Amir Khan and Faryal Makhdoom amass £13,769 for Zohra Shah’s family
British boxer with Pakistani origins, Amir Khan and his wife Faryal Makhdoom have come forth extending support to the family of a minor maid from Pakistan who was ‘beaten to death’ by her employers.
The athlete, 33 and his wife, 28, pledged to support eight-year-old Zohra Shah’s family as revealed by them on their official Instagram accounts.
The couple said that they were in contact with the late minor’s father and had promised to give him financial assistance.
“Amir and I have personally contacted Zohra’s father and hoping to speak to him shortly. Thank you to everyone… especially the lawyers, barristers and human rights activists who are supporting us,” Makhdoom said on her Instagram Story.
“Loads of messages asking why they sent their 8 year old daughter to work.. they didn’t. The father has told us he has 6 kids… the father sent the daughter (Zohra Shah) to Islamabad with her Khala (aunty) to study there. The khala then put Zohra Shah to work… where she was beaten to death.”
“I am sending a member of the @amirkhanfoundation tomorrow to visit Zohra Shah’s father’s home, give our donations. We will take responsibility [for] the family… schooling the children & providing their needs,†Faryal added.
Photo: Instagram
Photo: Instagram
The couple has thus far, amassed £13,769 of donations for Zohra’s family.
The eight-year-old domestic labourer was tortured to death in Rawalpindi by her employers after she accidentally freed two expensive parrots, local media reported on Wednesday.
According to reports, Zohra who hailed from Muzaffargarh, was hired to look after the child of a man identified as Hassan Siddiqui who worked in buying and selling birds and property.
Police officials told The Independent, Siddiqui confessed that he and his wife beat up the girl, who was working for them as a maid, in a fit of rage.Â
China may be a systemic rival to the European Union but it’s not a threat to world peace, EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Monday.
Borrell emerged from a three-hour video discussion with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to defend what he called a “realistic” approach to Beijing. His sanguine view of China’s military ambitions puts him at odds with the United States and some of China’s neighbors, ranging from Japan to India, which are increasingly worried that Beijing is flexing its military muscle from the Himalayas to the South China Sea.
Borrell’s discussion with Wang took place as EU-China relations are under intense scrutiny after China moved to strengthen its legal grip on Hong Kong and as some member countries have called on the EU to tackle more aggressively disinformation from China and Russia related to the coronavirus.
Borrell said Hong Kong, as well as human rights, were part of the “open and frank” talks. And among the main points of discussion was the decision last year by the EU to call China a “systemic rival.”
“I understand that for China to be presented as a systemic rival is something that looked a little bit controversial†he told reporters in a videoconference after the talks. “We talked a lot about it, … words matter and sometimes they matter a lot,” he added.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang | Hwee Young-Pool/Getty Images
But Borrell stressed that the term does not mean the EU sees Beijing as a security threat. “China has a global ambition but at the same time I don’t think that China is playing a role that can threaten the world peace,” he argued.
“They committed once again that they want to be present in the world and to play a global role but they don’t have military ambitions and they don’t want to use the force to participate in military conflicts,” he added.
A number of countries have made clear they are much more wary of China’s increasing military power.
A top U.S. defense official, John C. Rood, said last year that China is “promoting an authoritarian model, one that doesn’t respect the sovereignty of others.”
“You’re starting to see China develop overseas military bases, overseas intelligence collection locations,” Rood noted.
Japan, India, Vietnam and Taiwan are among other countries to have expressed deep concern about China’s military ambitions. Tokyo signaled last year that China is the country’s biggest security threat — bigger than nuclear-armed North Korea.
Borrell underlined that the EU had many points in common with China such as continued support for the Iran nuclear deal, from which the U.S. withdrew in 2018.
Tuesday’s discussion was also intended to prepare for an upcoming video meeting expected later this month between European Council President Charles Michel, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang.
