w Heathrow to carry out temperature checks on passengers By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-06T16:16:47Z Airport’s boss says global standard for screening is crucial to restoring confidenceCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageHeathrow will start using thermal cameras to carry out temperature checks on passengers within the next fortnight, as it called for common health screening standards around the world for air travellers.The UK’s busiest airport said it would trial thermal cameras capable of monitoring the temperature of people in the immigration halls, initially in Terminal 2. Continue reading... Full Article Airline industry Heathrow airport Air transport Transport UK news Coronavirus outbreak Business Environment World news
w Uncovering the mysteries of the 'crazy beast' – Science Weekly podcast By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T09:56:53Z As the coronavirus outbreak continues to be our focus on Science Weekly, we also want to try look at other science stories. In this episode, Nicola Davis speaks to Dave Krause about the 66-million-year-old fossil of a cat-sized mammal dubbed ‘crazy beast’. A giant in its day, we hear how this now extinct branch of mammals – known as Gondwanatherians – offers new insights into what could have been Continue reading... Full Article Science Evolution Mammals Palaeontology Biology
w Warty comb jelly, scourge of fisheries, also eats its young By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-07T15:00:14Z Researchers say cannibalistic tendency may help explain why the invasive creatures thriveWhen the going gets tough, most parents try to protect their offspring. But the warty comb jelly takes a different tack: it eats them.Despite initial appearances, comb jellies are not jellyfish but belong to a different group of animals, ctenophora, which swim using tiny hair-like projections called cilia. Continue reading... Full Article Animal behaviour Biology Science
w WHO conditionally backs Covid-19 vaccine trials that infect people By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-08T15:05:06Z ‘Challenge’ studies would deliberately give coronavirus to healthy volunteers Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageControversial trials in which volunteers are intentionally infected with Covid-19 could accelerate vaccine development, according to the World Health Organization, which has released new guidance on how the approach could be ethically justified despite the potential dangers for participants.So-called challenge trials are a mainstream approach in vaccine development and have been used in malaria, typhoid and flu, but there are treatments available for these diseases if a volunteer becomes severely ill. For Covid-19, a safe dose of the virus has not been established and there are no failsafe treatments if things go wrong. Continue reading... Full Article Medical research Coronavirus outbreak World Health Organization Infectious diseases Science World news Vaccines and immunisation
w Widower seeks class-action lawsuit against N.S. gunman's estate By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 22:10:06 EDT A man whose wife was killed in the April mass shooting in Nova Scotia is the plaintiff named in a proposed class-action lawsuit against the estate of the deceased gunman, denturist Gabriel Wortman. Full Article News/Canada/Nova Scotia
w Lethbridge stormtrooper takedown now to be investigated by external police force By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 12:59:44 EDT Lethbridge police are being investigated by an outside force after handcuffing a woman in a stormtrooper costume outside a Star Wars-themed business earlier this week. But still the force faces accusations that not enough is being done to investigate what happened. Full Article News/Canada/Calgary
w Wild horse stuck in muddy bog is alive and kicking thanks to some determined rescuers By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 14:42:35 EDT A young wild horse likely wouldn't have survived the night if a group of animal lovers hadn't stumbled across the filly struggling — and failing — to drag itself out of a two-metre deep mud hole. Full Article News/Canada/Calgary
w Toronto landlord forced to refinance condo as COVID-19 stalls eviction of lawyer owing $16K in rent By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 04:00:00 EDT Danish Chagani was excited when the lawyer who lived down the hall from his Toronto condo wanted to rent his unit after he bought a house for his young family. But the first-time landlord says the feeling was short-lived. Full Article News/Canada/Toronto
w Man used a semi-automatic, tactical-style shotgun in confrontation with RCMP, ASIRT says By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Fri, 8 May 2020 20:10:54 EDT Alberta's police watchdog have released new details about an armed confrontation that left one person dead and a police officer seriously injured. Full Article News/Canada/Edmonton
w I was totally prepared to quarantine for COVID-19 — and my family got it anyway By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Thu, 7 May 2020 15:38:00 EDT Living on a 10-acre plot of land 100 kilometres outside Toronto, David Stevens thought he and his family were well prepared to ride out the COVID-19 quarantine. But after a call from his mother, he learned that even the best laid plans can go wrong. Full Article News
w This Ancaster mother works in a grocery store. Now her daughter is afraid of her By www.cbc.ca Published On :: Sat, 9 May 2020 08:52:07 EDT Mother's Day is coming up, but it doesn't feel quite right for Dawn Degeus. The 39-year-old mother from Ancaster, Ont., will try to celebrate while one of her two kids actively avoids her. Full Article News/Canada/Hamilton
