| My fake news whodunnit: Caught up in a Senegal fake news scam Posted: 13 Jun 2020 04:32 PM PDT  A news story accusing a presidential candidate of corruption was written in my name, or almost in my name.
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| Georgia nursing staff back with family after virus lockdown Posted: 13 Jun 2020 02:55 PM PDT  Nadia Williams shrieked with surprise and emotion Saturday as she embraced her mother for the first time since agreeing nearly three months ago to live at the elder-care facility where she works. Park Springs just outside Atlanta took the unusual approach of having roughly 70 employees shelter in place on campus to protect its residents from the coronavirus. Park Springs' administrators said they feared those strategies might not be enough to keep their more than 500 residents safe.
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| Iraqi army says 2 rockets hit base near Baghdad, no losses Posted: 13 Jun 2020 01:42 PM PDT |
| Sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatens military action against South Posted: 13 Jun 2020 01:04 PM PDT  Kim Yo Jong called the hermit nation's southern neighbor the "enemy" in a statement carried by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, saying that she had given an instruction to carry out decisive action. The saber-rattling comes amid angst over the distribution of anti-North leaflets sent from South Korea to North Korea. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, issued a fiery statement Saturday.
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| Officer charged in Floyd's death eligible for pension money Posted: 13 Jun 2020 11:27 AM PDT  Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is eligible to receive pension benefits during his retirement years even if he's convicted of killing George Floyd, according to the Minnesota agency that represents retired public workers. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter in the May 25 death of George. Video of the arrest shows Chauvin, who is white, using his knee to pin down the neck of George, who was black and handcuffed, for several minutes as Floyd pleaded for air and eventually stopped moving.
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| Protesters call attention to deaths of two more black men Posted: 13 Jun 2020 10:06 AM PDT  Anti-racism protesters on Saturday sought to call attention to the deaths of two more black men — one who was found hanging from a tree in California and another who was fatally shot by police outside an Atlanta restaurant. The Atlanta police chief resigned hours later. Meanwhile in Europe, far-right activists scuffled with police in London and Paris as more Black Lives Matter demonstrations unfolded nearly three weeks after George Floyd, another black man, died at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer who pressed a knee to his neck.
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| UN says dozen migrants feared drowned in capsizing off Libya Posted: 13 Jun 2020 09:27 AM PDT |
| Persecution of Bahai in Iran escalates as 77 imprisoned over religious beliefs Posted: 13 Jun 2020 08:52 AM PDT  Iranian authorities have escalated their persecution of the Baha'i community, targeting at least 77 individuals across the country in recent weeks, despite a potential second wave of coronavirus infections hitting the country, according to a global organisation representing the faith. At least 77 Baha'is across eight Iranian provinces have been arrested, summoned to court, tried, sentenced and imprisoned in the last month "under baseless accusations and for no reason other than a deep-seated antagonism to the Baha'i Faith", the Baha'i International Community (BIC) said. The Baha'i faith, which was originally founded in Iran, is seen as heretical by the Islamic Republic. Baha'i shops and cemeteries have been vandalised and some of its followers blocked from universities and jobs. "Bahai's are used to persecution, however, this is almost unprecedented numbers in the matter of a month," Bani Dugal, Principal Representative to the United Nations for the BIC, told the Telegraph. While dozens of religious and political groups have been hurt by the Islamic Republic's 41-year rule of Iran, the Baha'is are widely considered to be one of the most persecuted as they are not officially recognised as a religious minority.
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| U.N. calls for global end to conversion therapy Posted: 13 Jun 2020 08:34 AM PDT  The United Nations released a report documenting the global reach and impact of gay and transgender "conversion therapy," calling for nations around the world to work to ban the scientifically discredited practice. Conversion therapy practices, the U.N. document states, are "interventions of a wide ranging nature" that are "aimed at effecting a change from nonheterosexual to heterosexual and from trans or gender diverse to cisgender." Minors are often subjected to this practice, the U.N. found, in part because they lack the legal right to control their health care decisions and "as a result of the desire of parents or guardians to have them conform to expectations, either their or their communities, regarding sexual orientation and gender identity."