Borrell said the summit could finalize a document setting out cooperation with Beijing, called Agenda 2025. He said an investment agreement “will not be ready for the summit, that’s clear.â€
The investment agreement is intended by the EU to push Beijing to deliver on promises of equal treatment for European companies and end a practice of forcing foreign firms to share know-how when operating in China.
A bigger EU-China summit — involving leaders of the bloc’s member countries and Chinese President Xi Jinping — was due to take place in September in the German city of Leipzig but it has been was postponed due to the coronavirus.
“For sure we have to allocate more resources in the fight against disinformation”— EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell
Borrell is expected to present on Wednesday a proposal with Commission Vice President Vĕra Jourová on how to step up the EU response to disinformation on the pandemic. The EU has pointed the finger of blame at both China and Russia for such disinformation.
Borrell said the EU’s foreign policy arm is ready to do more to fight disinformation from China and elsewhere if member countries provide the means. “For sure we have to allocate more resources in the fight against disinformation,” he said. “I’m happy to devote more resources but the member states have to agree on that, not only preaching but providing.”
The fashion designer and star of Netflix’s Queer Eye series, who was born and raised in England, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share the emotional moment with his fans.
“A few minutes ago, I officially became an U.S citizen!!” France wrote alongside a series of photos from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services center. “For me, this is monumental. It’s something I’ve been working towards for literally 20 years, which makes this all the more emotional.”
“And now, I will exercise my constitutional right as an American. Today, I will register to vote, and vote for the change I wish to see in OUR nation,” the 37-year-old continued.
France has been a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, calling on his social media followers to speak out about racism following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minnesota police.Â
“No, I’m not saying you have to get out and protest, but take action in your immediate lives at the very least,” France wrote on Instagram on June 1. “Call out racist bulls–t in your family. Stop acts of racism when you see them, and teach your kids to do the same….and stop telling Black people how they should protest.”
Explaining why the comments section had been turned off on his post, France wrote, “No comments needed, this isn’t a conversation.”
Just days before being a U.S. citizen, France spoke to his followers about “voting for change” and shared June election dates.
“VOTE FOR CHANGE. COMPLETE YOUR CENCUS [sic]. BE COUNTED,” the author urged his followers. “IF YOU’RE NOT COUNTED, YOU’RE TELLING THEM THAT IT’S OK TO NOT LISTEN TO YOU.”
Just yesterday, France also spoke out about equality, writing to his social media followers, “We must all be aligned in the movement towards equality for it to be successful.”
The 2020 edition of the Shell Helix Cup has been called off, according to Stadium Management SA (SMSA).
Gauteng giants Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns have, over the past two seasons, met at FNB Stadium for the exhibition match which has taken place on the early stage of the campaign.
Shell Helix Cup called off
The ongoing pandemic crisis has interrupted the global sporting calendar, with the local soccer scheduled also impacted.
On Thursday, SMSA, who are the organisers of the game confirmed that it has been held off indiefinitely.
“We will share updates as soon as new information becomes available.â€
Stadium Management South Africa
Unfortunately, we have been forced to postpone our annual @SMSATournament until further notice. 🏆⚽️
We will share updates as soon as new information becomes available. 🇿🇦⚽️
— ThereCanOnlyBeOne (@SMSATournament) June 9, 2020
The previous two editions of the competitions have seen the two competitors share the spoils as they boast a win apiece.
The inaugural tournament saw Mamelodi Sundowns come off victorious after overcoming Kaizer Chiefs, with Jeremy Brockie and Themba Zwane giving the Pretoria outfit a two-nil lead before a late consolation goal from Bernard Parker made it 2-1.
Twice as many goals were scored in the latest edition of the friendly match, where Amakhosi exacted revenge with a 4-2 win.
On that occasion, former ‘Downs striker Leonardo Castro netted a hat-trick against his old side, with Khama Billiat – another ex-Brazilian – netting the fourth before the break, prior to a failed comeback which saw South Americans Jose Ali Meza and Gaston Sirino half the deficit.
