Posted by Victoria Strauss for Writer Beware®

How do scammers entrap unwary writers? The other day, an especially egregious example came across my desk, in the form of this "proposal" shared with me by an author who really, really wanted to believe it was real (I've redacted the author's name and book title to protect their privacy).


Not to beat a horse, dead or otherwise, but if you'll glance at the sidebar, you'll see that Alpha Books United is on Writer Beware's big list of Philippines-based Author Solutions copycat publishing and marketing scams. (When I got hold of this proposal, on September 26, Alpha Books' website was working fine, but when I checked it today it refused to load. "Mr. Ken Davis", however, has not stopped emailing and calling the author who contacted me.)

(UPDATE: Just a few hours later, Alpha Books' website is back online. Check out its specifics-free About Us page, on which it tells the following lie: "Once you’re earmarked, we open the possibility for you to be eligible for a non-contributory agreement with us.")

Here's the bait. Author empowerment! Amazing expertise! Commitment! Relationships! Sounds good, right? (Other than the complete lack of any verifiable specifics, of course.) Like most scammers, Alpha Books is counting on establishing a direct line to the author's deepest hopes, dreams, and ego.

Note that there's no mention of money. The initial phone calls and emails sent by "Ken Davis" didn't mention money, either.


Here are the "PUBLISHING Inclusions" supposedly on offer (only "if needed", of course!). Kind of bare bones basic, right? But for an author who isn't all that savvy about what goes into design and production, it hits the high spots: cover design, print and ebook format, and the all-important "content evaluation," which Alpha Books is hoping the author will wrongly interpret as "editing".

Again: no mention of money. That will come later, after the author has responded with interest to what they may believe is an amazing offer, especially if it's accompanied by flattery about how their book has been "discovered" or "recommended" by "book scouts" or "literary agents". These scams are successful in part because they solicit so relentlessly, but also because they have an acute grasp of author psychology. They know that it's easier to hook victims if you first get the victims to hook themselves.


And here is the pack of lies. Well, pretty much everything the scammers offer is a lie, but these are mostly slant lies: they could be true (it's just that they aren't). Alpha Books, on the other hand, distinguishes itself by going well beyond the usual obfuscations and half-truths with a great big alternative fact: guess what, we have access to Penguin Random House! Which will pay you $40,000!

If Alpha Books' previous phone calls and emails haven't convinced the potential victim, this magic name surely will. It's an especially sneaky tactic because there really is an Alpha Books associated with PRH: it's under the umbrella of the DK imprint, and publishes, among other things, the popular Idiots Guides series.

Of course, to anyone who knows a little bit about publishing, Alpha Books' claims about PRH are laughable:


The author who received this pitch nearly fell for it. Only when "Ken Davis" told them they'd have to pay $7,000 for this wonderful opportunity (the "true" cost being $19,000, of which Alpha Books would supposedly defray the bulk) did they start to balk. At that point, this happened:


As brazen as most of these scams are, this is just about the worst I've seen.

Fortunately the author contacted me, and I was able to convince them they were being scammed. (It wasn't the first time: they'd originally published with one of the Author Solutions imprints, and had previously been solicited by scammers Bookwhip, Stonewall Press, and True Media Creatives.)

I'm guessing that at least a few of my readers will be thinking "Well, if someone is that naive/ignorant/unwary, they deserve what they get." Believe me, I get frustrated too with writers' gullibility, and in particular with how many writers fail to educate themselves about publishing and self-publishing before trying to publish. But no one, no matter what, deserves to be deceived and ripped off by a pack of con artists.

That's why I keep doing what I do. Suck it, scammers.

When a group of schoolboys were marooned on an island in 1965, it turned out very differently from William Golding’s bestseller, writes Rutger Bregman

• Interview: ‘Our secret superpower is our ability to cooperate’

For centuries western culture has been permeated by the idea that humans are selfish creatures. That cynical image of humanity has been proclaimed in films and novels, history books and scientific research. But in the last 20 years, something extraordinary has happened. Scientists from all over the world have switched to a more hopeful view of mankind. This development is still so young that researchers in different fields often don’t even know about each other.

When I started writing a book about this more hopeful view, I knew there was one story I would have to address. It takes place on a deserted island somewhere in the Pacific. A plane has just gone down. The only survivors are some British schoolboys, who can’t believe their good fortune. Nothing but beach, shells and water for miles. And better yet: no grownups.

