all new patients in hospitals, our overloaded healthcare system could have collapsed.
In addition, if we had delayed developing test kits by a month, without prior and proactive consultation and cooperation with the private sector, our current system based around quick, mass testing couldn’t have been established.
How do instant test results help thorough contact tracing?
COVID-19 is highly contagious in the early stage of infection and even when the symptom is mild, and it spreads fast. Therefore, it is critical that the infected patient is identified and isolated as quickly as possible in containing the spread of the virus. For this, a quick test is essential.
How important has technology proved for contact tracing?
ICT plays a decisive role in accurately identifying people and swiftly locating their contacts. For example, tracing them through credit card usage, CCTV, mobile phone location tracing, and so on helps us to learn about a patient’s travel time, route and location quickly, and can also help to identify close contacts of the patient. The faster we find the contacts, the better we are able to stem further spread of the virus.
Why did you decide to make drive-through testing so widespread?
Drive-thru screening clinics are much faster and safer than ordinary screening clinics. Examination, temperature check, and specimen collection are done while the driver is still sitting in the car. Conventional specimen collection may take half an hour compared with only ten minutes in total for drive-thru. And the risk of cross infection between the medical professionals and visitors is significantly reduced.
What would be your advice for other nations trying to contain COVID-19?
Since COVID-19 spreads very fast, an early diagnostic test is critical. About 80% of COVID-19 patients have mild symptoms, and only 10% have severe symptoms. So the medical system needs to respond accordingly. In other words, efficient allocation of limited medical resources is very important.
Next, the greatest leverage we have for controlling COVID-19 is people’s trust in the state. Deep trust not only minimizes public anxiety, but is critical in inducing the participation and cooperation of the people in enforcing the potent vaccine that is social distancing.
For this, it is very important to provide relevant information to the people in the most transparent possible manner. In addition, it is also important to have smooth inter-ministerial and central-to-local governmental communication.
How did you resist the urge to impose more draconian containment measures like in China or other countries?
We never considered a full lockdown as part of our policy response to COVID-19. Although there was an explosive new outbreak in a certain region, we had confidence that we could locate contacts and isolate them successfully.
South Korea is a democracy which respects and ensures the individual freedom of the people as much as possible, so we relied on people’s voluntary cooperation based on their trust in public anti-epidemic authorities.
As such, instead of physical lockdown, we fought the virus through an epidemiological approach such as wide diagnostic testing and isolation of contacts, while encouraging people’s voluntary cooperation for social distancing. We believed this was more effective than forcible measures and indeed it paid off.
How do you weigh public health concerns versus restarting the economy?
Finding a mid-point between economic activities and containing an epidemic outbreak is a delicate balancing act. Given the nature of COVID-19, it will be next to impossible to wipe it out without the development of a vaccine.
The key is whether we are able to keep COVID-19 cases within our medical system’s capacity to treat to patients. In Korea, we set strict standards and regularly evaluate how patient numbers match our medical capacity, allowing us balance the two pressing needs [of public health and economy.]
Do you feel public pressure to end containment measures and open up?
Just like epidemic prevention is part of our life, so are socioeconomic activities. We need economic activities to ensure a sustainable anti-epidemic response. I perceive the need and feel the pressure for normalization of economic activities.
Anti-epidemic authorities are making an ongoing assessment of the current progress and are exploring ways to achieve both minimal risk of spread of infection and normal life and economic activities. For example, from the end of March until mid-April, strengthened social distancing was enforced. From Apr. 20 to May 5, some public facilities are reopening, gradually easing the strength of social distancing.
We will continue to adjust the level of social distancing in consideration of further progress, and we are ready to implement a “social distancing in normal life,” under which our normal life and virus containment can both be achieved in balance with each other.
—With reporting and translation by Stephen Kim/Seoul
New world news from Time: Why Many Japanese People Are Ignoring Their Government’s Pleas to Stay Home During a Major Holiday Break
(TOKYO) — Under Japan’s coronavirus state of emergency, people have been asked to stay home. Many are not. Some still have to commute to their jobs despite risks of infection, while others continue to dine out, picnic in parks and crowd into grocery stores with scant regard for social distancing.
On Wednesday, the first day of the “Golden Week” holidays that run through May 5, Tokyo’s leafy Shiba Park was packed with families with small children, day camping in tents.
The lure of heading out for Golden Week holidays is testing the public’s will to unite against a common enemy as health workers warn rising coronavirus cases are overwhelming the medical system in some places. Experts say a sense of urgency is missing, thanks to mixed messaging from the government and a lack of incentives to stay home.
In distant, tropical Okinawa, locals have resorted to posting social media appeals to tourists not to visit, “to protect our grannies and grandpas.”
