Tag Archives: WorldNews

Myanmar editor jailed for two years over coronavirus error

Excuse pun – this is overkill law and action

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YANGON (AFP) – A Myanmar news editor has been jailed for two years after his agency reported a coronavirus death that turned out to be false, his lawyer said on Friday (May 22).

The country has only 199 confirmed cases of coronavirus and seen six deaths, although the low numbers tested means experts fear the true figures are far higher.

Chief editor Zaw Ye Htet was arrested on May 13, the same day his online news agency Dae Pyaw published an erroneous article alleging there had been a death due to Covid-19 in eastern Karen state.

On May 20, just one week later, he faced trial, an unusually swift process in a country where suspects often languish for months behind bars before being convicted.

“He was sentenced under section 505(b) to two years in jail,” by the court in Karen state, his lawyer Myint Thuzar Maw said on Friday.

The notorious Section 505(b) is a vaguely worded law often thrown at journalists and activists for making any statement that causes fear or alarm.

“We’ll appeal this unfair decision,” Zaw Ye Htet’s wife Phyu Phyu Win said.

It is not clear why the trial took place so quickly.

Karen state borders Thailand and saw more than 16,000 returning Myanmar migrant workers early April after the pandemic caused huge job losses in Thailand and borders started to close.

The state has so far reported only two cases of coronavirus and no deaths.

The government has warned people will be prosecuted for spreading misinformation about the pandemic, but this is the first known case.

It is also drafting new legislation on the control of communicable diseases that would make it even easier to criminalise reporters deemed to be causing public panic.

Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson branded the move a “recipe for disaster” and warned against denying people the information they need.

Under international law, restrictions to freedom of speech must be carefully spelt out, he added.

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Trump Staples Words Together to Say He’s “Tested Very Positively” for COVID-19

Sad how dementia shows itself.

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President Donald Trump, while speaking to reporters outside the White House on Thursday, attempted to describe the results of his latest coronavirus test. That exceedingly simple task proved too much for our president, who rejected a straightforward reply to instead offer this incoherent string of words:

Pres. Trump on his coronavirus test today: “I tested very positively, in another sense, this morning. I tested positively toward negative, right? No, I tested perfectly this morning — meaning I tested negative. But that’s a way of saying it: positively toward the negative.” pic.twitter.com/Jylltw0JXs

— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) May 21, 2020

Here’s to watching how the rest of his supposed hydroxychloroquine regimen unfolds.

Airlines in India surprised by move to resume local flights

Tweeting government causes problems in India

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NEW DELHI • India’s decision to resume domestic flights from next Monday was a bolt out of the blue for most of the country’s aviation companies. Top executives at three Indian airlines said they learnt about the move when the aviation minister tweeted it.

Most airlines have suspended ticket sales at least until June 1 and were staring at a longer stint on the ground, until the minister announced the government’s plan to reopen the skies. Many are puzzled as this coincides with India emerging as the nation in Asia where coronavirus infections are spreading at the fastest pace.

While airlines, strapped for cash due to India’s shutdown, were waiting for a decision, the short notice makes it harder for them to prepare for operations, deploy staff, arrange for protective gear and ensure they can keep the virus away from flights, the executives said.

The issue shows the challenge airlines face as the world gradually opens up even as new virus hot spots emerge. The situation is particularly alarming in crowded India, where the movement of people from its mega cities to the hinterland has already catalysed the virus’ spread despite a near two-month nationwide lockdown.

Airlines around the world have struggled to remain in business, with some shutting down, as travel restrictions dried cash flows. The ban on local flights in India – which came into effect on March 25, days after a ban on international operations – prompted industry analysts at Capa Centre for Aviation to speculate that struggling airlines would have to sell shares to stay alive.

India’s airlines, including IndiGo, Asia’s biggest budget carrier by market value, SpiceJet, Singapore Airlines affiliate Vistara and AirAsia Group, have 650 planes between them. The country is one of the biggest markets for Airbus and Boeing.

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Republican QAnon conspiracy promoter picked to run for US Senate

Sad, laughable and dangerous

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  • Jo Rae Perkins wins Republican primary contest in Oregon
  • FBI has warned that conspiracy could encourage extremism

Oregon Republicans have nominated a high-profile backer of the QAnon conspiracy theory as their candidate for a US Senate seat.

Related: Coronavirus US live: Trump to visit Michigan amid tensions with Democratic governor

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