| Coronavirus in South Africa: Deciding who lives and dies in a Cape Town township Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:45 PM PDT  Without enough supplies of oxygen or staff, health workers in South Africa are making some difficult decisions.
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| Supreme Court blocks curbside voting in Alabama Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:35 PM PDT  The U.S. Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision Thursday blocked a lower court allowing curbside voting in Alabama and waiving some absentee ballot requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conservative justices granted Alabama's request to stay a federal judge's order that would allow local officials to offer curbside voting in the July runoff and loosens absentee ballot requirements in three of the state's large counties. The order will remain stayed while the court decides whether to hear Alabama's appeal.
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| Emails Tell the Inside Story of How the Enquirer Got Jeff Bezos’ Nudes* Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:01 PM PDT  In September 2018, an obscure Hollywood talent agent reached out to a reporter at the National Enquirer with a hell of a story. Michael Sanchez said that one of the world's wealthiest people had accidentally sent nude photos of himself to a colleague. He had access to the photos, the reporter told her editors, and he wanted hundreds of thousands of dollars to turn them over.Less than four months later, the Enquirer ran the first of a multi-part series exposing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's extramarital affair. AMI says the stories were based entirely on text messages and lewd photos provided to the publication by Sanchez, the brother of Bezos' mistress.The Daily Beast first reported in early 2019 that Sanchez was the Enquirer's source. And the Enquirer has since confirmed his role. But Sanchez has vehemently disputed public accounts of his involvement since then, including that he was AMI's sole source—and has filed lawsuits against Bezos and American Media Inc., the Enquirer's parent company. On Tuesday, AMI moved to dismiss its lawsuit and sanction Sanchez for allegedly abusing the court system.As part of that motion, AMI revealed extensive new information about how, in its telling, the Bezos expose came together—and about Sanchez's role in leaking the relevant information to the tabloid. Its court filing contained emails, text messages, and sworn statements by the three AMI employees who co-bylined its Bezos stories: former chief content officer Dylan Howard, editor James Robertson, and reporter Andrea Simpson.Trump Had Kushner Push the National Enquirer to Probe Scarborough Murder ConspiracyThose documents tell AMI's side of the story, and they paint a picture of an investigation driven almost entirely by Sanchez's eager desire to sell the salacious tale for a sum that he hoped would exceed half a million dollars. (Neither Sanchez nor AMI responded to requests for comment.)At the same time, the documents reveal some inconsistencies in what AMI employees told each other about the story, what Sanchez told them, what eventually appeared in print, and what AMI has said publicly about the series since it ran in January 2019. The person who supposedly received Bezos' inadvertently sent photos is not revealed, and AMI's court filing is cagey about the nature and source of the most salacious material undergirding its investigation.Even the order of events is less clear than AMI's position indicates. According to AMI, Sanchez first reached out to Simpson, the Enquirer reporter, on September 10, 2018. But a person familiar with the situation said reporters at the Enquirer had started to investigate Bezos earlier, raising questions over AMI's timeline as presented in the court filings.Indeed, the person familiar with the matter said that on September 9, a day before Simpson says she first heard from Sanchez, a directive went out from a senior AMI editor to multiple reporters with a seemingly out-of-the-blue demand for an in-depth investigation into Bezos, his life story, finances, family, business, and any potential skeletons in his closet. The editor didn't mention Sanchez or any specific suspicions about an extramarital affair.Lurking behind the tabloid's fixation on Bezos, the world's wealthiest man, have been suggestions from Bezos' top security consultant, Gavin de Becker, that the government of Saudi Arabia may have had a role in the Enquirer story. "Our investigators and several experts concluded with high confidence that the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information," de Becker wrote in a March 2019 column for The Daily Beast. "As of today, it is unclear to what degree, if any, AMI was aware of the details." In January of this year, two United Nations special rapporteurs released a report, commissioned by de Becker, providing some limited forensic evidence linking Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the unauthorized access of Bezos' phone. The Saudi ruler appeared to be taunting the Amazon founder about his affair—months before the Enquirer began its investigation.Bezos Investigation Finds the Saudis Obtained His Private DataAMI, which has enjoyed a cozy relationship with the Saudi royal family, has consistently and vehemently denied that that government played any role in its Bezos reporting. The origins of the investigation, as it portrayed them in its court filing this week, were more mundane, and, AMI insists, began with that tip from Sanchez.Simpson reported back to Howard on her initial September 10 exchange with Sanchez in an email filed in court this week. "Michael has a potentially great story," she wrote. Much of the email was redacted. Its subject line was "Lauren Sanchez," the name of Michael Sanchez's sister. She was also Bezos' lover, a fact that AMI says it didn't learn for another six weeks.Sanchez, Simpson told Howard, had told her that a friend of his worked for a "Bill Gates-type, very well known billionaire." Bezos, who Sanchez didn't identify at the time, was "bragging" to this mutual friend about the actress he was sleeping with, and decided to send the friend a screenshot of a text message from the woman. Instead, as Simpson relayed Sanchez's tip, Bezos inadvertently sent nude photos of himself, "sexy photos of the actress," and "sexual emails between the two.""The guy who got them wants $, likely 6 figures," Simpson told Howard. "I told Michael the material and story so far sounds good." Sanchez, Simpson wrote, would be "the middle man" in the exchange.Two weeks later, Sanchez followed up with Simpson to tell her that his friend, the one to whom Bezos had supposedly sent the photos inadvertently, was already pitching the story to another outlet, the Daily Mail. That publication had offered $300,000 for the story, Sanchez told Simpson. A knowledgeable Daily Mail source said that was "patently untrue," and that the publication had never been offered the story, let alone agreed to a six-figure payment for it.If the supposed Daily Mail offer was a bluff, it underscored Sanchez's apparent eagerness to get AMI on board. He wanted the company to enter into a non-disclosure agreement, and he was specific about the type of material it needed to cover. "NDA should say 'text messages & multiple photos that are deemed to be of a sexual and/or inappropriate nature,'" he told Simpson in a text.At this point, AMI insists that it still didn't know who the mysterious billionaire was. Sanchez referred to him by the codename "Bill" in communications with Simpson, Howard, and Robertson, the AMI editor. But in early October, Simpson and Sanchez met in person, and, she says, he showed her printed out copies of text messages and suggestive photos with faces cropped out.By mid-October, Sanchez was getting impatient. "The NDA delays are likely going to push the story to one of you [sic] weak rivals," he told Howard. "I would prefer to avoid that." Sanchez also reached out to Robertson with additional language he wanted added to the agreement: if AMI published the story Sanchez had brought them, he would get $300,000. If they used photos or screenshots he'd provided, Sanchez wanted $500,000 plus a percentage of that edition's sales.The agreement was ratified the following day, October 18, and it stipulated that Sanchez would receive $200,000—far less than his asking price, but according to AMI, the most they'd ever paid for a story. The agreement covered "information, photographs, and text messages documenting an affair between Bezos and L. Sanchez."On that same day, Sanchez told Howard that "Bill" was Jeff Bezos. A few days later he revealed that the mistress was his sister.Sanchez also went into more detail about the materials in his possession. He emailed Robertson a document titled "Project 77.docx" with an extensive account of information that he would provide to AMI, including photos described as "PIC OF [BEZOS] SELFIE IN UNDERWEAR / TOWEL," "SHIRTLESS SELFIE PHOTO OF [BEZOS] IN JEANS," and "PIC OF [LAUREN SANCHEZ] IN BIKINI / PICOF [LAUREN SANCHEZ] IN RED DRESS."Notably absent from the photos described in that document were any suggesting they were of a fully nude Bezos, as described in Simpson's email to Howard a couple months earlier.The Enquirer did obtain such photos—or, at least, Howard told Bezos they did in what the latter dubbed a "blackmail" threat after the Enquirer published its expose. According to emails that Bezos published in a Medium post in February 2019, Howard reached out to him and threatened to publish a "'below the belt selfie'—otherwise colloquially known as a 'd*ck pick'" unless Bezos publicly affirmed that the Enquirer's story about him was not politically motivated. The Amazon chief declined, then published the emails."Below-the-belt selfie" is also the turn of phrase that Sanchez has used in the more than a year since the Enquirer's stories ran to describe nude photos of Bezos in AMI's possession. And he has repeatedly denied providing such photos. The phrase also pops up repeatedly in AMI's court filing this week, which says that Sanchez provided such a photo to the Enquirer, but is vague about some of the details.Private Eyes Detail Inner Workings of National Enquirer 'Blackmail' MachineAccording to Robertson, Sanchez had promised such a photo to AMI. He, Howard, Simpson, and Sanchez jumped on a FaceTime call in November 2018, on which Robertson says he "observed Ms. Simpson looking at a printed photograph that Mr. Sanchez represented was a below-the-belt selfie of Mr. Bezos."Howard provided a similar description of the photo in his declaration to the court submitted this week. "During the conversation, I saw Ms. Simpson look at a printed photograph that Mr. Sanchez told us was a below-the-belt selfie of Mr. Bezos."Both Howard and Robertson conspicuously avoid saying that they saw the photo in question. But AMI's court filing is more definitive. "The evidence demonstrates that Sanchez did share with AMI a below-the-belt selfie of Bezos," it states.At the same time, the filing states that the photo came not from Bezos' supposed inadvertent text message to his colleague, but from Lauren Sanchez herself. "Sanchez said that Bezos had texted the selfie to Lauren Sanchez, and that Lauren had later shared the photo with Sanchez," the filing recalls.A couple weeks later, Sanchez had more material for AMI. He sent Howard and Robertson an email on November 11 containing nearly a dozen screenshots of suggestive text message conversations between Bezos and his sister. A number of the texts are redacted in AMI's court filing, indicating that they may have included additional photos.Michael Sanchez has, over the past year, characterized his involvement in the Enquirer story as one designed to help his sister and her boyfriend, using public relations skills acquired through a career managing entertainment industry talent. But according to AMI, he told Simpson that they were entirely unaware that he was sharing their photos and text messages."He says Lauren and Jeff are NOT in cooperation with him," Simpson told Howard and Robertson in a late November email. "Neither one have a clue."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.