Continue reading...

Telling Lies is a game where you sift through video calls to solve a mystery. Half the time you don't know what you should be doing, but that's part of the fun, says Jacob Aron

Blasian - black and Asian - couples now exist in South Africa... but they don't always have an easy time.

India badminton star Jwala Gutta posted this picture to her 1.5 million Twitter followers on Wednesday as she distributed food items and medical supplies near her Hyderabad home.

“During these unprecedented times we chose to contribute some basic essentials like rice, pulses, oil, sugar, masks n more to daily wage migrants near our residence!! #lockdown #migrantworkers ##coronavirus #unitedindia #standtogether #wewillgetthroughthis #WeAreOne,” the World Championships medal-winner captioned her post.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

During these unprecedented times We chose to contribute some basic essentials Like rice,pulses,oil,sugar,masks n more to daily wage migrants near our residence!! #lockdown #migrantworkers ##coronavirus #unitedindia ##wewillgetthroughthis #wewillgetthroughthistogether

A post shared by Jwala Gutta (@jwalagutta1) onApr 21, 2020 at 9:28pm PDT

The 36-year-old badminton player has been a prominent player in the sport over the past two decades. Jwala Gutta is known for her fierce gameplay and even fiercer attitude.

Jwala Gutta formed a dominant force alongside Ashwini Ponnappa in women's doubles over the years. At the Commonwealth Games, Jwala has won a gold, two silver and a bronze medal. She also has a bronze medal at the Asian Championships. Gutta has won 5 gold medals at South Asian Games.

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Late-summer cannibalism may help adults make it through tough times

A 54-year-old man on Monday attempted to commit suicide at Mumbai's Kurla railway station. The incident took place at around 1:30 pm when the man suddenly jumped off and lied on the railway track. 

The man was saved by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and other co-passengers.

The man said that he was fed up with family issues and which is why he tried to commit suicide. Later on, the man was handed over to his family after police verification.

Watch Video here

#WATCH: A man was saved by Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel & other passengers after he attempted to commit suicide at #Mumbai's Kurla railway station. (30.07.2018) (Source: CCTV) pic.twitter.com/6Yz5WB2Tsw

— ANI (@ANI) July 30, 2018

Edited by mid-day online desk with inputs from ANI

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Mutual funds are a great way for investors to channel their savings for long term investments and to generate returns.... [Read More]

In a significant development, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has urged the Election Commission to declare polls to the nine vacant seats in the state Legislative Council "at the earliest". These seats have been lying vacant since April 24 and filling up the same would end the current political uncertainty in the state, said an official.

Maharashtra Governor BS Koshiyari requests the Election Commission of India to declare elections to 9 vacant seats of Maharashtra Legislative Council. pic.twitter.com/EmvNHQOawx

— ANI (@ANI) April 30, 2020

In a letter to the EC, Koshyari said that the Centre has announced many relaxation measures regarding the lockdown enforcement in the country, and accordingly, the elections for the MLC seats can be held with certain guidelines.

"Since the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray is not a member of either house of the state Legislature, he needs to get elected to the Council before May 27," the Governor pointed out. The EC had postponed the election process for these nine seats in view of the Coronavirus crisis and the ongoing lockdown.

Political circles pointed out that with this development, the requests of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government to nominate Thackeray in one of the two MLC seats from his quota has virtually been rejected by the Governor. 

Since the past nearly a month, leaders of the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and Congress have been repeatedly appealing to the Governor to name Thackeray for one of his quota seats to avert a constitutional crisis in the state.

On Monday, Thackeray spoke with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and on Tuesday he called up Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reportedly on the same issue. After passing two resolutions to the effect, almost the entire state cabinet led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had called on the Governor this week and urged him to do the needful.

Besides, several Sena leaders and ministers have also met the Koshyari with a similar request, and the NCP-Congress have issued statements to the effect.  A Congress leader said that with the Governor now throwing the ball in the EC's court, the political situation would be clear only after May 3, when the national lockdown is slated to end.

Not a member of either house of legislature, Thackeray was sworn-in as CM on November 28, 2019, and now must become a MLC, failing which there could be constitutional deadlock, according to official sources.

