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Vanessa Bryant Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit

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Vanessa Bryant, the widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, is suing the owner of the helicopter that crashed last month, killing her husband and 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Kobe Bryant, Gianna and seven others died when the helicopter they were in crashed in fog on January 26.

In the lawsuit, Vanessa Bryant says the pilot was negligent for flying in such poor weather.

The lawsuit was filed shortly before a memorial service held in Los Angeles.

It says that Island Express Helicopters and the pilot, Ara George Zobayan, had a “duty to use that degree of care that an ordinarily careful and prudent pilot would use under the same or similar circumstances”.

The lawsuit alleges that the pilot – who died in the crash – did not assess weather data before taking off.

It also says the pilot did not abort the flight despite the treacherous conditions.

Island Express Helicopters authorized the flight “with full knowledge that the subject helicopter was flying into unsafe weather conditions”, the complaint says.

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Vanessa Bryant is seeking undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages.

The company has suspended operations.

The aircraft – a Sikorsky S-76B – went down into a hillside outside the city of Calabasas.

Conditions were foggy when the flight took off, and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather.

The pilot asked air traffic controllers for a special clearance, known as Special Visual Flight Rules, to fly in less than optimal weather, said NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy, who went to the crash scene to collect evidence.

The helicopter, she added, circled in the air for 12 minutes before being given the clearance. The pilot then asked controllers for “flight following”, an assistance given to helicopters to avoid collisions, but was told the craft was too low to be picked up by radar.

Minutes later, the pilot said he was “climbing to avoid a cloud layer”, she added. The helicopter climbed and began a left descending turn, according to radar data, before communication was lost. All those on board were killed.

Kobe and Gianna Bryant were remembered in a “Celebration of Life” memorial at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 24.

Beyoncé opened the service with her 2013 hit XO, which she said was one of Kobe Bryant’s favorite songs.

Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Bryant’s former teammate Shaquille O’Neal were among those attending.

The Staples Center was Kobe Bryant’s home arena for much of his 20-season career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Speaking at the event, Vanessa Bryant said of her husband: “He was mine. He was my everything,” and called her daughter Gianna an “amazingly sweet and gentle soul” whose smile took up her entire face.

Island Express Helicopters was limited to operating when the pilot was able to see clearly while flying.

Coronavirus: WHO Says “Too Early” to Call COVID-19 a Pandemic

The world should do more to prepare for a possible coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has said.

However, the WHO said it was too early to call the outbreak a pandemic but countries should be “in a phase of preparedness”.

A pandemic is when an infectious disease spreads easily from person to person in many parts of the world.

More cases of respiratory disease Covid-19 continue to emerge with outbreaks in South Korea, Italy and Iran causing concern.

However, most infections are in China, the original source of the virus, where 77,000 people have the disease and nearly 2,600 have died. The number of new cases there is now falling.

More than 1,200 cases have been confirmed in about 30 other countries and there have been more than 20 deaths. Italy reported four more deaths on February 24, raising the total there to seven.

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Worldwide stock markets saw sharp falls because of concerns about the economic impact of the virus.

China said it would postpone the annual meeting of the National People’s Congress in March, to “continue the efforts” against the coronavirus.

The meeting, which approves decisions made by the Communist Party, has taken place every year since 1978.

The proportion of infected people who die from Covid-19 appears to be between 1% and 2%, although the WHO cautions that the mortality rate is not known yet.

On February 24, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain reported their first cases, all involving people who had come from Iran. Officials in Bahrain said the patient infected there was a school bus driver, and several schools had been closed as a result.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, chief of the WHO, told reporters on February 24 that the number of new cases in recent days in Iran, Italy and South Korea was “deeply concerning”.

However he added: “For the moment we are not witnessing the uncontained global spread of this virus and we are not witnessing large scale severe disease or deaths.

“Does this virus have pandemic potential? Absolutely, it has. Are we there yet? From our assessment, not yet.”

“The key message that should give all countries hope, courage and confidence is that this virus can be contained, indeed there are many countries that have done exactly that,” he added.

“Using the word ‘pandemic’ now does not fit the facts but may certainly cause fear.”

However, Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s health emergencies program, said now was the time to make “do everything you would do to prepare for a pandemic”.

PenelopeGate: Francois Fillon’s “Fake Jobs” Trial Begins in France

Penelope Fillon (Image source: Wikipedia)

France’s ex-PM François Fillon has appeared in court for his role in a “fake jobs” scandal.

The politician is accused of paying his Welsh wife Penelope Fillon hundreds of thousands of euros for work she allegedly never did when employed as his assistant.

Both appeared on February 24, but made no statement. They deny the allegations.

Though the trial was due to start on February 24, the court delayed it until February 26, as there is currently a lawyers’ strike in France.

The scandal – dubbed PenelopeGate – began in 2017, when Francois Fillon seemed favorite to win the presidency.

His ratings plummeted after the allegations. Centrist Emmanuel Macron eventually won the election against far-right candidate Marine Le Pen.

Francois Fillon could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The trial is scheduled to run until March 11.

Francois Fillon Under Formal Investigation in France

The former prime minister has been in politics for decades. After serving as lawmaker and in a number of ministerial roles, he became France’s prime minister between 2007 and 2012 under former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Ahead of the 2017 presidential election, Francois Fillon won the center-right Republican party’s presidential primary, and in January 2017 was the clear frontrunner in the polls.

However, Fillon’s bid for the top job fell apart later that month.

Le Canard Enchaîné, a satirical magazine, alleged that Penelope Fillon – formally employed as her husband’s parliamentary assistant for about six years in the 1990s and 2000s – never actually did her job. What’s more, she was paid €831,400 ($900,000) in the role.

Francois Fillon denied the allegations. He said his opponents were trying to sabotage his campaign through his wife, and vowed to press on with the election.

As the scandal grew the former prime minister apologized “profusely” for employing family members, saying that though legal the practice had caused “mistrust”.

However, his poll ratings dropped sharply. He came third in the first round of voting, missing out on the second-round run-off.

Le Canard Enchaîné published numerous allegations against Francois Fillon and his family.

According to the publication, Penelope Fillon made €100,000 writing just a handful of articles for a literary publication La Revue des Deux Mondes. The magazine is owned by a billionaire friend of the family, Marc Ladreit de Lacharrière.

From 2002 to 2007, Penelope Fillon worked for her husband’s successor as a lamaker, Marc Joulaud. He has also been placed under formal investigation.

During a brief stint working for her husband between 2012 and 2013, Penelope Fillon allegedly did not have a work email or parliamentary pass.

Two of the Fillons children have also been caught up in the scandal.

Marie and Charles Fillon were both paid for legal work by their father’s office – yet Le Canard Enchaîné reported that neither were qualified lawyers at the time.

Friends Reunion Special to Air on HBO Max in May 2020

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The entire cast of Friends is to reunite for a one-off special on the HBO Max streaming service, more than 15 years since the show ended.

The unscripted episode will be launched in May. A date is yet to be announced.

Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer will all appear.

Matthew Perry posted on Instagram: “It’s happening.”

The actor posted the text along with a photo of the cast from the 1990s. The rest of the cast then started sharing the same post.

Friends aired from 1994 until 2004. The final show was watched by 52.5 million viewers in the US, making it the most watched TV episode of the 2000s.

The show has since picked up legions of younger fans through Netflix.

Rumors of a reunion intensified after Jennifer Aniston posted a photo of the cast together on Instagram in October.

HBO Max has now secured rights to the show’s back catalogue for $425 million.

Kevin Reilly, chief content officer for HBO Max said the reunion special will capture the spirit of a time when “friends – and audiences – gathered together in real time”.

The cast will be involved in producing the episode.