w Victory Day: Belarus swaggers on parade as Russians leave Red Square deserted By www.theguardian.com Published On :: 2020-05-09T15:05:03Z In a tale of two cities, Moscow keeps its distance while in Minsk, thousands turn out for the traditional military spectacularCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIn any other year, hundreds of thousands of Russians would have marched with portraits of relatives who fought in the second world war in a memorial called the Immortal Regiment.But on Saturday, the images of Soviet veterans and their families floated past on Russian television, a public vigil adapted for the era of social isolation. Continue reading... Full Article Coronavirus outbreak Infectious diseases Russia Belarus Vladimir Putin Alexander Lukashenko Second world war
w Poll: Most in US back curbing in-person worship amid virus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:00:11 -0400 While the White House looks ahead to reopening houses of worship, most Americans think in-person religious services should be barred or allowed only with limits during the coronavirus pandemic — and only about a third say that prohibiting in-person services violates religious freedom, a new poll finds. States have taken different approaches to resuming gatherings as the coronavirus continues to spread, raising tough questions for religious leaders and the faithful about the appropriate time to return. Among that group is 54-year-old Andre Harris of Chicago, a onetime Sunday school teacher who has shifted his routine from physical worship to the conference calls his church is holding during the pandemic. Full Article
w US says Russia working with Syria to send mercenaries to Libyan war By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 11:23:14 -0400 The US believes Russia is working with Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, to send militia fighters and equipment to Libya, according to senior officials. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, US special envoy for Syria, Jim Jeffrey, said Libya’s increasingly shadowy battlefield could get even more complicated. “We know that, certainly, the Russians are working with Assad to transfer militia fighters, possibly third country, possibly Syrian, to Libya, as well as equipment,” he said. His comments came a day after a leaked UN report confirmed the presence of Russian and Syrian mercenaries operating in Libya in support of renegade military commander, Khalifa Haftar. The report revealed that Russian private military contractor, Wagner Group, has up to 1,200 mercenaries operating in Libya in support of General Haftar’s forces, which are already backed by the UAE, Russia and Egypt. The report, seen by Reuters, is one of the first indications of the scale of Wagner’s military operation in Libya’s messy battlefield, as well as the first time the UN has confirmed the presence of the shadowy Russian mercenaries. Since 2014, the oil-rich North African country has been split between areas controlled by the internationally recognised Government of National Accord in Tripoli and the northwest, and territory held by Gen Haftar’s eastern-based forces in Benghazi. For almost six years Gen Haftar’s forces have been at war with a coalition of militias from the west of the country who support the government in Tripoli. Turkey is the only military backer of the Tripoli government that is currently trying to stave off Haftar’s year-long offensive on the capital. The UAE and Egypt have long strengthened Haftar’s forces with military equipment, including aircraft and helicopters, while Moscow provided private contractor forces. As the conflict has drawn on and involvement has increasingly become the stage for a struggle for power in the region, diplomats say both Turkey and the UAE have deployed drones and the use of mercenaries has increased, now seemingly including forces from Russia and Syria. Libya has been mired in chaos since a 2011 NATO intervention helped topple Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, and its battlefields increasingly populated with foreign fighters in a shadow-war. Russian mercenaries were first reported fighting alongside General Haftar’s forces in Libya in 2018. Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, however, insisted that those mercenaries do not represent the Russian government. Yet when General Haftar visited Moscow in 2018, Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman with long-standing ties to Mr Putin and suspected owner of Wagner, was seen in the footage of the meeting, sitting near the Russian defence minister. Russia, which also backs Assad’s government in Syria, has maintained a delicate balancing act in Libya, forging ties with both the UN-recognised government and with the rebel commander. But Moscow’s patience with General Haftar began to run out earlier this year when he and his entourage in January abruptly left the much-anticipated cease-fire talks in Moscow mediated by Russia and Turkey without signing the deal. Henry Wooster, deputy assistant secretary at State Department’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs also expressed increasing concern over the ties between the Libyan commander and Syria’s president, who are both bitter enemies of Turkey and fighting Turkish-backed militant groups on their soil. “Haftar’s establishment of so-called diplomatic relations with the Assad regime...is very much a part of the piece of the question of Syrian mercenaries, at least on his side of the equation,” he said. While the leaked report also confirmed the presence of Syrian mercenaries in Libya fighting alongside Haftar’s forces, Pro-Turkish Syrians are also known to be fighting with the Tripoli government, against General Haftar. Full Article
w Merkel, Trump agree in phone call to keep memory of WW2 horrors alive By finance.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:22:26 -0400 Full Article
w COVID-19 expected to peak in world's poorest countries soon, UN says By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 12:28:04 -0400 The United Nations said a "smart strategy" is to contain coronavirus in the world's most vulnerable countries to stem a "further phase of the pandemic." Full Article
