Demonstrators peacefully protested on July 4 to express frustrations and rally for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Fires flare at Iranian power plant, latest in series of incidents
A fire broke out at a power station in southwest Iran on Saturday, the latest of several blazes and explosions to hit sensitive sites.
The blaze, which affected a transformer in the power station in the city of Ahvaz, was put out by firefighters and electricity was restored after partial outages, Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi, a spokesman for state-run power company TAVANIR, told the semi-official news agency Tasnim.
On Thursday, a fire broke out at Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility but officials said operations were not affected.
Iranian investigators said a day later they determined the cause of the fire, a spokesman for Iran’s top security body said on Friday, while declining to release details because of “security reasons”.
The National Security Council’s statement came as Gholamreza Jalali, the head of Iran’s civilian defence, told state television that Tehran would retaliate against any country that carries out cyberattacks on its nuclear sites.
Reuters news agency, citing three Iranian officials, said the fire at Natanz was caused by cyber-sabotage.
The Natanz uranium-enrichment site, much of which is underground, is one of several Iranian facilities monitored by inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations nuclear watchdog.
The Natanz incident came two days after 19 people were killed in an explosion at a medical clinic north of the capital Tehran, which an official said was caused by a gas leak.
On June 26, an explosion occurred east of Tehran near the Parchin military and weapons development base that authorities said was caused by a leak in a nearby gas storage facility.
Iranian authorities said at the time investigations were under way to determine the cause and no casualties had been reported.
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Iran’s Zarif says ending arms ban ‘inseparable’ from nuclear deal
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SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
PM Imran praises nation’s resilience and unity against coronavirus
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan appreciated the nation’s resolve in adjusting to “the new normal” by following the safety guidelines and face the challenge of the coronavirus pandemic as one nation.
The prime minister directed to ensure strict implementation of SOPs, undertaking all required administrative actions to implement the strategy of smart lockdown, and subsequently continuing mass awareness campaign to curtail the spread of coronavirus, especially prevent its resurgence during Eid-ul-Azha.
The premier expressed these views on Saturday during his visit to the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC) on the occasion of completion of 100 days of its establishment.
Federal ministers, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, high-ranking officials, and provincial representatives were present on the occasion.
The prime minister was briefed in detail about the current situation and the pattern analysis of COVID-19 spread.
He was also apprised on how the strategy of smart lockdown had yielded results in balancing life and livelihood, keeping the economy afloat while containing the disease.
It was highlighted that as per the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Economic Outlook, amongst a group of 30 countries, Pakistan has reversed the projected downturn from -0.4 to 1.1.
From July 19 to May 20, Pakistan’s exports fared much better as compared to the exports from other countries of the region.
PM Imran lauded the efforts of the NCOC team in putting up a robust response to the pandemic and ensuring coordinated actions throughout the country.
From daily monitoring of the situation to the capacity enhancement of health system and from establishing a credible database to better resource management and formulation of appropriate SOPs, the NCOC had led from the front in the fight against the pandemic, the prime minister observed.
He also paid tributes to all doctors, para-medical staff, and emergency responders working as frontline workers against COVID-19.
The prime minister also acknowledged the role and services of healthcare workers, emergency responders, and management team from all the provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit Baltistan.
Sushant Singh Rajput’s Dil Bechara co-actor Sanjana Sanghi shares memories of the late actor from the sets
Dil Bechara will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on July 24.
Late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and her Dil Bechara co-actor Sanjana Sanghi hit off immediately during the reading sessions of their film. Sharing the memories from the sets, Sanjana said that they bonded over books and food. Talking about their bond on the sets, Sanjana told Zee News, “We both, nerds, had read the script down to its last word respectively, and both our copies looked like they were tattered old novels that had aged over years, with post-it marks, and added notes – the works. I was a bundle of nerves. Mukesh asked me to just relax, and we all jumped right in”.
“Mukesh, him (Sushant) and I – all helpless foodies. We ordered a lavish spread. Looked at the dining table, yet we 3 decided to take to the floor, spread our meal on a mat, and started gorging. He mocked me for how much food I can eat, but the food was a huge mutual love for us in addition to academia,” she added.
“This lunch, most oddly, was marked with my father sending me a text saying we got a letter home telling us I had become a Gold Medalist at Delhi University. Sushant, Mukesh and the whole team were ecstatic to hear this news too – and what followed was champagne (that we never got the chance to open and celebrate with) and the kindest note from him about what the colliding of academia and cinema means even to him and the value it holds, which I still have tucked firmly in my drawer,†she concluded.
Sanjana also took to Instagram to share her experience of shooting with Sushant.
“Oye? I need to laugh till my stomach hurts at all your bad jokes. I need to compete with you on who can eat more ham & cheese omelettes and drink more chai. Fight with you over who’s script looks more tattered and worn out because we worked on it endlessly. Try to keep up with your electric pace every time you said, “Chal na, thoda dance karte hain!†in the middle of a tough scene. And argue with you over what we feel about Yuval Noah Harrari & Freud’s books. UGH!!!!” Sanjana captioned a still from Dil Bechara on Instagram.
Dil Bechara will premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on July 24.