According to Variety, each actor is expected to receive $2.5 million for taking part in the special, which will be available when HBO Max – a new subscription streaming service – launches.

US Intelligence Agencies Warn that Russia Is Meddling in Donald Trump Re-Election

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

According to recent reports, US intelligence agencies have warned that Russia is attempting to help President Donald Trump get re-elected in November.

It appears the comments came in a closed-door briefing to the House Intelligence Committee on February 13.

President Trump was reportedly enraged, complaining that Democrats would use the information against him.

Donald Trump replaced his acting intelligence chief, Joseph Maguire, on February 20.

The New York Times reported that President Trump was particularly angry that Adam Schiff, the Democrat who led the impeachment proceedings against him, was at the briefing.

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Donald Trump, impeached by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, was acquitted after a two-week trial in the Republican-controlled Senate.

During the House intelligence briefing, President Trump’s supporters argued that he had taken a hard stance with Russia, and that European ties and security had been strengthened as a result, the newspaper added.

Adam Schiff later tweeted that if Donald Trump was in any way “interfering” with the sharing of information between US intelligence agencies and Congress regarding foreign interference in the election process, the president was “jeopardizing” attempts to stop it.

Joseph Maguire was a favorite to be nominated for the permanent Director of National Intelligence (DNI) post, the Washington Post said.

However, the publication said President Trump changed his mind when he found out about the briefing, and what he called the “disloyalty” of his staff.

The president announced this week that Joseph Maguire would be replaced by Richard Grenell, the US ambassador to Germany and a Trump loyalist.

Two Trump administration officials told the New York Times that the replacement of Joseph Maguire, so soon after the contentious briefing, was a coincidence.

US intelligence officials say Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to boost Donald Trump’s campaign and cause chaos within the US electoral process.

Democrats criticized the president for appointing Richard Grenell, who has previously played down the extent of Russian interference in the last election, and has celebrated the rise of far-right politicians in Europe.

Ned Price, a former aide to President Trump’s predecessor Barack Obama, said the president had “dropped the charade that he has any use for intelligence”.

Reducing Stress the Natural Way

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Stress is a part of everyday life, but that doesn’t mean we have to suffer under the massive weight it can often bring into our lives. Believe it or not, you don’t need to take medication to get your stress under control.

There are plenty of ways to manage stress naturally, so you don’t have to worry about harmful side-effects or becoming dependent on OTC or prescription drugs.

Whether you’re someone that’s suffering from anxiety, depression, or you’re just prone to being stressed out, these natural remedies will help you re-center yourself and reach a point of calm in your day.

Is Stress Really Dangerous?

We hear all the time about how stress can be “dangerous”, but is it really so bad for the body and mind? According to Healthline, stress can have numerous effects on both halves of your wholeness, from making it harder to control emotions to heart problems and much more. (The full article can be found here)

All kinds of life occurrences can stress us out. Little things like missing a phone charger or forgetting the spaghetti sauce at the store can cause stress, and bigger things like our jobs, children, and relationships can cause more than their share of stress.

Stress becomes dangerous when it starts affecting things like mood, appetite, and behavior.

People with depression, anxiety, and other mental health conditions are particularly impacted by stress. Stress can increase the volatility of symptoms, cause erratic behavior, and make the condition seem even worse overall. When your body and mind scream “Listen to me, I’m hurting!” it’s time to listen up.

Stress Management

Learning to manage stress can not only protect both your physical and mental health, but it can also help you feel better about life in general. When stress becomes overwhelming, it can be difficult to view things through a positive lens, which can make life seem dull and grey. Life is beautiful and full of opportunities, so let’s take a look at some natural ways to manage stress so you can take control of your life and your health.

Take Up An Instrument or Other Creative Hobby

Did you know that things like art, musical instruments, and other creative hobbies make excellent stress-reducers? Creating music reduces stress by offering the brain a positive outlet for negative feelings, and giving that stressed-out mind something constructive to focus on.

An instrument can be a great way to get in tune with your emotions, as the music sometimes says what your words cannot.

Things like painting, drawing, and crafts also help reduce stress in a similar way. Sometimes, it’s just a good thing to see all of your stress channeled into a beautiful painting or crafty project. Try an instrument or some other creative hobby as a stress-reducer, and you’ll find that what was once a negative experience becomes something positive and constructive.

Exercise Daily

You knew this one was coming, right? Every guru says exercise to reduce your stress, but there’s a reason it’s one of the best medicines for stress. Getting your body moving increases blood flow to the brain and the body, and can have the following positive effects:

  • Increased libido
  • Improved mood & outlook
  • An increase in your energy and motivation
  • Reduce the risk of disease (specifically heart disease)
  • Improve memory and cognitive function
  • Improve the quality of your sleep
  • Reduce your BMI
  • Give yourself a confidence boost

All of these positive effects work hand-in-hand to help reduce your stress. The healthier your body is, the healthier your mind will be, and vice-versa. The two are endlessly connected, and what affects one can affect the other.

Spend Quality Time With Loved Ones

Remember that “high” you feel after you spend quality time with the people you love? A girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse? A grandparent? A child? You probably feel much less stressed out after spending quality time with family (at least you should!) and that’s because spending time with those you love reduces the levels of cortisol in your body (this is a stress hormone).

That means it’s time to make that trip to see grandma and grandpa or schedule some time with your wife/significant other.

The people in our lives provide vital support in times of crisis, and without them, life can seem lonely. Humans are very much social creatures, and if friends and family can help reduce stress naturally, that’s all the more reason to make time for them!

Stress is Here to Stay

People spend entire lifetimes searching for ways to completely eliminate stress, but the fact is, this isn’t possible. Stress is a necessary part of life, but it’s up to us to determine what stressors are worth dealing with and to find new and productive ways of reducing stress’s effects on our bodies and minds.

7 Helpful Tips for Quitting Alcohol

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Drinking alcohol with your friends is like a rite of passage. Unfortunately, this rite of passage can become toxic, lead to many health problems depending on how often someone drinks and the quantity of alcohol consumed, and it can create many other problems in your life. Not everyone is addicted to alcohol, but there are many people who are and the sooner they quit drinking, the better. If you’re considering hanging up your drinking shoes, here are seven helpful tips for quitting alcohol.

Consider rehab and AA.

Depending on how much a person drinks, quitting cold turkey can be dangerous and even life-threatening as alcohol withdrawals can be lethal. Many people consider rehab as it gives them a setting and support system for quitting, not to mention people in rehab are monitored around the clock and can detox safely.

Many alcoholics, whether they opt for rehab or not, go to Alcoholics Anonymous because it’s a support system in which people can relate to one another and the members encourage each other to stay sober. AA allows people to talk through their problems and get to the root of why they abused alcohol in the past.

Another option is therapy. If considering this option, we encourage people to visit withtherapy.com as WithTherapy “is a matchmaker that uses science to pair you with a personalized shortlist of therapists.” Therapy can give you a space to talk about your thoughts, feelings, and problems, but unlike AA, it takes place in a personal setting, with just you and your therapist.

Write down why you want to quit and what drinking is costing you.

Similar to creating goals, writing down why you want to quit and what drinking is costing you can help you realize the harms of drinking and all the benefits of staying sober. Like a goals list, you should constantly monitor your why so it stays fresh in your brain. While creating this list, you’ll get a better and more realistic idea of why drinking is detrimental to your life. This list isn’t meant to shame you—it’s meant to make you see more clearly.

Tell your loved ones about your decision.

Telling your friends and family members about your decision can help you create a support system as well as take the peer pressure of drinking off you. They’ll also see how important this decision is for you and that you’re trying to better your life.

Build a strong support team.

On that note, building a strong support team is essential when trying to quit alcohol because there are going to be times when all you want to do is drink. You’ll try to reason with yourself that you’re only going to have one beer or glass of wine, but, unfortunately, willpower is tougher to achieve when you have an addiction.