The two sides are competing for the 2019/20 league title, with Chiefs four points above Sundowns, who have a game in hand.
It’s yet unclear whether or not the league will resume in the coming weeks, with a PSL Joint Liason Committee expected to provide clarity in the next few days.
The French government announced an enormous financial support program on Tuesday for its flagship aviation industry as global travel restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic slash passenger flights and orders for new planes, putting tens of thousands of jobs at risk.
The 15 billion euro package (almost $17 billion), which includes some previously announced measures, includes aid for Air France, Airbus and major French parts suppliers through direct government investment, subsidies, loans and loan guarantees. It also includes a special fund jointly financed by the government, Airbus and other big manufacturers to support small suppliers.
In exchange for the support, companies will be required to invest more in low-emission aircraft, powered by electricity, hydrogen and other means, as the government capitalizes on the opportunity to make the French aviation industry the “cleanest in the world.â€
“We are declaring a state of emergency to save our aeronautical industry to allow it to be more competitive,†Bruno Le Maire, the finance minister, said at a news briefing with France’s defense and environment ministers. He said the plan would allow France to set new global standards for low-carbon aircraft, with €1.5 billion earmarked over the next three years on research and development to develop a carbon-neutral aircraft by 2035.
The aeronautical sector is one of the biggest employers in France, providing 300,000 direct and indirect jobs in manufacturing, research and development. A third of those would have been wiped out if the government did not step in, Mr. LeMaire said, adding that preserving jobs was the top priority.
France has spent hundreds of billions of euros on paid furlough programs intended to prevent mass unemployment. The measures announced Tuesday would allow employers to tap government-paid furlough schemes, and come on top of an ‎‎€18 billion support package for the battered tourism industry and ‎€8 billion in aid to Renault and other French manufacturers in the auto sector.
Updated June 5, 2020
Does asymptomatic transmission of Covid-19 happen?
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,†but she later walked back that statement.
How does blood type influence coronavirus?
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Will protests set off a second viral wave of coronavirus?
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
How do we start exercising again without hurting ourselves after months of lockdown?
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,†says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.†Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Should I wear a mask?
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Under the plan announced Tuesday, France’s public investment bank, Bpifrance, will provide a total of around ‎€500 million in loans to Airbus; Safran, a maker of jet engines and other components; Dassault Aviation, a military and commercial aircraft manufacturer; and Thales, which makes aerospace electrical systems.
Additionally, France’s defense and interior departments will speed up orders for ‎€600 million worth of Airbus aircraft.
The plan also calls for the French military to double its spending to around ‎€100 million at small and midsize companies that develop light surveillance planes and drones to ensure the preservation of thousands of additional jobs over three years.
NASA uses SpaceX Falcon 9 to launch US astronauts into space from US soil for the first time in nearly 9 years, since the last space shuttle mission.
USA TODAY
Former NASA astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space, is now also the first woman to reach the deepest point in the ocean.
Sullivan, an oceanographer and veteran of three space shuttle flights, is the first person to achieve both feats. After returning from a nearly 7 mile dive to Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, Sullivan called her colleagues at the International Space Station, which is in orbit 254 miles above Earth.
“As a hybrid oceanographer and astronaut this was an extraordinary day, a once in a lifetime day, seeing the moonscape of the Challenger Deep and then comparing notes with my colleagues on the ISS about our remarkable reusable inner-space outer-spacecraft,” Sullivan said in a statement released Monday by EYOS Expeditions, the company coordinating the mission.Â
Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space in a 1984 mission on the space shuttle Challenger and later left NASA to become administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, according to NASA.
She traveled to the deepest point in the ocean, located in the Western Pacific Ocean, on a submersible called the Limiting Factor piloted by Victor Vescovo of Caladan Oceanic before returning to its mothership the Pressure Drop. Vescovo, who has also piloted the Limiting Factor on a recent dive to the Titanic, became the fourth person to reach Challenger Deep last year.
