The leaders of six European Union nations have called for building up EU stocks of critical medicines and equipment and other measures to boost the bloc’s long-term resilience to public health crises,writes Victoria Waldersee.
The 27-nation EU and Britain have reported some 1.4 million cases of the new coronavirus, or about a fifth of the global total. At the height of the crisis, many EU states resorted to protectionist measures, raising trade barriers to hinder the export of medical equipment to their neighbours.
In a joint paper sent to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, the leaders of Denmark, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium and Poland backed proposals for shared research and development of vaccines and treatment.
“A broader, holistic EU strategy could be more efficient than each member state attempting to enhance preparedness on their own,†they said in the paper.
The proposals included maintaining a three-month stock of critical medicines, supplies and equipment across the EU as well as collaboration between states and companies to produce key products in times of crisis.
Reuters earlier reported that EU member states drastically underestimated their capacity to respond to the coronavirus and had told Brussels in February there was no need to order more medical supplies.
The paper emphasized the need for greater European research and development capacity for vaccines, through funding large-scale clinical trials and a “preparedness platform†that would reduce the risk for companies to develop vaccines by guaranteeing public purchases.
Research results could be shared on a European COVID-19 data platform, said the paper, which also called for joint monitoring and analysis of different testing strategies.
How Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon’s love saga ended after actor’s cheating scandalÂ
Akshay Kumar has had his fair share of controversies during his career in Bollywood, one of which also involves a cheating scandal with ex fiancee Raveena Tandon.
There was a time when Akshay was dating popular actress Raveena and was even engaged to her before tying the knot to Twinkle Khanna.
However, the former flames’ love saga reached its tragic end when Akshay was caught red handed with two actresses by Raveena.
It so happened when the two broke up die to a fallout that occurred during the shoot of Khiladiyon Ka Khiladi.Â
Raveena had a problem with Akshay’s intimate scenes with Rekha in the movie and the problem was further fuelled by Shilpa Shetty’s entry.
Post their split, Raveena blasted Akshay and during an interview revealed she had caught him red handed with Rekha and Sushmita Sen.
Moreover, she went as far as to reveal that her friends had already warned her about Akshay but she did not pay heed to them back then.Â
Raveena also claimed that Akshay got engaged to two more girls even after being engaged to her.
Lesotho’s former prime minister Thomas Thabane and his wife paid assassins a down payment of $24 000 to kill his estranged wife Lipolelo three years ago, according to a police affidavit seen on Wednesday.
The details were the latest twist in a scandal that has rocked the southern African state and prompted Thabane to resign last month under pressure over accusations he hampered the investigation.
Thabane and his then wife Lipolelo Thabane, 58, were in the middle of a bitter divorce when she was shot and killed outside her home two days before her husband’s 2017 inauguration.
Thabane denies any involvement in wife’s murder
Thabane has not yet been charged, but the police said he was involved in the plot to kill Lipolelo using hired killers and his wife Maesaiah is in custody accused of murder.
In an affidavit filed on Tuesday but seen by AFP on Wednesday, Deputy Commissioner of Police Paseka Mokete said Thabane and Maesaiah “wanted the deceased dead so that (Maesaiah) …could assume the position of First Ladyâ€.
Ex-premier “Thabane physically pointed out the residence of the deceased to his co-accused,†Mokete said.
Police have said they found Thabane’s mobile number in communications records from the crime scene.
Thabane has denied involvement in the murder. He married Maesaiah two months after the death of Lipolelo.
The police commissioner said the couple had promised to pay the killers the equivalent of $179 485, which was to be paid in instalments.
“They would be remunerated in cash… and through employment opportunities, should they carry out the murder of the deceased prior to (Thabane’s) inauguration as prime minister,†Mokete said.
Initial payments totalling 400,000 maloti ($23,931) were made after Lipolelo’s assassination on 14 June 2017, police said.Â
First assassination attempt failed
A first attempt to kill Lipolelo failed on 12 June 2017, police said.
One of the accused killers has since turned state witness.
Maesaiah, 43, was charged with murder in February and spent half a night in jail before a High Court freed her on a 1,000 maloti ($57) bail.
She returned to custody last week after a court revoked bail. She applied for fresh bail on Thursday and a hearing is scheduled for 16 June.