A support team will cheer you on and help you reach sobriety. Whether it be AA or your loved ones or both, creating a strong support team can help you quit alcohol.

Photo Credit: Noah Silliman from Unsplash

Steer clear of bars and places you used to drink.

You might be able to go to bars someday and not drink, but when your sobriety journey is fresh, it’s best to stay away from all temptations. This can include bars or restaurants. Don’t keep alcohol in your home when you’re trying to quit. Many alcoholics will only go to places where alcohol is present—you should take the opposite approach, within reason, and steer clear of places that serve alcohol or prioritize it.

Replace drinking with new activities.

Replacing drinking with new activities, such as hiking, going to the movies, reading, or sports, allows you to get your mind off drinking while enjoying something you like. The key, of course, is finding a new activity or hobby that you enjoy. Some people even replace drinking with eating or indulging in desserts, which is perfectly fine as long as you don’t create a new problem.

Don’t give up or beat yourself up if you slip.

Sobriety isn’t a clear and straight path. Some people go off the trail while others are strong enough to eventually have one beer at a time. Everyone’s journey is different, although if you’re an alcoholic and have problems, it’s probably best to stay away from alcohol. If you do slip, don’t beat yourself up. Acknowledge you slipped, get help from your support team, and continue on with your sobriety. Life and people aren’t meant to be perfect.

If you decide to seek therapy or other forms of professional health, we encourage you to choose Cheap health insurance options that support these medical benefits. You can compare health insurance with iSelect and ensure you’re covered and receive quality care.

Germany Shooting: Racist Gunman Kills Nine People in Hanau

Image source: Facebook

A gunman shot dead nine people “of migrant background” at two shisha bars Hanau, Germany, on February 19.

The suspect and his mother were later found dead in his flat.

Germany’s federal prosecutor Peter Frank said material the suspect Tobias R had posted online showed a “deeply racist mindset”.

Tobias R, 43, had also been influenced by conspiracy theories, Peter Frank said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said there were many signs Tobias R had acted out of racism.

Speaking in Berlin, the chancellor said: “Racism is a poison. Hate is a poison and this poison exists in our society and is already to blame for many crimes.”

Turkey says at least five of the dead were Turkish citizens. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he expected Germany to “throw light on all aspects” of the attack.

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According to the prosecutor, the investigation into the deadly gun attack in Hanau is focusing on whether others knew about or helped organize it.

Peter Frank said six people had also been injured in the attack, one of them seriously.

Shortly after the attacks the suspect and his 72-year-old mother were found in his apartment, both also shot. A gun was found next to the suspect’s body.

The prosecutor said investigators wanted to establish any links the suspect may have had in Germany or potentially also abroad.

The shootings took place around 22:00 on February 19, and the first target was the Midnight shisha bar in the city centre of Hanau. Witnesses reported hearing about a dozen gunshots.

The suspect then traveled by car to the Kesselstadt neighborhood, some 1.5 miles away, and opened fire at the Arena Bar & Cafe.

Shisha bars are places where people gather to smoke a pipe known as shisha or hookah. Traditionally found in Middle Eastern and Asian countries, they are also popular in many other parts of the world.

The shootings sparked a manhunt. Police identified the gunman through information from witnesses and surveillance cameras. On February 20, they stormed the suspect’s home, near the scene of the second shooting.

Hanau, in Hesse state, is a city of 100,000 residents about 15 miles east of Frankfurt.

The victims included German citizens and foreigners aged between 21 and 44, Germany’s federal prosecutor said.

Among the dead were “several victims of Kurdish origin”, the Kon-Med association of Kurds in Germany said. It said it was “furious” that authorities were not doing more to fight extremism.

Tobias R had posted videos and a kind of manifesto on his website, Peter Frank said.

In the manifesto he wrote that people from more than 20 countries including Turkey and Israel should be “destroyed”, AFP reported.

In her statement, Chancellor Merkel said there were “many indications at the moment that the perpetrator acted on right-wing extremist, racist motives, out of hatred towards people of other origins, religion or appearance”.

Hesse state Interior Minister Peter Beuth said the suspect had not previously been known to the authorities.

The Bild tabloid reports the suspect had a firearms license, and that ammunition and gun magazines were found in his car.

Gun laws in Germany are among the most stringent in the world, and were tightened further in recent years after other mass shootings.

Larry Tesler: Cut, Copy and Paste Inventor Dies Aged 74

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Silicon Valley icon and Cut, Copy and Paste inventor Larry Tesler has died at the age of 74.

Larry Tesler started working in Silicon Valley in the early 1960s, at a time when computers were inaccessible to the vast majority of people.

It was thanks to Tesler’s innovations – which included the “cut”, “copy” and “paste” commands – that the personal computer became simple to learn and use.

Xerox, where Larry Tesler spent part of his career, paid tribute to him.

The company tweeted: “The inventor of cut/copy & paste, find & replace, and more, was former Xerox researcher Larry Tesler.

“Your workday is easier thanks to his revolutionary ideas.”

Larry Tesler was born in the Bronx, New York, in 1945, and studied at Stanford University in California.

After graduating, he specialized in user interface design – that is, making computer systems more user-friendly.

Larry Tesler worked for a number of major tech firms during his long career. He started at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (Parc), before Steve Jobs poached him for Apple, where he spent 17 years and rose to chief scientist.

After leaving Apple, Larry Tesler set up an education start-up, and worked for brief periods at Amazon and Yahoo.

Possibly his most famous innovation, the cut and paste command, was reportedly based on the old method of editing in which people would physically cut portions of printed text and glue them elsewhere.

The command was incorporated in Apple’s software on the Lisa computer in 1983, and the original Macintosh that was released the following year.

One of Larry Tesler’s firmest beliefs was that computer systems should stop using “modes”, which were common in software design at the time.

Modes allow users to switch between functions on software and apps but make computers both time-consuming and complicated.

So strong was this belief that Larry Tesler’s website was called “nomodes.com”, his Twitter handle was “@nomodes”, and even his car’s registration plate was “No Modes”.

Lesotho: PM Thomas Thabane to Be Charged with Murdering His Estranged Wife

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama with The Right Honorable Motsoahae Thomas Thabane, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Lesotho (Official White House Photo by Amanda Lucidon)

The prime minister of Lesotho, Thomas Thabane, is to be charged with the murder of his estranged wife Lipolelo Thabane, police announced.

The 80-year-old announced he would be stepping down in July because of old age, without commenting about the case.

Thomas Thabane’s current wife, Maesaiah, has already been charged with the murder.

The prime minister would be the first leader in southern Africa to be charged with murder while in office, in a case that has shocked the tiny mountain kingdom.

Lipolelo Thabane, 58, was shot dead two days before her husband became prime minister in 2017.

At the time, Thomas Thabane described his wife’s killing as “senseless” but police now accuse him of being involved in her killing.

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Deputy Commissioner of Police Paseka Mokete was quoted by Reuters as saying: “The prime minister is going to be charged with the murder.

“The police are preparing directives and he will probably be charged tomorrow [February 21].”

Thomas Thabane said on state radio that he had served the nation “diligently” and he would retire at the end of July, Reuters reports.

He was quoted as saying: “I’ve worked for a peaceful and stable Lesotho. Today… at my age, I have lost most of my energy.”

The ruling All Basotho Convention had given Thomas Thabane a deadline of February 20 to resign.

Lipolelo Thabane was gunned down at close range on the side of a dirt road while returning to her home in a small village on the outskirts of the capital, Maseru.

She was involved in bitter divorce proceedings with Thomas Thabane when she was killed.

At the time, the prime minister was living with Maesaiah, 42, as if she were his wife.