Eight people have reached the bottom of Challenger Deep, including Vescovo, Sullivan and film maker James Cameron who reached the bottom in 2012, according to EYOS Expeditions.
Vescovo congratulated Sullivan on being “the first woman to the bottom of the ocean” on Twitter.
“We made some more history today,” he said in a statement. “And then got to share the experience with kindred spirits in the ISS. It was a pleasure to have Kathy along both as an oceanographer during the dive, and then as an astronaut to talk to the ISS.â€
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has appointed his mentor and coaching inspiration Juan Manuel Lillo as his new assistant, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.
Lillo, 54, will take up the role vacated by Mikel Arteta, who left the Etihad Stadium to become manager at former club Arsenal.
The Spaniard joins from Qingdao Huanghai, having helped the club to the Chinese League One championship and so helping them achieve promotion to the Super League.
We’re delighted to announce that Juan Manuel Lillo has joined Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff as assistant coach 👌⣠⣠🔵 #ManCityhttps://t.co/gkmgeuRrSe
Lillo, who has previously managed Real Sociedad, Vissel Kobe and Real Oviedo, has worked with several world-class talents during his career, including Andres Iniesta, David Villa and Yaya Toure.
He also coached Guardiola towards the end of his playing career, during their shared time in Mexico at Dorados de Sinaloa.
“My relationship with Pep goes back many years and I am thrilled to be joining him as part of this exciting team,” Lilo told the club’s website.
“Manchester City has enjoyed much success over recent seasons and played a brand of beautiful football we have come to expect from this club and its manager.
“It’s a pleasure to become a part of this group and I hope to make an important contribution to the club’s success going forwards.â€
City will restart their campaign after the COVID-19-enforced break against Arsenal on 17 June.
NEW DELHI — Over and over, Seema Munda kept refusing her parents’ pleas to get married. She wanted to be a nurse, not a housewife — and why was employment all right for her brother but not her?
So last summer, Ms. Munda lied about where she was going and slipped out of her conservative village in northern India. She traveled 1,000 miles south, to the city of Bengaluru, where she found work stitching shirts at a factory.
“This job liberated me,†she said.
But when the coronavirus pandemic hit, Ms. Munda’s life of independence shattered. In March, India instituted one of the strictest lockdowns in the world. In April, more than 120 million Indians lost their jobs, including Ms. Munda, 21.
As the world takes stock of staggering losses from the coronavirus, economists predict especially dire setbacks for women in the work force. The United Nations warned in a recent report that the pandemic has not only exacerbated inequalities between the sexes, but threatened to undo decades of gains in the workplace.
The International Labour Organization found that 41 percent of women were employed in sectors at high risk for job or working-hour losses from the pandemic, compared with 35 percent of men.
The global slowdown could have especially stark consequences in developing economies, where around 70 percent of working women are employed in the informal economy with few protections.
In India, a nation of 1.3 billion, the coronavirus lockdown, which was imposed in late March, has only added to the setbacks for women, who were already being shaken out of the work force in greater numbers in recent years.
Out of the economic wreckage, arranged marriages may also increase, experts say, with families seeing these unions as a way to secure their daughters’ futures. Since the lockdown went into effect, India’s leading matrimony websites have reported 30 percent surges in new registrations.
In India, marriage does not necessarily translate into a loss ofemployment. But it often constrains women’s autonomy, making it difficult for them to leave secluded villages where policing of their choices is common, patriarchal values are ironclad and job opportunities are scarce.
Rohini Pande, an economics professor at Yale who researches women’s employment patterns in India, said female migrant workers could face steep challenges recovering work. Many women struggle to persuade their parents to let them defer marriage and leave their villages for jobs.
“The pipeline was already extremely leaky,†said Ms. Pande, who directs the Economic Growth Center at Yale. “It’s just going to get leakier.â€
Employment figures for India’s women have been a cause of concern for years.