“Please cancel your trip to Okinawa and wait until we can welcome you,” Okinawa’s governor Denny Tamaki tweeted. “Unfortunately Okinawa can provide no hospitality and our medical systems, including on remote islands, are in a state of emergency.”
In this country driven by conformity and consensus, the pandemic is pitting those willing to follow the rules against a sizable minority who are resisting the calls to stay home.
To get better compliance, the government needs stronger messaging, said Naoya Sekiya, a University of Tokyo professor and expert of social psychology and risk communications.
A tougher lockdown would also help.
While the halfhearted adherence to the calls to stay home has dismayed Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, none of those spurning the advice are breaking the law. Legally, the state of emergency can only involve requests for compliance. Violators face no penalties. There are few incentives to close shops.
The main message has been economy first, safety second: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has insisted Japan will not adopt European-style hard lockdowns that would paralyze the economy. His economy minister heads the government’s coronavirus task force meetings.
“The message coming from the government is rather mild, apparently trying to convey the need to stay home while prioritizing the economy,” Sekiya said. Since people lack a shared sense of crisis, instead of staying home they’re hoping for the best and assuming they won’t get infected, he said.
Three-quarters of people responding to a recent survey by the Asahi newspaper said they are going out less than usual. But just over half felt they could comply with Abe’s call to reduce their social interactions by 80%.
People of all ages are shrugging off the stay-at-home request. The popular “scramble” intersection in downtown Tokyo’s Shibuya looked uncrowded, but eateries and pubs on backstreets were still busy. In the western suburb of Kichijoji, narrow shopping streets were jammed during the weekend with families strolling and heading to lunch. Pachinko pinball parlors have drawn ire for staying open despite name-and-shame announcements and other pressure to close. Bars and restaurants are ignoring a requested 8 p.m. closing time.
“It’s ridiculous,” said an 80-year-old man drinking Wednesday at a downtown bar. “What am I supposed to do at home? I’d only be watching TV.”
Officials are trying to fight back. In Kichijoji, they patrolled shopping arcades carrying banners saying “Please, do not go out.” Local mayors appealed to the government to close the crowded Shonan beach, popular with surfers and families, south of Tokyo. Some prefectures have set up border checkpoints to spot non-local license plates.
“It seems not everyone shares the sense of crisis,” said Kazunobu Nishikawa, a disaster prevention official in Musashino city, which oversees Kichijoji. “Many people understand the risks of this infectious disease,” he said, but “others seem to think COVID-19 is nothing more than a common cold and don’t care as long as they don’t catch it.”
Abe declared the state of emergency on April 7, as virus cases surged. It initially covered only Tokyo and six other areas but later expanded to include the whole country.
Abe did not ask non-essential businesses to close. But Koike, the Tokyo governor, fought and prevailed in requesting that schools, movie theaters, athletic clubs, hostess bars and other such businesses in the city be asked to close. Most restaurants and pubs still can operate from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., and grocery and convenience stores and public transport remain open as usual.
The government has rolled out an unprecedentedly huge economic package of 108 trillion yen ($1 trillion) that included loans for small businesses and other coronavirus measures. Responding to criticism he was neglecting individuals and families in dire need of cash to survive, Abe belatedly announced cash payouts of 100,000 yen each to all residents of Japan.
Survey data show the 80% social distancing target has roughly been met during weekends, with the numbers of nightlife goers and commuters noticeably lower. But parks and popular outdoor spots in Japan’s densely crowded cities are still bustling with people, said Hiroshi Nishiura, a Hokkaido University professor and expert of epidemiological analysis.
Tokyo reported 47 newly confirmed cases on Wednesday, with the total across the nation just over 14,000, though limited testing means the number of infections is likely much higher.
Call center employee Mayumi Shibata is among the many Japanese who cannot fully work from home, partly because much paperwork in this modern nation is still not computerized and most documents must be stamped in person using ink seals.
“I will commute as long as I can keep my job,” Shibata said while standing outside the busy downtown Shinagawa train station one recent morning.
With the trains slightly less crowded, conditions for commuting are better, and she tries to take her lunch break outside, if it’s not raining, to get some fresh air. “I’m trying not to get infected,” she said.
___
AP video journalists Emily Wang and Haruka Nuga contributed to this report.