However, Lipolelo Thabane had already won a separate legal battle to be recognized as first lady, as opposed to Maesaiah.

Maesaiah Thabane accompanied the prime minister to his inauguration, following his estranged wife’s death.

Two months later Maesaiah and Thomas Thabane got married in a Catholic ceremony held at a packed stadium in Maseru.

Maesaiah Thabane was charged with her rival’s murder on February 5, and is out on bail of about $67.

The prime minister’s current wife has also been charged with the attempted murder of a family friend Thato Sibolla, who was with Lipolelo Thabane at the time of the shooting and is expected to be a key witness in the murder case.

Maesaiah  Thabane has not yet been asked to enter a plea.

Coronavirus: Diamond Princess Passengers Leave Cruise Ship

Image source: Wikipedia

Passengers who tested negative for the new coronavirus on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have begun leaving the quarantined vessel in Japan amid heavy criticism over the country’s handling of the outbreak.

According to a Japanese health expert who visited the cruise ship at the port in Yokohama, the situation on board was “completely chaotic”.

US officials said moves to contain the coronavirus “may not have been sufficient”.

Passengers have described the difficult quarantine situation on the cruise ship.

According to recent reports, at least 542 passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess have so far been infected by the Covid-19 virus – the biggest cluster outside mainland China.

The Diamond Princess was carrying 3,700 people in total.

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Meanwhile, several nations have evacuated their citizens from the vessel as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise.

On January 16, hundreds of American passengers were removed and placed in quarantine.

The US, the UK, Canada and Australia will place all those released from the Diamond Princess in another 14 days’ quarantine when they return home.

However, several experts have questioned the effectiveness of the quarantine measures on the Diamond Princess.

Japan’s Kentaro Iwata, professor at the infectious diseases division of Kobe University, described the situation on board as “completely inadequate in terms of infection control”.

After visiting the ship, Prof. Kentaro Iwata posted a video to YouTube stating that the quarantine measures he witnessed failed to separate the infected from the healthy.

The professor reported:

  • Passengers and crew members were moving freely between the green zone, which is supposedly infection-free, and the virus-hit red zone;
  • People were eating together and sharing living quarters;
  • A failure to wear protective clothing, including among medical staff
  • No professional infection control specialist on board.

Prof. Iwata said he was more afraid of catching the virus on board than he had been working in the field in Africa during the Ebola epidemic and in China during the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak.

Harvey Weinstein Trial: Judge Warns Defense Not to Talk to Press

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Image source Wikimedia

The judge in the Harvey Weinstein trial has warned the lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, not to talk to the press, after she penned an opinion piece on February 15.

Writing in Newsweek, Donna Rotunno called on jurors to “do what they know is right”.

However, Donna Rotunno told Justice James Burke the piece was not intended to address the jury directly.

The row came before the jury of seven men and five women were sent away to try to reach a verdict.

The jury has now finished the deliberations for the day, after asking for clarification of legal terms and for plans of the apartment where one of the alleged assaults took place.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to assaulting former production assistant Mimi (Miriam) Haleyi and raping former actress Jessica Mann.

The trial began in New York in January.

Accusations of misconduct against Harvey Weinstein by dozens of women helped drive the #MeToo movement.

Only two of the accusers’ cases, those of Mimi Haleyi and Jessica Mann, have led to individual criminal charges in New York, but the testimony of others is being used as supporting evidence.

Judge James Burke instructed jurors on February 18 before they retired to consider their verdict.

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As the court session opened, prosecutors asked the judge to instruct jurors to ignore the Newsweek piece as it was “100% inappropriate”.

The judge refused the prosecutors’ request, but restated a ban he imposed at the beginning of the trial on both defense and prosecution from giving media interviews.

He told Donna Rotunno: “I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut.”

She responded: “This is an op-ed about the jury system as a whole, about the criminal justice system as a whole.”

In the Newsweek piece, Donna Rotunno accused her opponents of trying to influence the trial.

She wrote: “The mocking of Mr. Weinstein’s walker, the unflattering courtroom-artist sketches of his body, the countless critical op-eds and biased stories, and the convenient timing of the politically-motivated charges in Los Angeles were all designed to pre-determine his guilt.”

Adding: “I implore the members of this jury to do what they know is right and was expected of them from the moment they were called upon to serve their civic duty in a court of law.”

However, Judge Burke asked the defense: “You don’t think addressing the jury in the first person isn’t problematic?”

Prosecutors have argued Harvey Weinstein was a “seasoned” predator who preyed on aspiring young actresses.

The 67-year-old’s defense team said his actions were consensual, including in one “loving” relationship. They also said prosecutors had failed to present any forensic evidence or eyewitness accounts.

Harvey Weinstein denies five charges, including rape and assault, relating to two accusers. The jury must reach unanimous verdicts on each count.

The Hollywood mogul, who never took the stand during the trial, could face life behind bars if convicted.

Once one of Hollywood’s most decorated and lauded producers, Harvey Weinstein has been accused of misconduct by more than 80 women.

However, few of the

The judge in the Harvey Weinstein trial has warned the lead defense lawyer, Donna Rotunno, not to talk to the press, after she penned an opinion piece on February 15.

Writing in Newsweek, Donna Rotunno called on jurors to “do what they know is right”.

However, Donna Rotunno told Justice James Burke the piece was not intended to address the jury directly.

The row came before the jury of seven men and five women were sent away to try to reach a verdict.

The jury has now finished the deliberations for the day, after asking for clarification of legal terms and for plans of the apartment where one of the alleged assaults took place.

Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to assaulting former production assistant Mimi (Miriam) Haleyi and raping former actress Jessica Mann.

The trial began in New York in January.

Accusations of misconduct against Harvey Weinstein by dozens of women helped drive the #MeToo movement.

Only two of the accusers’ cases, those of Mimi Haleyi and Jessica Mann, have led to individual criminal charges in New York, but the testimony of others is being used as supporting evidence.

Judge James Burke instructed jurors on February 18 before they retired to consider their verdict.

As the court session opened, prosecutors asked the judge to instruct jurors to ignore the Newsweek piece as it was “100% inappropriate”.

The judge refused the prosecutors’ request, but restated a ban he imposed at the beginning of the trial on both defense and prosecution from giving media interviews.

He told Donna Rotunno: “I would caution you about the tentacles of your public relations juggernaut.”

She responded: “This is an op-ed about the jury system as a whole, about the criminal justice system as a whole.”

In the Newsweek piece, Donna Rotunno accused her opponents of trying to influence the trial.

She wrote: “The mocking of Mr. Weinstein’s walker, the unflattering courtroom-artist sketches of his body, the countless critical op-eds and biased stories, and the convenient timing of the politically-motivated charges in Los Angeles were all designed to pre-determine his guilt.”

Adding: “I implore the members of this jury to do what they know is right and was expected of them from the moment they were called upon to serve their civic duty in a court of law.”

However, Judge Burke asked the defense: “You don’t think addressing the jury in the first person isn’t problematic?”

Prosecutors have argued Harvey Weinstein was a “seasoned” predator who preyed on aspiring young actresses.

The 67-year-old’s defense team said his actions were consensual, including in one “loving” relationship. They also said prosecutors had failed to present any forensic evidence or eyewitness accounts.

Harvey Weinstein denies five charges, including rape and assault, relating to two accusers. The jury must reach unanimous verdicts on each count.

The Hollywood mogul, who never took the stand during the trial, could face life behind bars if convicted.

Once one of Hollywood’s most decorated and lauded producers, Harvey Weinstein has been accused of misconduct by more than 80 women.

However, few of the complaints have led to criminal charges.

complaints have led to criminal charges.

Can You Sue for a Medical Misdiagnosis?