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| Could Donald Trump Attack North Korea Before the 2020 Election? Posted: 13 Jun 2020 08:30 AM PDT  Much of the research on U.S.-North Korea relations focus on the unpredictability of North Korea. Yet, this year the moves of the U.S. government towards North Korea will be more difficult to anticipate. The effect of U.S. presidential elections in the aftermath of the global Corona crisis is what makes forecasting impossible. Will the US use military power against North Korea before the U.S. presidential elections? That is the million-dollar question.
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| Lebanon protesters call on government to resign amid crisis Posted: 13 Jun 2020 08:12 AM PDT  Lebanese protesters took to the streets in Beirut and other cities Saturday in mostly peaceful protests against the government, calling for its resignation as the small country sinks deeper into economic distress. The local currency, pegged to the dollar for nearly 30 years, has been on a downward trajectory for weeks, losing over 60% of its value. Lebanon is heavily dependent on imports, and the dollar and local currency have been used interchangeably for years.
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| Bolivian schoolteacher gives virtual classes as superhero Posted: 13 Jun 2020 08:01 AM PDT  Sometimes, Jorge Manolo Villarroel is Spiderman. "They arrive to the virtual classes before me and the first surprise is to guess which superhero will appear on the screen," said Villarroel. At 33, Villarroel speaks with the passion of a child.
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| Jailed Iran activist seeks medical treatment Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:51 AM PDT  Jailed Iranian human rights activist and journalist Narges Mohammadi, who suffers from a lung condition, has requested temporary release from prison for medical treatment, her lawyer told AFP Saturday. Mahmoud Behzadi-Rad said he was also preparing a new parole application for Mohammadi, a previous request having been denied in late 2019. Since March, more than 100,000 detainees in Iran have been granted temporary release or sentence remissions to help limit the spread of the novel coronavirus in the Islamic republic's prisons.
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| Kim Jong-un's sister threatens South Korea with military action following escalating tensions Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:50 AM PDT  The sister of North Korea's leader has warned of retaliatory measures against South Korea that could involve the military, in the latest escalation of tensions over defectors from the North who have been sending back propaganda and food. Kim Yo Jong, who serves unofficially as one of Kim Jong Un's top aides, issued the warning in a statement carried by state news agency KCNA on Saturday. "By exercising my power authorized by the Supreme Leader, our Party and the state, I gave an instruction to the ... department in charge of the affairs with (the) enemy to decisively carry out the next action," Kim said. Her statement, which did not say what the next action could be, came days after South Korea took legal action against defectors who have been sending material such as rice and anti-North leaflets, usually by balloon over the heavily fortified border or in bottles by sea. North Korea said it has been angered by the defectors and to mark its displeasure it has in the past week severed inter-Korean hotlines and is threatening to close a liaison office between the two governments.