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Bittu Sahgal and Dia Mirza enjoy a meal at Kitchen Garden by Suzette in Bandra. Pics/Shadab Khan

There is a peacock whose cacophony Bittu Sahgal wakes up to at his Napean Sea Road residence every morning , before he starts hammering away at articles for Sanctuary Asia, a magazine he launched and has been editing since 1981. And as Dia Mirza tells us how she came to be associated with Sahgal's various projects, a butterfly fluttering in the al fresco section of Kitchen Garden by Suzette lights up her eyes. The actor, who has been deeply involved with the cause of the environment, attended The International Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Forum in Kyrgyzstan last month, and was appointed the ambassador of the Wildlife Trust of India earlier this year. As the mentor and the mentee meet over lunch, words flow as odes to nature, unravelling the green legacy of India and the ecological miracle called Mumbai.

Hasan: How did your association come about?
Sahgal: She walked into our lives like a breath of fresh air.
Mirza: There had been always a sense of awe for the man he is and his work, but I hadn't had facetime with him. So, when I met him socially at a dinner, I chased him. I told him, 'The problem with people like you is that you don't communicate with people like me. If I had more access to your mind, I would take your ideas to more people.' Bittu is someone I look up to as my guardian, my guru. He really changed my life.
Sahgal: It takes a lot out of somebody to keep fighting for 40 years. Then I look at you and I say to myself, 'We won!' Life is a marathon and the baton has been passed on.
Mirza: The world is constantly drawing you away from your purpose. Bittu came into my life as a reminder of all the things I was nurtured with when I was being brought up. I went to a J Krishnamurti school, where we did classes under trees, we grew vegetables and discussed materialism. My work in films had taken me far away from all this but he reminded me that the two can co-exist. And I made a choice.

Avocado Toast and The Greek salad arrive.
Hasan: Speaking of choices, are both of you vegetarian?
Sahgal: I don't perceive meat as food. I was born in a non-veg loving Punjabi family, but I stopped eating meat when I was old enough to say no to my mother.
Mirza: I am not a vegetarian, but I have become more conscientious about my consumption. There are certain meats I don't eat, like wild animals.

Hasan: Where does Mumbai stand in the fight to ensure urban centres retain their green cover?
Mirza: As citizens of Mumbai, we need to remember that we are the only city in the world with a large forest cover in the heart of the city.
Sahgal: We have a garland of mangroves protecting us. Sanjay Gandhi National Park has more butterflies than the entire UK. We are like spoilt rich brats who don't understand the value of our wealth. Like the biodiversity of forests, we need biodiversity of attitudes and strategies.

Mirza: And laws. Isn't it appalling that we are waking up to waste management systems only now?
Sahgal: We have planners planning infrastructure at sea level, when the rest of the world is planning for six metres above sea level. It defies logic that my generation is straddling your generation with white elephant investments that can never work. Nature doesn't give you judgement, it gives you consequences. Mithi river was a consequence, as is Florida.

Mirza: As Bittu always quotes Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum: In the end we will conserve only what we love and love only what we learn about.

Quick takes

A lot of Bollywood and Television celebrities came forward to contribute to the PM-CARES Fund and did their best to help people financially. Bigg Boss fame Devoleena Bhattacharjee has done something beyond. She not only contributed to the fund but has now adopted two families and will be looking after their needs and necessities amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

Taking to Twitter, one of the fan-clubs of the actor even thanked her for this wonderful gesture and move that should inspire everyone. And in case you also happen to be a fan of the actress, this tweet is for you:

Have a look right here:

Thank youuuu so much @Devoleena_23 for Adopting 2 families for 1 month Nd Donating Money for Thier food & groceries ...
This will be the best bihu gift for your Assam fans
God bless you ❤ï¸ÂðŸ™Œ @Devoleena_23 pic.twitter.com/CdhQ8Ffl9v

— Veera kunapareddyðŸ¦Â‹ (@veerakunaparedy) April 14, 2020

To shed some more light, these two families are the families of the wage workers since these are the people that are affected the most during this lockdown. Their earnings have gone for a toss and so has their livelihood. And in case you forgot, she and her fans also helped a pregnant lady reach the hospital on time during this lockdown period. Way to go!

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People living in around 72 houses have been asked to stay in quarantine after a pizza delivery boy, who had delivered food in Malviya Nagar area, tested positive for coronavirus on Wednesday, according to District Magistrate, South Delhi. Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain said that 17 other delivery boys linked with the infected man have also been placed under institutional quarantine. "A pizza delivery boy has been detected with COVID-19 here. 17 other delivery boys linked with him have been placed under institutional quarantine and 72 people have been placed under home quarantine," Jain told ANI.