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When you seek the advice of a health care professional and undergo medical testing, you likely assume that the diagnosis you ultimately receive will be correct. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, but when do you have a case for medical malpractice from a misdiagnosis, and when is it considered part of the practice of medicine?

In a general sense, while there are a lot of variables, if a doctor doesn’t make both a timely and accurate diagnosis of a harmful medical condition, you might be able to file a lawsuit for medical malpractice. It’s certainly possible in medical situations that a doctor could have made a diagnosis to the best of their ability, and even if it were wrong, it would be legal medical negligence.

The following are some things to know.

Common Misdiagnosis Situations

There are certain scenarios that can lead to a delayed diagnosis or the wrong diagnosis. Examples include:

  • Failure to screen for a disease or medical condition
  • Not referring a patient to a specialist
  • Misinterpreting lab results
  • Not consulting a patient about their symptoms
  • Not following up on the possible causes of symptoms

Misdiagnosis is one of the top reasons for patient deaths, and there are often thousands of patients in the U.S. alone each year that are misdiagnosed, or deal with delayed diagnosis or missed diagnosis.

Many patients who aren’t properly diagnosed also aren’t ever referred to anyone for a second opinion.

What Do You Have to Show?

With medicine, there is always a degree of uncertainty, which is why it’s called the “practice” of medicine. Legally doctors aren’t held responsible for all errors in diagnostics. For a patient who brings forth a malpractice suit, they would need to show three things.

First, you need to prove there was a doctor-patient relationship.

The second thing you need to show is that another doctor in a similar situation and a similar medical role or practice wouldn’t have made the same mistake your doctor made. That shows the doctor was potentially negligent if another doctor wouldn’t have missed the diagnosis in the same way.

The third thing you’ll need to prove is that the negligence of the doctor caused injury or harm to the patient.

Doctors are required to provide a duty of care to all patients, and if a doctor doesn’t meet the minimum standards, then they’ve breached that.

Conditions Commonly Misdiagnosed

Some of the most commonly misdiagnosed conditions include heart attack, cancer, asthma, diabetes, and stroke.

Other conditions misdiagnosed are stroke and chronic kidney disease.

When a person is misdiagnosed, or their diagnosis is delayed, it can increase the potential for complications, or expose them to risky treatments that aren’t necessary. It can also increase the risk of death or contribute to someone undergoing an unneeded surgery.

Was the Patient Harmed by the Misdiagnosis?

One of the main considerations to keep in mind with a medical malpractice lawsuit, whether it’s from a misdiagnosis or something similar, is that you’ll need to show some harm. If you can’t show this, it can weaken the potential for a successful lawsuit.

You need to be able to show that if a diagnosis had been made in a timely way, then the condition wouldn’t have progressed in the way that it did.

There are some rare cases in which a doctor may wrongly diagnose a person with something worse than what they have or something when they have nothing at all and you may be able to get damages for that as well if you can show it led to stress, anxiety, medical issues or unnecessary treatment.

Who Can Be Sued?

Typically if you were going to sue for a misdiagnosis, you would sue your primary doctor. In some cases, although rare, other professionals in the health care industry might be liable if their negligence played a role in the patient’s harm.

This could include any specialists, lab techs, and nurses who saw the patient.

A hospital or health care facility can’t be sued because doctors are independent contractors. Doctors aren’t employees of the hospital, so the facility can’t be held responsible if they are negligent.

If you or a loved one suffered as the result of a misdiagnosis or a delayed diagnosis, it might be worth having a conversation with a legal professional. It can be tough to prove in some instances, but if you can prove negligence led to harm you may be able to recover damages.

Trump Administration Proposes New Government Agency for Tobacco Control

The Trump administration’s budget proposal for the new fiscal year includes a plan that would spin out the Center for Tobacco Products as a separate agency from the Food and Drug Administration, according to The Hill. Presently, the FDA regulates all tobacco products in the United States along with foods, prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 gave the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products. In the years since, however, the nature of the tobacco industry was transformed by the advent of vaping products and e liquid. While the total number of tobacco products on the market once numbered in the dozens – and most of those were grandfathered by the Tobacco Control Act – there are now hundreds of vaping products on U.S. shelves being sold without approval, and the FDA needs to receive and begin processing pre-market applications for those products by May.

The FDA has repeatedly stated that it lacks the resources to promptly process pre-market applications for vaping products while handling all of its other duties.

Why Has the Trump Administration Proposed a New Tobacco Control Agency?

According to the administration’s budget proposal, the reasons for spinning out the Center for Tobacco Products into a separate agency are twofold.

  • The creators of the Tobacco Control Act didn’t envision how the tobacco industry would change in the future. Vaping is an extremely complex issue, and a separate agency would have its own budget and resources for handling that.
  • The core mission of the FDA is to regulate and ensure the safety of foods and medications. When one really thinks about it, the addition of tobacco product regulation to the FDA’s existing duties isn’t entirely logical; tobacco products don’t promote health. In the words of White House Domestic Policy Council head Joe Grogan, tobacco products have “no redeeming qualities,” and tasking the FDA with regulating those products is a “huge waste of time” for an agency created for the promotion of public health.

How Has Vaping Increased the Complexity of Tobacco Regulation?

When the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama, the tobacco industry was very different from today. No one could have anticipated how the industry would change in the coming decade. The reasons for the complexity surrounding tobacco regulation in 2020 are as follows:

  • The Tobacco Control Act established a grandfather date of 2007 for existing tobacco products, allowing those products to remain on the market with a handful of changes:
    • Descriptive terms like “Light” and “Ultra-Light” were no longer allowed because those terms implied that those products were less harmful.
    • Flavored cigarettes – apart from menthol – were no longer allowed.
  • Companies couldn’t bring new tobacco products to the market without first submitting applications to the FDA proving that those products were beneficial to public health and wouldn’t encourage new nicotine uptake. Effectively, the law made it illegal to release a new combustible cigarette brand in the United States; no combustible cigarette benefits public health.
  • Vaping didn’t achieve mainstream popularity until after the signing of the Tobacco Control Act.
  • In 2016, the FDA announced that it deemed vaping products to be tobacco products and would regulate them as such under the provisions of the Tobacco Control Act.
  • No vaping product currently sold in the United States was available in 2007. Therefore, every vaping product on the market is an unapproved “new tobacco product” requiring a pre-market application.

When the Tobacco Control Act was signed into law, lawmakers expected that the FDA would receive new tobacco product applications only rarely. Instead, the agency may have to process hundreds of new product applications in 2020. It’s an enormous burden that the FDA isn’t equipped to handle.

Expert Opinions on Trump’s Tobacco Control Proposal

Some experts believe that the FDA is already doing a well enough job of regulating tobacco and vaping products and have applauded the agency’s efforts to ramp up its capabilities in advance of the May 2020 pre-market application deadline for vaping products. Recently departed FDA head Scott Gottlieb – a vocal proponent of vaping’s potential as an agent for tobacco harm reduction – stated that he found tobacco regulation an extremely productive use of his time when he was the agency’s commissioner.

Some also believe that keeping the authority to regulate tobacco products within the FDA is the right decision because the agency is theoretically insulated from outside political pressure. Creating a separate agency for tobacco regulation, those people say, gives tobacco companies a potential opportunity to meddle.

At the time of writing, no one from the vaping industry has commented about the budget proposal. The reason for the silence from the industry may be the fact that the organizational realignment wouldn’t fundamentally change anything about the way in which the government regulates the vaping industry. Pre-market applications for all vaping products will still be due by May 2020, and those applications will still be too expensive for most of the industry’s small businesses to put together. The realignment wouldn’t solve the core problem with vaping product regulations in the United States: Applying the same rules to both vaping products and tobacco products simply doesn’t make sense.