VBS Mutual Bank: Hawks arrest the final suspect
The eighth suspect linked to the investigation into VBS Mutual Bank has been arrested, the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation (the Hawks) has said.
Paul Truter, the now collapsed bank’s CFO, could not appear in court back in June as he had been under quarantine due to COVID-19.
“The eighth senior executive suspect in the VBS Mutual bank investigation was arrested on Friday, 3 July 2020 by the Serious Corruption Investigation teamâ€, spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale said in a short statement on Saturday, 4 July 2020.
“The suspect who could not be arrested a few weeks ago has recovered from his ailment and is expected to appear in Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on Monday, 6 July 2020 facing 47 charges of fraud, theft, money laundering, corruption and racketeeringâ€
Suspects out on R100k bail Â
The other seven, including the bank’s CEO, Andile Ramavhunga, board member and former CFO of the SA Police Service Phalaphala Ramikosi, former chair Tshifhiwa Matodzi and treasurer Phophi Mukhodobwane appeared before the Palm Ridge Regional Court where they were each granted R100 000 bail each.
The case has been postponed to October 8. The group is facing close to 50 counts of racketeering, theft, fraud, corruption and money laundering.
History
In March 2018, the minister of finance was appointed bank’s curator, after a criminal complaint was laid.
“The complainant in this case formed an opinion in his then capacity as the Registrar that VBS Mutual Bank was in financial difficulties and as such would be unable to repay, deposits made with VBS, when legally obliged to do soâ€, the Hawks and NPA has said in a joint statement.
An investigation had revealed that nearly R3 billion had been missing from the bank.
The scam was hatched on the 4 July 2017 when the board of directors for VBS approved financial statements for the year ending 31 March 2017 making VBS to look richer while it was in fact insolvent. The financial statements were shockingly inflated.
The allegations are that the Chairman and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) signed the directors’ responsibility statement to the Annual Financial Statement that was prepared by the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of VBS.
“The investigation has revealed that the ten men who are the suspects either unduly directly or indirectly benefitted at least R122 287 863 which was not dueâ€
Trump steps back, no longer ‘daily voice’ of coronavirus response
WASHINGTON — As the country is hit with record numbers of coronavirus cases, some states are halting their reopenings and hospitals in hot spots are becoming overwhelmed, President Donald Trump has largely stayed in a place you don’t often find him: the sidelines.
The president’s lower profile is by design, a senior administration official said.
The latest hope among top aides is that by keeping Trump distanced from the day to day, the administration can depoliticize the virus response, the official said. Trump’s comments on everything from masks to taking an experimental drug have ignited controversy and drawn him into battles with Democrats and public health experts. One outside adviser said he has cautioned for months that there is only downside in having Trump as the public face of the response.
The president made only a few passing references to the surging number of cases this week, saying during a speech on the economy that there are “some areas where we’re putting out the flames or the fires and that’s working out well.” In an interview with Fox Business Network on Wednesday, Trump said of the virus, “I think that at some point that’s going to sort of just disappear, I hope.”
Instead, the president focused most of his firepower on defending monuments and military bases honoring Confederate leaders, touting the economy, making unsubstantiated allegations over mail-in voting and attacking the media. During a speech at Mount Rushmore on Friday, he attacked people who want to remove Confederate, patriarchal and colonial monuments as a threat to the country’s existence, only briefly mentioning the virus that has killed more than 129,000 Americans.
Behind the scenes, Trump has also taken a mostly hands-off approach. He is briefed at least once daily on the number of cases and latest efforts on a vaccine and treatment, but he hasn’t been attending the coronavirus task force meetings, traveling to the most affected states or strongly urging Americans to change their behavior.
Trump will likely give an update to the country on where things stand with the pandemic next week, but “he isn’t going to be the daily voice on this,” the senior administration official said. In his place, the White House is sending Vice President Mike Pence on the road to meet with governors and take questions from reporters while Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House’s coronavirus response coordinator, and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar do more media interviews.
It’s a stark contrast from the approach taken by past presidents who used times of crisis to present themselves as commanders in chief leading the country through disaster, like Presidents George W. Bush after the Sept. 11 attacks and Barack Obama during the financial crisis.
Trump’s attempt to take center stage as cases surged in April backfired and led to sinking poll numbers as his freewheeling coronavirus press briefings spiraled off topic and turned into jousting sessions with reporters. After a briefing where he mused from the White House podium about whether bleach could be injected into the body to kill the virus, advisers said they were able to convince him to curtail the events.
Despite efforts by aides to highlight his response, like sending Trump to tour plants making protective equipment and ventilators, just 38 percent of Americans said they approve of his handling of the crisis while 58 percent disapprove, according to a New York Times/Siena College poll released June 24. And Joe Biden has begun to step up his attacks on the president’s handling of the pandemic.
As the administration resumed coronavirus press briefings this week amid the spike in new infections, it moved the events out of the White House to make them appear less political and prevent Trump from making a cameo, officials said.
Now the administration is back to where it initially was in March, with Pence taking the lead in public and behind the scenes.