In the application, she sought release to allow her to take care of her “critically ill†husband who has “been diagnosed with an advanced prostate cancer†for which he underwent an operation in South Africa on 29 May 2020.
Shares of Shriram Transport Finance rose 6.34 per cent to Rs 675.75 on the BSE on Thursday after the company reported a 7.5 per cent growth year-on-year (YoY) growth in March quarter (Q4FY20) revenue to Rs 4,173.04 crore.
The non-banking financial company’s consolidated net profit, though, declined 70 per cent YoY to Rs 223.38 crore for the quarter, largely because of the credit loss provision of Rs 909.64 crore the company made on account of the Covid-19 impact.
“The company has used relevant indicators of moratorium, considering various measures taken by government and other authorities along with an estimation of potential stress on probability of defaults and loss given defaults due to COVID-19 situation,” Shriram Transport Finance said in a regulatory filing.
For the full fiscal year, net profit was nearly flat at Rs 2,501.84 crore as against Rs 2,563.99 crore in the preceding fiscal. Income in FY20 rose to Rs 16,582.63 crore from Rs 15,556.66 crore.
Further, the company also declared that the interim dividend of Rs 5 per equity share paid in November 2019 shall be the final dividend for 2019-20 in order to conserve cash resources to face the challenges and the contingencies created by COVID-19.
At 10:17 AM, the stock was up 5.52 per cent at Rs 670.55. The stock had plunged 3.2 per cent to Rs 605 in opening deals before staging a smart recovery. Around 55.17 lakh shares have changed hands on the BSE and NSE, combined, so far.
Analysts at UBS maintained ‘BUY” on the stock with the price target of Rs 1,000, saying the risk-reward was “very favourable” at current levels.
“Due to lockdown, SHTF was able to collect from only 23 per cent of borrowers in April’20; however, the company collected from 52 per cent of borrowers in May’20 with total collection efficiency closer to 40 per cent. With lockdown restrictions getting relaxed, SHTF expects collections to improve further in June/July’20,” UBS said in a note.
“We believe SHTF is likely to be relatively less impacted than other financiers given that about 62-63 per cent of asset under management (AUM) is towards used trucks and LCVs which run on shorter routes; these trucks also transport essential commodities and the cash flow impact is likely to be lower in an economic slowdown. Secondly, loan-to-value (LTV) ratios are lower at 65-70 per cent for SHTF customers; and driver shortage will likely hit large fleet operators and will ensure better freight availability for owner-drivers (which constitute 75 per cent of SHTF’s AUM),” it said.
MARTINSVILLE, Va. — Martin Truex Jr. used a trip to NASCAR’s shortest track to end a lengthy losing streak on the day the stock car series at long last banned the Confederate flag.
Truex cruised down the stretch and won his first NASCAR Cup race of the season on Wednesday night in the first race under the lights at Martinsville Speedway.
Truex, the 2017 Cup champion, has been one of NASCAR’s biggest winners over the last three years, but failed to find victory lane for Joe Gibbs Racing over the first 10 races of this season. He won 19 times from 2017-2019.
“I knew we were going to get one soon,” Truex said. “Hopefully we can get on a roll.”
Tick tock. The time ran out on the losing streak.
Truex won the Martinsville grandfather clock on the paperclip-shaped track at just 0.526 miles. He won for the first time with new crew chief James Small.
“It’s huge for him and his confidence and for the way people look at him,” Truex said. “I think it’s huge. I knew all along that he was capable, I know he’s going to be an amazing crew chief for a long time to come.”
Ryan Blaney, Brad Keselowski, who has two wins this season, and Joey Logano made it a 2-3-4 finish for Team Penske.
The race started shortly after NASCAR said the Confederate flag would be be prohibited from all NASCAR events and properties.
The issue was pushed to the fore this week by Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone black driver and an Alabama native who called for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was “no place” for it in the sport. Wallace drove the Richard Petty Motorsports’ No. 43 Chevrolet with a #BlackLivesMatter paint scheme. Wallace, wearing an American flag mask, clapped his hands when asked about the decision before the start of the race.
“It’s been a stressful couple of weeks,” Wallace said on FS1. “This is no doubt the biggest race of my career tonight. I’m excited about tonight. There’s a lot of emotions on the race track.”