Will the Trump Administration’s Budget Proposal Pass?

The idea of creating a new government agency for tobacco product regulation is just one section of the Trump administration’s proposed $4.8 trillion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and the budget requires approval from the House of Representatives and the Senate before it can be enacted. Since the Democratic party controls the House of Representatives, it is extremely unlikely that the proposed budget will be passed in its current form. In particular, the idea of creating a new tobacco control agency seems to have little support among lawmakers.

The Tobacco Control Act presents an additional challenge in the implementation of the Trump administration’s budget proposal. Since the law tasks the FDA with the job of regulating tobacco products, an amendment to the law would likely be necessary before that responsibility could legally be transferred to another government agency.

Coronavirus: China Releases Largest Study on Covid-19 Since Outbreak

Chinese health officials have released the first details of more than 44,000 cases of new coronavirus, Covid-19, in the largest study since the outbreak began.

Data from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) finds that more than 80% of the cases have been mild, with the sick and elderly most at risk.

The research also points to the high risk to medical staff.

On February 18, a hospital director in the city of Wuhan died from the virus.

Liu Zhiming, 51, was the director of the Wuchang Hospital in Wuhan – one of the leading hospitals in the virus epicenter. He is one of the most senior health officials to die so far.

Hubei, whose capital is Wuhan, is the worst affected province in China.

The report by the CCDC shows the province’s death rate is 2.9% compared with 0.4% in the rest of the country.

The findings put the overall death rate of the coronavirus at 2.3%.

China’s latest official figures released on February 18 put the overall death toll at 1,868 and 72,436 infections.

Officials reported 98 new deaths and 1,886 new cases in the past day, with 93 of those deaths and 1,807 infections in Hubei province – the epicenter of the outbreak.

According to Chinese authorities, more than 12,000 people have recovered.

The study, published in the Chinese Journal of Epidemiology on February 17, looked at more than 44,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in China as of February 11.

While the results largely confirm previous descriptions of the virus and patterns of infection, the study includes a detailed breakdown of the 44,672 confirmed cases across all of China.

The study finds that 80.9% of infections are classified as mild, 13.8% as severe and only 4.7% as critical. The number of deaths among those infected, known as the fatality rate, remains low but rises among those over 80 years old.

Looking at the sex ratio, men are more likely to die (2.8%) than women (1.7%).

Covid-19: First Coronavirus Death in Europe

China Coronavirus: Lockdowns Across Hubei Province
China Coronavirus: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

The research also identifies which existing illnesses put patients at risk. It puts cardiovascular disease at number one, followed by diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and hypertension.

Pointing out the risk to medical staff, the study says that a total of 3,019 health workers have been infected, 1,716 of which were confirmed cases. Five had died by February 11, which was the last day of data included in the research.

On February 13, China broadened its definition of how to diagnose people, including “clinically diagnosed cases” which previously were counted separate from “confirmed cases”.

Looking forward, the study finds that “the epidemic curve of onset of symptoms” peaked around January 23-26 before declining up to February 11.

It suggests that the downward trend in the overall epidemic curve could mean that “isolation of whole cities, broadcast of critical information  (e.g., promoting hand washing, mask wearing, and care seeking) with high frequency through multiple channels, and mobilization of a multi-sector rapid response teams is helping to curb the epidemic”.

The authors also warn that with many people returning from a long holiday, the country “needs to prepare for the possible rebound of the epidemic”.

China’s response to the new coronavirus has seen the lockdown of Wuhan – the largest city in Hubei – and the rest of the province as well as severe travel restrictions on movements across the country.

Boy Scouts of America Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Following Abuse Lawsuits

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Image source: BSA

The Boy Scouts of America has filed for bankruptcy protection following multiple abuse lawsuits.

The BSA says the move will allow it to build a compensation fund for abuse victims.

As a result of the move, all civil lawsuits against it are put on hold.

The BSA is struggling with declining membership as well as abuse claims.

Chief executive Roger Mosby said in a statement: “The BSA cares deeply about all victims of abuse and sincerely apologizes to anyone who was harmed during their time in scouting. We are outraged that there have been times when individuals took advantage of our programs to harm innocent children.”

Court papers filed in Delaware listed liabilities of up to $1 billion and assets of as much as $10 billion, reports say.

The filing was made under Chapter 11 of the US bankruptcy code which allows the group to keep operating and pay its creditors over time.

The bankruptcy allows the BSA to bring all of the lawsuits into one court and try to negotiate a settlement, rather than using its funds to fight each case in court.

The group said it was setting up a trust fund to compensate victims.

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Roger Mosby said in a statement: “While we know nothing can undo the tragic abuse that victims suffered, we believe the Chapter 11 process – with the proposed trust structure – will provide equitable compensation to all victims while maintaining the BSA’s important mission.”

According to the Wall Street Journal, the BSA has 261 councils which operate local troops and own assets including land in many states. The bankruptcy move is designed to protect those councils, which hold about 70% of all BSA assets, the publication says.

In its statement, the BSA said the councils, which are legally separate and financially independent of the national organization, had not filed for bankruptcy.

Bosarge Divorce: Billions at Stake in High Stakes Houston Divorce Ruling

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Image source: edbosarge.com

Press release

Harris County State District Judge Chip Wells is set to rule this week on the high stakes divorce battle involving eccentric Houston billionaire Ed Bosarge.

Attorneys for Marie Bosarge claim the billionaire owns mansions, yachts and even a Bahamian Island but is trying to leave her penniless after their 30 years of marriage. One of their Houston mansions was originally put on the market for $43 billion.

Ed and Marie Bosarge had only one house and faced foreclosure when they got married. They amassed a fortune during their decades-long marriage. Experts say Bosarge may have $2.3 billion in secretive South Dakota trusts created to cheat his wife.

 Her lawyer says that fraudulent scheme even included trying to hide in the trust a 43-carat diamond necklace he gave Marie for Christmas.

Wells hasn’t ruled whether the divorce case will go to a jury, but when Ed Bosarge’s lawyers suggested the judge had no choice but to end the lawsuit, Wells exploded from the bench.

“I don’t think the laws of South Dakota frees him of an obligation he made when he got married,” Judge Wells angrily told Ed Bosarge’s lawyers. “Scheme may be the key word. Play this game. Fraud on the community estate. I promise you it’s not going to go well. I don’t have to tolerate your disrespect.”

Attorney Bucky Allshouse says if Ed Bosarge gets away with his plan then no wife would be safe.

“I want him to be fair. You know, we made our money in Houston. It’s community property. It’s fifty-fifty. I want what’s fair,” said Marie Bosarge.

Covid-19: First Coronavirus Death in Europe

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

The first death from new coronavirus outside Asia has been confirmed in France.

According to French Health Minister Agnès Buzyn, the victim was an 80-year-old Chinese tourist from Hubei province.

The man arrived in France on January 16 and was placed in quarantine in hospital in Paris on January 25, the minister said.

Only three deaths had previously been reported outside mainland China – in Hong Kong, the Philippines and Japan.

WHO: Coronavirus Cases Not Rising Outside China Despite Spike in Hubei Province

China Coronavirus: Lockdowns Across Hubei Province
China Coronavirus: Signs, Symptoms and Treatment

1,523 people have died from the virus within China, mostly in Hubei province, where it first emerged. These include 143 deaths newly reported on February 15 by China’s national health commission.

A further 2,641 people have been newly confirmed as infected, bringing China’s total cases to 66,492.

However, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on February 15 that the outbreak in Hubei was now being managed more effectively – “indicating that overall the epidemic is controllable”.

Speaking at a security conference in Germany, Wang Yi said the number of people who had recovered reached more than 8,000 on February 14.

At the same meeting, the head of the WHO said all countries should be prepared for the arrival of the virus.

