Taiwan boosts domestic defence with flight of new trainer jet

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen oversaw the first public test flight of a new domestically-designed and made advanced jet trainer on Monday, part of her government’s plan to boost defences in the face of a growing challenge from China.

Taiwan’s armed forces are mostly equipped by the United States, but Tsai has made development of an advanced home-grown defence industry a priority, especially as China, which claims the island as its own, steps up military modernisation efforts.

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The new AT-5 Brave Eagle, made by state-owned Aerospace Industrial Development Corp with a budget of 68.6 billion Taiwan dollars ($2.32bn), is the first jet made domestically since the F-CK-1 Ching-kuo fighter, which was rolled out more than three decades ago.

Speaking at an airbase in the central city of Taichung, Tsai said the new aircraft disproved critics who thought Taiwan lacked the technology and should focus on meeting its defence needs from abroad.

Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen watched the formal presentation of the new jet trainer. She is keen to enhance Taiwan’s defence capabilities as China becomes more assertive [Ritchie B. Tongo/EPA]

“The new trainer aircraft not only has created more than 2,000 job opportunities, but will also pass on experiences and cultivate a new generation of aerospace industry technical talent,” she said.

Chinese presence

The single AT-5, flanked by a Ching-kuo fighter, made a 12-minute flight in front of Tsai. Its first official test flight was earlier this month, less than a year after the prototype was unveiled.

The trainer can be equipped with weapons. Taiwan’s air force plans on buying 66 of the planes by 2026 to replace aging AT-3 and F-5 training aircraft.

The test flight came amid a stepped-up Chinese military presence near the democratic island.

Taiwan says China’s air force has flown near it at least seven times in the last two weeks, the latest on Sunday.

Taiwan unveiled its largest defence spending increase in more than a decade last year, and the government is also developing new, domestically-made submarines.


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Reuters news agency

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Dunn suspect’s immunity “a palpable absurdity”

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Harry Dunn, 19, died in hospital after his motorbike was in a crash near RAF Croughton

Did Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence officer in Britain, have diplomatic immunity when she allegedly killed Harry Dunn in a road accident in Northamptonshire last August?

Harry’s parents insist that she didn’t, and that she can be tried for causing his death.

The Foreign Office and the US embassy in London argue that she did.

Now one of Britain’s top experts on diplomacy has poured scorn on the British and American argument.

The Dunns’ lawyers, headed by Geoffrey Robertson QC, asked Sir Ivor Roberts, a former British ambassador in Serbia, Ireland and Italy, for his opinion. After retiring from the diplomatic service Sir Ivor was head of Trinity College, Oxford.

His report on the arguments produced by the British and US governments, which I have read, is remarkably strongly worded.

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Aiken Standard Archive

Image caption

Anne Sacoolas, pictured on her wedding day in 2003, cited diplomatic immunity after the crash outside RAF Croughton

Mrs Sacoolas’s husband was an American intelligence officer based at RAF Croughton. That gave him a certain level of diplomatic immunity. The British and US governments maintain that this meant that, as his wife, Mrs Sacoolas had immunity too.

Sir Ivor says this is “a palpable absurdity”.

He quotes a letter of agreement between the Foreign Office and the US ambassador to Britain in August 1995 about the American personnel at RAF Croughton. This says explicitly that diplomatic immunity for people like Mr Sacoolas would not apply for “acts performed outside the course of their duties”.

If Mr Sacoolas wasn’t covered for acts outside his duties, Sir Ivor says, it would be absurd for Mrs Sacoolas, who had no official position, to be immune from prosecution when her husband wasn’t.

He doesn’t mince his words. “It was clearly not anticipated that this agreement might be dishonourably challenged by the US government through their embassy in London,” he says.

Image caption

Tim Dunn and Charlotte Charles are going through “torture”, says their son Niall

In Sir Ivor’s view both the British and US sides knew that back in 1995 they had agreed that “both agents and their dependents” were subject to British criminal law in their non-work activities at RAF Croughton.