Coronavirus: Northern Territory first in Australia to lift major restrictions
The Northern Territory lifts major social restrictions in a test case for the rest of the nation.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2z07Bts
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2z07Bts
Coronavirus: Armed protesters enter Michigan statehouse
Several senators reportedly wore bulletproof vests as armed demonstrators looked on from the gallery.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YnOFQm
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YnOFQm
Nigerian drummer Tony Allen dies aged 79
Nigerian drummer Tony Allen, who created Afrobeat with Fela Kuti, dies aged 79, his manager says.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2yflxzW
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2yflxzW
Coronavirus: Gulshan Ewing's death adds to care home tragedy
Gulshan Ewing rubbed shoulders with Hollywood legends, interviewing and partying with them.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3d2OtKb
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3d2OtKb
The worldwide race to make solar power more efficient
Scientists are working on better solar cells that will turn more of the sun's rays into electricity.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KU6MVL
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KU6MVL
How The Assistant exposes Hollywood's abuse silence
The movie which has roots in the exposure of power and abuse in the film industry after #MeToo.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YmDVkU
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2YmDVkU
Quiz of the Week: On UFOs, lockdown loosening and more
How closely have you been paying attention to what's been going on during the past seven days?
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2zE4k3p
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2zE4k3p
Africa's week in pictures: 24 - 30 April 2020
A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent and beyond.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VQcDBO
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VQcDBO
Coronavirus in Ghana: Online funerals, face masks and elections without rallies
Ghana is well known for its elaborate funerals and rowdy election campaigns so coronavirus is changing everything.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aPTTXl
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aPTTXl
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Newsom to close all California beaches in crackdown: report
04/29/20 9:32 PM
Newsom to close all California beaches in crackdown: report
04/29/20 9:32 PM
Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor dies aged 67
Veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor has died in Mumbai, aged 67, two years after being diagnosed with cancer
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KP9mfG
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KP9mfG
As Coronavirus Deaths Spike, Brazil’s Leader Says, ‘So What?’: Live Updates
By Unknown Author from NYT World https://nyti.ms/3cY5IfG
Polls Had Trump Stewing, and Lashing Out at His Own Campaign
By Maggie Haberman and Annie Karni from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2YuNPBp
Democratic Frustration Mounts as Biden Remains Silent on Sexual Assault Allegation
By Lisa Lerer and Sydney Ember from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2YkFwHV
Despite Trump’s Nudging, Schools Are Likely to Stay Shut for Months
By Shawn Hubler, Erica L. Green and Dana Goldstein from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2YhF6Cd
Trump Declares Meat Supply ‘Critical,’ Aiming to Reopen Plants
By Ana Swanson and David Yaffe-Bellany from NYT Business https://nyti.ms/2zBFgtQ
Coronavirus: Trump says China wants him to lose re-election
The US president says Beijing faces a "lot" of possible consequence from the US over coronavirus.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KNbO6I
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KNbO6I
Coronavirus Live Updates: White House Embraces Optimism as Death Toll Passes 60,000
By Unknown Author from NYT U.S. https://nyti.ms/2xhCb1g
New world news from Time: Italy Says App Tracing Contacts of People Infected With COVID-19 Will Be Anonymous
ROME — The Italian government has decreed that the data provided through an app to facilitate tracing of persons who come in close contact with someone positive for COVID-19 will be completely anonymous and that all data will be destroyed by year’s end.
Premier Giuseppe Conte’s Cabinet, at a meeting that ended early Thursday, approved a law, in the form of the decree, that guarantees that those who decide not to use the app won’t suffer limits on their movement or other rights.
Health authorities are encouraging Italians to use the app as a key tool to prevent the rate of contagion to rise again in Italy. The app, which uses Bluetooth, won’t geo-localize users, and data will only be mined for purposes of containing the virus or for epidemiological study, the government said Thursday.
The Cabinet also stipulated that any bid to release to house arrest prison inmates convicted of terrorism or Mafia crimes due to COVID-19 concerns must seek the opinion of prosecutors, or in the case of top organized crime bosses must run the request by Italy’s national anti-Mafia prosecutor. Prosecutors have expressed concern mobsters can exploit the pandemic to get out of prison.
Coronavirus: Serena Williams among stars to compete in Mario Tennis tournament
Naomi Osaka and the Williams sisters will play and be live-streamed on Facebook's gaming platform.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SmzvH1
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SmzvH1
Harrison Ford investigated over LA runway incident
The US actor was piloting a plane that wrongly crossed a runway where another aircraft was landing.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Wa75Bl
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Wa75Bl
Coronavirus kills 70 veterans at Massachusetts care home
Officials are investigating if residents received proper medical care at the Massachusetts home.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2yRuXSa
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2yRuXSa
Irrfan Khan: The Bollywood star loved by Hollywood
Irrfan Khan's biographer, Aseem Chhabra, writes about the life of one of Bollywood's biggest stars.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SisMha
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SisMha
Coronavirus: Searching for truth behind Spain's care home tragedy
Families want to know why so many of their elderly relatives have died.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/35lz850
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/35lz850
Coronavirus: Japan's low testing rate raises questions
Japan's relatively low rate of virus testing raises questions about how it has tackled the pandemic.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3d3yZpt
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3d3yZpt
Training AI 'to translate mum's phone messages'
How African researchers are using the continent's languages to help spur innovation in Artificial Intelligence.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SkusXQ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2SkusXQ
Staging a 'socially distanced' boxing match
Inside the Nicaraguan boxing event that caught the world's attention during the pandemic.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KJVCD7
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2KJVCD7
Coronavirus: Why the fashion industry faces an 'existential crisis'
"No-one wants to buy clothes to sit at home in," as Next's chief executive Simon Wolfson puts it.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cU2mu6
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cU2mu6
Coronavirus: Why so many US nurses are out of work
At a time when many healthcare workers are risking their lives, some face pay cuts and job loss.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aVxc4p
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aVxc4p
How will airlines get flying again?