w Virus restrictions reimposed amid patchwork re-openings By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 14:36:21 -0400 As coronavirus-induced economic pain grew around the world, some U.S. states moved forward Friday with plans to reopen their economies, while European countries held muted commemorations to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on the continent. Around the U.K., residents were encouraged to stand on their doorsteps and sing together while socially distanced to commemorate the Allies' victory over Nazi Germany. Meanwhile, South Korea, seen as a model for containing COVID-19, ordered nightclubs closed for a month and considered delaying a school restart after an uptick in coronavirus cases. Full Article
w Lawyers: Investigators recommend whistleblower is reinstated By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:19:08 -0400 Federal investigators have found “reasonable grounds” that a government whistleblower was punished for speaking out against widespread use of an unproven drug that President Donald Trump touted as a remedy for COVID-19, his lawyers said. Dr. Rick Bright headed the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a unit of Department of Health and Human Services that focuses on countermeasures to infectious diseases and bioterrorism. The OSC is an agency that investigates allegations of egregious personnel practices in government. Full Article
w Libya gov't warns of escalation after attacks near embassies By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 15:36:12 -0400 Full Article
w Senate Fails To Override President Trump Veto Of Iran War Powers By www.newsy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 16:54:00 -0400 The Senate failed to override President Trump's veto of legislation that would have prevented him from taking military action in Iran without congressional approval. On Thursday, the Senate voted 49-44 in favor of the override, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to be approved. Both chambers of Congress passed the bipartisan resolution earlier this year. Full Article
w Senate Fails to Override Trump's Veto of Iran War Powers By www.newsy.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 16:54:00 -0400 The Senate failed to override President Trump's veto of legislation that would have prevented him from taking military action in Iran without congressional approval. On Thursday, the Senate voted 49-44 in favor of the override, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for it to be approved. Both chambers of Congress passed the bipartisan resolution earlier this year. Full Article
w US blocks vote on UN's bid for global ceasefire over reference to WHO By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 17:07:56 -0400 Security council had spent weeks seeking resolution but Trump administration opposed mention of organizationThe US has blocked a vote on a UN security council resolution calling for a global ceasefire during the Covid-19 pandemic, because the Trump administration objected to an indirect reference to the World Health Organization.The security council has been wrangling for more than six weeks over the resolution, which was intended to demonstrate global support for the call for a ceasefire by the UN secretary general, António Guterres. The main source for the delay was the US refusal to endorse a resolution that urged support for the WHO’s operations during the coronavirus pandemic.Donald Trump has blamed the WHO for the pandemic, claiming (without any supporting evidence) that it withheld information in the early days of the outbreak.China insisted that the resolution should include mention and endorsement of the WHO.On Thursday night, French diplomats thought they had engineered a compromise in which the resolution would mention UN “specialized health agencies” (an indirect, if clear, reference to the WHO).The Russian mission signaled that it wanted a clause calling for the lifting of sanctions that affected the delivery of medical supplies, a reference to US punitive measures imposed on Iran and Venezuela. However, most security council diplomats believed Moscow would withdraw the objection or abstain in a vote rather than risk isolation as the sole veto on the ceasefire resolution.On Thursday night, it appeared that the compromise resolution had the support of the US mission, but on Friday morning, that position switched and the US “broke silence” on the resolution, raising objection to the phrase “specialist health agencies”, and blocking movement towards a vote.“We understood that there was an agreement on this thing but it seems that they changed their mind,” a western security council diplomat said.“Obviously they have changed their mind within the American system so that wording is still not good enough for them,” another diplomat close to the discussions said. “It might be that they just need a bit more time to settle it amongst themselves, or it might be that someone very high up has made a decision they don’t want it, and therefore it won’t happen. It is unclear at this moment, which one it is.”A spokesperson for the US mission at the UN suggested that if the resolution was to mention the work of the WHO, it would have to include critical language about how China and the WHO have handled the pandemic.“In our view, the council should either proceed with a resolution limited to support for a ceasefire, or a broadened resolution that fully addresses the need for renewed member state commitment to transparency and accountability in the context of Covid-19. Transparency and reliable data are essential to helping the world combat this ongoing pandemic, and the next one,” the spokesperson said.While the force of the resolution would be primarily symbolic, it would have been symbolism at a crucial moment. Since Guterres made his call for a global ceasefire, armed factions in more than a dozen countries had observed a temporary truce. The absence of a resolution from the world’s most powerful nations, however, undermines the secretary general’s clout in his efforts to maintain those fragile ceasefires.Talks will continue next week at the security council to explore whether some other way around the impasse can be found. Full Article