For the Americans to argue the opposite would, he said, be regarded by professional diplomats as a breach of good faith.

Words and expressions like “palpable absurdity”, “dishonourably” and “breach of good faith” are rare from a top expert on diplomacy.

Although the judges at the High Court agreed that Sir Ivor was a leading figure in the study of diplomacy, they did not accept his report on the technical grounds that he was not a practising lawyer.

They rejected an application by the Dunns to force the Foreign Office to disclose evidence relating to a “secret agreement” between the US and British governments.

But this was a preliminary hearing, and it seems reasonable to assume that Sir Ivor’s scathing opinion of the case presented by the Foreign Office and the US embassy will have an influence on the case as it continues.

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Noose Found In Garage Used By NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace

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A noose was found in the garage stall used by NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace, less than two weeks after the racing body banned the display of the Confederate flag at all its events and properties.

Wallace, the only Black driver in the sport’s top level, had called for the flag — a symbol long linked to America’s history of racism — to be prohibited earlier this month as protests over police brutality and systemic inequality raged across the country. But the decision sparked controversy among the sport’s mostly white, Southern fan base who argued the flag isn’t a racist symbol but a part of their heritage.

The noose was found in the garage stall for the No. 43 car racing team, which is owned by Richard Petty Motorsports. It’s unclear who has access to the stalls. Nooses are one of the most powerful symbols of hate directed toward Black Americans and tied to the history of lynchings in the South, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

“Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism,” Wallace said in a statement on Twitter.

NASCAR condemned the act later Sunday, saying it was “angry and outraged” and couldn’t “state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act.” It said whoever was found responsible would be ejected from the body.

“We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport,” the company said. “As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all.”

The sport banned the Confederate flag shortly after Wallace issued his own call to do so, saying the symbol ran “contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry.” The driver had said he had to reckon with his own relationship to the symbol and had come to the conclusion it did not represent anything but hate.

Just days later, he raced the No. 43 car with a new paint scheme featuring Black Lives Matter logos and calls for unity.

Wallace wrote Sunday that he had been overwhelmed by the support he’d received after his call to bar the Confederate flag, and said the sport had made “a commitment to driving real change and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone.” He said he would not be deterred by the racist act.

“This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down,” he said, citing words of encouragement from his mother. “I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.



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Today in History for June 22nd

Highlights of this day in history: France falls to Nazi Germany on what becomes a day of several key events during World War II; Joe Louis knocks out Max Schmeling in their boxing rematch; Entertainers Judy Garland and Fred Astaire die. (June 22)

       

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South Africa: Today’s latest news and headlines, Monday 22 June

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Never miss a beat when it comes to the latest news in South Africa; review all major headlines on Monday 22 June.

Santaco threatened a total taxi shutdown on Monday after having met on Sunday 21 June to “intensify” the planned shutdown in Gauteng. Meanwhile, BATSA hopes to have its case against the government’s tobacco restrictions heard in the Western Cape high court.

TODAY’S LATEST NEWS IN SOUTH AFRICA, Monday 22 JUNE

Gauteng taxi shutdown

Gauteng commuters will have to seek alternative modes of transport on 22 June as the South Africa National Taxi Council (Santaco) announced that a massive shutdown is on the cards for Monday.

This follows after Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula announced a relief package of R1.135 billion to assist the industry with operations during the lockdown period on Friday, 19 June. Santaco rejected the offer and demanded more money from government.

Tensions between Santaco, the taxi sector and government have been simmering for months.

“SANTACO in Gauteng says today’s meeting was only to intensify their Monday shutdown. They say the planned shutdown was long announced and remarks by the Minister today only confirmed that their long-held position to shutdown was right”, the body said.

BATSA cigarette court case

Earlier this month, Limpopo Tobacco Processors Ltd, British American Tobacco SA (BATSA), the South African Tobacco Transformation Alliance and seven other companies served government with a notice to set aside the decision to ban tobacco sales.