Food delivery app Zomato said that the staff of infected person's restaurant has delivered some orders which were placed on its platform.

"We've been made aware today that a restaurant's employee, who has been recently tested positive for COVID-19, had delivered food in the past to a few customers in the Malviya Nagar area in Delhi. All these customers have already been contacted by the govt authorities... We are not sure whether the rider was infected at the time of delivery," the company said in a statement.

Zomato also claimed that colleagues of the delivery boy have tested negative for COVID-19.

"This restaurant had instructed their riders to wear masks and follow strict hygiene to keep customers safe from any unintended mishap. All co-workers of the said rider have been tested negative. And as a precaution, the restaurant where this rider worked has suspended operations," read the statement.

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The family members of at least 25 houses in the Rashtrapati Bhavan premises have been asked to isolate themselves after a staffer's relative tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that has claimed over 550 lives in India so far. Official sources confirmed the news to IANS on late Monday night.

"A relative of a resident of Rashtrapati Bhavan Estate Quarters died a few days ago. The person who has tested positive for the coronavirus on Sunday had attended the funeral," a source in the know of things said.

The individual has been sent to the quarantine centre in the nearby Birla Mandir complex.

The people in the house where the corona-positive person was found, along with the families living in around 25 houses have also been asked to isolate themselves as a precautionary measure. All of them have been instructed to follow social distancing norms strictly, sources said.

According to sources, the staffer's relative who has been found corona positive has no direct connection with Rashtrapati Bhavan. The individual's relative is serving there.

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Two families from Agartala in Trupura who had visited Chennai for medical treatmnet got stranded due to the nationwide lockdown imposed by the government to curb the rising number of coronavirus cases in India. But what followed was quite extraordinary as the families had to pay a whopping Rs 1.4 lakh to hire an ambulance to take them back to Tripura.

One family resides in South Tripura district's Udaipur area while the other stays at Mohanpur area of West Tripura district. Interestingly, the two families shelled out the huge sum and travelled over 3,700 kilometres for five days to reach Tripura from Chennai.

While speaking to Times of India, Chanchal Majumder, who stays in Udaipur said, "Both families had travelled to Chennai on March 20 for treatment and had planned to return in a week," He said that they were stuck in a hotel in the Southern Metropolis of Chennai after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown due to COVID-19 crisis.

Recalling the experience in Chennai, Majumder said, "Life became terrible as we were confined to one room and were suffering from shortage of amenities." He further said that till April 14 (the last day of 21-day lockdown) they could manage somehow but things started to get tougher since then and more so, he had to return home as his daughter's wedding is fixed to talke place on May 8.

Talking about how he managed to get transport amid the lockdown crisis, Majumder said that on April 15, they finally managed to hire an ambulance to get back home. On their way back home, the ambulance in which the two families were travelling was stopped at over hundred checkpoints but Majumder said that the police were kind enough to let them pass through after listening to their story.

"Food and water was not a problem. In many places, NGOs and and police officers offered us meals and water," Majumder stated. Upon reaching Tripura, both the families were sent in isolation for 14-days at a quarantine facility.

Tripura health officials said, "All five are doing good and none of them have shown any COVID-19 symptoms so far. However, just to be extra cautious, we have sent their samples for testing."

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It is a known fact that the year 2020 has been terrible so far due to the coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent lockdown imposed in countries across the world. With life coming to a standstill and people waiting for things to get better, food delivery application Zomato, being themselves, asked their followers, what if 2020 was a dish.

Zomato’s tweet read, “If 2020 was a dish, what would it be?” To describe how their year has been so far, tweeple posted hilarious reactions. Some described their year with their least favourite dish, while some did so with some of the weird dishes they came across.

If 2020 was a dish, what would it be?

— Zomato (@ZomatoIN) April 24, 2020

The food delivery giant’s tweet that was posted on Friday garnered more than 3,200 likes and was retweeted 144 times. Among the comments received on the posts,  former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah described his year as ‘offal’.