In late January, France became the first European country to confirm cases of the virus. It has had 11 confirmed cases of the disease, officially called Covid-19. Six people remain in hospital.

The Chinese tourist in France had been in a critical condition in the Bichat hospital in northern Paris, the health minister said. He died of a lung infection due to the coronavirus.

His 50-year-old daughter is among the six in hospital with the virus, but she is recovering, the minister said.

The other five people are British nationals who caught the virus at a chalet in the ski resort of Contamines-Montjoie.

Outside mainland China, there have been more than 500 cases in 26 countries.

Earlier in the day, the US said it was sending a plane to Japan to evacuate Americans stuck on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, which is being held in quarantine in a Japanese port.

According to Japan’s NHK broadcaster, some 400 US citizens are reported to be on the cruise ship. Those with symptoms are expected to be treated in Japan.

Out of 3,700 people on board, 218 have tested positive for the virus. Australia also said it was considering removing its citizens from the ship.

Meanwhile, an 83-year-old American woman on a cruise ship which docked in Cambodia, has tested positive for the virus after arriving by air in Malaysia.

The MS Westerdam had been turned away by five destinations, including the US island of Guam, before Cambodia agreed it could land.

The woman and her husband were among 145 passengers from the ship who flew to Malaysia after it docked. According to the Malaysian health authorities Both showed symptoms, but he tested negative.

No cases were found on board the cruise ship during regular health checks on the 1,455 passengers and 802 crew.

On February 14, Egypt’s health ministry confirmed the first case of the coronavirus in Africa. The ministry described the person as a foreigner, but did not disclose their nationality.

All You Need to Know About Liposuction Surgery in Turkey

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In the present time, there are so many kinds of cosmetic surgeries that are becoming the talk of the town. As people have become aware of what they need to care about, what options do they have, the easy way outs through surgeries, so they all demand and become attracted to treatments like liposuction? It is a cosmetologically advanced treatment that is known for its amazing results all over the world. It is the best-known treatment done in Turkey, and people from all over the world come to get their services. We are going to share with you the details about it so that you can take advantage of it in all possible ways. Let us get started with it in detail now.

What is Liposuction?            

By liposuction surgery by Cosmeticium in Turkey, we mean that treatment that people like to get for the purpose of losing fat. In many cases, you see people are complaining about stubborn fat in their body and that they are unable to get rid of after so much dieting and exercise. Well, liposuction surgery is the solution for this because this procedure helps in taking out fat from the muscles around the stomach, around the upper section of rams, things and hip region. So, liposuction surgery is something that helps you get the slim and trim body you were craving for so long time.

The liposuction surgery in Turkey by Cosmeticium has also known as lip pasty or cosmetic body contouring technique in which the whole-body shape is improved by taking out extra fat in all possible regions that make the body look fat and deformed. liposuction surgery is something that needs a careful examination of the body the procedure is practically started. You can simply do a favor to yourself by hiring the right professional surgeon for this.

What to expect from this procedure?

In Turkey, Liposuction surgery is a procedure that is done by giving the patient enough anesthesia. This is to help the patient avoid any pain during the process. It is very unusual to feel pain during the process due to this precaution, while the pain after the surgery is done is a huge deal. We are going to share with you before and after surgery, precautions to handle your situation well enough and to avoid pain as well. Let us get started with these now.

Before Treatment

Before the liposuction surgery in Turkey, you can follow the following points.

  1. Discuss your fears with your doctor about the protocol, the results, the pain, and everything that comes to your mind. This talk will put your mind to ease and help you move to the liposuction surgery.
  2. You have to discuss with your liposuction surgery professional about the kind and the type of anesthesia that will be given to you during the surgery. You can then suggest your needs and make changes accordingly.
  3. As your liposuction surgery professional that you are supposed to need any medication after the liposuction surgery or not. This will help you understand the process more and make advance preparations for it.

After Treatment

After the liposuction surgery in Turkey is done, you must keep in mind the following points to avoid pain.

  1. You should try to get your pills, especially of pain as recommended by the doctor.
  2. Try to use the compression garment after the liposuction surgery because this will help you deal with your body after the surgery and the pain as well.
  3. The drains must be kept in their required place after the liposuction surgery is done.
  4. You have to take enough rest and relax your body as much as you can. Never start working, walking and going out immediately. Give your body the time to heal and come to normal functioning form.
  5. Edema or swelling can occur if you start taking salt, either through food or drinks. So, avoid nay salt intake in your body.
  6. Try to take more and more fluids to avoid nay dehydration of your body.

How to decide if liposuction surgery is for you or not?

There are some simple things or points that will help you decide the fact that if you need any liposuction surgery treatment or not. These include all possible situations occurring in people who need liposuction surgery. These include the following:

  1. You are not a good liposuction surgery candidate if you do not have extra skin on your body.
  2. You do not have good muscle tone, then gain you need to get this procedure done for your body parts.
  3. Elasticity in the skin if not enough present, then liposuction surgery becomes a necessity for you.
  4. If there is stubborn fat on your body, then liposuction surgery is surely for you because it will help you get rid of it.
  5. Your physical shape of the body and overall health if not good, then the liposuction surgery becomes a necessity for you and your body.
  6. If you are overweight and obese, liposuction surgery is for you for sure.
  7. If you smoke, you will need liposuction surgery one or the other day in the future.

This procedure can be a little risky if you get services from any part of the world, other than Turkey because their services are very high class and reliable.

Conclusion

We all want the body that we crave for a very long time. Also, we want to put less effort in terms of dieting and exercise and practice some protocols like liposuction surgery to get rid of the extra fats and to bring the body into the shape we want. This body contouring technique is now quite old and is becoming advance in all procedures with time. So, if you also think that you need this liposuction surgery, then search for the right liposuction surgery center, get in touch with professional liposuction surgery doctor, talk about your needs in detail, and at the end hire with all satisfaction in your heart for your upcoming liposuction surgery.

Yemen: Saudi Fighter Jet Shot Down by Houthis

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Image source Wikimedia

A Saudi Tornado warplane fighting in Yemen has crashed in the northern province of al-Jawf.

According to Saudi Arabia’s state news agency SPA, a Saudi-led coalition spokesman confirmed that the fighter jet had “fallen” while carrying out a support mission near Yemeni army units.

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed they shot down the plane.

Yemen: 29 Children Killed in Saudi-Led Strike on School Bus

Saudi Arabia Intercepts Yemen Ballistic Missile near Riyadh Airport

The coalition has been battling the rebel Houthi movement since 2015.

It intervened after the Houthis ousted the internationally-recognized government from power in the capital Sanaa.

The Houthi rebels said they used ground-to-air missiles to down the warplane on February 14. They also accused the coalition of killing 30 people in retaliatory airstrikes in al-Jawf on the next day.

Saudi Arabia has not provided details of any casualties from the crash, or what caused it.

Yemen has been at war since 2015, when President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and his cabinet were forced to flee the capital Sanaa by the Houthis.

Saudi Arabia backs President Hadi, and has led a coalition of regional countries in air strikes against the rebels.

The coalition carries out air strikes almost every day, while the Houthis often fire missiles into Saudi Arabia.

Yemen civil war has triggered the world’s worst humanitarian disaster, with an estimated 80% of the population – more than 24 million people – requiring humanitarian assistance or protection. Tens of thousands of people have died n Yemen as a result of the conflict.

Antarctica Temperature Exceeds 20C for First Time

The NASA study revealed that West Antarctica’s key glaciers are in an irreversible retreat
Image source: NASA

The temperature in Antarctica has exceeded 20C for the first time.

Researchers logged a temperature of 20.75C on Seymour Island off the coast of the continent.

Brazilian scientist Carlos Schaefer told AFP they had “never seen a temperature this high in Antarctica”.