BATSA, which filed papers in the Western Cape High Court to challenge the ongoing ban on tobacco sales, initially withdrew from the case but later reinstituted legal proceedings, asking that the application be heard in court on Monday, 22 June.

At the time, BATSA said this ban on tobacco sales was unconstitutional as “it violates a series of fundamental rights; further and in any event, regulation 45 is irregular in terms of the principles of administrative law”.

Regulations expected for hotels, sit-down restaurants etc

On Friday, the Minister of Small Business Development, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, signed and published Gazette No 11135 that stipulates which branches of the Personal Care Service industry would be allowed to resume operations under ‘advanced level 3’.

However, no mention was made of hotels and sit-down restaurants, despite President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement last week that casinos, cinemas, restaurants, and hotels would be permitted to continue operations.

It is expected that clarity with regards to these changes will be published on Monday 22 June.

Amahle Quku’s murder case continues to unfold

The naked body of 17-year-old Amahle Quku was found near Browns Farm in Philippi on the Cape Flats early Sunday morning. It was later revealed that Quku had apparently been raped.

A 20-year-old suspect known to Amahle was taken into custody a few hours later. Cape Town police are investigating and police spokesperson, Andre Traut said the suspect was questioned and will make a court appearance once he’s been charged.

Traut added that the “exact cause of the girl’s death is yet to be determined”.

LATEST WEATHER FORECAST, Monday 22 JUNE

Take a look at weather forecasts for all nine provinces here.

LIVE TRAFFIC UPDATES FOR CAPE TOWN, JOHANNESBURG AND DURBAN

Stay one step ahead of the traffic by viewing our live traffic updates here.

HOROSCOPE TODAY

Free daily horoscope, celeb gossip and lucky numbers for Monday 22 June.



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Time is ticking for an MLB deal to get done | Blue Jays Central @Home – Sportsnet.ca

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Australia Covid-19 cases: coronavirus stats, active case numbers, map and state by state data update

Due to the difference in reporting times between states, territories and the federal government, it can be difficult to get a current picture of how many confirmed cases of coronavirus there are in Australia.

Here, we’ve brought together all the figures in one place, along with comparisons with other countries.

Guardian Australia has gone through every state and territory press release to construct and maintain an up-to-date database of coronavirus cases, as well as maintaining live data feeds from other groups collating data, such as Johns Hopkins University.

This is necessary to get a broader picture of how Covid-19 is affecting Australians and to track the impact of government measures.

National view

This chart shows the “epidemic curve” for Australia with a timeline of measures introduced by the federal government. It aims to track our progress in “flattening the curve”, and the measures we have introduced to do so.

timeline of Australian government coronavirus measures v daily confirmed cases – epidemic curve

According to experts, the growth in new coronavirus cases in Australia is slowing, likely due to the decrease in travel-related cases. However there is still a long way to go in controlling the spread of Covid-19, and particular attention needs to be paid to the rate of community transmission.

The following chart shows the percent growth in cases, with a trend line based on a five-day average. Generally, we want both lines to be heading downwards towards zero:

Australia coronavirus cases percent growth chart

Here, you can see the cumulative total of confirmed cases, with the contribution of each state and territory:

Cumulative total of Australian coronavirus cases by state

State and territory breakdowns

Here is the daily count of confirmed cases – the epidemic curve – for each state and territory. The most recent day will usually be an incomplete total:

Australian state and territory coronavirus epidemic curve charts – state small multiple bar chart

This table has the number of deaths for each state and territory, as well as the number of patients requiring hospital treatment. It also includes the number of patients currently in intensive care, or requiring ventilators.

table of coronavirus deaths, hospitalisation figures by state and territory in Australia

Source of infections

This chart shows the daily new case count by the source of infection to compare overseas v local cases. It’s important to also note that a large number of cases are under investigation at any point in time, and so these figures can change retrospectively with further updates.