Wallace wore a black “I Can’t Breathe” T-shirt but did not kneel during the national anthem. His Chevy had “Compassion, Love, Understanding” emblazoned on the hood. He finished 11th at Martinsville.
’Our Black Lives Matter Chevrolet — that’s so good to say, right — was so good on the long runs,” Wallace said.
The 26-year-old Wallace, who finished second in the 2018 Daytona 500, also had a dose of newfound fame. Already outspoken on social causes in NASCAR, Wallace denounced the flag and his message spread throughout sports. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James tweeted a “BIG S/O” to Wallace and retired NFL star Deion Sanders tweeted he was proud NASCAR “recognized the sensitivity of our country while confronting the racial injustices.”
Wallace even made some new NASCAR fans — for a night, at least — out of other athletes. New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara replied to NASCAR’s statement with a tweet asking “when the next race??” with a popcorn emoji. He followed along on social media, as did Carolina Panthers safety Tre Boston. Boston tweeted questions about the race and seemed to enjoy the action at Martinsville: “Do y’all be pinned to the TV. I’m watching the standing more than the drivers I feel. Is this ok? Am I doing this right? Do y’all flip channels?”
Former NFL safety Bernard Pollard Jr. joined in on the social media action and had a question on cautions answered on the FS1 broadcast.
But NASCAR’s decision angered a contingent of flag loyalists, who stewed on social media. NASCAR helmet artist Jason Beam, who paints designs for some of the sports biggest stars, was among the loudest critics. He unleashed a string of tweets blasting the move, writing “You can’t erase history by picking and choosing what parts you want to keep and don’t won’t to keep.”
Oh well, Reese Witherspoon gave the ruling a high-five emoji on Twitter, and that alone might be enough to outweigh the haters.
Martinsville capped a stretch of seven straight Cup races since it resumed without fans at the track. That streak ends Sunday when 1,000 Florida service members, representing the Homestead Air Reserve Base and U.S. Southern Command in Doral, are allowed to attend the Cup race at Homestead-Miami Speedway as honorary guests and view the race from the grandstands. The following week at Talladega Superspeedway, up to 5,000 fans will be allowed to attend the race. NASCAR says all fans will be screened before entering, required to wear face coverings, mandated to social distance at six feet, and will not have access to the infield.
“I want to say hi to all the fans at home, we definitely miss you,” Truex said. “This just doesn’t feel right, but exciting to win for sure.”
Austin Dillon, the 2018 Daytona 500 champion, was helped from the car because of overheating after the crush panels in his No. 3 Chevrolet were damaged earlier in the race. Dillon’s wife is expecting their first child any day now.
“I don’t know if I got dizzy or what,” Dillon said. “I just pulled in, had to stop, and thank all the medical staff that got me back.”
In Indonesia, the highest number of COVID-19 infection cases are found on Java and South Sulawesi. The Eastern Nusa Tenggara province (NTT) appears to be one of the least affected areas.
Does that mean that there is hardly any impact of the crisis in that province? The IMF’s World Economic Outlook, with the title “The Great Lockdownâ€,  was pessimistic about the world economy, but still predicted a 0.5 percent growth for Indonesia in 2020. But are Indonesians relatively safe from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis as experienced in countries with a high number of COVID-19 deaths per capita like some European countries and the USA?
We did a brief check in Sumba, one of the main islands in NTT, as a follow up to our research on household vulnerability, poverty and the impact of social protection programs in Indonesia. We wanted to know what is happening related to the current crisis, and what the effects are for people in the rural areas we studied.
By the end of May, eight COVID-19 infections had been confirmed in East Sumba, all originating from the same cluster in Jakarta. In the villages of East Sumba, people are more worried about harvest failure than about getting infected by the virus. Rice harvests have been less than half of what would be normal, due to the unpredictability of rainfall, and the low rainfall received this year. Plants that are unhealthy because of drought are more vulnerable to pests, and that is what happened. A worm infestation affected maize crops, and an insect infestation impacted rice crops. Consequently, rural households need the full harvest for their own consumption and there is little surplus that can be sold. Illustrative of climate change-related disturbances to rainfall patterns in the last week of May there were heavy rains in East Sumba, destroying unharvested crops in the field.
