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Showing posts from July, 2020

Two pilots killed when air tankers collide

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The planes had been dispatched to help battle the Bishop Fire, a 14,000-acre blaze burning on federal land. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/33dKmtk

Trump can't postpone the election, but officials worry he and the GOP could starve it

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The pandemic has pushed elections system to the brink, with officials in some states fearing a meltdown this fall. Lack of money is a major problem. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hVJL3g

Rodrigo Duterte: 'I'm not joking - clean masks with petrol'

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The Philippines' leader doubled down on earlier claims - despite officials saying he was wrong. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/311n7jq

Fact check: Joe Biden didn't take a knee upon seeing a flag; he was talking to a child

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While visiting his childhood home this month, the presidential candidate kneeled to talk to a child. It's false to say he "took a knee" for the flag. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2X9L9av

Father, son with COVID-19 forced to quarantine in Hawaii

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Hawaii's public health director said a rarely used special health order was used to force them into isolation. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3fhgz58

FBI says errors discovered in more than two-dozen wiretap applications were mostly minor

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The agency said its review of 29 applications to obtain wiretaps on U.S. citizens had only minor, mostly typographical errors. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hQy5Pq

Letters to the Editor: Portland protesters, it's time to stop. You're playing into Trump's hands

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God forbid President Trump gets another four years in office because of average voters' disgust with violent protests. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/33e8Diz

What Pullout? Feds Gas Moms in Fresh Portland Crackdown

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PORTLAND—With roughly two-dozen federal officers in riot gear marching towards her, Demetria Hester linked arms with two other mothers in yellow shirts. “Hands up!” she chanted. “Don’t shoot!” responded the crowd, warily watching a line of federal agents coming towards them from behind a cloud of tear gas and smoke from munition fire. Though the number of protesters in downtown Portland had dwindled to about 100 shortly after midnight Thursday, the number of federal agents out on the streets was larger than ever. Hours after Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the gradual removal of federal law enforcement officers from Portland, more than 200 of those officers were clashing with protesters outside the federal courthouse, using tear gas to clear the surrounding streets.Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and President Donald Trump had disputed the governor’s announcement, the former tweeting that federal officers would “remain in Portland until the violent activity toward our

Ex-Houston officers indicted in wake of deadly drug raid

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A grand jury has indicted six former Houston police officers whose work with a narcotics unit has been under scrutiny since a 2019 drug raid in which a couple was killed, prosecutors announced Friday. Prosecutors allege that the former officers falsified documentation about drug payments to confidential informants, routinely used false information to get search warrants, and lied in police reports. The grand jury on Thursday brought indictments on a total of 17 felony charges against the officers. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3ff2bdx

Week in pictures: 25 July-31 July 2020

A selection of powerful news photographs taken around the world this week. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/30heHFd

Phyllis Omido: The woman who won $12m fighting lead battery poisoners

Kenyan activist Phyllis Omido has been ignored, harassed and arrested, but she never gave up. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3hWgN3r

Job-hunting: 'I apply everywhere - few firms reply'

The pandemic has created a desperate hunt for jobs in an increasingly competitive market. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/2PaXWp3

Jet2 to refund customers returning early from Spain

The airline says it will refund cancelled return flights from Spain and unused holiday dates. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/3feR6cJ

BA staff and plane fanatics hunt for 747 souvenirs

The retirement of British Airways' fleet of 747s has triggered a bout of nostalgia from its fans. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/30hHyJN

Here's what we know about Trump suggesting the idea of delaying the November election

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After raising the idea of delaying the November election, Trump later asserted the tweet was aimed at starting discussions around mail-in ballots. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39LFUTQ

The astronauts who flew SpaceX's Crew Dragon to the space station are set to come home on Sunday. Watch their fiery return flight live.

