They have left behind royal life as they knew it, swapping Britain for the sunnier climes of Los Angeles. But former Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not quite slumming it, as they join the Hollywood elite in a reported $18m (€16.4m) Beverly Hills mansion owned by a...

Allies of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are being told to sharpen attacks on President Donald Trump's stimulus efforts as thinly veiled "cronyism", according to a memo being sent to Democratic office holders and supporters yesterday. The memo gives Mr Biden's campaign representatives new language to use in their attacks on Mr Trump and shows a...

An ancient marine reptile that swam the oceans nearly 250 million years ago had unusual pebble-like teeth which it used to crush hard-shelled prey, scientists believe. The creature, named Cartorhynchus lenticarpus, belongs to an extinct group of reptiles known as ichthyosaurs. Not much is known about the ancestry...

Nearly all the job growth achieved during the 11-year recovery from the Global Financial Crisis has now been lost in one month. ......

New Delhi: The United States is understood to have reiterated its desire for India to play a key role in the Afghan peace process, given New Delhi’s strong relationship with the Afghan Government. Strengthening its ties with Kabul amid the Coronavirus pandemic, New Delhi meanwhile has dispatched a consignment of 10,000 tonnes of wheat on Thursday to Afghanistan through the Iranian port of Chabahar and this brings...

Washington: Vice president Mike Pence’s press secretary has the coronavirus, the White House said Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide, said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex. Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller, who tested positive Friday, had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president. She is...

The settlement report said that in strange and reprehensible statements that reflect the Zionist colonial and racist ideology, the American ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, urged the government of Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz to accelerate the announcement of the annexation of areas in the occupied West Bank to Israel. He told an Israeli newspaper that “if the government of Israel announces this, the United States will be prepared to recognize, in the coming weeks, Israel’s sovereignty over the Jordan Valley and Israeli settlement in Judea and Samaria, and that it will recognize 30% of the occupied West Bank as areas of Israel within the deal of the century in the...

Washington: The United States on Friday stunned other members of the UN Security Council by preventing a vote on a resolution for a ceasefire in various conflicts around the world to help troubled nations better fight the coronavirus pandemic, diplomats said. Washington's reversal came a day after it agreed to the text, negotiators said under cover of anonymity. "The United States cannot support the current draft," the country's delegation declared, without further detail, to the 14 other Security Council members, after nearly two months of difficult negotiation over the text. The latest stalemate continues to leave the global peace and security...

The US President appeared puzzled that the aide, Katie Miller, press secretary for Vice-President Mike Pence, had contracted the virus "out of the blue". ......

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Frustrated by scarce supplies and a chaotic marketplace amid the coronavirus outbreak, some U.S. governors are seeking to bolster their home-state production of vital medical and protective equipment to ensure a reliable long-term source for state stockpiles. The efforts come as states have been competing against each other, the federal government, hospitals, emergency responders and even other countries to get items such as N95 masks, gloves, medical gowns and hand sanitizer — often paying higher-than-usual prices because of the high demand. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. got much of its medical supplies from China. But China limited exports earlier...

They have left behind royal life as they knew it, swapping Britain for the sunnier climes of Los Angeles. But former Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not quite slumming it, as they join the Hollywood elite in a reported $18m (€16.4m) Beverly Hills mansion owned by a...

1. Tamil Nadu: All private establishments outside Covid-19 containment zones to open from Monday  The Indian Express
2. Coronavirus: Tamil Nadu relaxes lockdown measures further  Times of India
3. Major Relaxations For Non-Containment Zones In Tamil Nadu From Monday  NDTV
4. 1,589 cases linked to Koyambedu so far  The Hindu
5. Tamil Nadu moves Supreme Court against Madras high court order to close Tasmac liquor shops  Times of India
6. View Full coverage on Google News

United Nations Secretary General António Guterres on Thursday pleaded with global leaders and families to ensure the protection of the world’s children, millions of whom he says are vulnerable to a myriad of threats as a result of the shutdown arising from the global coronavirus pandemic.  While children are at a significantly lower health risk […]

The post Global Leaders Must Prioritise Children’s Wellbeing amid Coronavirus Pandemic – UN appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Alexander Trepelkov is Officer-in-Charge of the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the UN’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

The post SDGs: the Challenge to Improve Lives After the COVID-19 Crisis appeared first on Inter Press Service.