The market for pigs has collapsed. Photo by Stepanus Makambombu.
Normally, when there is a bad harvest people can use their savings for buying household necessities. Those savings in Sumba are typically in the form of pigs and chickens. Villagers can raise pigs relatively easily and whenever they need money they can sell one or two. But that is impossible now due to the restrictions that the government imposed to prevent further spread of the virus. Prohibitions on gatherings of many people led to the postponement or cancellation of ceremonial events at which exchange between family lineages would include pigs. The hosts would also serve a meal with pork. Consequently, the local market for pigs has collapsed, closing off the option of selling pigs as a coping strategy in times of food shortage. Selling to traders from West Sumba, who would normally drive their pickup trucks to villages in East Sumba, is not an option both because borders between the districts on Sumba have been closed and there is a fear that travelling merchants will spread the virus. In May, we saw people queuing up to pawn their silver and gold pendants, which are crucial in ceremonial exchanges at weddings and funerals.
The market for poultry collapsed because restaurants have been closed. Normally, there would also be demand from private consumers in town who like to eat chicken meat, but now everyone in Sumba is feeling the economic pressure and is spending their income on basic food staples rather than meat, which is a luxury food for the majority of Sumbanese.
Fishermen have reduced their catch because there is no market demand for fish at the moment. Actually, there may be local people who would like to buy fish, but to stop the spread of COVID 19 the government has imposed measures to prevent merchants from taking fish on their motorcycles to sell in the villages. People in south east Sumba could still harvest a lot of seagrass, but similar to the fish industry, there is no trade opportunity for that commodity now either.
Meanwhile, the price of commodities imported from other islands have been rising. The price of sugar and onions, for example, went up more than 20 percent compared to earlier this year.
Fortunately, the price of rice in shops has been relatively stable. Most of the rice produced on the island does not enter the market but is consumed within the farmers’ extended families, which implies that many people do not buy rice. Secondly, it is the government’s policy to stabilise rice prices by keeping enough stock and pursuing market interventions if necessary. The rice stock in BULOG in East Sumba is still sufficient for implementing that policy. Cheap rice from the Rastra social protection program (a rice distribution program, formerly known as Raskin) is now more important than ever for villagers in Sumba. There is also a direct cash transfer (Bantuan Sosial Tunai, or BST) from the Ministry of Social Affairs, for households in need.
People queuing up at the local pawnshop. Photo by Stepanus Makambombu.
Mutual assistance between members of lineage communities is a strong traditional mechanism for coping with crisis in Sumba. The members of such communities might live across rural and urban areas, or some in upland villages and some along the coast. The variation in harvesting periods in these micro regions and diversification in economic activities spreads the risk of bad harvests and makes it possible for the larger community to survive in times of crisis. Even migrant labourers from Sumba, who managed to return to the island before the harbours and airports were closed to passenger traffic, can still live in the village and receive a share of the common resource base. The ceremonial events at which pigs are slaughtered—which are now prohibited because of the COVID-19 crisis—serve to maintain community bonds, and thus support informal social security in times of shortage. If the COVID-19 measures are extended for a long time they could weaken Sumba’s ceremonial economy.
Reviving an old burial tradition worrying for local democracy.
Overseeing all these economic effects, NTT’s governor announced on 26 May that lock down measures in the province will be lifted as of 15 June 2020. Government officials are expected to return to their offices because working from home is ineffective without a quality internet connection and facilities that the concept presupposes, which are absent in most of NTT. The Governor stated that “the NTT government will not adopt the latest World Health Organization protocol because the province has limited capacity in terms of budget, health care facilities and personnelâ€. NTT’s economy and society lacks resilience to cope with further restrictions that have devastating socio-economic effects.
We can only hope and pray that the COVID-19 virus will not  spread further on Sumba because poor people do not have the means to protect themselves, the hospitals have no capacity for sufficient care, and for those already weakened because of malnutrition and other infectious diseases, resilience will likely be low.
Rev. Al Sharpton asked the families of Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Ahmaud Arbery and others to stand at George Floyd’s funeral.
USA TODAY
One of the four officers charged in connection with George Floyd’s death on Memorial Day in Minneapolis posted bail and was released from jail on Wednesday.