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| Africa's week in pictures: 26 June - 2 July 2020 Posted: 02 Jul 2020 04:31 PM PDT  A selection of the week's best photos from across the continent.
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| Explosion rocks Iranian nuclear facility: analysts Posted: 02 Jul 2020 04:13 PM PDT  A centrifuge production plant above Iran's Natanz nuclear enrichment facility was damaged by fire and an explosion around 2 a.m. Thursday, according to analysts. A U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration satellite detected the fire from afar. Government spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi and Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi immediately headed to the site that houses a development program 25 feet underground to protect it from airstrikes.
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| Trump Admin Mulls Keeping Putin From G7 Summit in Response to Russian Bounties on Americans’ Heads Posted: 02 Jul 2020 04:02 PM PDT  You pay to kill our troops—we won't invite you to our meeting of world leaders.That's the scenario being mulled by senior officials in the upper echelons of the Trump administration, who are scrambling for a way to respond to Russia after news broke that Moscow paid bounties to the Taliban to kill U.S. forces. One idea these officials have raised with President Donald Trump in recent days: not inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin from attending the G7 summit of global powers later this year.President Trump told reporters in late May that he wanted to invite Russia to the meeting (which used to be known as the G8, until Russia was suspended for annexing Crimea and invading Ukraine). And that following Monday, Trump spoke with Putin on the phone to discuss, among other things, the G7 gathering and the possibility that Russia would attend.But over the last several days, senior officials in the White House, including National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien, have recommended to Trump that he not formally extend that invitation in the wake of the recent reports about the Russian bounties. (That's according to two U.S. officials and a third source familiar with the matter.) While President Trump has not made a final decision on whether to officially invite Russia to the G7, officials say the administration is also considering inviting India and Australia to the meeting.Trump Gives Putin a Pass on Bounties So He Can Target Leakers Instead When government officials have briefed the president in the past week on the bounty intel and the G7, as well as the way forward on messaging and possible policy moves, they have encountered a familiar problem: holding Trump's attention. In at least two instances in recent days when officials or aides have discussed the option of rescinding his offer to Putin, Trump responded by not committing one way or the other. According to two sources familiar with the matter, he instead quickly pivoted to bashing the media, particularly The New York Times, which broke the news of the bounties. The discussions about the G7 highlight the extent to which the administration is concerned about the optics of Trump embracing Russia in the middle of an uproar over its military intelligence service paying the Taliban to kill American troops. It also shows how constrained administration officials believe their options to be, given the president's long-documented admiration for Putin. Trump "has made it perfectly clear that he wants to do Russia's bidding," said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).The White House did not respond to a request for comment.Since the Times broke the news about the bounties, officials have grappled with how to defend the integrity of what's been called an ongoing investigation into the Russian payoffs while also protecting Trump himself. The administration's top intelligence and national security officials have all claimed that the president was not verbally briefed on the intelligence because there was a lack of consensus over the validity of the bounty evidence. Yet the information was deemed solid enough to make it into the President's Daily Brief. But as The Daily Beast previously reported, a classified U.S. intelligence report makes it clear that Russia is supporting the Taliban materially and financially, and that there is serious evidence pointing to the fact that it is also paying bounties. So far, though, the administration has not made any moves to publicly address the issue, though senior administration officials said the Pentagon had issued warnings about the bounties to troops on the ground in Afghanistan. Backing away from offering Putin an invitation to the G7 could be a way for the president to take a public stand against Russia while at the same time preserving the goodwill between the two countries, an official familiar with the administration's G7 conversations said. And maybe, if worded right, it might not piss off Trump.GOP Deny, Downplay Questions About Russian Bounty Scandal On Capitol Hill, where the intelligence report has circulated in recent days, Democrats are calling on the White House to address the Russian bounties. Some suggested issuing additional sanctions. Others said the president should demand that Putin put a stop to the bounty program.Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of the Armed Services Committee and an Iraq War veteran, expressed exasperation on Thursday with what she said was an inadequate briefing on the Russia bounty question from the Defense Department. She has yet to hear from Afghanistan war commander Gen. Scott Miller, CIA Director Gina Haspel or Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the NSA.While Duckworth cautioned that she has not been fully briefed, she said the administration ought to do "much more" than not inviting Putin to attend the forthcoming G7 summit. "Obviously, we can have sanctions, obviously the president should be reaching out to the Russians saying 'you will not do this, you will cease and end this,'" she said.But Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, suggested on Wednesday that, at this point, there's little Congress can do to rein in the president's clearly pro-Moscow instincts."I think it's impossible for Congress to override the president's Russia policy. The President sets foreign policy… Congress can pass additional sanctions, but if the President continues to try to bring them into the G7, if he withdraws troops from Germany, there's nothing we can do that counteracts the administration's policy," Murphy said. "I don't think Russia cares too much about congressional sanctions if the president is cheering them back into the G7 and withdrawing troops from NATO countries."—with additional reporting by Spencer Ackerman and Sam BrodeyRead more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
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| At Least 162 Dead In Landslide At Myanmar Jade Mine Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:37 PM PDT  More than 160 people were killed and more are still missing in a landslide at a jade mining site in northern Myanmar. The country's fire department said Thursday the miners "were smothered by a wave of mud" in the ensuing landslide after a heavy rainstorm in the Hpakant township, a jade-rich area in Kachin state. The United Nations in Myanmar said it was "deeply saddened by the loss of life" and extended "its sincere condolences to the families of the victims."