A little over half of women across the globe are able to freely make choices about their sexual and reproductive health, according to a latest report based on data from 57 countries.  However, as much of the world has gone into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, with countries implementing social distancing and restricting the […]

The post **Correction**How the COVID-19 Pandemic is Affecting Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health appeared first on Inter Press Service.

In 1991, the share of seats held by women in the Ethiopian parliament was under 3 percent. Today it stands at 38 percent, almost twice the ratio of women in the United States Congress. Experts say when women are better represented in government office, the gains are likely to spill down and improve the lives of all women.

The post A Gender-equal Ethiopian Parliament can Improve the Lives of all Women appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Denmark is Education Cannot Wait’s (ECW) third largest donor, with US$79.1 million in contributions to date. In this insightful interview with Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation, Rasmus Prehn, we explore the importance of girls’ education and gender equality, the humanitarian-development nexus, expanded engagement with the private sector, education in emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic […]

The post The Power of Education in Emergencies: Interview with Denmark’s Minister of Development Cooperation Rasmus Prehn appeared first on Inter Press Service.

The Croesus (Karun) Treasures with 432 pieces of priceless artifacts including two-time stolen winged seahorse brochure are displayed in Turkey's western Uşak province. Click through for the story in photos...

The Princes’ Islands in the Marmara Sea present a unique opportunity for a short escape from Istanbul. Our jury has picked nine awesome activities that you can do on the islands. Click through for the story in photos...

Turkey has been the host to many ancient civilizations and empires for ages. Its heritage can be seen in its preserved sites, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Some of them remain largely undiscovered, though. Click through for our list, prepared by İnci Hazal Özcan, including the 16 UNESCO sites in Turkey that you should --but probably did not-- see. (Photos: Alamy)

With the winter approaching, the demand for seats on the Eastern Express, a train service that links the capital Ankara with the eastern province of Kars, has surged again, as the number of tickets sold so far for the winter months reached 10,000. Click through for the story in photos...

Don’t let the 150-year history of modern Turkish painting fool you; it is only the tip of the iceberg. Rooted in the 500-year history of traditional Ottoman miniaturization, the art of painting evolved in these lands when the society was released from Abdulhamid II’s tyrannical reign. Click through for 16 ingenious Turkish painters of the 20th century you should now about, as compiled by İnci Hazal Özcan:

From seeing a black cat to breaking a mirror, Turkish culture embodies many superstitions that are quite unique. Click through for our list, prepared by İnci Hazal Özcan, to find out the most bizarre Turkish superstitions - which will definitely surprise you... (Photos:Alamy)

Turkish Treasury's cash balance this April posted a deficit of 46.2 billion Turkish liras ($6.6 billion), the Treasury and Finance Ministry said on May 8. 

Turkish elder care homes are taking measures to protect the elderly across the country as the world grapples with the continued dangers of coronavirus.

Turkey has imposed a two-day curfew in 24 provinces beginning on May 8 at midnight in an effort to stem spread of the novel coronavirus, which has claimed nearly 3,700 lives in the country.

On 4 December 2018, Eversheds Sutherland’s Elizabeth Shepherd was on a panel providing oral evidence to the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee at a one-off session to consider the impact of the proposed Brexit deal on Chemicals Reg...

As participants in the EU ETS will be aware, back in 2017, as part of its planning for Brexit, the UK Government amended the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Regulations 2012 to require UK operators to surrender allowances in respect of their...