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On Saturday and Sunday, SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship will make its return trip to Earth. Here's how to watch that journey live. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2XcoYRi

Israel says it arrested Hamas militant who fled strip by sea

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3fesnVZ

Are Pap smears 'obsolete'? There's a better option for cervical cancer screening, American Cancer Society says

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The American Cancer Society released new guidelines on cervical cancer screenings Thursday, recommending that people with a cervix start testing at age 25. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3k5XhDF

Boston marathon bombing: Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s death sentence overturned by appeals court

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A federal appeals court has overturned the Boston Marathon bomber’s death sentence.The decision by a three-judge panel says that the judge that oversaw the original case did not adequately screen the jury for potential biases. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2DkHIHh

Why a new generation of Thais are protesting against the government

A new political divide in Thailand has emerged between the country's youth and its older generation. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3fi6QLZ

US election 2020: The war hero who could be Biden's running mate

Senator Tammy Duckworth is an Iraq war veteran and the first Thai-American woman elected to Congress. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/339acyu

India coronavirus: Gold rush as pandemic roils country's economy

As Covid-19 worsens the economic slump, Indians are returning to a trusted asset: gold. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/30evlp4

Belarus: The mother challenging an authoritarian president

Political novice Svetlana Tikhanovskaya rallies protesters in a battle with Alexander Lukashenko. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/339JHZM

Chicago Deputy Police Chief Shoots Himself, Latest in Long History of Suicides at the Department

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The Chicago Police Department's new deputy chief of criminal networks was found dead on Tuesday from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, the latest in a history of suicides at the department.Dion Boyd, 57, was sworn into his new post on July 15 after 30-years on the force. Superintendent David Brown urged officers to keep an eye out for colleagues who could be in distress."Let's always remember to take care of ourselves and each other," Brown said at a press conference.The national suicide rate among police officers is about 18 per 100,000 as of 2017, however the rate in Chicago is 60 percent higher."One of the shocking statistics for me was that cops kill themselves at a higher rate than bad guys kill the police.  And when you put it in those numbers, you realize that there’s a real problem," Phil Cline, executive director of the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation, told WBBM radio.  “And it’s not something the just sprung up in the last year or so. It

A key federal appeals court will reexamine case on Michael Flynn's guilty plea

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The full panel of judges' decision to review Flynn's case could result in a reversal of a three-judge panel's decision to dismiss the case last month. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39HkSWd

What Pullout? Feds Gas Moms in Fresh Portland Crackdown

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PORTLAND—With roughly two-dozen federal officers in riot gear marching towards her, Demetria Hester linked arms with two other mothers in yellow shirts. “Hands up!” she chanted. “Don’t shoot!” responded the crowd, warily watching a line of federal agents coming towards them from behind a cloud of tear gas and smoke from munition fire. Though the number of protesters in downtown Portland had dwindled to about 100 shortly after midnight Thursday, the number of federal agents out on the streets was larger than ever. Hours after Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the gradual removal of federal law enforcement officers from Portland, more than 200 of those officers were clashing with protesters outside the federal courthouse, using tear gas to clear the surrounding streets.Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf and President Donald Trump had disputed the governor’s announcement, the former tweeting that federal officers would “remain in Portland until the violent activity toward our

New research suggests COVID-19 can spread via aerosol transmission -- and might affect tall people more

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A new survey has found more evidence to suggest that people can become infected with COVID-19 through aerosol transmission, which could be prevented by wearing a mask. Carried out by data scientists in the UK, Norway, and the US, the study is one of the first to investigate which personal and work-related factors can lead to COVID-19 transmission. After surveying 2,000 people in the UK and US, the researchers found that the data from both countries suggests that aerosol transmission of the virus -- via microdroplets which are so small that they remain suspended in the air for several hours -- is very likely. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39EGDWy

Republican says he will take Trump-promoted Covid-19 treatment after implying he contracted coronavirus by wearing a mask

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A Texas Republican who tested positive for Covid-19 wrongly suggested he may have contracted the novel coronavirus by wearing a face mask — and said he would be taking an unproven treatment touted by Donald Trump.Louie Gohmert (R—Tx) tested positive on Wednesday during a White House procedural screening just before he was set to fly with the president to Texas on Air Force One. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2Xf960a

Maine shark attack: US woman killed by great white

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A retired New York fashion executive with a "zest" for life dies in a rare shark attack near Portland. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2CZq8Zt

My wife was detained, released, and disappeared again in China. Here's my message on behalf of my people, the Uighurs.