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| At Least 162 Dead in Landslide at Myanmar Jade Mine Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:37 PM PDT More than 160 people were killed and more are still missing in a landslide at a jade mining site in northern Myanmar. The country's fire department said Thursday the miners "were smothered by a wave of mud" in the ensuing landslide after a heavy rainstorm in the Hpakant township, a jade-rich area in Kachin state. The United Nations in Myanmar said it was "deeply saddened by the loss of life" and extended "its sincere condolences to the families of the victims."
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| House judiciary panel to interview ousted NY prosecutor Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:27 PM PDT  The ousted former U.S. attorney for Manhattan will sit down with the House Judiciary Committee next week for a closed-door interview as the panel investigates politicization in the Justice Department. Geoffrey Berman, the former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York who led investigations into allies of President Donald Trump, will appear in person for the transcribed interview July 9, according to a person familiar with the meeting who requested anonymity because it hasn't yet been announced. Berman left his job last month after an extraordinary standoff in which he refused to resign until Trump himself fired him.
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| Botswana: Lab tests to solve mystery of hundreds of dead elephants Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:22 PM PDT  Some 350 elephant carcasses have been spotted in Botswana's Okavango Delta since May.
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| France and Germany push for cease-fires to tackle pandemic Posted: 02 Jul 2020 03:05 PM PDT  France and Germany's top diplomats urged stepped-up action Thursday to quickly implement a new U.N. Security Council resolution demanding cease-fires in major global conflicts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic. French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said during a virtual council meeting that "we now need to redouble our efforts," pointing to conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Africa's Sahel region and Afghanistan where "the situation remains extremely unstable and civilian populations continue to suffer the consequences." German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, who presided at the meeting, urged often-divided council members to implement the "long overdue" resolution by working together toward cease-fires in specific countries.
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| Over 100 killed in Myanmar landslide, others believed trapped Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:32 PM PDT  Over 100 people are dead and others remain missing following a landslide Thursday in northern Myanmar. At least 162 bodies were recovered by 7:15 p.m. local time following the landslide, which occurred Thursday morning at a jade mine in Hpakant, located in Kachin State, CNN reports. In a statement, the United Nations in Myanmar said it "deeply saddened by the loss of life" and "commends the courageous efforts by the men and women involved in the difficult rescue and recovery efforts and extends its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishes the injured a speedy recovery."
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| Herman Cain treated for COVID-19 after attending Trump rally Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:31 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) — 2012 GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain is being treated for the coronavirus at an Atlanta-area hospital, according to a statement posted on his Twitter account Thursday. It's not clear when or where Cain was infected, but he was hospitalized less than two weeks after attending President Donald Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Cain, 74, was hospitalized after developing "serious" symptoms but is "awake and alert," according to the statement.
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| An Iranian nuclear facility was apparently sabotaged, and a mysterious dissident group called the Homeland Cheetahs claimed responsibility Posted: 02 Jul 2020 02:22 PM PDT  The incident at Iran's largest uranium-enrichment facility occurred amid historic tensions between Washington and Tehran over Iran's nuclear program.
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| Watchdog says govt blocking report on Trump-hurricane flap Posted: 02 Jul 2020 01:04 PM PDT  A government watchdog says the Commerce Department is trying to block the findings of an investigation into the agency's role in rebuking forecasters who contradicted President Donald Trump's inaccurate claims about the path of Hurricane Dorian last year. The accusation comes from Peggy Gustafson, the inspector general for the Commerce Department, who wrote a memo expressing "deep concern" that release of the report was being blocked. It's the latest turn in a saga that led the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to chastise government forecasters who contradicted the president after he posted inaccurate information about the hurricane's path across the southern United States.
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| Russian voters back referendum banning same-sex marriage Posted: 02 Jul 2020 12:53 PM PDT  The referendum, which included over 200 constitutional amendments, also paves the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036.
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| Russian voters back referendum banning same-sex marriage Posted: 02 Jul 2020 12:53 PM PDT  Russian voters supported a national referendum defining marriage exclusively as a union between one man and one woman. The referendum, which included more than 200 constitutional amendments, also paves the way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to stay in power until 2036 if he so chooses. Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, slammed the gay marriage ban and said Putin is a "threat to the human rights of all."