When passenger planes start flying again, the world of air travel will be very different.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3f4N4Vm
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3f4N4Vm
New world news from Time: U.K.’s Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds Announce Birth of Baby Boy
(LONDON) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds have announced the birth of a baby boy.
Johnson’s office says Symonds gave birth to a “healthy baby boy at a London hospital” on Wednesday morning, and both mother and baby are doing well.
Johnson, 55, and Symonds, 32, announced in February that they were expecting a child together. At the time they said the baby was due in early summer.
Johnson only returned to work Monday after suffering from a bout of coronavirus. He spent a week in a London hospital, including three nights in intensive care.
Symonds also said she was sick for a week with coronavirus symptoms.
Johnson has four children with his second wife, Marina Wheeler, from whom he is divorced, and has fathered at least one other child outside his marriages,
The wives of two of the last four British prime ministers, David Cameron and Tony Blair, had babies while their husbands were in office.
New world news from Time: Irrfan Khan, Actor in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Life of Pi,’ Dies at Age 54
(NEW DELHI) — Irrfan Khan, a veteran character actor in Bollywood movies and a one of India’s best-known exports to Hollywood, has died. He was 54.
Khan played the police inspector in “Slumdog Millionaire” and the park executive Masrani in “Jurassic World.” He also appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” and the adventure fantasy “Life of Pi.”
Khan died Wednesday after being admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection.
“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him,” a statement released by the actor’s team said.
Khan made his screen debut in the Academy Award-nominated 1988 drama “Salaam Bombay!,” a tale of Mumbai’s street children. He later worked with directors Mira Nair, Wes Anderson and Ang Lee.
Khan in 2018 was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer and underwent months of treatment in the United Kingdom.
“I trust, I have surrendered,” he wrote in a heartfelt note after he broke the news of his battle with cancer.
Khan won a number of film awards in India, including a 2012 Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in “Paan Singh Tomar,” a compelling tale of a seven-time national champion athlete who quit India’s armed forces to rule the Chambal ravines in central India.
Khan received an Independent Spirit Award for supporting actor in 2006 for the Indian-American drama “The Namesake” and a viewers’ choice award at the Cannes festival 2013 for his role in the Indian romantic drama “The Lunchbox.”
Khan also starred in the Hamlet-inspired “Haider,” a Bollywood film set in militarized Himalayan Kashmir.
Tributes came from Bollywood, including from fellow actor Amitabh Bachchan, who said Khan was an “incredible talent” and “a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema.”
Khan “left us too soon,” Bachchan wrote on Twitter.
In an interview with The Associated Press in 2018, Khan said: “I’ve seen life from a completely different angle. You sit down and you see the other side and that’s fascinating. I’m engaged on a journey.”
Khan’s last Bollywood movie, “Angrezi Medium,” a sequel to one of his biggest hits, “Hindi Medium” (2017), was released before India went into a lockdown in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He is survived by his wife, television writer and producer Sutapa Sikdar, and sons, Babil and Ayan.
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Fox News Breaking News Alert
Irrfan Khan, actor in ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ dead at 53
04/29/20 1:40 AM
Irrfan Khan, actor in ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ dead at 53
04/29/20 1:40 AM
New top story from Time: Irrfan Khan, Actor in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and ‘Life of Pi,’ Dies at Age 54
(NEW DELHI) — Irrfan Khan, a veteran character actor in Bollywood movies and a one of India’s best-known exports to Hollywood, has died. He was 54.
Khan played the police inspector in “Slumdog Millionaire” and the park executive Masrani in “Jurassic World.” He also appeared in “The Amazing Spider-Man” and the adventure fantasy “Life of Pi.”
Khan died Wednesday after being admitted to Mumbai’s Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani hospital with a colon infection.
“Irrfan was a strong soul, someone who fought till the very end and always inspired everyone who came close to him,” a statement released by the actor’s team said.
Khan made his screen debut in the Academy Award-nominated 1988 drama “Salaam Bombay!,” a tale of Mumbai’s street children. He later worked with directors Mira Nair, Wes Anderson and Ang Lee.