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| Brexit on January 1 'whatever happens', Boris Johnson to insist Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:48 AM PDT  Boris Johnson is to warn Ursula von der Leyen that the UK will be ready to become fully independent on January 1, 2021 "whatever happens", as he urges the EU to agree a trade deal by the end of the summer. In a video conference on Monday, the Prime Minister is expected to insist that the Government will be willing and able to end the post-Brexit transition period without an agreement with the EU, if Brussels fails to agree terms that ministers can accept. Monday's talks, which UK officials hope will "push the negotiations forward", come after Michael Gove gave the EU formal notice that Britain would not request an extension of the transition period beyond the end of the year to buy more time for the talks. The video conference will include Charles Michel, the European Council president, and David Sassoli, the president of the European Parliament, while Mr Johnson will be joined by Mr Gove and David Frost, his chief negotiator. Mr Johnson is expected to call for a speedy conclusion to the negotiations, insisting that businesses and members of the public need certainty by the autumn. The two sides have reached an impasse over fishing rights and the EU's demands for the UK to agree to abide by a "level playing field" of rules and standards in perpetuity. Failure to strike a trade deal by the end of the year will mean the UK and EU trading on less lucrative World Trade Organisation terms and with tariffs on goods. Both sides have now agreed to intensify talks next month, with meetings planned for London and Brussels. On Saturday, a British official also disputed claims by Michael Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, that the UK wanted to enter intensive "tunnel" negotiations — Brussels jargon for secret talks carried out under media blackout and without regular briefings of EU ambassadors. But a Government official said: "The EU was a little slow to agree to an intensified timetable for talks, and has been making noises about so-called tunnels. That's not something we ever wanted and it's welcome that they've now signed up to a sensible process to take the talks forward. "The High Level Meeting was always envisaged as a moment to push the negotiations forward. We now need to get this resolved and deliver certainty for businesses at home and in the EU as soon as possible. "There's a high quality FTA to be done, based on the agreements the EU has already reached with other countries. But, whatever happens, we will be ready for January 1, when we will be back in control of our laws, borders and money." Meanwhile, polling of so-called Red Wall seats in the Midlands and the North found that half of people in those battleground constituencies believe the transition period should end on December 31 or sooner, compared to 42 per cent who said it should be extended. The Savanta ComRes polling was carried out for the new Centre for Brexit Policy, whose chairman, Owen Paterson, said: "We must honour the trust that voters placed in our party, many of whom had never previously voted Conservative."
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| Body camera video could offer more detail in Floyd encounter Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:48 AM PDT  Video recorded by a bystander showed the world George Floyd's horrifying last minutes, capturing his cries and pleas for air as a Minneapolis officer used his knee to pin down Floyd's neck. Floyd, a black man who was handcuffed, died May 25 after Derek Chauvin, a white officer, used his knee to pin Floyd to the ground.
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| Kim's sister says N. Korea will take 'action' against South: KCNA Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:23 AM PDT  North Korea will take "action" against the South and entrust its military to carry it out, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, threatened Saturday in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency. "It is necessary to make them keenly feel what they have done," said Kim Yo Jong, referring to what she called the South's failure to stop the leaflet campaign.
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| Colombia's Medellin emerges as surprise COVID-19 pioneer Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:08 AM PDT  As coronavirus cases surge in Latin America, the Colombian city of Medellin is defying expectations and managing to keep numbers remarkably low. "Medellin can be considered a best-case scenario," said Dr. Carlos Espinal, director of Florida International University's Global Health Consortium. All these factors have made the virus especially hard to contain in Latin America.
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| Mississippi faces reckoning on Confederate emblem in flag Posted: 13 Jun 2020 07:00 AM PDT  The young activists who launched a protest movement after George Floyd's death are bringing fresh energy to a long-simmering debate about the Confederate battle emblem that white supremacists embedded within the Mississippi state flag more than 125 years ago. Anti-racism protests have toppled Confederate statues and monuments across the United States in recent days, and even NASCAR banned the display of the rebel flag. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves rejects the idea of a legislative vote on erasing the symbol.
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| Businessman tied to Venezuelan leader arrested in Cape Verde Posted: 13 Jun 2020 05:34 AM PDT |
| Atlanta police chief resigns after fatal police shooting Posted: 13 Jun 2020 05:34 AM PDT  Atlanta's police chief resigned Saturday hours after a black man was fatally shot by an officer in a struggle following a field sobriety test. Authorities said the slain man had grabbed an officer's Taser, but was running away when he was shot. Police Chief Erika Shields stepped down as the killing of 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks sparked a new wave of protests in Atlanta after turbulent demonstrations that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis had simmered down.
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| U.N. secretary-general shocked at discovery of mass graves in Libya Posted: 13 Jun 2020 04:58 AM PDT |
| REFILE-Iran will reimpose restrictions if health rules not observed Posted: 13 Jun 2020 04:26 AM PDT |
| From 'beautiful letters' to 'a dark nightmare': How Trump's North Korea gamble went bust Posted: 13 Jun 2020 03:19 AM PDT  Now that the deal has collapsed, some experts expect North Korea to do something provocative in the fall to punish Trump during the political campaign.