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| France to return skulls of 24 Algerian anti-colonial fighters, Algiers says Posted: 02 Jul 2020 12:31 PM PDT  They were killed resisting French forces in the 19th Century and their skulls displayed in a museum.
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| Saudi-led coalition launches new strikes on Yemeni capital Posted: 02 Jul 2020 12:03 PM PDT  The Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed rebels in Yemen said Thursday that it unleashed a new air campaign on the war-torn country's capital and on other provinces, in retaliation for drone attacks on Saudi Arabia that were claimed by the rebels. "The targeting of civilians and civilian facilities is a red line," said Col. Turki al-Maliki, a spokesman for the coalition. Residents in Sanaa, Yemen's rebel-held capital, reported hearing huge explosions as a round of bombs fell on the city on Wednesday night.
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| US, Russia share a complex and bloody history in Afghanistan Posted: 02 Jul 2020 11:48 AM PDT  Moscow and Washington are intertwined in a complex and bloody history in Afghanistan, with both suffering thousands of dead and wounded in conflicts lasting for years. Now both superpowers are linked again over Afghanistan, with intelligence reports indicating Russia secretly offered bounties to the Taliban to kill American troops there. "The Russian endgame is an Afghanistan which will neither support jihadi movements in the former U.S.S.R. nor host American bases that might one day be used against Russia," says Anatol Lieven, a Georgetown University professor in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar and a senior fellow at the New American Foundation.
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| Democrats say US needs to address protective gear shortage Posted: 02 Jul 2020 11:19 AM PDT  A congressional committee criticized President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday for a series of problems in distributing personal protective and testing equipment during the coronavirus pandemic and called on the administration to come up with a better plan. "We need urgent action from the federal government now, before this virus spins further out of control," said Rep. James Clyburn, a South Carolina Democrat and chair of a House committee overseeing the nation's pandemic response.
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| How California went from success story to virus hot spot Posted: 02 Jul 2020 11:11 AM PDT  Heading into Memorial Day weekend, California's mood was celebratory. The state had avoided dire predictions of a coronavirus surge, hospitalizations were starting to decline and restaurants and most other businesses had reopened. Fireworks shows are canceled and Gov. Gavin Newsom is imploring residents to avoid the holiday tradition of backyard barbecues and other gatherings of relatives and friends.
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| Visa lottery winners feel cheated by Trump's visa ban Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:48 AM PDT  Noha, an Egyptian engineer, should feel lucky after winning a visa lottery that randomly selects people from a pool of more than 14 million applications for about 55,000 green cards that would let them live permanently in the United States. The State Department says no exceptions are made for those who do not yet have one in hand.
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| US tries to seize Iranian gas heading toward Venezuela Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:46 AM PDT  U.S. federal prosecutors are seeking to seize four tankers sailing toward Venezuela with gasoline supplied by Iran, the latest attempt to disrupt ever-closer trade ties between the two heavily sanctioned anti-American allies. The civil-forfeiture complaint filed late Wednesday in the District of Columbia federal court alleges that the sale was arranged by a businessman, Mahmoud Madanipour, with ties to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization. "The profits from these activities support the IRGC's full range of nefarious activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism, and a variety of human rights abuses, at home and abroad," prosecutor Zia Faruqui alleges in the complaint.
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| Iran agrees to compensate families of victims on downed plane, says Swedish official Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:41 AM PDT  A Ukrainian Boeing 737 was struck by two missiles after take-off from Tehran. Iran initially denied shooting down the plane.
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| Iran agrees to compensate families of victims on downed plane, says Swedish official Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:41 AM PDT  Sweden said Thursday that Iran has agreed to compensate the families of victims who were killed when a Ukrainian airliner was shot down by Iranian forces outside Tehran in January. Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde said the agreement had been clinched following negotiations between Iran and the countries with citizens among the victims. "We have signed an agreement of mutual understanding that we will now negotiate with Iran about amends, compensation to the victims' next of kin," Linde told the Swedish news agency TT.