Khan in 2018 was diagnosed with a rare neuroendocrine cancer and underwent months of treatment in the United Kingdom.
“I trust, I have surrendered,” he wrote in a heartfelt note after he broke the news of his battle with cancer.
Khan won a number of film awards in India, including a 2012 Indian National Film Award for best actor for his performance in “Paan Singh Tomar,” a compelling tale of a seven-time national champion athlete who quit India’s armed forces to rule the Chambal ravines in central India.
Khan received an Independent Spirit Award for supporting actor in 2006 for the Indian-American drama “The Namesake” and a viewers’ choice award at the Cannes festival 2013 for his role in the Indian romantic drama “The Lunchbox.”
Khan also starred in the Hamlet-inspired “Haider,” a Bollywood film set in militarized Himalayan Kashmir.
Tributes came from Bollywood, including from fellow actor Amitabh Bachchan, who said Khan was an “incredible talent” and “a prolific contributor to the World of Cinema.”
Khan “left us too soon,” Bachchan wrote on Twitter.
In an interview with The Associated Press in 2018, Khan said: “I’ve seen life from a completely different angle. You sit down and you see the other side and that’s fascinating. I’m engaged on a journey.”
Khan’s last Bollywood movie, “Angrezi Medium,” a sequel to one of his biggest hits, “Hindi Medium” (2017), was released before India went into a lockdown in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
He is survived by his wife, television writer and producer Sutapa Sikdar, and sons, Babil and Ayan.
‘Murder to Mercy’ Review: Rethinking a Life Sentence
By Bilal Qureshi
Me Facing Life 2: Cyntoia's Fight for Freedom ()
Opening April 29, 2020
from NYT Critics' Pick https://nyti.ms/2VJy2N0
Irrfan Khan, one of Indian cinema's finest exports
The star of Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire and dozens of Indian cinema's finest films has died at 53.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VN0uO1
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2VN0uO1
Coronavirus: A new way of dating during lockdown
Omar Mehtab looks at how online dating is being reinvented in these times of social isolation.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2zDEoF7
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2zDEoF7
Irrfan Khan: Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi actor dies
The Bollywood star, known for roles in Slumdog Millionaire and Jurassic World, has died aged 53.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aOn4u6
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3aOn4u6
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Coronavirus: This is what reopening in US looks like
Barber shops, tattoo parlours, beaches and restaurants reopen in Georgia.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cUiJXJ
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/3cUiJXJ
New world news from Time: Indonesians Join Ramadan Prayers in Aceh Amid Coronavirus
(BANDA ACEH, Indonesia) — Hundreds of people join the Ramadan evening prayers at Baiturrahman Grand Mosque in the capital of Indonesia’s far western Aceh province.
They wash their hands to prevent the spread of the coronavirus before they perform ablutions and begin their prayers. They come with masks, following a government appeal, but don’t always wear them. Some worshipers bring their own prayer rugs after the carpets at the mosque were rolled up in March.
One congregant, Umar, decided to join a mass prayer at the mosque and wore a mask to make sure he did the right thing as suggested by the government. “I feel not complete if I do the prayer not at the mosque,” Umar said.
The scene stands in sharp contrast to past Ramadans. The mosque in Banda Aceh can accommodate thousands, and people flooded outside the mosque building in past years. This year, not more than 400 worshipers have participated at the evening prayer. They were not packed together, but were not social distancing either.
Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Ministry has issued guidance for people to worship from home, alongside government recommendations for working and learning from home. The Indonesia Ulema Council also previously issued a fatwa advising against congregational prayers in areas where COVID-19 had spread uncontrollably.
Indonesia’s coronavirus outbreak has been most intense in and around the densely populated capital, Jakarta. It has recorded 4,002 cases with 370 deaths from the total 9,511 cases and 773 deaths across the country. The central government reported nine COVID-19 cases in Aceh with no deaths as of Tuesday.
Aceh is the only province in the world’s most populous Muslim nation that practices Shariah law. The region’s autonomy was a concession the central government made in 2001 as part of efforts to end a decades-long war for independence.
The Aceh Ulema Council has allowed daily mass prayers as long as they follow previously announced health protocols, such as wearing masks and bringing their own prayer rugs. Some preachers are shortening sermons so worshipers won’t stay long in a crowd, and some Aceh mosques are not allowing mass prayers, following the central government’s guidance.
The Aceh council’s deputy chairman Faisal Ali said the council only allowed congregational prayers in certain areas. “For people who live in areas where the epidemic of COVID-19 is still under control, they can do the prayers that are held at mosques by limiting the duration,” Ali said.