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The author, Mamutjan Abdurehim, is a Uighur father from Xinjiang — the Chinese region synonymous with surveillance, detentions, and forced labor. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3jU9eMj

'Last Supper' artwork of feasting Netanyahu irks Israeli leader

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A statue in a Tel Aviv square of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoying a "Last Supper" feast added new bite on Wednesday to mounting protests against his handling of the coronavirus crisis. Netanyahu, whose popularity has plunged in opinion polls amid 21.5% unemployment, said his depiction in a mock tableau of Jesus's final meal before his crucifixion, was tantamount to a death threat. In the installation, Netanyahu sits alone at a grand 10-metre (33 ft) long table, with two candelabras, grabbing at a huge cake resembling an Israeli flag. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/337afdV

Tropical Storm Isaias sets a new hurricane-season record as it triggers blackouts and flooding in Puerto Rico

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Tropical Storm Isaias caused power outages and flooding in Puerto Rico. It's headed toward southern Florida. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/30XArVS

Stimulus package: McConnell and Pelosi trade personal attacks as sides remain 'very far apart' from coronavirus deal

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Mere days before a key federal programme for the millions of Americans rendered jobless by the coronavirus pandemic expires on Friday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have ratcheted up their combative rhetoric to full volume.The personal attacks were particularly brutal on Wednesday as the two leaders appeared as far apart as ever from a deal to stimulate the economy, buttress the health care system, and help get American children safely back to school this fall. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3gfL7W8

Police chief explains decision to back out of Democrat convention security

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West Allis Police Department Chief Patrick Mitchell joins 'Fox & Friends' after backing out of a DNC security agreement over a ban on law enforcement's use of chemical irritants during protests. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hK3Sl4

British Airways is auctioning millions of dollars worth of lounge art in a hasty attempt to raise cash – see the extravagant collection

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The entire collection was valued by auction house Sotheby's at around $1.7 million but one piece auctioned so far fetched more than that by itself. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3jVNPSW

Nine of the top 10 U.S. coronavirus hot spots are in Florida and Texas

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While President Trump touted improvements in the coronavirus pandemic in the Sun Belt, the CDC warned that nine of the nation’s top 10 growing hot spots are in Florida and Texas, according to an internal government document obtained by Yahoo News. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hThjiN

Vatican Hacked By Chinese Spies: Report

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ROME—The offices that house the Vatican’s computer network system were one of the few allowed to stay minimally staffed during the pandemic to ensure that God's work—as it were—continued unfettered. But in early May, weeks before Italy and the Vatican emerged from a draconian COVID-19 lockdown, a series of cyber intrusions reportedly took place, masterminded by Chinese hackers keen on eavesdropping on the Pope's plans for the controversial Catholic Church in China, according to the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future and reported in The New York Times. Is Pope Francis Selling Out the Chinese Underground Church to Its Government?One of the hacks used a fairly standard Trojan malware called PlugX Payload, which was woven into the coding on a cable sent from the office of the Vatican's secretary of state to Monsignor Javier Corona Herrera in Hong Kong. The letter expressed condolences from the pope over the death of a bishop, fairly standard practice in an institution built on

Iran's navy shoots missile at mock-up of US aircraft carrier in the Strait of Hormuz

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Footage on Iranian state TV showed the replica being struck as part of an exercise Iran called "Great Prophet 14." from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3jPer83

Covid-19: Why Hong Kong's 'third wave' is a warning

Until recently, the city was seen as a poster child in its handling of the pandemic. What went wrong? from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/30bOnfN

What exactly is a 'Karen' and where did the meme come from?