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| From 'beautiful letters' to 'a dark nightmare': How Trump's North Korea gamble went bust Posted: 13 Jun 2020 03:19 AM PDT  North Korea officially declared an end Friday to its diplomatic dalliance with the U.S. But experts say it's been clear for some time that President Donald Trump's bold but risky effort to sweet talk Kim Jong Un into relinquishing his nuclear weapons never really went anywhere. Two high-profile meetings with North Korea's leader bought Trump a hiatus from bellicose rhetoric and nuclear tests, but Kim never stopped building nuclear warheads and the missiles to deliver them, U.S. intelligence officials and private analysts say. Now, on the second anniversary of that first Trump-Kim summit in Singapore, North Korea is renouncing the diplomacy while promising to expand its weapons program, even as experts say it is ever closer to perfecting a long-range missile capable of reaching and destroying an American city.
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| Revealed: Canada spy report written hours before Meng Wanzhou's arrest predicted 'shockwaves around the world' once Huawei CFO was taken in Posted: 13 Jun 2020 02:30 AM PDT  A secret report by Canada's spy agency, finalised just hours before Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou's arrest in Vancouver in 2018, describes how her impending detention would "send shockwaves around the world" and provides evidence of "coordinated state misconduct" between the US and Canada against her, according to her lawyers.The two-page Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) report bolsters Meng's case that she is a victim of an abuse of process, her lawyers said.Completed the morning of Meng's arrest on December 1, 2018, the report, according to the lawyers, says "advanced communication to the CSIS came from the [US] FBI". Meng's lawyers said it also provides a timeline for the forthcoming operation at Vancouver's international airport."CSIS's knowledge that Ms Meng's arrest would not be effected until 'approximately 16:00 Vancouver time' is troubling, since it is consistent with CSIS knowing that the CBSA [Canada Border Security Agency] would first detain, search and interrogate Ms Meng upon her arrival at YVR [airport] at 11.30am," her lawyers said in a newly disclosed motion.Meng's lawyers have argued that her rights were abused when she was questioned and searched by CBSA officers before her arrest, and that this was not a normal border procedure but a covert and illicit evidence-gathering exercise conducted on behalf of the US' Federal Bureau of Investigation.The existence of the two-page CSIS report was disclosed late Thursday, when federal court documents relating to the matter were shifted to a public court registry from a "designated" registry. The report itself was not made public.Meng Wanzhou leaving British Columbia Supreme Court in downtown Vancouver after being granted bail on December 11, 2018. Photo: CTV alt=Meng Wanzhou leaving British Columbia Supreme Court in downtown Vancouver after being granted bail on December 11, 2018. Photo: CTVMeng, Huawei Technologies' chief financial officer and a daughter of company founder Ren Zhengfei, is fighting against extradition to the United States, where she is wanted to stand trial on fraud charges.Her arrest triggered a crisis in China's relations with both the US and Canada, and she remains under partial house arrest in Vancouver on C$10 million (US$7.3 million) bail.Canada's attorney general provided the CSIS report to Meng's lawyers on April 23 " a "late disclosure", they said " but it was redacted. A further six documents related to the report were disclosed on June 2, but are also "heavily redacted" on national security grounds.The material is described in a June 5 motion from Meng's lawyers seeking the appointment of a special court officer with security clearance, known as an amicus curiae, to discuss the secret material before a judge in closed-door sessions. The amicus would not be allowed to disclose the secret information to Meng or her lawyers.The attorney general, representing US interests in the extradition case, consented to the appointment of the amicus, which was ordered on Wednesday. The amicus, whose fees will be paid by Meng, is Anil Kapoor, a Toronto barrister.Meng's lawyers " Richard Peck, Eric Gottardi, David Martin and Scott Fention " said in their motion that deciding whether it was reasonable to withhold the redacted material on national security grounds should not be made with only the attorney general's lawyers making the case before a judge.The report, they contended, underscored "the seriousness of the coordinated state