As Pence traveled Sunday to Texas to meet with the state’s governor about the staggering number of cases there, Trump stayed in Washington, making a trip to his Virginia golf course. Pence traveled Wednesday to Arizona, where the state reported a record number of infections and deaths, while Trump had no public events that day. On Thursday, Pence was in Florida urging younger residents to step up precautions as Trump gave a speech to business leaders in Washington, touching on the coronavirus to blame China for the pandemic and tout treatments.
“The president is in a ‘darned if he does, darned if he doesn’t’ position here. No matter what he says, it will be politicized,” said Seth Denson, president of GDP Advisors, who has been working with health care companies responding to the pandemic. “He’s in a no-win situation. Better to put those out there that seem to be more specific to the issue at hand.”
Florida boaters head out to celebrate 4th of July
The of Fourth of July restrictions didn’t stop boaters from heading out in Palm Beach County, Florida. (July 4)
Kaizer Chiefs news: Nurkovic relishing season restart
Serbian marksman Samir Nurković could, in his very first season in South Africa, hoist the coveted PSL title aloft, should Kaizer Chiefs resume the season anything close to how they began.
Amakhosi are in pole position in terms of the league standings with a four-point advantage on their closest rivals Mamelodi Sundowns, who have a game in hand.
Nurkovic looking to pick up where he left off
Central to the Soweto giants’ success is the 28-year-old, who was the club’s leading goal scorer with 11 league goals before action was suspended indefinitely.
The league is expected to resume behind closed doors in the coming weeks, and Nurković cannot wait to get back on the training field.
“I am definitely looking forward to training,†Nurković told the Kaizer Chiefs website. “It has been a while since I last trained with the ball. As a professional, you cannot wait to get back on the pitch and do what is relevant to your passion of playing the game.â€
Samir Nurkovic
Momentum key for Kaizer Chiefs
Kaizer Chiefs suffered defeat on their last game before the league was suspended, losing in their own backyard to the struggling AmaZulu. This was after securing victory in the Soweto derby just a week prior.
Getting back to winning ways immediately and maintaining that momentum will be crucial if they are to bag a fifth league title in the PSL era.
Nurkovic believes that could prove tricky due to the length of the break the players have been under since March.
“At the end of the season, we normally have just one month off,†he says.
“But now it has been three months of no proper training. This means as we resume training, we need to be cautious. We will be guided by the technical team and coaching staff as we ease our way back. It will be crucial for us to be mentally tough in the days ahead.â€
Samir Nurkovic
Kaizer Chiefs were due to face Bidvest Wits away before the league was suspended indefinitely.
Stanley Johnson says Greece visit is essential to ‘covid-proof’ villa
The prime minister’s father, Stanley Johnson, has defended travelling to his villa in Greece amid growing condemnation by saying that he was making the property “Covid-proofâ€.
Government guidelines state that British nationals should avoid all but essential travel, but his son Boris has refused to criticise the trip and on Friday suggested the media should raise the issue directly with Stanley.
Johnson senior, 79, posted a picture on social media of himself apparently arriving at Athens airport wearing a mask earlier this week. He told reporters that he was visiting on “essential business†before the letting season.
However, there are no rules in Greece compelling landlords to “Covid-proof†homes for letting. He rents the property for £2,100 a week during peak season.
Interviewed by Greek media outside the villa on Saturday, Johnson senior said: “I don’t know what the reaction of the British public [is]. I’ve been, you know, not particularly … I came here to have a quiet time, to organise the house, so I’m not 100% up to speed.â€
He said he intended to return to the UK on 10 July. “So, I’ve just got one week to get everything organised … I’ve got a whole load of instructions about how to make the place Covid-proof.â€
Asked about the photo he posted to social media, he claimed: “I didn’t put them up in a spirit of defiance or anything like that.â€
Johnson senior flew to Athens via Sofia, Bulgaria, seemingly to circumvent Greek government rules against direct flight from the UK to the country, which has been praised for its handling of the pandemic – with deaths in the low three figures.
On Thursday evening, he was photographed sitting alone in his favourite seaside restaurant with a bottle of red wine, as criticism grew that his actions could further undermine the public’s trust in government guidelines.
The former MEP had long planned to travel to Greece, telling one Greek journalist in May that he had already booked his air ticket. “I’m very worried that we may not be able to [go] this summer,†he told the Greek daily Ta Nea.
“We are in this country in lockdown and even if we can leave Britain it’s not clear to me that we would yet be welcome in Greece … of course I’d love to be there, even if I had to go and self-isolate in my house I’d do that.â€
Lockdown in pictures: A Cape Town photographer’s powerful record
By Jeffrey Abrahams for GroundUp
Cape Town photographer Jeffrey Abrahams has been recording life in Cape Town under COVID-19 lockdown since 1 April. His pictures tell a vivid story of how the city’s people adapted — or didn’t — to the new rules of living. Some usually crowded places were empty, in others, life went on as usual; for some people, life became even harder as parents struggled to feed their children, old people queued patiently for food, and a brief respite from gang violence ended with the death of a toddler. But there were also happy moments when fast food outlets opened again, domino games resumed, children played and people read their newspapers in the sun. From 1 July, GroundUp will publish Jeffrey’s record daily.