Thomas Lane, who was charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder, is scheduled to be in court later this month. His attorney, Earl Gray, said he will file a motion to dismiss Lane’s charges.
Also Wednesday, Floyd’s brother called on Congress to make police more accountable while a few blocks away crews began disassembling some of the temporary security fencing installed around the White House last week amid protests for racial justice and police reform.
On Capitol Hill, Philonise Floyd, Floyd’s brother, along with family attorney Ben Crump and other witnesses discussed the death, policing practices and law enforcement accountability in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee.
“I’m tired of pain, the pain you feel when you watch … your big brother who you looked up to for your whole entire life die, die begging for his mom,” Floyd said. “I’m here to ask you to make it stop. Stop the pain. Stop us from being tired.”
A closer look at some recent developments:
The Los Angeles Police Department has launched 56 investigations into complaints of officer misconduct during protests in the nation’s second largest city.
President Donald Trump said he would not consider renaming military bases named after Confederate leaders. “These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom,” Trump tweeted.
The vast majority of George Floyd protests – 80% – appeared to be peaceful, according to new research that contradicts the emphasis the White House has often put on the instances of looting and rioting.
Our live blog will be updated throughout the day. For first-in-the-morning updates, sign up for the Daily Briefing. Here’s the latest news:
Donald Trump tells Washington state, Seattle leaders to ‘take back your city NOW’
President Donald Trump targeted Seattle in a pair of late-night tweets on Wednesday, chastising the “Radical Left†governor and mayor and claiming that “Domestic Terrorists†had overrun the largest city in Washington state.
Singling out Jay Inslee, a one-time Democratic presidential candidate, and Jenny Durkan, who has faced calls to resign as Seattle’s top elected official, Trump tweeted, “Take back your city NOW. If you don’t do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stooped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!â€
Durkan’s response on Twitter: “Make us all safe. Go back to your bunker. #BlackLivesMatter”
The president’s attack came on the on the same day Seattle Police were exploring the reopening of a precinct in the Hill neighborhood that was shuttered during ongoing protests sparked by George Floyd’s death in police custody in Minneapolis.
– Steve Kiggins
Jefferson Davis statue torn down by protesters in Richmond, Virginia
A statue of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederacy, was torn down along Richmond, Virginia’s famed Monument Avenue on Wednesday night.
The statue was toppled shortly before 11 p.m. and is on the ground in the middle of an intersection, news outlets reported.
A statue of Christopher Columbus in Richmond met a similar fate on Tuesday, when it was torn down by protesters, set on fire and then submerged into a lake. News outlets reported the figure was toppled less than two hours after protesters gathered in the city’s Byrd Park chanting for the statue to be taken down.Â
Los Angeles Police Department opens 56 investigations into excessive force, misconduct
The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating 56 complaints of excessive force and police misconduct in the nation’s second largest city during protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.Â
“We will look into every complaint thoroughly and hold every officer accountable for their actions,” the department said in a news release Wednesday.
Of the 56 investigations, 28 are related to use of force, according to the news release. Seven officers have already been assigned off-field duties.
On Twitter, Mayor Eric Garcetti said LAPD had opened 58 investigations and added, “You can report an incident to the independent Inspector General at 213-893-6400, oigcompl@lapd.online or at http://oig.lacity.org.”
Last week, Garcetti said he would cut $100 million to $150 million from the police budget and reinvest the funds into communities of color.
One of the four fired Minneapolis police officers makes bail, leaves jail
Thomas Lane, one of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in George Floyd’s death on Memorial Day, was released from jail Wednesday after posting bail, The Star Tribune reported.
Lane, 37, was charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. His bail was set at $750,000. A fundraising website created to bail him out of jail has been taken down, The Tribune reported. Lane’s attorney, Earl Gray, told the newspaper that the site was real but he did not know who started it or how much money was raised.
Lane’s next hearing is scheduled for June 29. Gray said he plans to file a motion to dismiss Lane’s charges.
Donald Trump opposed to renaming bases named for Confederate leaders
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not consider renaming a number of military bases that are currently named for Confederate military leaders after his defense and Army secretaries signaled they would be willing to discuss the issue earlier this week.