misconduct that is the focus of the applicant's abuse of process allegations"."The author of the CSIS report also was aware that the arrest of Ms Meng would be a high-profile political event, saying 'the arrest is likely to send shockwaves around the world'," the lawyers wrote.Meng's lawyers quoted the report as saying "FBI will not be present in an effort to avoid the perception of influence"."The CSIS report makes plain that not only was CSIS involved in communicating with the FBI and others regarding the planning of Ms Meng's arrest ... but that the CSIS had an ongoing role after the arrest," they said."The latter is supported by the CSIS report's closing line, 'Updates will be provided on a regular basis as this issue develops'."The report "was also pre-occupied with when the news of Ms Meng's arrest might become public and states that the timing of the arrest 'may delay Chinese recognition of the event'".At the time, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and they dined together on the evening of December 1.In a response Monday to the motion, the National Security Group at Canada's Department of Justice consented to Kapoor's appointment as amicus, but disputed aspects of his role. It cited case law that "the amicus is bound by a duty of loyalty and integrity to the court and not to any parties to the proceedings"."In short, playing a role that sometimes may be opposite to that of the Attorney General does not make the amicus a defence counsel," National Security Group lawyer Andre Seguin wrote."The work done by the amicus undoubtedly will benefit the applicant. But the role is not adversarial in nature," he added.Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 27. Photo: Reuters alt=Meng Wanzhou leaves her home to attend a court hearing in Vancouver, British Columbia, on May 27. Photo: ReutersIn her order on Wednesday appointing Kapoor, the Federal Court's Madam Justice Catherine Kane said that "the amicus will keep confidential from the Respondent [Meng], her counsel, and any other person not participating in the in camera ex parte hearing, all information and documents to which the amicus had access".Meng's extradition hearings are to resume in the British Columbia Supreme Court on Monday, with a case management conference to chart a schedule for the proceedings, which were thrown into disarray when the Covid-19 outbreak halted normal operations of the Canadian courts. The case is expected to last into 2021, but appeals could drag out the process for years.Meng is accused of defrauding HSBC by deceiving the bank about Huawei's business dealings in Iran, supposedly in breach of US sanctions.Her arrest threw US-China relations into a tailspin, with Trump saying soon after that he might intervene in the case if it was in US economic interests. Meng's lawyers have cited those comments as proof that she is being treated as a political pawn.Beijing's relationship with Ottawa was also upended. Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were arrested by China and accused of espionage, but their treatment is widely regarded in Canada as retaliation and hostage-taking by Beijing.This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2020 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2020. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| AP PHOTOS: Nursing home residents allowed comfort of family Posted: 13 Jun 2020 01:37 AM PDT  After more than three months of separation and worry, loved ones are being allowed to reunite with residents of the Martino Zanchi Foundation nursing home in the northern Italian town of Alzano. Alzano, close to Bergamo, is the site of one of Italy's biggest coronavirus outbreaks, centered around the town's hospital, and there is an investigation into whether officials failed to take swift action to make the town and nearby Nembro a "red zone." It is in this context that many family members appreciated the unilateral move by the nursing home staff to close on Feb. 23, in defiance of local authorities who said the measure was too stringent.
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| Despite risks, Greek islands keen to reopen to tourists Posted: 13 Jun 2020 12:47 AM PDT  The Greek island of Mykonos' newest bar-restaurant, Pelican, seemed to appear from nowhere. Tables, light fixtures and staff members with matching black face masks were still being slotted into place as Greeks visiting the island for a long holiday weekend trickled in to check out the place. Its hopes are pinned on popular tourist destinations such as Mykonos and the islands of Rhodes, Corfu, Crete and Santorini, where regular ferry service already resumed and direct international flights are set to restart on July 1.