To many the Karen meme - and its male equivalent Ken - sums up a specific type of white privilege. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3gioFf9

The 'real' threat to Russia’s former doping mastermind

The ex-mastermind of Russian sports doping, Grigory Rodchenkov, now only appears in disguise. Matt Majendie explains why. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/314ezIn

Bollywood's 'warts and all' biopic on 'human computer'

Bollywood actress Vidya Balan plays Shakuntala Devi who dazzled the world with her skill with numbers. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3ggIC6b

The middle-css Pakistani students fighting for a homeland dream

Shahdad Mumtaz died for his beliefs. Could a missing student end up waging war on the Pakistani state? from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/312Wk6b

Coronavirus: Brits, Balearics and battered businesses

Ibiza's nightclub scene has been hit hard by coronavirus, leaving people in need of support. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3fm4ko8

Coronavirus: 'Chancellor must protect' jobs of those shielding

Charities are calling on the chancellor to protect the jobs of workers who have been shielding. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/2D3Zb6W

The sweet smell of success: How Bulgaria took the lead in lavender

Lavender is used for cosmetics, fragrances and even, with the help of bees, to make honey. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/30WPrn2

Mexico supreme court dodges substance in abortion decision

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Mexico’s Supreme Court avoided taking up substantively the issue of abortion Wednesday by rejecting an injunction issued by a judge on technical grounds. Anti-abortion groups celebrated the decision and feminist organizations criticized the court for using technicalities to dodge the issue. In Mexico, abortion in the first 12 weeks of a pregnancy is allowed only in Mexico City and the southern state of Oaxaca. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/308Dg7l

Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Google face claims of 'harmful' power

The executives of the four US tech giants defend their records at a five-hour hearing in Congress. from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/3gbQQMR

Young people 'feel anxiety and terror' using fitness apps

A study of young people finds a fine line between getting results and becoming "obsessed". from BBC News - Technology https://ift.tt/2Dcw5Sx

CNN host says Trump loyalist owes broadcaster an apology over video played at Barr hearing

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CNN host Jake Tapper has demanded that Republican congressman Jim Jordan apologise for playing an edited video that misleadingly showed reporters describe the George Floyd protests as “peaceful”.On Tuesday, attorney general William Barr took part in his first congressional hearing since he took the role, and faced questions on topics including his response to the protests and the subsequent deployment of federal law enforcement agents to cities such as Portland, Oregon. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2EqijfC

The 11-carrier US Navy is mocking Iran as 'experts' at making a dummy aircraft carrier to shoot at

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The US Navy posted a photo on social media ridiculing Iran after it fired missiles on a mock-up of a US flattop on Wednesday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2BEJ52Q

Pakistani Muslim accused of insulting Islam killed in court

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3jSXee0

Chicago police chief dies in apparent suicide after promotion

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A 30-year veteran of the Chicago police force is found dead two weeks after being promoted; Matt Finn reports from Chicago as the city marks another deadly night of violence. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2CYby4g

Trump Jr suspended by Twitter for posting 'misleading and potentially harmful information' about coronavirus

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Donald Trump Jr has been suspended by Twitter for posting "misleading and potentially harmful information" about coronavirus.The president also shared the same tweet. On his account, the post no longer appears, and has been replaced with a message indicating that it is "no longer available", but he still appears to be able to tweet. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/331nEV5

As crime surges on his watch, Trump warns of Biden's America

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President Donald Trump is painting a dystopian portrait of what Joe Biden’s America might look like, asserting crime and chaos would ravage communities should the former vice president win the White House in November. Left unsaid: A recent surge in violent crime in several American cities has happened on his watch. “Irony is way down the list of things that President Trump worries about,” said Robert Spitzer, a political scientist at the State University of New York College at Cortland whose research focuses on gun politics and the American presidency. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3gbm7Q3

Jeff Bezos' ex-wife, MacKenzie Scott, gave 8-figure donations to 6 different HBCUs for their 'transformative' work against inequality