From 2005 to 2018, female labor participation in India declined to 21 percent from about 32 percent, one of the lowest rates in the world. The rate for men also fell — India is experiencing a youth boom and has not been able to create enough new jobs to keep up — but not nearly as far as for women.
Economists have offered several explanations for the slide, including a cultural one: As India’s economy expanded, families that could afford to keep women at home did so, thinking it afforded them a degree of social status.
Domestic duties cut into the time women can search for jobs. In India, women perform 9.6 times more unpaid care work than men, about three times the global average. The pandemic has increased that burden for many women, according to the International Labour Organization.
Swarna Rajagopalan, a political scientist and founder of Prajnya Trust, an organization focusing on gender equality in India, said job scarcity could make it harder for women to enter or re-enter the work force — at least in the short term.
India’s economy may contract by five percent this year, according to some estimates, representing perhaps the worst slump since the country became independent from the British.
“I really worry about this,†Ms. Rajagopalan said. “We still think of men as being the primary breadwinners of our families, and if we have to make choices about letting people go, women will lose their jobs. It doesn’t matter how desperately they need them, or how hard they work.â€
Many of the hardest-hit industries have been those with a high proportion of female workers, including hospitality and manufacturing, where women are often employed without contracts, making it easier to let them go.
Although India recently lifted most of its lockdown measures in an effort to ease pressure on the economy, many women fear that even a limited degree of economic freedom will be difficult to regain.
Seema Munda said she had found “the key to unlocking my dreams†when she moved to Bengaluru last July to work at Pearl Global, a garment factory that employs women from poorer states like Odisha and Jharkhand, where she is from.
Her parents were initially furious when they realized she had left their village, Laujoda, for a city at the other end of India. Ms. Munda calmed them down when she offered to send some of her earnings home.
“I said, ‘Whenever I ask you for money for my studies, you always turn me down,’†she recalled. “‘So if you let me go and work, not only will I have money for myself but also to spare for you.’â€
Updated June 5, 2020
How does blood type influence coronavirus?
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
How many people have lost their jobs due to coronavirus in the U.S.?
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Will protests set off a second viral wave of coronavirus?
Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission.
How do we start exercising again without hurting ourselves after months of lockdown?
Exercise researchers and physicians have some blunt advice for those of us aiming to return to regular exercise now: Start slowly and then rev up your workouts, also slowly. American adults tended to be about 12 percent less active after the stay-at-home mandates began in March than they were in January. But there are steps you can take to ease your way back into regular exercise safely. First, “start at no more than 50 percent of the exercise you were doing before Covid,†says Dr. Monica Rho, the chief of musculoskeletal medicine at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago. Thread in some preparatory squats, too, she advises. “When you haven’t been exercising, you lose muscle mass.†Expect some muscle twinges after these preliminary, post-lockdown sessions, especially a day or two later. But sudden or increasing pain during exercise is a clarion call to stop and return home.
My state is reopening. Is it safe to go out?
States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people.
What’s the risk of catching coronavirus from a surface?
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
What are the symptoms of coronavirus?
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
How can I protect myself while flying?
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
Should I wear a mask?
The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing.
What should I do if I feel sick?
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Ms. Munda started fresh. She moved into a hostel with dozens of other young women from the factory. They slept on straw mats on the ground.
When Ms. Munda received her first paycheck, about $112, she went to a clothing store with a handful of crisp notes.
“I bought my favorite dress,†she said. “It was exhilarating.â€
But when India went under lockdown, the factory closed and the women found themselves in a precarious situation. Around the country, businesses shut down. Trains and buses suspended their services, stranding millions of migrant workers in cities.
Within a few weeks, Ms. Munda said Pearl Global stopped paying her. She was forced to leave the hostel and take shelter in a school.
By the end of May, as India’s travel restrictions eased further, Ms. Munda made a wrenching decision and joined others in boarding trains home. With little money left, she said she had no other choice but to return to Jharkhand.