The market for wearable tech is huge and growing, driven by new wellness applications and improved connectivity. Add to that the increasing number of new IoT devices and applications in the home, workplace and industry, and the opportunities both fo...

In recent years there has been a marked change in attitude towards foreign investment screening. A range of jurisdictions globally have taken steps to strengthen their ability to review and actively intervene in transactions. Most recently, the EU p...

The Environmental Audit Committee (“EAC”) has launched an inquiry to investigate the impact of toxic chemicals on everyday life (launched 12 February 2019). The inquiry will focus on the use of toxic chemicals in everyday products includ...

The public consultation launched by the European Chemicals Agency (“ECHA”) on the topic of microplastics closed on 20 September 2019 with the submission of 477 comments. The consultation followed the publication by ECHA earlier this year...

One of the major challenges posed by the rapid growth in the use of AI is whether or not existing IP systems are adequate to deal with the ownership and exploitation of AI-assisted and AI-generated products, processes, works and designs, which is so...

The Serious Fraud Office (“SFO”) has quietly published a further chapter of its internal Operational Handbook containing guidance on how its staff should assess and evaluate the compliance programmes that they investigate (the “Gui...

Do you import or otherwise place products on the EEA market? If so, you should be aware of the new European Chemicals Agency (“ECHA”) SCIP database. Companies placing products (articles) on the EEA market, including companies importing s...

  On 15 March 2020 the European Commission published Regulation 2020/402 (“Regulation”), which prohibits unlicensed export from the EU of certain personal and protective equipment. This measure is aimed at securing domestic supply o...

Introduction Given the evolving picture on COVID-19 and its impact on the UK economy there are a number of points which property fund managers should be considering in light of the FCA’s recent statements specifically on the virus and their p...

In response to Government guidance on maintaining educational provision for the children of key workers, the FCA and PRA have published guidance regarding individuals in th...

On Thursday 2 April 2020, the FCA issued draft guidance and Handbook changes to address the impact of Covid-19 on consumer credit customers who have credit cards, store cards and catalogue credit, personal loans and overdrafts. There is a short win...

Across the banking sector, the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority predict that firms’ utilisation of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions will triple in the next three years (BoE and FCA Joint Report on Machine Learning in U...

On Friday 17 April the FCA issued draft guidance on Buy-now pay-later (BNPL), rent-to-own (RTO) and pawnbroking. It proposes temporary financial relief for customers impacted by coronavirus and is intended to complement measures finalised on 9 April...

Two recent decisions have provided additional guidance in the area of privilege in an employment context. The cases provide information that will be helpful to lawyers advising in this area and to those seeking and utilising legal advice, including ...

Background The Parental Bereavement (Leave and Pay) Act 2018 received Royal Assent as long ago as 13 September 2018. The intention was the Act would come into force in 2020, with further clarification on the provisions to be contained in regulations...

The legal issues surrounding the processing of personal data relating to criminal convictions, allegations and offences or related security measures (“Criminal Records Data”) are complex. Education institutions tackle such issues on a re...

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Excessive use of force by the security forces during the Covid-19 pandemic has overwhelmingly been experienced in poor communities

The post They protested for food – the police fired rubber bullets appeared first on The Mail & Guardian.

AHMEDABAD, India: Drones hovered over this pandemic-stricken city on Saturday spraying disinfectant on the streets, hours after security forces clashed with residents who defied a toughened lockdown.

Winnie Byanyima* is the Executive Director of UNAIDS

The post Coronavirus Proves Need for Free Healthcare for All– Now appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Linda Eckerbom Cole is the Founder and Executive Director of African Women Rising. She shuttles between Santa Barbara, California and Uganda.

The post NGOs Pivot to COVID-19 Prevention in Refugee Camps appeared first on Inter Press Service.

IPS correspondent Jewel Fraser finds out whether a GEF-funded project can really help Trinidad and Tobago quarry companies be environmentally responsible.

The post GEF Project to be Game-changer for Trinidad Quarries appeared first on Inter Press Service.