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| In Zimbabwe, people with albinism struggle against prejudice Posted: 13 Jun 2020 12:10 AM PDT  Each time Yvonne Gumbo, who has albinism, and her friends get together for a picture, she insists on being in the center. "I tell them I make the picture beautiful because I am special," she told The Associated Press at her home in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, recently. It's the 22-year old's way of fighting back against the deeply rooted myths and prejudices faced by people with albinism in Zimbabwe, where they are often ostracized, laughed at and pejoratively referred to as "white people" among other names.
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| Kim Jong Un's sister threatens S. Korea with military action Posted: 13 Jun 2020 12:05 AM PDT  The powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened military action against South Korea as she bashed Seoul on Saturday over declining bilateral relations and its inability to stop activists from floating anti-Pyongyang leaflets across the border. Describing South Korea as an "enemy," Kim Yo Jong repeated an earlier threat she had made by saying Seoul will soon witness the collapse of a "useless" inter-Korean liaison office in the border town of Kaesong. Kim, who is first vice department director of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, said she would leave it to North Korea's military leaders to carry out the next step of retaliation against the South.
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| The Latest: Floyd cousin speaks at Lee monument in Virginia Posted: 12 Jun 2020 11:39 PM PDT  — French court says protests can't be banned over virus concerns. — Police in Paris use tear gas to disperse crowds; thousands rally against excessive force. The protest in Richmond included a speech by a cousin of George Floyd, the black man whose death at the hands of police has prompted weeks of protests around the world.
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| Spike in deaths in Darfur points to virus' invisible spread Posted: 12 Jun 2020 11:24 PM PDT  In the sprawling refugee camps of Darfur, the war-scarred western region of Sudan, officials say the elderly are falling sick and dying at astonishing rates. In North Darfur's provincial capital of El Fasher, some say they scroll through a dozen death announcements each day: Another old friend, relative, community leader lost with dizzying speed. The official causes of their untimely deaths remain "unknown."
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| World joins US protests but leaders restrained about Trump Posted: 12 Jun 2020 11:23 PM PDT  People have taken to the streets of Berlin, London, Paris and other cities around the world to demonstrate in support of Black Lives Matter protesters in the United States and to vent anger over President Donald Trump's response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau let silence speak for itself when asked to comment on the decision to forcibly clear peaceful protesters outside the White House to make way for a Trump photo-op at a nearby church, standing pensively at his lectern apparently mulling his answer for more than 20 seconds before answering that Canada also suffered from "systemic discrimination" — never mentioning the American president.
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| Lives Lost: Weatherman built career on skills learned in war Posted: 12 Jun 2020 10:16 PM PDT  Robert Fleury knew he wanted to serve his country when he was a teenager, so he signed up for one of the most remote assignments in World War II — tracking the weather for the U.S. Navy in the frigid Aleutian Islands off Alaska. In Portland, Maine, where he and his wife moved after the war, the friendly, good-natured Fleury would take it in stride when he occasionally botched a forecast and was teased by town golfers after it rained on their game. "He would engage everyone with a funny little smile," Bob Fleury said of his father.
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| Protests in Trump country test his hold in rural white areas Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:57 PM PDT |
| Biden's VP list narrows: Warren, Harris, Susan Rice, others Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:32 PM PDT  Joe Biden's search for a running mate is entering a second round of vetting for a dwindling list of potential vice presidential nominees, with several black women in strong contention. Democrats with knowledge of the process said Biden's search committee has narrowed the choices to as few as six serious contenders after initial interviews. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, as well as Susan Rice, who served as President Barack Obama's national security adviser.
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| As US seethes over race, Trump calls out 'evil of slavery' Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:13 PM PDT  As the nation continues to grapple with its racial past, President Donald Trump urged West Point's graduating class Saturday to "never forget" the legacy of soldiers before them who fought a bloody war to "extinguish the evil of slavery." Trump's appeal to remember history came as his own relationship with the military is under strain from the unrelenting criticism he and Pentagon leaders have faced over their response to protests that erupted after George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. It also came hours after Trump made what amounted to a rare concession for him: He rescheduled a campaign rally planned for Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 19.