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Four of the presidents of these institutions highlighted that Scott's donations were the largest from a single individual in the schools' history. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2P628GD

Portland fining feds $500 an hour for fence erected around federal courthouse

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The city says the protective fence installed around the federal courthouse was done without a permit; William La Jeunesse reports from Portland with the latest. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2CSzlTv

The fashion influencer who fled NYC for the Hamptons while infected with COVID-19 received up to $350,000 in government PPP loans, report says

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Arielle Charnas' brand, Something Navy, secured a loan of between $150,000 and $350,000 from the government in April, Page Six reported. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2CRMQmp

Australia's fires 'killed or harmed three billion animals'

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The recent bushfires were "one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history", conservationists say. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2D7eF9T

A bridge over an Arizona lake was engulfed in flames and partially collapsed after a train derailment

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Footage from the scene showed mangled train cars, some of which were engulfed in flames while others had plummeted onto the street below. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/307hMYm

Boris Johnson says Europe is being hit by a 2nd coronavirus wave as countries bring back restrictions

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The number of daily coronavirus cases has ticked up again in countries including Spain, Belgium, and France. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hFWA1J

Coronavirus in Pakistan: Doctor's video diary of fight against pandemic

A doctor in one of Pakistan’s busiest hospitals has kept a video diary of the country’s struggle with coronavirus. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Xarbwy

'Bay of Piglets': A 'bizarre' plot to capture a president

How did exiled Venezuelans and former US Special Forces end up joining what looked from the outset like a suicide mission?  from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/335R2JE

India and China race to build along a disputed frontier

The rival nuclear powers are trying to out-build each other along their disputed Himalayan border. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2P6Jxdp

Nile dam row: Egypt fumes as Ethiopia celebrates

Concerns grow as Nile River nations fail to reach a deal on how to share the vital waters. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/3jSP9WL

The sweet smell of success: How Bulgaria took the lead in lavender

Lavender is used for cosmetics, fragrances and even, with the help of bees, to make honey. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/30WPrn2

UK car production slumps to lowest level since 1954

The SMMT trade group warns Brexit tariffs could deepen woes for a sector already in crisis. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/3jSZySo

Offices could relocate to suburbs, survey suggests

Commercial property firms say there could be a high street revival as businesses exit city centres. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/3hSRxuH

How to ace a video interview

A job coach offers eight tips for performing your best during a video interview. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/2Dh0yyY

'My Tanzanian family is split over coronavirus'

Sammy Awami writes that his relatives are divided over the Tanzanian leader's policy on Covid-19. from BBC News - World https://ift.tt/2Dcnn6M

Coronavirus: Business rescue package has 'delayed the inevitable'

Insolvencies slow during lockdown, but experts say the worst is yet to come. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/3jRQ3Tg

'Fix your bike' website crashes as scheme launches in England

Social media users complain they can't access the government website to get a £50 bike repair voucher. from BBC News - Business https://ift.tt/335fD1u

Trump aides frustrated president won’t pay respects to civil rights leader John Lewis

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Donald Trump's aides have “frustration” with the president’s decision not to pay his respects to late congressman John Lewis.The civil rights leader passed away last week. His body was lying in state at the US Capitol on Monday and politicians – from presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife to the Vice President Mike Pence – visited to pay their respects. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hNxQoq

Escape to North Korea: Defector at heart of COVID-19 case fled sex abuse investigation

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Last week, a 24-year-old defector returned to North Korea the way he left in 2017, authorities say, but with a coronavirus pandemic raging in the background this time, his illicit trip drew far more attention. Facing a sexual assault investigation, Kim evaded high-tech South Korean border control systems by crawling through a drain pipe and swimming across the Han River to the North on July 19, the South Korean military has said. Kim's story as a defector begins and, so far, ends in the city of Kaesong, a North Korean border town that hosted a now-shuttered inter-Korean factory park and liaison office. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3f3hgil