New world news from Time: China to Convene Annual Political Meeting Next Month After Postponing It Due to Coronavirus
(BEIJING) — China has decided to hold the annual meeting of its ceremonial parliament late next month after postponing it for weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak.
The official Xinhua News Agency on Wednesday said the National People’s Congress would open in Beijing on May 22, according to a decision made by its standing committee, which handles most legislative affairs outside the annual two-week session of the full body.
The convening of the full session, which would encompass about 3,000 members, indicates China’s growing confidence that it has largely overcome the pandemic that was first detected in China late last year.
The meeting normally held in March involves bringing delegates from across the country by plane and train to Beijing, where they first meet to hear a state of the country address from Premier Li Keqiang, seated shoulder-to-shoulder in the colossal auditorium at the Great Hall of the People.
It wasn’t clear from the report whether delegates would be meeting in person or virtually and there was no word on any meeting of the congress’ advisory body that meets around the same time.
China on Wednesday reported a jump in imported cases of coronavirus, but no new deaths from the disease it causes.
Out of 22 new cases, 21 were brought from abroad and one was a result of local transmission in the southern industrial province of Guangdong, the National Health Commission said. China, where the pandemic began, has registered 4,633 deaths from the virus among 82,858 cases.
Authorities have relaxed social distancing restrictions, but have maintained strict quarantine rules on those coming from abroad or other parts of the country to ward off a second wave of virus cases as summer approaches.
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Ohio’s G.O.P. Governor Splits From Trump, and Rises in Popularity
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New world news from Time: Medical Supplies for Coronavirus Are Not Reaching Northeast Syria, Rights Group Says
(UNITED NATIONS) — Human Rights Watch said Tuesday that medical supplies to prevent and treat the new coronavirus are not reaching northeast Syria because of restrictions imposed by the Syrian government and the Kurdish regional government.
The international rights organization urged the U.N. Security Council to immediately adopt a resolution reopening the Al Yarubiyah border crossing from Iraq into the northeast. The crossing, which was used primarily to deliver medicine and medical supplies from the World Health Organization, was closed in January at the insistence of Russia.
Syrian Kurds established an autonomous zone in the northeast in 2012 and were U.S. partners on the ground in fighting the Islamic State extremist group. A Turkish offensive in October against Syrian Kurdish militants led the U.S. to abandon its Kurdish allies, leading to strong criticism of both Washington and Ankara.
Louis Charbonneau, U.N. director for Human Rights Watch, stressed at a video press briefing launching a report on aid restrictions hindering the COVID-19 response that “this is not a political question, it’s a humanitarian question, (and) very easy for the Security Council to move quickly.”
Gerry Simpson, the rights group’s crisis and conflict associate director, said: “Two million people are stuck in northeast Syria without the tools to tackle outbreaks of COVID-19.”
He said a man who died on April 2 in the northeast city of Qamishli was later diagnosed with COVID-19.
Human Rights Watch said authorities in Damascus have refused to collect some COVID-19 test samples from northeast Syria for testing, and it took two weeks before authorities in the northeast found out in mid-April about the first positive test from the man who died on April 2.
Simpson said there is a need for urgent action because there is no place for testing, next to no testing equipment, almost no personal protective equipment, and just 10 ventilators for adults and one for a child in the entire northeast region.
He said COVID-19 related aid is already in warehouses in Iraq “waiting to get in.”
The United Nations began cross-border aid deliveries in 2014 to get food, medicine and other humanitarian items to opposition-held areas of Syria. There had been four crossing points, two from Turkey to the mainly rebel-held northwest, one from Jordan to southern Syria and one from Iraq to the northeast.
But when it came to renewing the mandate for cross-border deliveries late last year, Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said cross-border aid was meant to be a temporary response to the Syrian conflict and the situation on the ground had changed.
He said the Jordan crossing point hadn’t been used and the volume through the Iraqi crossing “is insignificant … and could be done from Syria” so only the Turkish crossing points were needed.
Using the threat of a veto, Russia forced the Security Council to maintain aid deliveries only from Turkey and end deliveries from Jordan and Iraq, a victory for its close ally Syria.
Human Rights Watch said that between March 31 and April 21 it interviewed 10 aid workers and officials from U.N. agencies and international non-governmental organizations operating in or supporting operations in northeast Syria about the obstacles they faced in responding to COVID-19.
The rights group said aid workers reported that the closure of the Al Yarubiyah border crossing from Iraq has resulted in a $40 million shortfall for 2020 for non-governmental organizations depending on U.N. support for their operations in northeast Syria, including $30 million for health care, mostly to prevent and respond to COVID-19.
Despite some air shipments in March and April from Damascus to Qamishli, which is in a government-held area of the northeast, the rights group said “bureaucratic obstacles in Damascus are preventing aid agencies from transferring supplies to non-government-held parts of the region.”