However, the scientist warned the temperature, logged on February 9, was just one reading and not part of a long-term data set.

Antarctica also hit a record last week, with a temperature reading of 18.3C on the Antarctic Peninsula.

This latest reading was taken at a monitoring station on Seymour Island, part of a chain of islands off the same peninsula, at the northernmost point of the continent.

NASA study: West Antarctica key glaciers in irreversible retreat

Coldest place on Earth identified in Antarctica

Palm trees once grew in Antarctica

Although the temperature is a record high, Carlos Schaefer emphasized that the reading was not part of a wider study and so, in itself, could not be used to predict a trend.

He said: “We can’t use this to anticipate climatic changes in the future. It’s a data point.

“It’s simply a signal that something different is happening in that area.”

According to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO), temperatures on the Antarctic continent have risen by almost 3C over the past 50 years, and that about 87% of the glaciers along its west coast have “retreated” in that time.

Over the past 12 years the glaciers have shown an “accelerated retreat” due to global warming, it adds.

January 2020 was also Antarctica’s warmest January on record.

Scientists have warned that global warming is causing so much melting at the South Pole, it will eventually disintegrate – causing the global sea level to rise by at least 10ft over the coming centuries.

The previous record for the entire Antarctic region – which includes the continent, islands and ocean that are in the Antarctic climatic zone – was 19.8C, logged in January 1982.

In July 2019, the Arctic region hit its own record temperature of 21C, logged by a base at the northern tip of Ellesmere Island in the Canadian Arctic.

Cesars 2020: Entire Board of French Oscars Resigns after Roman Polanski Row

Photo AFP/Getty Images

The entire board of the French Oscars, the César Academy, has resigned following backlash over nominations for a film by Roman Polanski and demands for reform.

Roman Polanski’s An Officer and a Spy swept the nomination list for the César awards, sparking calls for a boycott.

The director has been wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl since the 1970s.

Hundreds of actors, producers and directors have also called for change.

In an open letter this week, they denounced “dysfunction” at the César Academy and opacity in its management.

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Roman Polanski Extradition Rejected by Poland Court

In a statement on February 13, the César Academy said the board had “unanimously decided to resign” to “honor those men and women who made cinema happen in 2019, to find calm and ensure that the festival of film remains just that, a festival”.

The statement added: “This collective decision will allow complete renewal of the board.”

A general meeting is set to be held after this month’s ceremony to elect a new board, which will look at implementing reforms and modernizing the academy.

France’s Culture Minister Franck Riester said the academy must operate democratically, in the spirit of “openness, transparency, parity and diversity”.

The César Academy has faced controversy in recent months.

Many called for a boycott when Roman Polanski’s film An Officer and a Spy, or J’accuse in French, received 12 award nominations. The director fled the US after his rape conviction in the 1970s, and has since faced other accusations of assault.

France’s equality minister and film critics also condemned the decision to nominate the Polish-French director’s film.

However, the Césars defended the nominations, arguing that the body “should not take moral positions” in giving awards.

In an open letter this week, hundreds of film professionals, including actors and directors, called for “profound reform” at the academy.

They complained of a lack of democracy in the institution and said the founding statutes of the Césars had not changed “for a very long time”.

In response, the board said it would ask for a mediator to be appointed by a culture ministry agency to oversee reforms of its statutes and governance.

It is not the first time the Césars have faced controversy over Roman Polanski. In 2017, the director was picked to head the award’s jury, but stepped down after the move sparked outrage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak-vHVxsFG8

WHO: Coronavirus Cases Not Rising Outside China Despite Spike in Hubei Province

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronavirus cases are not rising dramatically outside China despite a spike in Hubei province.

The only exception was on the Diamond Princess cruise liner docked in Japan, where 44 new cases were reported, bringing the total there to 218.

According to the WHO, there was also no major shift in the coronavirus’s pattern of mortality or severity.

On February 12, Hubei recorded 242 deaths, the deadliest day of the outbreak.

There was also a huge increase in cases, with 14,840 people diagnosed but most of this was down to Hubei using a broader definition to diagnose people, said Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s health emergencies program.

He said: “This does not represent a significant change in the trajectory of the outbreak.”

Outside China there had been two deaths and 447 cases in 24 countries, he said.

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On February 13, Japan announced its first coronavirus death – a woman in her 80s who lived in Kanagawa, south-west of Tokyo.

The woman’s diagnosis was confirmed after her death and she had no obvious link to China’s Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, Japanese media reported.

The Diamond Princess cruise ship is in quarantine in Yokohama. Not all the 3,700 people on board have been tested yet.

People with the virus are taken to hospitals on land to be treated, while those on board are largely confined to their cabins.

On February 13, Japan said it would allow those aged 80 or over who have tested negative for the coronavirus to disembark.

Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said they could be allowed off the ship as early as February 14 but would have to stay in accommodation provided by the government, the Japan Times reported.

Meanwhile another cruise ship – the MS Westerdam – carrying more than 2,000 people docked in Cambodia after being turned away by ports in Japan, Taiwan, Guam, the Philippines and Thailand despite having no sick patients on board.

Until February 13 increases, the number of people with the virus in Hubei was stabilizing.

The new cases and deaths in the province have pushed the national death toll above 1,350 with almost 60,000 infections in total.

White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow said there had been “surprise” in the US at the new cases.

He said: “We’re a little disappointed in the lack of transparency coming from the Chinese, these numbers are jumping around.”

The Trump administration was also disappointed that China had not accepted a US offer to send experts to help China respond to the outbreak, Larry Kudlow said.

China sacked two top officials in Hubei province hours after the new figures were revealed.

Only Hubei province – which accounts for more than 80% of overall Chinese infections – is using the new definition to diagnose new cases.

White House 2020: Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Troy Price Resigns over Caucus Chaos

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Troy Price, the chairman of the Democratic Party in Iowa, has resigned after last week’s caucus was beset with technical issues, questions over accuracy and delays.

In his resignation letter, he said that “the precinct and satellite caucus meetings themselves went well”.

However, Troy Price conceded that the process of reporting results was “unacceptable”.

At the last week’s caucuses, Pete Buttigieg won with a narrow 0.1% victory over Bernie Sanders in terms of delegates, while Senator Sanders won the popular vote.

Since then, the Sanders campaign has asked for a “recanvassing” check of the vote.

Iowa Democratic leaders will elect a new local leader on February 15.

Troy Price said in his letter: “While it is my desire to stay in this role and see this process through to completion, I do believe it is time for the Iowa Democratic Party to begin looking forward.

“My presence in my current role makes that more difficult.”

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He then added that the Iowa Democrats were “not the only party to blame”, and mentioned the partners and vendors who were also involved.

The Iowa caucus is the important first step in choosing the challenger to the incumbent president.

Primaries and caucuses are a string of nationwide state-by-state votes, which culminate in the Democratic nominee being chosen at the party convention in July.

Although Iowa awards only 41 of the 1,991 delegates required to become the Democratic White House nominee, the state’s vote is usually considered the first clear indication of each candidate’s standing within the race.

This year the Iowa Democratic Party distributed a new app, called Shadow, to precinct officials that was supposed to help them report results more quickly.

It was an issue with this app, which the party said was a coding error that led to the delay in results and ultimate chaos on February 3.

Pete Buttigieg declared victory for himself that same day, before any of the results were released.

In the end, the results were finally released three days later than expected.

By that time the chairman of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) had already weighed in, calling for a review of the vote totals.

The second vote that took place – the primary in New Hampshire on February 11 – was more clear-cut. Bernie Sanders came in first, with Pete Buttigieg second and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar in third place.

Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren, previously considered frontrunners, came in fourth and fifth – each with zero delegates.