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| Sao Paulo cemeteries to dig up graves for coronavirus space Posted: 12 Jun 2020 09:02 PM PDT  Brazil's biggest metropolis has an unorthodox plan to free up space at its graveyards during the coronavris pandemic: digging up the bones of people buried in the past and storing their bagged remains in large metal containers. Sao Paulo's municipal funeral service said in a statement Friday that the remains of people who died at least three years ago will be exhumed and put in numbered bags, then stored temporarily in 12 storage containers it has purchased. Sao Paulo is one of the COVID-19 hot spots in Latin America's hardest-hit nation, with 5,480 deaths as of Thursday in the city of 12 million people.
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| Trump reschedules campaign rally after Juneteenth uproar Posted: 12 Jun 2020 08:49 PM PDT  President Donald Trump said Friday that he is rescheduling his first campaign rally in months to a day later so it won't conflict with the Juneteenth observance of the end of slavery in the United States. Trump had scheduled the rally — his first since early March — for June 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Black leaders said it was offensive for Trump to pick that day and that place, a city that in 1921 was the site of a fiery and orchestrated white-on-black attack.
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| Thousands gather for Black Lives Matter rallies in Australia Posted: 12 Jun 2020 08:21 PM PDT  Protests went ahead in support of the Black Lives Matter movement in far-flung parts of Australia on Saturday against the advice of government and health authorities but on a significantly smaller scale than the previous weekend, when tens of thousands rallied in cities along the east coast. The biggest demonstration was in Perth, the Western Australia state capital, where the Australian Broadcasting Corp. estimated that 5,000 people gathered to honor George Floyd and remember indigenous Australian people who have died while in custody. Floyd, a black man, died in handcuffs on May 25 while a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck.
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| Airman may face death penalty in California cop killing Posted: 12 Jun 2020 05:46 PM PDT  The sheriff's deputy reached a house at the end of the narrow Northern California dirt road and decided getting help from more deputies would be a good idea. The van's driver, officials say, was U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Steven Carrillo, who lay in wait for more law enforcement to arrive before ambushing them from the steep hillside above in a barrage of gunfire and explosives. Carrillo, 32, was charged with 19 offenses, including murder and attempted murder of peace officers, and was calm and unflinching Friday during his first appearance in Santa Cruz Superior Court.
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| Boris Johnson 'scrapped Cabinet pandemic committee six months before coronavirus hit UK' Posted: 12 Jun 2020 05:13 PM PDT  Boris Johnson scrapped a team of senior ministers charged with preparing the country for a pandemic six months before the outbreak of coronavirus in the UK, according to a report. According to the Daily Mail, the group - called the Threats, Hazards, Resilience and Contingency Committee (THRCC) - was suspended by former prime minister Theresa May on the advice of Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill so that civil servants and ministers could focus on Brexit. The Government committee, which included Cabinet ministers such as Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, Michael Gove and Gavin Williamson, was abolished by Mr Johnson a few days after he entered Downing Street. The committee was axed without discussing virus control plans. On Friday night, a former Cabinet minister - who was a member of THRCC - told the Mail that it could have helped to Government to respond more quickly to the virus. "Once the pandemic took hold in Italy... alarm bells would have been ringing," the former minister said. "We would have stress-tested the Government's contingency plans for dealing with a pandemic."
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| Trump administration revokes transgender health protection Posted: 12 Jun 2020 02:16 PM PDT  In a move applauded by President Donald Trump's conservative religious base, his administration on Friday finalized a rule that overturns Obama-era protections for transgender people against sex discrimination in health care. The Department of Health and Human Services said it will enforce sex discrimination protections "according to the plain meaning of the word 'sex' as male or female and as determined by biology." LGBTQ groups say explicit protections are needed for people seeking sex-reassignment treatment, and even for transgender people who need care for common illnesses such as diabetes or heart problems.
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