Here are some more responses:

Offal

— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) April 24, 2020

kadhi-chawal

— amrita madhukalya (@visually_kei) April 24, 2020

Corona Burger pic.twitter.com/eXVkUiMYfH

— Dr. Vedika (@vishkanyaaaa) April 24, 2020

Suryavansham wali kheer

— karanbir singh (@karanbirtinna) April 24, 2020

Jala hua tinda

— à¤Â…à¤Â‚à¤Â•ित à¤Âœà¥Âˆन (@indiantweeter) April 24, 2020

How was your year so far?

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"'Yaar, main ja raha hun. Please khayal rakhna' (I am leaving, please take care of my family), was what he told me in our last conversation, before he resumed duty at Jammu," said Sudhir Tayde, about Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan Sanjay Rajput.

Sanjay was one of the 40 CRPF personnel who were slain in Pulwama on Thursday, when a car laden with explosives rammed their bus in a terror attack. He was also one of two jawans from Buldhana district, Maharashtra on it. The other was Nitin Shivaji Rathod. The duo, like others on the bus, was resuming duty after a holiday.

'Son will join defence forces'
Nitin Shivaji Rathod, 36, was a resident of Chorpangra village in Buldhana district. Nitin is survived by his parents, his wife Vandana, 28, and two children, Jeewan, 8, and Jivika, 5. He had joined the CRPF when he was 23.

Vandana recalled, "Just a week back we were together having meals and enjoying with everyone. I will dedicate my son to the defence forces too, as it was my husband's dream."

Sanjay Rajput

Villagers want revenge
The mood was sombre in Chorpangra village. No one has cooked since Thursday night when they got the news. All the villagers were at Nitin's house. Many people displayed their anger and said the government must take strong action against Pakistan.

Everyone remembered Nitin. Baburao Sawadkar, a teacher from Vasant Primary and Secondary Ashram School, who taught Nitin said, "Since his school days he was patriotic. He was good in studies and always participated in cultural programmes. He would always play an Army soldier in them. He would sing patriotic songs in these programmes and knew many of them by heart."

Nitin's childhood friend, Raju Rathod, said he was a hard-worker. They had studied together till they graduated. "Since age 13, he wanted to join the defence forces. During college he was often adjudged the best sports person. He was an excellent cricket and kabaddi player. He was also a good wrestler. In college days, he also worked as a labourer to pay for his education."

Extended service by five years
Sanjay Rajput, 49, the other jawan who was slain, was a resident of Malkapur in Buldhana district. He had recently shifted to Nagpur for his children's education. Sanjay had served the CRPF for 23 years and had extended his service by five years and was transferred to Jammu. He is survived by his wife Sushma, and two sons, Jay, 12, and Shubham, 11.

His brother recalled him as a brave person and said, "We had talked to him on Wednesday. He told us that due to snow, the roads were blocked and so they had to camp in another area. We have not informed our mother about his death, because this will be the second shock this year, as our elder brother died seven months back in a road accident." He too said once Sanjay's children each are 18 years old, he would want them to join the defence forces.

Prayers in mosques in memory of jawans
A condolence meeting was held and prayers were offered in memory of the CRPF jawans in many mosques in Pune city on Friday. Maulana Farukh Sahab of Noor-e-Hira masjid said, "The act is heinous and no religion talks about such inhuman acts. This act is against humanity and we condemn it."

Some youths from Pune, including local politician Amit Bagul and his friends, have written a letter in their blood, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to avenge the deaths of the CRPF personnel.

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2 years ago, on this day, Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja tied the knot, after dating each other for 2 years.  That Sonam was dating a 'London based businessman', surfaced on the internet for the longest time, but the duo remained tight-lipped about their relationship until it was time to make it official. Sonam and Anand had a traditional, Punjabi wedding in Mumbai, and of course, a star-studded one.

She took to Instagram to write the sweetest anniversary wish for the husband, and also shared with us the first photo they clicked together, 4 years back. Her caption tells us how she was impressed with Anand from their very first meet and found him 'unbelievably cool and sexy'. "Your compassion, kindness, generosity and smarts are incredibly attractive but so is your moodiness and your annoying perfectionism. Thank you for being my partner and standing besides me for these 4 years. They have been my most fulfilling. Happy happy anniversary husband. I’m soo thrilled I get to keep you for the rest of my life," Sonam wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Our first picture together.. 4 years ago today I met a vegan who could do complicated yoga positions and speak about retail and business with the same ease. I found him unbelievably cool and sexy., he still makes my heart race and grounds me at the same time. Nothing compares to you @anandahuja , your compassion, kindness, generosity and smarts are incredibly attractive but so is your moodiness and your annoying perfectionism. Thank you for being my partner and standing besides me for these 4 years. They have been my most fulfilling. Happy happy anniversary husband. I’m soo thrilled I get to keep you for the rest of my life. I love you the most and I know you love me the best and the most. That I promise you is the greatest gift I’ve ever received. ❤️ #everydayphenomenal

A post shared by Sonam K Ahuja (@sonamkapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 7:58pm PDT

Sister Rhea Kapoor also wished the couple on their anniversary, on Instagram. She shared a video consisting of some of their adorable moments, and wrote, "Happy anniversary family, I hope every tomorrow is the best day of your lives".