“These Monumental and very Powerful Bases have become part of a Great American Heritage, and a history of Winning, Victory, and Freedom. The United States of America trained and deployed our HEROES on these Hallowed Grounds, and won two World Wars,” Trump tweeted. “Therefore, my Administration will not even consider the renaming of these Magnificent and Fabled Military Installations.”
Trump did not address the issue of Confederate generals, but rather focused on the legacy of the facilities themselves, listing three bases in the South named for generals in the Confederate army.
– Jeanine Santucci
Southern Baptist Convention president wants to take down gavel named after slaveholder
The president of the Southern Baptist Convention, the nation’s largest Protestant denomination, wants to retire a gavel named after a slaveholder that was used for meetings, the Religion News Service reported.
“Southern Baptists, I think it is time to retire the Broadus gavel,” president J.D. Greear said in a statement. “While we do not want to, nor could we, erase our history, it is time for this gavel to go back into the display case at the Executive Committee offices.”
The gavel was named after John A. Broadus, a Confederacy supporter and the second president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, the SBC’s flagship seminary. Greear’s decision comes a day after he said that Southern Baptists should say “black lives matter,” although he doesn’t agree with the Black Lives Matter organization demanding to ‘defund the police.’
Former Justice employees call for probe of Barr’s handling of protests
A section of the temporary security fence protecting the White House was coming down Wednesday as more than 1,200 Justice Department “alumni” released a letter asking for a probe of Attorney General William Barr’s response to a protest there. The letter to Inspector General Michael Horowitz addresses a rally June 1 – when authorities forcibly cleared protesters out before the start of a curfew, apparently to enable a photo opportunity for President Donald Trump.Â
“If the Attorney General or any other DOJ employee has directly participated in actions that have deprived Americans of their constitutional rights or that physically injured Americans lawfully exercising their rights, that would be misconduct of the utmost seriousness,” the letter says.
A section of fencing south of the White House was being removed, but the Secret Service said it was in “continuing discussions” with U.S. Park Police regarding the fencing in and around Lafayette Park, site of some contentious demonstrations since Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police on Memorial Day.Â
Vast majority of recent protests have been peaceful, new research says
The death of George Floyd has sparked more than two weeks of widespread, mass demonstrations around the world in protest of racial injustice and police brutality against people of color.
The vast majority – 80% – appeared to be peaceful, according to new research that contradicts the emphasis the White House has often put on the instances of looting and rioting. As of Tuesday, more than 970 protests had taken place in about 400 cities and towns across the country, according to research conducted by the marketing firm Ipsos and teams from the Universities of Chicago and Oxford.Â
“The numbers and the breadth are actually pretty impressive,” said Chris Jackson, senior vice president at Ipsos. “We’re seeing these protests happening in all 50 states. … It’s not just the big cities; it’s towns across the board. And the large majority of these protests have been peaceful protests.”
– Maureen Groppe and Kristine Phillips
Minneapolis police department drops contract talks, begins overhaul
The Minneapolis Police Department is withdrawing from police union contract negotiations, Chief Medaria Arradondo said Wednesday. Arradondo called he decision a first step toward reforming the agency in the wake of the death of George Floyd. Arradondo said a thorough review of the contract is planned and that it needs to be restructured to provide more transparency and flexibility.
The review would look at matters such as critical incident protocols, use of force, and disciplinary protocols including grievances and arbitration, he said. The review comes days after a majority of the city council said they supported defunding the department over the objections of Mayor Jacob Frey.
George Floyd’s brother: Make police ‘the solution and not the problem’
The brother of George Floyd urged Congress to make law enforcement more accountable – and less willing to use deadly force. Philonise Floyd, testifying before the House Judiciary Committee, said George’s calls for help were ignored on a Minneapolis street the day he died. His brother did not deserve to die over an investigation into a counterfeit $20 bill, Philonise Floyd said.
“Please listen to the call I’m making to you now, to the calls of our family, and to the calls ringing out in the streets across the world,” he said. “People of all backgrounds, genders and race have come together to demand change. Honor them, honor George, and make the necessary changes that make law enforcement the solution – and not the problem.”
Co-worker says accused officer had ‘bumped heads’ with Floyd at work
George Floyd and the former police officer charged with killing him knew each other from their security work at a Minneapolis club and had a history of friction, a co-workers says. Dave Pinney told CBS News that Derek Chauvin, charged with second degree murder, had been paid to sit outside the club in his patrol car while off duty. Floyd, who worked security inside the club, had “bumped heads” with Chauvin at work, Pinney said.