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| How to manage plant pests and diseases in your victory garden Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:27 AM PDT  Home gardening is having a boom year across the U.S. Whether they're growing their own food in response to pandemic shortages or just looking for a diversion, numerous aspiring gardeners have constructed their first raised beds, and seeds are flying off suppliers' shelves. Now that gardens are largely planted, much of the work for the next several months revolves around keeping them healthy.Contrary to the Biblical adage, we do not necessarily reap what we sow. As researchers specializing in plant pathology and entomology, we have devoted our careers to understanding and managing plant pests and pathogens. We are also gardeners with varying levels of experience and have seen firsthand the damage these insects and disease-causing agents can inflict.Plant health is essential for seeing your garden succeed all the way to harvest. The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health to help bring needed attention to pests and diseases that threaten global food production. Thousands of pests and pathogens are known to target commercial crops, but a few usual suspects are routinely responsible for havoc in gardens across the U.S. Although each organism's preferences vary, a few common tactics can help you detect them and protect your plants. Start with preventionJust as preventive steps like maintaining a balanced diet help keep humans healthy, home growers can take many actions to help their gardens thrive.One key step is assessing soil fertility – the ability of soil to sustain plant growth – which can vary widely depending on your location and soil type. Low soil fertility limits food production and predisposes plants to disease and pests. University extension soil testing labs can help evaluate the quality of garden soil and identify nutrient deficiencies and acidic soils, often at no charge.Suppressing weeds, either through mulching or weeding by hand each week, increases air flow and reduces humidity around garden plants, making it harder for pests and pathogens to thrive. Weed control ensures that nutrients are available for the plants you want to grow.Proper spacing between plants is also important. Crowding can contribute to disease and pest outbreaks, so check and follow recommendations on seed packs or online as you add and move plants throughout the season. You can always cull plants after they come up to help with spacing. In small gardens, fewer plants that are properly supported can produce a bigger harvest than many overcrowded plants. [You're smart and curious about the world. So are The Conversation's authors and editors. You can get our highlights each weekend.]And then there's the weather. Frost, hail, drought and flooding all pose unique risks to plants. Inconsistent rainfall can kill thirsty plants more quickly than infertile soils. Both too little and too much water will stress plants and can make them more vulnerable to severe pest and pathogen outbreaks.A general rule of thumb is to follow a consistent daily watering regimen – preferably first thing in the morning – and to avoid over-watering, which can encourage root pathogens in soil. Diagnosing problemsCommon plant pathogens include viruses, bacteria, nematodes, oomycetes and fungi. All of these microorganisms, especially at an early stage of infection, are too small to see. But when they proliferate, they cause changes in plants that we can recognize. Unlike insects, which move around on six legs or on wings through the air, pathogens can move unseen and unchecked from leaf to leaf on the wind, through the soil or in droplets of water. Some microbes have even formed intimate relationships with insects and use them as vehicles to move from plant to plant, which makes these pathogens even more challenging to manage. Unfortunately, by the time some pathogens make their presence known, the damage is already done.We recently conducted a Twitter poll of gardeners nationwide to find out which culprits plagued their gardens. People named aphids, squash vine borers, squash bugs and flea beetles as the most problematic insect pests. Their most troublesome pathogens included powdery mildew, tomato bacterial wilt and cucurbit downy mildew. To manage such perennial challenges, the first step is to spend time closely looking at your plants. Do you notice any insects consistently hanging around, or molds colonizing leaves or other plant parts? How about symptoms such as blight, stunting, or leaves that are yellowing, browning or wilting? There are countless resources online for keen-eyed and curious gardeners looking to identify and manage pests and diseases. Try uploading a photo to the iNaturalist app or a Facebook gardeners group that can offer a community-sourced ID. Plant disease clinics in your state will also diagnose plant damage from diseases and pests for free or at low cost.Once you've identified a problem serious enough to intervene, the land grant extension system can provide solutions. Extension programs at land grant schools like West Virginia University and Penn State University offer critical information on agriculture and management of pests and diseases in multiple languages for commercial and home growers. Their resources include information on safe and proper use of pesticides as part of integrated pest management strategies. This approach employs pesticides in a targeted way along with non-chemical control methods and cultural practices, such as choosing native plants. Our professional societies, including the American Phytopathological Society, also offer a compendium series to help users diagnose and treat pests and diseases.Those who are serious about learning and sharing their experience with others may want to consider Master Gardener programs, which train and certify community members on the latest evidence-based gardening techniques, tailored to their growing area. Master Gardeners pay it forward by training new Master Gardeners and answering questions for any gardener.Plant pests are a daily reminder that gardens do not exist in a vacuum, and gardeners shouldn't struggle alone either. Joining the gardening community takes attentiveness and time, but we believe the investment required to become an active member of your local gardening community is well worth it. With experience, the nervous tightrope act of keeping pests at bay and food on the table becomes a delicate dance that can help us appreciate where our food comes from – and ultimately, our place in the global ecosystem.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.Read more: * The impulse to garden in hard times has deep roots * City compost programs turn garbage into 'black gold' that boosts food security and social justiceMatt Kasson receives funding from USDA and The Ohrstrom Foundation. Carolee Bull receives funding from the USDA and from the mushroom industry, and matching funds from seed companies for her research projects. Brian Lovett does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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| Only verified intelligence? A look at presidents' briefings Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:26 AM PDT  The White House says President Donald Trump was never briefed on intelligence that Russia had put a bounty on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan because there wasn't corroborating evidence. Intelligence that may be on shaky ground today may foreshadow tomorrow's calamity. HOW DO PRESIDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION?