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Happy anniversary family, I hope every tomorrow is the best day of your lives. @sonamkapoor @anandahuja love you!

A post shared by Rhea Kapoor (@rheakapoor) on May 7, 2020 at 8:41pm PDT

Sonam and Anand are presently at the latter's Delhi house since they returned from London and quarantined themselves. Quite sue they're celebrating the day in their own way in the company of each other!

Former Pakistan leg-spinner Danish Kaneria might be currently serving a life ban for his involvement in fixing, but he has once again taken the attack to the Pakistan Cricket Board saying that he wasnt supported enough by the PCB.

In a YouTube video, former Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq had spoken about how Brian Lara had taken Kaneria to the cleaners even though the Pakistan captain had placed fielders on the boundary and thereby shown his true class.

But taking to Twitter, Kaneria wrote: "I have taken @BrianLara's wicket 5 times in my career. He was a good cricketer. If PCB had supported me, I would have broken many big records."

Describing the episode, Inzamam had said: "Kaneria bowled a googly and Lara hit the ball back towards the bowler, coming out of his crease. Danish said ‘well played Brian', which prompted Lara to say ‘okay sir'. The next three balls were all dispatched over the boundary.

"I was the captain of the side so I went over to Danish and told him to tease Lara a bit more. I felt he was angry so we might make him throw away his wicket. I placed the fielders on the boundary in anticipation of big shots but he still managed to outfox us by hitting Danish to all parts of the ground."

Kaneria had earlier asked Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh to help the hindus in Pakistan as they fight the coronavirus outbreak.

"I request @YUVSTRONG12 and @harbhajan_singh to make a video for the minorities living in Pakistan as well. They need your help in this moment of #coronacrisis," Kaneria had said in a tweet.

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US officials believe China covered up the extent of the COVID-19 outbreak — and how contagious the disease is — to stock up on medical supplies needed to respond to it, intelligence documents show. Chinese leaders "intentionally concealed the severity" of the pandemic from the world in early January, according to a four-page Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intelligence report dated May 1 and obtained by the AP.

Marked "for official use only," the DHS analysis states that, while downplaying the severity of the virus, China increased imports and decreased exports of medical supplies. It attempted to cover up doing so by "denying there were export restrictions and obfuscating and delaying provision of its trade data," the analysis states.

Hid details from WHO
The report also says China held off informing the World Health Organisation that the COVID-19 "was a contagion" for much of January so it could order medical supplies from abroad " and that its imports of face masks and surgical gowns and gloves increased sharply.

Those conclusions are based on the 95 per cent probability that China's changes in imports and export behaviour were not within normal range, according to the report. China publicly identified the pathogen as a novel Coronavirus on January 8.

Trump 'thinks' we'll have vaccine by year end

President Donald Trump says he believes a vaccine for COVID-19 will be available by the end of the year. Trump commented Sunday night during a televised town hall. "I think we'll have a vaccine by the end of the year. We'll have a vaccine much sooner rather than later," he said. Trump also increased his projection for the total US death toll to 1,00,000 — up by as much as 40,000 from what he had suggested just a few weeks ago. So far, over 67,000 have died in US.

'Remdesivir to be out by next week'

Antiviral drug Remdesivir, approved by the USFDA for emergency use to treat COVID-19 patients, is expected to be available by early next week, the CEO of Gilead Sciences, the pharmaceutical firm manufacturing the medicine has said.

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The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) has released new guidance for GST-registered persons on the completion of new boxes in the GST F5 return from next year.

Adolescent sexual risk behavior is lowered with involvement of parents and healthcare providers, stated new study. Now, a randomized clinical trial

This note highlights the most pressing issues on families and children in Portugal, as discussed in the OECD publication Doing Better for Families.