“My family will never let me come back now,†she said by telephone. “I don’t want to get married.â€
Ms. Munda stopped answering calls from a reporter. Friends from Bengaluru were also unable to reach her. They worried that her parents had taken her phone.
One factory worker who traveled with Ms. Munda said she hid her face with a stole and sobbed during the three-day trip to Jharkhand.
Hemant Kumar, the chairman of Ashankura Trust, a nongovernmental organization that helps migrant workers in Bengaluru, said only a few women had picked up his calls after reaching their villages.
Some told him that their families had forbidden them from venturing back out for jobs.
In one of her last conversations with a reporter, Ms. Munda expressed anger that “parents value sons more than daughters.†She said returning home could mean “the end of my economic activity and hence my life.â€
“I dread to think of that possibility,†she said. “Our future is in darkness.â€
Surabhi Singh contributed reporting from Raipur, India.
Thousands of voters in Georgia participating in Tuesday’s primary elections have experienced major delays, with reports of long lines and defective voting machines across the state, including in Atlanta, the state’s majority-Black, most populous city.
Georgia is one of five states holding primary elections Tuesday, along with North Dakota, South Dakota, South Carolina and Nevada. States continue to hold in-person elections amid the coronavirus pandemic, even as voting rights activists and several Democrats in Congress push for more federal investment in mail-in voting.
Georgia, in particular, has been roiled by a fight over access to voting during the pandemic. In April, the state’s Republican House leader, David Ralston, publicly denounced the Republican secretary of state for sending absentee ballots to registered voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary, which was postponed from its original May 19 date due to the pandemic. Ralston claimed mail-in voting is â€devastating to Republicans.â€
On Tuesday, droves of voters still showed up to vote in person. The ensuing chaos had Atlanta Mayor Keshia Lance Bottoms calling out the secretary of state on Twitter and urging voters in line to “not allow your vote to be suppressed.â€
In one Twitter video, Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Greg Bluestein captured voters who had waited hours to cast their ballots at one polling place in a Georgia suburb.Â
“This is ridiculous,†says Anita Heard, a 80-year-old who was first in line to vote at 6 this morning and is still waiting to cast her ballot. “Of course,†she says when I ask her if she plans to stay. “I worked for 40 years — where else am I going?†#gapolpic.twitter.com/4Cd8nwagG9
Reporter Barmel Lyons also captured video of Atlanta voters angered by the delays.
BREAKING NEWS: Voters outraged because they can’t vote. @cbs46 Voting machines are down & systems aren’t working all over #Atlanta Some people have left the polls because the line has NOT moved since 6 A.M. pic.twitter.com/QfJ8fxz5TQ
— Barmel Lyons CBS46 (@BarmelLyonsTV) June 9, 2020
In addition to Atlanta’s mayor, a number of other past and present state officials sounded the alarm that voter suppression could be the cause of widespread delays and multiple polling places’ severe under-preparedness on Tuesday.Â
Congresswoman Lucy McBath called the delays an “unacceptable†form of voter suppression on Twitter.
In another video posted on Twitter, former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed documented long, stalled lines at a polling place in Atlanta’s largely Black Fulton County. “They appear to be deliberately slowing down the number of folks who will vote today,†Reed claimed.
Once again, this is at the Sandtown precinct in South Fulton County. Folks are not being allowed to vote. Period. What is going on here? But we will persist and make sure our votes get cast. They appear to be deliberately slowing down the number of folks who will vote today. pic.twitter.com/gqFSVqrUEn
Georgia’s Secretary of State’s Office did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.Â
Georgia’s Republican leadership, now helmed by Gov. Brian Kemp, engaged in numerous measures to suppress the vote even prior to Kemp’s declared gubernatorial victory in 2018. Kemp was Georgia’s secretary of state, or the top elections official, while he ran against former Georgia House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. Kemp and Republicans worked to purge thousands from the voter rolls ahead of that election, and they have purged thousands of additional voters since.Â
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