Australia daily coronavirus case count by source of infection line chart

Maps of confirmed cases in four states

Only four states are currently reporting cases by location – NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

Here’s the geographic distribution of cases within New South Wales. The map shows the outbreak is concentrated in metropolitan Sydney, in areas with dense populations and large numbers of overseas travellers.

NSW coronavirus cases hotspot map

And here’s the map showing location of cases in Victoria. Again, most cases are clustered around the cities:

Victoria VIC coronavirus cases hotspot map

And here’s the map for Queensland, mapped by hospital and health service regions:

Queensland QLD coronavirus cases hotspot map

The Western Australian health department has recently started releasing location data, now allowing us to map WA cases:

Western Australia WA coronavirus cases hotspots map

Testing rates

Here, you can see the testing rate per million people for each state and territory:

Coronavirus covid-19 testing rate per million people in Australia for each state and territory

You can see an earlier rough comparison of these rates with other countries here.

International comparisons

This chart uses a log scale and re-indexes the time to the first day since cases were above 50 to make the trajectory of the pandemic in selected countries directly comparable:

days since 50 coronavirus cases log scale global comparison by country

This chart uses a similar view to compare the trend in deaths for the same countries:

coronavirus deaths international global comparison chart by country

Updates

29 April 2020:

  • Added chart showing source of infection for new daily cases

About the data

This database is available for reuse under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence, which means it is OK to re-use, but please provide attribution and a link to Guardian Australia. The data is available in Google sheets here or as a JSON feed here.

We assign cases to the date on which they were reported by the given health department, and deaths are assigned to the date they occurred. Extended data on testing and demographics varies between each state and territory so may not always be available. Please contact nick.evershed@theguardian.com if you spot an error in the data or to make a suggestion.

Due to the nature of collating data daily under time pressure and differences in how data is collected, we recommend cross-checking with other data sources where possible. It is quite likely these figures will vary from other figures due to differences in data collection methods.

Here are a few other websites doing similar work:

  • Due to the unprecedented and ongoing nature of the coronavirus outbreak, this article is being regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the current situation at the date of publication. Any significant corrections made to this or previous versions of the article will continue to be footnoted in line with Guardian editorial policy.

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Online eating disorder ‘trigger’ crack-down call

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Social media companies need to do more to police harmful content about eating disorders, say campaigners.

Individuals affected by the issue say too often material they come across online is a trigger for conditions such as anorexia or bulimia.

Mental health campaigner James Down said there is “lack of transparency” on how content is targeted at users.

The eating disorder charity Beat said it wanted to see “real people” searching for potentially harmful videos, and taking them down.

If you have any concerns about issues related to eating disorders, you can find support and information here.

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Metcash sales lift amid virus restrictions

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Wholesale distributor Metcash is benefiting from a continuing growth in sales as customers rediscovered neighbourhood supermarkets during the coronavirus pandemic.

The IGA supermarket supplier reported sales revenue for the 12 months to April 30 rose 2.9 per cent to $13.03 billion, led by growth in the food and liquor segments.

The group benefited from extraordinary demand levels in the food segment in March and April amid panic buying during coronavirus-related restrictions, but said total sales even before this period had increased 0.2 per cent.

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The momentum has been maintained, with Metcash sales in the first seven weeks of FY21 continuing to benefit from a change in consumer behaviour.

Food sales are up 9.3 per cent, and supermarkets wholesale sales excluding tobacco up 16.7 per cent.

“Extraordinary demand levels in the food pillar in March and April resulted in strong sales in FY20,” group chief executive Jeff Adams said.

“Importantly, the underlying sales trajectory of supermarkets wholesale sales continued to strengthen in 2H20, with sales growth delivered for the first time since FY12.”

The success of strategic initiatives together with a shift to more local neighbourhood shopping during COVID-19 has resulted in market share gains for the IGA network, he added.

