Tag Archives: WorldNews

Revealed: US spends millions of taxpayer dollars on ineffective voting restrictions

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The Guardian has found that millions have been spent to implement and defend laws widely regarded to be discriminatory

Restrictive “voter identification” laws pushed by Republicans, and widely regarded to be ineffective and discriminatory, have cost taxpayers at least $36m in just a few states, the Guardian can reveal.

It’s well documented that restrictive voter ID laws are ineffective and discriminatory. The type of voter fraud they claim to prevent is a myth, and the burden of showing an ID disproportionately lands on students, low-income voters and African Americans.

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Newly excavated tools suggest humans lived in North America at least 30,000 years ago

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Artefacts from central Mexico cave are strong evidence humans lived on continent 15,000 years earlier than previously thought

Tools excavated from a cave in central Mexico are strong evidence that humans were living in North America at least 30,000 years ago, some 15,000 years earlier than previously thought, scientists said on Wednesday.

The artefacts, including 1,900 stone tools, showed human occupation of the high-altitude Chiquihuite cave over a 20,000-year period, they reported in two studies published in the journal Nature.

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Cheap and Expendible: The Systematic Exploitation of Harvest Workers in Europe

Millions of seasonal workers across the Continent are responsible for picking much of the low-cost produce available in European supermarkets. But an international research project reveals that many of these workers face abysmal conditions – and the COVID-19 crisis has made things even worse.

Millions of seasonal workers across the Continent are responsible for picking much of the low-cost produce available in European supermarkets. But an international research project reveals that many of these workers face abysmal conditions – and the COVID-19 crisis has made things even worse.

Tokyo residents told to stay home over holiday as coronavirus surges

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TOKYO (AFP) – Tokyo’s governor on Wednesday (July 22) urged residents of the Japanese capital to stay at home during an upcoming four-day holiday weekend, as the number of new local coronavirus cases surged.

The city is on its highest coronavirus alert level, with experts warning infections appear to be spreading rapidly and widely.

“The infections are spreading not only among young people but also among middle-aged and older people,” Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike said during a meeting with infectious disease experts.

“I’d like to ask (Tokyo residents) to refrain from going out as much as possible, especially elderly people and those with pre-existing conditions,” she said ahead of the holiday weekend.

Tokyo hit a new daily record of 293 cases last week, and the figure has stayed above 200 in recent days.

Ms Koike said the city was seeing infections at restaurants and theatres, not just nightlife areas as in previous weeks. Clusters have also been reported at workplaces and schools.

Japan has had just over 26,300 cases and close to 1,000 deaths since the disease was first detected in the country.

The figure is low compared with countries worst hit by the pandemic, but Japanese experts said the number of patients in serious condition was gradually increasing and warned medical workers were exhausted by growing workloads and demoralised by low pay.

Japan will begin a four-day holiday from Thursday, with Friday the day that the now-postponed Tokyo 2020 Olympics would have opened.

The Games are now set to begin on July 23, 2021, and organisers will hold a small-scale year-to-go celebration on Thursday, but without any spectators, in light of the rising number of cases.

The increasing number of daily cases in the capital has also prompted the government to exclude Tokyo residents from a nationwide programme to subsidise domestic tourism.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe lifted a nationwide state of emergency in late May and appears to have little appetite to reintroduce it, with the economy suffering its first recession since 2015.

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Coronavirus: Malaysians refusing to wear face masks may be jailed

The Malaysian government is considering whether to go with a fine or jail time for those refusing to “mask up” once the use of face masks is made mandatory in public places, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the growing number of infections was worrying, as the number of new Covid-19 cases hit double digits for the third straight day on Tuesday (July 21).

There were 15 cases yesterday with 11 of them being local transmissions.

If the wearing of a face mask is made mandatory in public places under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, Dr Noor Hisham said that those flouting the law could either be fined RM1,000 (S$324) or put in jail.

“The Health Ministry is encouraging the use of face masks, especially in public places, high-risk places or places where social distancing of one metre apart is hard to enforce.