“It has a lot to do with Derek being extremely aggressive within the club with some of the patrons, which was an issue,” Pinney said. The Floyd family has previously said they believe Chauvin’s treatment of Floyd was part personal, citing their conflicts at El Nuevo Rodeo, which was destroyed by fire during protests.
New Jersey prison guard suspended for video mocking George Floyd’s death
A New Jersey corrections officer has been suspended and a FedEx employee was fired for their alleged roles in creation of a “hateful and disappointing” video mocking the police-involved death of George Floyd.
A prisons spokeswoman confirmed a “senior officer” at Bayside Correctional Facility was involved. The union representing state corrections officers also decried the video, and FedEx said it does “not tolerate the kind of appalling and offensive behavior.” Floyd died after a Minneapolis officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
– Carly Q. Romalino, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
Berkeley, California, votes unanimously to ban use of tear gas
The Berkeley City Council on Tuesday night unanimously voted to outright ban the use of tear gas in the California city, councilmember Rigel Robinson tweeted.
Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin initially submitted a motion prohibiting the use of tear gas by the police during the COVID-19 pandemic, but councilmember Cheryl Davila motioned for its total abolishment, local news source Berkeleyside reported in their live-tweeting of the meeting.
“The era of militarism is over,†councilmember Ben Bartlett said, according to the site.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines tear gas as “chemical compounds that temporarily make people unable to function by causing irritation to the eyes, mouth, throat, lungs, and skin.†The riot control agent is banned in wars.
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LAHORE: PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has tested positive for coronavirus, party spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Thursday, the latest among several lawmakers who tested positive for the infection in recent days.
Aurangzeb said Shehbaz was isolating at home and following doctors’ advice on how to fight the infection.
PML-N representative Ata Tarar, speaking to Geo News, revealed that Shehbaz had himself tested for COVID-19 after showing mild symptoms of the infection. He said that the result of the test came back positive on June 10, at 4pm.
“He was summoned on June 9 by NAB. We kept saying he is a cancer survivor, and even if you do want to conduct the investigation then do so via video link. However, this is blind political vendetta,” he said.
In response to a question about the former Punjab chief minister traveling with hundreds of PML-N workers and not paying heed to social distancing protocols, Tarar said that he had appealed to the party’s supporters to remain indoors and not gather at public places.
“It wasn’t an official call from the party [for them to come out],” he said. “We wanted to avoid this situation. I want to say on record that if God forbid, anything were to happen to him, NAB and Imran Niazi will be held responsible.”
A day earlier, PML-N Secretary-General Ahsan Iqbal tested positive for coronavirus.
Earlier, Aurangzeb has tested positive for the coronavirus along with her mother. She joined a long list of lawmakers who have tested positive for the virus, including former prime minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and PTI MPA from Sindh Khurrum Sher Zaman.
On Monday, Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed and PTIA MNA Jai Prakash contracted the infection.
On Sunday, PPP MPA Sharjeel Memon announced he had tested positive for coronavirus and had gone into self-isolation.
Memon is the Sindh government’s focal person for coronavirus in Hyderabad and also attended the provincial assembly session a few days ago.
Last week, PML-N Punjab Assembly lawmaker Mian Naveed Ali from Pakpattan had tested positive for coronavirus.
Earlier, Minister of State for Narcotics Shehryar Afridi also tested positive for the virus joining a long list of lawmakers to contract the coronavirus in Pakistan. PTI’s chief whip in the National Assembly Aamir Dogar also tested positive for coronavirus.
Previously, many politicians including ANP’s Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, Sindh education minister Saeed Ghani, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, and Punjab Assembly Deputy Speaker Dost Muhammad Mazari had tested positive for coronavirus, after which they went into self-isolation and recovered.
PTI Punjab Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Shaheen Raza was the first lawmaker in the country to succumb to the virus.
PTI MPA Mian Jamsheduddin Kakakhel from Nowshera and PML-N MPA Shaukat Manzoor Cheema from Gujranwala also passed away earlier this month after being on the ventilator for a few days
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