And it said that since March 1, the Kurdish regional government has introduced restrictions that have severely limited the amount of aid that humanitarian organizations can take to northeast Syria.
Simpson said that in light of “the catastrophic effect of the end of U.N. supplies reaching northern Syria from northern Iraq,” the Security Council should act immediately to authorize the reopening of the Al Yarubiyah border crossing.
Trump orders US meatpacking plants to stay open
As the pandemic squeezes US food supply, the president designates the plants critical infrastructure.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2W7ylAb
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2W7ylAb
New world news from Time: Coronavirus Is Forcing Japan to Rethink Its Custom of Stamping Documents by Hand
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has called for an urgent review of traditional office practices like stamping documents by hand, which are hampering efforts to rein in the coronavirus.
Some workers are forced to get on crowded trains and show up at their offices to affix their personal or company seals to documents, hindering Abe’s effort to contain the virus by getting the public to cut their contacts with others by at least 70%.
“I want the relevant ministries to conduct necessary reviews rapidly,” Abe told a meeting of his economic and fiscal policy council Monday, according to the website of his official residence. He singled out changes to the “system and custom of seals and submitting paperwork” as necessary for promoting remote work.
Abe’s government itself has also hindered social distancing efforts. The process of applying for government subsidies to prevent job losses during the current crisis has required small businesses to hand over papers in person at unemployment offices, exposing them to the risk of infection.
The use of seals, or “hanko,” on official documents goes back hundreds of years in Japan and spread among the general public in the 19th century. A seal dipped in red ink is often required to verify personal or business transactions.
Reluctant to shrug off those customs, Japan has been criticized for decades for its inefficiency at white collar work. A survey by the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted partly by fax last month found that only 26% of the 1,333 companies that responded had introduced working from home.
“Using a seal is nonsense,” Hiroaki Nakanishi, head of the big business lobby Keidanren, said on the group’s YouTube channel. “Everything can be done with a signature or an electronic signature. Using a seal as proof of identity doesn’t fit with the current digital age,” he added. He suggested the seals themselves could be kept as works of art.
Apart from technical issues, almost half of respondents cited the difficulty managers face in assessing employee performance when they cannot see their team in person as a reason for avoiding remote work.
Japan has recorded about 13,400 cases of the coronavirus and just under 400 deaths, far lower figures than other major economies. Nonetheless, the government is leaning toward extending the state of emergency that is currently scheduled to end May 6, national broadcaster NHK reported Sunday.
–With assistance from Yuki Hagiwara.
New world news from Time: Coronavirus Is Likely to Become a Seasonal Infection Like the Flu, Top Chinese Scientists Warn
Chinese scientists say the novel coronavirus will not be eradicated, adding to a growing consensus around the world that the pathogen will likely return in waves like the flu.
It’s unlikely the new virus will disappear the way its close cousin SARS did 17 years ago, as it infects some people without causing obvious symptoms like fever. This group of so-called asymptomatic carriers makes it hard to fully contain transmission as they can spread the virus undetected, a group of Chinese viral and medical researchers told reporters in Beijing at a briefing Monday.
With SARS, those infected became seriously ill. Once they were quarantined from others, the virus stopped spreading. In contrast, China is still finding dozens of asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus every day despite bringing its epidemic under control.
“This is very likely to be an epidemic that co-exists with humans for a long time, becomes seasonal and is sustained within human bodies,” said Jin Qi, director of the Institute of Pathogen Biology at China’s top medial research institute, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
A consensus is forming among top researchers and governments worldwide that the virus is unlikely to be eliminated, despite costly lockdowns that have brought much of the global economy to a halt. Some public health experts are calling for the virus to be allowed to spread in a controlled way through younger populations like India’s, while countries like Sweden have opted out of strict lockdowns.
Anthony Fauci, the director of U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last month that Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, could become a seasonal ailment. He cited as evidence cases now showing up in countries across the southern hemisphere as they enter their winter seasons.
More than 3 million people have been sickened and over 210,000 killed in the global pandemic.
While some, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have expressed hope that the virus’s spread will slow as the temperature in northern hemisphere countries rises in the summer, Chinese experts on Monday said that they found no evidence for this.
“The virus is heat sensitive, but that’s when it’s exposed to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and the weather is never going to get that hot,” said Wang Guiqiang, head of the infectious diseases department of Peking University First Hospital. “So globally, even during the summer, the chance of cases going down significantly is small.”
–With assistance from John Liu and Yinan Zhao.
New top story from Time: Coronavirus Is Likely to Become a Seasonal Infection Like the Flu, Top Chinese Scientists Warn
Chinese scientists say the novel coronavirus will not be eradicated, adding to a growing consensus around the world that the pathogen will likely return in waves like the flu.