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PETALING JAYA (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) – The Malaysian government is considering whether to go with a fine or jail time for those refusing to “mask up” once the use of face masks is made mandatory in public places, said Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

He said the growing number of infections was worrying, as the number of new Covid-19 cases hit double digits for the third straight day on Tuesday (July 21).

There were 15 cases yesterday with 11 of them being local transmissions.

If the wearing of a face mask is made mandatory in public places under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act, Dr Noor Hisham said that those flouting the law could either be fined RM1,000 (S$324) or put in jail.

“The Health Ministry is encouraging the use of face masks, especially in public places, high-risk places or places where social distancing of one metre apart is hard to enforce.

“We have currently not made it mandatory because once we make it mandatory under the Act, we would have to consider the punishment.

“We are still looking at the punishment – whether to fine or give jail time for those not wearing face masks – once its use is made compulsory, ” he said during a briefing yesterday.

He reiterated the ministry’s recommendation on the use of face masks, which could reduce the risk of infection by 65 per cent as well as social distancing, which could reduce transmission by up to 70 per cent.

Dr Noor Hisham said Malaysia recorded seven recoveries on Tuesday.

As for the 15 new infections, he said four were from imported cases involving three Malaysians and one foreigner.

Nine of the 11 local cases were from Sarawak.

Out of those, one was a foreigner who tested positive during new arrival screening at the Semuja Immigration depot in Sarawak. “Five of the cases are from a new cluster – the Sentosa Hospital cluster. There are currently six cases in this cluster; the first was detected on July 19, ” he said.

Those affected in this cluster were five medical workers and another one from a cleaning company.

All six of them are being treated at the Sarawak General Hospital.

There were no new deaths on Tuesday. The number of fatalities remained at 123.

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Trump willing to work with China on Covid vaccine

Who is on first? Pompeo blasting China in UK. Trump Inc. buying Chinese furniture for Trump properties, President calling Covid-19 Chinese virus? US President Donald Trump expressed a willingness on Tuesday to work with China or other countries to bring a successful coronavirus vaccine to the United States, despite rising tensions between Beijing and Washington. “We’re willing to work with anybody that is going to get us a good result,” Trump said, when asked if the administration would collaborate with China on a vaccine for Americans, whether China is first to develop one or not.

Donald Trump Began a Press Conference by Talking About the Coronavirus. He Ended It by Sending An Accused Sex-Trafficker His Best Wishes.

In a reversal of his previous dismissive attitude toward the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump on Tuesday encouraged the widespread use of masks (despite his refusal to wear them in the past) and condemned large gatherings (despite having held a rally on June 20).

“Some areas of our country are doing very well. Others are doing less well,” he said, in his first coronavirus briefing since April. “It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better—something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.”

Dr. Deborah Birx was present at the briefing, but Dr. Anthony Fauci was not. Fauci has said that he was not invited. Trump declined to comment on Fauci’s absence.

Despite the president’s newfound appreciation for the seriousness of the virus, the speech was not without its Trumpisms. He repeatedly referred to the coronavirus as “the China virus,” and, when asked whether he thought Ghislaine Maxwell—Jeffrey Epstein’s associate currently incarcerated on ch

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In a reversal of his previous dismissive attitude toward the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump on Tuesday encouraged the widespread use of masks (despite his refusal to wear them in the past) and condemned large gatherings (despite having held a rally on June 20).

“Some areas of our country are doing very well. Others are doing less well,” he said, in his first coronavirus briefing since April. “It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better—something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.”

Dr. Deborah Birx was present at the briefing, but Dr. Anthony Fauci was not. Fauci has said that he was not invited. Trump declined to comment on Fauci’s absence.

Despite the president’s newfound appreciation for the seriousness of the virus, the speech was not without its Trumpisms. He repeatedly referred to the coronavirus as “the China virus,” and, when asked whether he thought Ghislaine Maxwell—Jeffrey Epstein’s associate currently incarcerated on child sex trafficking charges—would turn in powerful men, he responded, “I just wish her well, frankly.”

“I’ve met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach,” he continued, “but I wish her well.”

Nothing to see here—just the President of the United States wishing an accused child sex trafficker well, TWICE! pic.twitter.com/z6Lq4q1IE7

— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) July 21, 2020