Rare blue lobster spotted at Red Lobster before being cooked finds home at Ohio zoo

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"Clawde" was saved by Red Lobster workers — who noticed it in the lobster delivery. The likelihood of catching a blue lobster is 1 in 200 million. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2OX6TlL

Boris Johnson says Europe is being hit by a 2nd coronavirus wave as countries bring back restrictions

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The number of daily coronavirus cases has ticked up again in countries including Spain, Belgium, and France. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hFWA1J

Alabama Democrats call on GOP lawmaker who attended event honoring KKK leader to resign

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Democratic and Republican leaders in Alabama are denouncing state Rep. Will Dismukes (R) for attending a birthday celebration in Selma for Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.Dismukes, who is also chaplain for the Prattville Dragoons chapter of the Sons of the Confederacy, gave the invocation at the birthday event, posted on social media that he had a "great time" honoring Forrest, and shared a photo showing him standing in front of a Confederate flag.On Sunday, people in Selma paid tribute to the late civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), whose body was carried across the Edmund Pettus Bridge; in 1965, Lewis was beaten on the bridge by state troopers as he led a civil rights march. Dismukes took his post down on Monday, telling AL.com it was "in no way glorifying the Klan or disrespecting the late Rep. John Lewis."The Alabama Democratic Party called on Dismukes to step down, again; in June, they asked fo

'The whole church has got it, just about': Alabama church revival results in dozens of coronavirus cases

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More than 40 members of a church in rural Alabama have tested positive for coronavirus after attending a mutli-day revival festival.The revival included a number of religious services which were held over multiple days last week. The pastor of Warrior Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Daryl Ross, said the virus had impacted nearly the totality of his congregation. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/30MX7I8

2nd presidential debate host withdraws amid virus outbreak

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The University of Notre Dame has become the second university to withdraw as the host of one of this fall's three scheduled presidential debates amid the coronavirus pandemic. The university was set to host the inaugural face-off between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden on Sept. 29. The first debate will now be hosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/3hFu8wJ

Japan government persists with 'Abenomask' giveaway, reignites social media outcry

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Japan's government is pushing ahead with the distribution of its much derided masks even though commercially made masks are now readily available, prompting a renewed outcry on social media. Dubbed the "Abenomask", which means Abe's mask and is a pun on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" programme, the washable gauze mask has been criticised as ill fitting with quality issues and as a waste of public money. from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/39xWeax

The Chicago Gun Myth

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The tragically incompetent mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot, appeared on CNN’s State of the Union this weekend to deflect attention from the horror show unfolding in her city by blaming interlopers for its spiking murder rate: “We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons -- that is hurting cities like Chicago.”Although these accusations have leveled by Chicago politicians for decades now, they are a myth.For one thing, there is no state in the nation with “virtually no gun control” or “no background checks.” Every time anyone in the United States purchases a gun from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) -- a gun store, a gun show, it doesn’t matter -- the seller runs a background check on the buyer through the NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) database. In some cases, the FFL checks to see if the buyer has passed a background check via a state-issued concealed-carry permit. In state

The birth of a militia: how an armed group polices Black Lives Matter protests

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In Utah, members of a militia claim their presence deters protesters from becoming violent and destroying the stateThe Utah Citizens’ Alarm is only a month old, and yet it already boasts 15,000-plus members.The citizen militia’s recruits wear military fatigues and carry assault rifles. Their short-term goal, they say, is to act as a physical presence of intimidation to deter protesters from becoming violent and destroying the state of Utah. Their long-term goal: to arm and prepare the state of Utah against underground movements they believe will incite civil war.The group was conceived in reaction to a Black Lives Matter protest against police brutality organized by different groups in Provo, Utah, on 29 June. That day, a white protester pulled out a gun and shot another white man, who was not protesting but driving his vehicle into the protest route. Two shots were fired, and one hit the driver in the arm. Protesters claim the shooting was in self-defence because the driver was hittin