It’s unlikely the new virus will disappear the way its close cousin SARS did 17 years ago, as it infects some people without causing obvious symptoms like fever. This group of so-called asymptomatic carriers makes it hard to fully contain transmission as they can spread the virus undetected, a group of Chinese viral and medical researchers told reporters in Beijing at a briefing Monday.
With SARS, those infected became seriously ill. Once they were quarantined from others, the virus stopped spreading. In contrast, China is still finding dozens of asymptomatic cases of the coronavirus every day despite bringing its epidemic under control.
“This is very likely to be an epidemic that co-exists with humans for a long time, becomes seasonal and is sustained within human bodies,” said Jin Qi, director of the Institute of Pathogen Biology at China’s top medial research institute, the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.
A consensus is forming among top researchers and governments worldwide that the virus is unlikely to be eliminated, despite costly lockdowns that have brought much of the global economy to a halt. Some public health experts are calling for the virus to be allowed to spread in a controlled way through younger populations like India’s, while countries like Sweden have opted out of strict lockdowns.
Anthony Fauci, the director of U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said last month that Covid-19, the disease caused by the virus, could become a seasonal ailment. He cited as evidence cases now showing up in countries across the southern hemisphere as they enter their winter seasons.
More than 3 million people have been sickened and over 210,000 killed in the global pandemic.
While some, including U.S. President Donald Trump, have expressed hope that the virus’s spread will slow as the temperature in northern hemisphere countries rises in the summer, Chinese experts on Monday said that they found no evidence for this.
“The virus is heat sensitive, but that’s when it’s exposed to 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes and the weather is never going to get that hot,” said Wang Guiqiang, head of the infectious diseases department of Peking University First Hospital. “So globally, even during the summer, the chance of cases going down significantly is small.”
–With assistance from John Liu and Yinan Zhao.
Coronavirus: How New Zealand got its coffees and fries back
A strict and early lockdown has meant New Zealanders are back at cafes sooner than other countries.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/35cJZOD
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/35cJZOD
Coronavirus: Top NYC doctor takes her own life
The father of 49-year-old Dr Lorna Breen says: "She tried to do her job and it killed her."
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2W8UFtc
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2W8UFtc
Coronavirus: HSBC profits halved by pandemic fallout
The bank pauses plans to axe 35,000 jobs as profits slump amid the pandemic.
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Yivvvb
from BBC News - World https://bbc.in/2Yivvvb
Monday, April 27, 2020
‘It Was Just Too Much’: How Remote Learning Is Breaking Parents
By Elizabeth A. Harris from NYT New York https://nyti.ms/3eX1c32
New world news from Time: Prince Harry Records Message for Thomas the Tank Engine’s 75th Anniversary
(LONDON) — Prince Harry has recorded a special message to celebrate the 75th anniversary of children’s favorite Thomas the Tank Engine.
The Duke of Sussex introduces a new program called “Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine,” which has a storyline that includes Harry’s father and grandmother, Prince Charles and Queen Elizabeth II, as animated characters.
Set when the Prince of Wales was a boy, the story sees the friendly engine taking Sir Topham Hatt, the controller of the railway, to Buckingham Palace to receive an honor.
In his introduction — which was recorded in January before his move overseas — Prince Harry is seen sitting in an armchair, reading from a book about the train’s adventures.
In a statement he said he has “fond memories of growing up with Thomas and Friends and being transported to new places through his adventures.”
Thomas “has been a comforting, familiar face to so many families over the last 75 years — entertaining, educating and inspiring children on important issues through exciting stories and characters,” he added.
In January, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, announced they planned to quit as senior royals, seek financial independence and move to North America.
The split became official at the end of March, and the couple are currently in California, where Meghan was raised.
Proof of Prince Harry’s attachment to the engine can also be seen in photos of his first day attending nursery in September 1987, where he is seen carrying a Thomas the Tank Engine bag.
The Rev. Wilbert Awdry released the first book in “The Railway Series” 75 years ago. It was originally created as a bedtime story for his son, Christopher, during a bout of the measles.
The plucky blue tank engine doesn’t appear in the debut story. He got his own illustrated book in 1946 called “Thomas the Tank Engine” and swiftly took over from Edward, Gordon and Henry as everyone’s favorite.
The train tales were turned into a stop-motion animation series in the ’80s, moving into CGI in 2009. “Thomas and Friends,” owned by Mattel, is now on air in over 160 countries worldwide.
British actress Rosamund Pike is also onboard “Thomas and Friends: The Royal Engine,” voicing a new character, an important train called the Duchess of Loughborough.
The show will be aired by Netflix in the U.S. on May 1 and on Channel 5′s “Milkshake” show in the U.K. the following day. It will also be broadcast in Canada and Australia later in the month.
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