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| Buttigieg, South Carolina mayor teaming up on COVID effort Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:25 AM PDT |
| Putin's power play paves the way for 16 more years — but not without challenges Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:18 AM PDT  The coronavirus pandemic and Russia's stagnating economy are among the challenges facing President Vladimir Putin after a controversial national referendum that paved the way for him to stay in power until 2036, experts have warned. Putin thanked Russian voters for their "support and trust" Thursday after election officials confirmed almost 78 percent of the voters backed the constitutional amendments, one of which will see presidential term limits reset, allowing Putin to run for the job again in 2024 and in 2030 if he so chooses. The Russian leader nonetheless "faces a number of challenges, some of which are pretty fundamental," Dmitri Trenin, the director of the Carnegie Moscow Center, told NBC News.
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| New mass grave unearthed in Iraq's north from brutal IS rule Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:17 AM PDT |
| Sweden: Iran to compensate Ukraine plane crash victims Posted: 02 Jul 2020 09:14 AM PDT  Iran has agreed to compensate the families' of the foreign victims of a Ukrainian passenger plane that was shot down by Iranian forces outside Tehran in January, Sweden's foreign minister said on Thursday. "We have signed an agreement of mutual understanding that we will now negotiate together with Iran about amends, compensation to the victims' next of kin," Foreign Minister Ann Linde told Swedish news agency TT. Iran had denied for days its involvement in the plane crash but then announced that its military had mistakenly and unintentionally shot down the Ukrainian jetliner, a Boeing 737 operated by Ukrainian International Airlines.
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| Robert E. Lee statue becomes epicenter of protest movement Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:55 AM PDT  Just a little over a month ago, the area around Richmond's iconic statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee was as quiet and sedate as the statue itself. The giant concrete pedestal of the statue is now covered by colorful graffiti, with many of the hand-painted messages denouncing police and demanding an end to systemic racism and inequality. Clashes between police and protesters gathered near the statue have become a regular occurrence.
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| Malawi country profile Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:33 AM PDT  Provides overview, key facts and events, timelines and leader profiles along with current news about Malawi
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| Family of Palestinian slain by police sees probe dragging on Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:23 AM PDT  The family of a Palestinian man with autism who was fatally shot by Israeli police said on Thursday that it took a month for authorities to confirm the existence of security-camera footage of the shooting. The existence of the footage had been in question throughout an investigation that the family says has been painfully slow. Rights groups say Israel has a poor record of investigating and prosecuting police violence against Palestinians.
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| INSIGHT-Coronavirus and sanctions hit Iran’s support of proxies in Iraq Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:15 AM PDT |
| Mauritius country profile Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:09 AM PDT  Provides an overview of Mauritius, including key events and facts about this ethnically diverse Indian Ocean island nation
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| Not so random acts: Science finds that being kind pays off Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:08 AM PDT  Acts of kindness may not be that random after all. Science says being kind pays off. Kindness "is as bred in our bones as our anger or our lust or our grief or as our desire for revenge," said University of California San Diego psychologist Michael McCullough, author of the forthcoming book "Kindness of Strangers."
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| E-waste levels surge 20 percent in 5 years: UN Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:07 AM PDT  Humans discarded more than 50 million tonnes of electronic waste last year -- an increase of 20 percent in just five years -- making tech refuse the world's fastest growing waste problem, the United Nations said Thursday. In its annual report on e-waste -- tossed away smartphones, computers, white goods and electronic car parts -- the UN said that materials worth more than $55 billion (50 billion euros) were being wasted every year. In 2019 only 17 percent of the year's 53 million tonnes of e-waste was recycled, with the rest ending up in scrapheaps or landfill.
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| Merkel says EU must agree on recovery fund, finances in summer Posted: 02 Jul 2020 08:05 AM PDT |
| Next six months will be crucial for EU, Commission president says Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:58 AM PDT |
| Putin triumphant as critics slam vote extending his rule Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:24 AM PDT  President Vladimir Putin thanked Russians on Thursday for voting in favour of controversial amendments to the constitution that could extend his grip on power, as the opposition and Western leaders voiced criticism over suspected poll violations. Russia's Central Elections Commission announced early Thursday that nearly 78 percent of voters had cast their ballot in favour of the changes to the constitution that could see Putin, 67, remain in power until 2036. "Thank you very much for your support and trust," Putin said in televised remarks during which he also warned that modern Russia was still in the process of being formed.