Metcash shares jumped on the news, despite the company reporting a statutory full-year loss of $56.8 million after taking a non-cash impairment charge in the first half.

By 1300 AEST, Metcash shares were up 3.9 per cent at $2.94.

The sales growth comes despite the loss of the 7-Eleven supply contract, worth an estimated $800 million in sales annually, during the first half.

The company had announced a $237.4 million non-cash impairment against goodwill and other assets as a result.

For the full year, its supermarket food sales increased 3.8 per cent to $7.5 billion.

Total liquor sales increased 0.3 per cent to $3.68 billion, despite being adversely impacted by COVID-19 restrictions in March and April due to the closure of customers’ ‘on-premise’ businesses in Australia and New Zealand.

Hardware sales decreased 1.3 per cent to $2.08 billion reflecting the impact of the slowdown in construction activity on trade sales and the loss of a large customer in the first half.

The company said there was a significant improvement in second half hardware sales as the COVID-19 lock downs encouraged people to start DIY projects.

“Our hardware pillar delivered sales growth in the second half, with March and April sales benefiting from COVID19 restrictions,” Mr Adams said.

An increase in demand in DIY categories such as paint and garden helped offset a decline in Trade sales due to the slowdown in construction activity. “

The company will pay a fully-franked final dividend of 6.5 cents per share.

Metcash said sales in the first seven weeks of FY21 have continued to benefit from a change in consumer behaviour.

The earnings benefit from the increase in sales continues to be marginally offset by higher costs to service the elevated demand and manage health and safety risks, it said.

Liquor sales have increased 5.5 per cent for the same period, while hardware sales are up 9.4 per cent, underpinned by continuing strong demand in DIY categories.

METCASH FULL YEAR SALES RISE

* Revenue up 2.9pct to $13.03b

* Net loss $56.8m vs $192.8m profit year ago

* Fully franked interim dividend 6.5 cents, down from 7.0 cents year ago

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NASCAR investigating after noose found in Bubba Wallace’s garage stall – Sportsnet.ca

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TALLADEGA, Ala. — A noose was found in the garage stall of Black driver Bubba Wallace at the NASCAR race in Alabama on Sunday, less than two weeks after he successfully pushed the auto racing series to ban the Confederate flag at its tracks and facilities.

NASCAR announced the discovery late Sunday and said it had launched an immediate investigation. It said it will do everything possible to find who was responsible and “eliminate them from the sport.”

“We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act,” the series said in a statement. “As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all.”

On Twitter, Wallace said the “the despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and ow persistent we must be in the fight against racism.”

“As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you,’” he wrote. “This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.”

The noose was discovered on the same day NASCAR’s fledgeling flag ban faced its biggest challenge. The ban took effect before last week’s race near Miami, but there were only about 1,000 military members admitted into that race. At Talladega, in the heart of the South, as many as 5,000 fans were allowed in, even though rain postponed the race until Monday.

There weren’t any immediate reports of how many, if any, flags were confiscated or taken down at the track. There were informal protests Saturday and Sunday alike, with cars and pickup trucks driving along nearby roads flying the flag and parading past the entrance to the superspeedway. A small plane flew overhead pulling a banner with the flag and the words “Defund NASCAR.”

NASCAR did not acknowledged the plane or its banner, though executive Steve O’Donnell tweeted a picture of black and white hands shaking: “You won’t see a photo of a jackass flying a flag over the track here…but you will see this…Hope EVERYONE enjoys the race today.” Rapper Ice Cube even tweeted about the plane saying, “(Expletive) him NASCAR, you got new fans in this household.”

Wallace, a 26-year-old Alabama native, had found support among fellow drivers for his stance on the flag and he noted that in his tweet late Sunday after the noose announcement.

“Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and tea members in the garage,” he said. “Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real chance and championing a community that is accepting and welcoming of everyone. Nothing is more important and we will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who seek to spread hate.”



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