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| Hospital Stretchers Market - Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 - 2025) Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:20 AM PDT  The global hospital stretchers market is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast period. The primary driving factors for the growth of the market are technological advancements in hospital stretchers coupled with the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and hospitalization. According to World Population Ageing - the United Nations, the global population aged more than 60 and above were estimated 962 million in 2017 and it is more than twice compared to 1980. The rapid increasing older population around the world is increasing the demand for more number of hospital and hospital equipment further increasing the demand for hospital stretchers. Increasing investment in infrastructure in healthcare systems by the government and healthcare providers in developing and developed countries anticipated to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. Moreover, technological advancements and the advent of specialized stretchers for better healthcare is expected to boost the market growth. However, the high cost of specialized stretchers and increasing demand for home healthcare is expected to impede the market growth.Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05917989/?utm_source=PRN Key Market TrendsBariatric Stretchers to Grow at Significant Rate- Bariatric stretchers are used in the transportation of patients in difficult areas. These stretchers have wider frames, oversized wheels, winch attachments and pull and push handles for safe transportation. These type of stretchers are used mostly for the transportation of obese patients.- Increasing prevalence of obesity and chronic diseases leading to hospitalization is increasing the demand for bariatric stretchers. According to the World Health Organization's 2016 report, approximately 13% of the world's population can be characterized as obese. Moreover, predictions state that these numbers are likely to increase exponentially in the near future.- Motorized stretchers are projected to have ample growth rate owing to the increasing investment in hospital infrastructure and advancements in motorized stretchers to improve patient care in hospitals.- Moreover, the growing number of hospitals and healthcare providers around the world due to the increasing disease burden is anticipated to boost the overall market growth over the forecast period.North America is Expected to have Significant Market ShareNorth America region is anticipated to have significant market share owing to well established healthcare infrastructure, a growing number of obese people and high investments in hospital infrastructure. The increasing prevalence of the chronic disease, favourable healthcare policies in the region are fueling the regional growth. The Asia Pacific region is expected to grow at notable growth rate owing to developing healthcare infrastructure couple with a growing prevalence of chronic diseases in the region. There is a significant gap in underdeveloped and developing countries of the region where market players are interested in expanding to gain the market advantage.Competitive LandscapeGlobal hospital stretchers market is moderately fragmented and competitive with local and international players. Market players are focusing on product innovations, new product launches and regional expansions to increase their market share. The key market players operating in the market include Stryker Corporation, Hill Rom Holdings, Gendron Inc., Invacare Corporation and Medline Industries Inc. among others.Reasons to Purchase this report:- The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format- 3 months of analyst supportRead the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05917989/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001
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| Hachalu Hundessa: Ethiopia singer buried amid ethnic unrest Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:16 AM PDT  Popular musician Hachalu Hundessa is buried as troops are deployed in the capital to quell tensions.
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| Study: World's pile of electronic waste grows ever higher Posted: 02 Jul 2020 07:10 AM PDT  The world's mountain of discarded flat-screen TVs, cellphones and other electronic goods grew to a record high last year, according to an annual report released Thursday. The U.N.-backed study estimated the amount of e-waste that piled up globally in 2019 at 53.6 million metric tonnes (59.1 million tons) - almost 2 million metric tons more than the previous year.
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| Michel Barnier blames UK's lack of respect as Brexit talks break up early Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:51 AM PDT  Michel Barnier accused British trade negotiators of a lack of respect after Brexit talks ended a day early on Thursday amid "serious divergences" between the UK and the EU. Mr Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, blamed British intransigence and a refusal to engage in negotiations for the lack of progress in this week's round of talks, which had been meant to close on Friday. The EU and UK are divided over fishing rights, the future role of the European Court of Justice, Brussels' demands for "level playing field" guarantees and the governance of the future relationship treaty. "We want a deal but not at any price," said Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, during a press conference with Angela Merkel. The German Chancellor, whose country holds the presidency of the EU, warned the bloc needed to be prepared for a no deal exit. "Our goal was to get negotiations successfully and quickly on a trajectory to reach an agreement," Mr Barnier said. "However, after four days of discussions, serious divergences remain." David Frost, the UK's chief negotiator, said: "The negotiations have been comprehensive and useful. But they have also underlined the significant differences that still remain between us on a number of important issues." Mr Barnier said the EU had "listened carefully" to Boris Johnson during his meeting with three EU presidents earlier this month. The Prime Minister said there could be no obligation on the UK to follow EU law, or for the status quo on fisheries or a role for the EU's top court after the end of the transition period on December 31.
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| Epstein pal arrested, accused of luring girls for sex abuse Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:43 AM PDT  British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested Thursday on charges she helped lure at least three girls — one as young as 14 — to be sexually abused by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of victimizing dozens of girls and women over many years. According to the indictment, Maxwell, who lived for years with Epstein and was his frequent companion on trips around the world, facilitated his crimes and on some occasions joined him in sexually abusing the girls. Epstein, 66, killed himself in a federal detention center in New York last summer while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
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| Justices keep hold on secret Russia investigation material Posted: 02 Jul 2020 06:42 AM PDT  The Supreme Court is denying Congress access to secret grand jury testimony from special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation through the November election. The justices agreed on Thursday to hear the Trump administration's appeal of a lower court order for the material to be turned over to the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives. Arguments themselves might not even take place before Americans decide whether to give President Donald Trump a second term.
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| Rights activists say Danes unaware of racism in their nation Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:56 AM PDT  Rights activists on Thursday accused Danish officials of being unable to recognize racism after authorities said the killing of a biracial man by two white men was not racially motivated. A biracial man was killed last month on a Danish Baltic Sea island.
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| UK says significant differences remain on Brexit free trade deal Posted: 02 Jul 2020 05:18 AM PDT |
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