w US objects to UN resolution on virus in dispute with China By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:10:34 -0400 The United States on Friday objected to a proposed U.N. resolution on the coronavirus pandemic after diplomats said it had agreed to compromise language with China that didn’t directly mention the World Health Organization, an issue of growing dispute between the world’s two major economic powers. The U.S. objection to the Security Council resolution drafted by France and Tunisia reflects rising tensions between Washington and Beijing. It also leaves the U.N.’s most powerful body impotent on reacting to the greatest crisis facing the world — and unable to back Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ March 23 call for global cease-fires to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, which diplomats said all 15 Security Council members agree on and is the main point of the resolution. Full Article
w AP Exclusive: Docs show top WH officials buried CDC report By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:17:39 -0400 The decision to shelve detailed advice from the nation’s top disease control experts for reopening communities during the coronavirus pandemic came from the highest levels of the White House, according to internal government emails obtained by The Associated Press. The files also show that after the AP reported Thursday that the guidance document had been buried, the Trump administration ordered key parts of it to be fast-tracked for approval. It included detailed “decision trees,” or flow charts aimed at helping local leaders navigate the difficult decision of whether to reopen or remain closed. Full Article
w No charges for family of boy who drove car onto highway By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:32:16 -0400 The family of a 5-year-old boy who drove the family car onto a Utah highway won't face criminal charges, authorities said Friday. Adrian Zamarripa was pulled over Monday by a Utah Highway Patrol trooper who spotted the SUV swerving on Interstate 15 in Ogden at 32 mph. He thought the driver might need medical attention. Full Article
w U.S. lawmakers urge support for Taiwan at WHO, amid COVID-19 fight -sources By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 20:55:47 -0400 Full Article
w Coronavirus strikes staffers inside the White House By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 00:37:07 -0400 Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary has the coronavirus, the White House said, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week. President Donald Trump, who publicly identified the affected Pence aide, said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Pence spokeswoman Katie Miller, who tested positive Friday, had been in recent contact with Pence but not with the president. Full Article
w Coronavirus forces Russia to hold slimmed down Victory Day in blow to Putin By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 01:00:00 -0400 Full Article
w Egypt’s president expands powers, citing virus outbreak By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 01:53:15 -0400 Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has approved amendments to the country's state of emergency that grant him and security agencies additional powers, which the government says are needed to combat the coronavirus outbreak. An international rights group condemned the amendments, saying the government has used the global pandemic to “expand, not reform, Egypt’s abusive Emergency Law.” The new amendments allow the president to to take measures to contain the virus, such as suspending classes at schools and universities and quarantining those returning from abroad. Full Article
w Coronavirus takes a toll in Sweden's immigrant community By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 02:24:28 -0400 The flight from Italy was one of the last arrivals that day at the Stockholm airport. A Swedish couple in their 50s walked up and loaded their skis into Razzak Khalaf's taxi. It was early March and concerns over the coronavirus were already present, but the couple, both coughing for the entire 45-minute journey, assured Khalaf they were healthy and just suffering from a change in the weather. Full Article
w 'Fear kills:' WWII vets recall war, reject panic over virus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 02:39:46 -0400 On the 75th anniversary of the allied victory in the World War II, The Associated Press spoke to veterans in ex-Soviet countries and discovered that lessons they learned during the war are helping them cope with a new major challenge — the coronavirus pandemic. As they recalled the horrors of the war, they also talked about how strength and tenacity were key to survival both then and now. For Russian World War II veteran Valentina Efremova, the coronavirus pandemic is like going through the war all over again. Full Article
w Clashes and unity calls at UN on World War II anniversary By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 03:31:35 -0400 A U.N. Security Council meeting on the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe on Friday saw a clash between Russia and some Europeans, calls for unity to fight COVID-19, and warnings that the seeds of a new global conflict must be prevented from growing. Nearly 70 speakers, including more than 45 foreign ministers and the European Union’s top diplomat, took part in the informal video meeting organized by Estonia, which holds the council presidency this month, on lessons learned from the war for preventing future atrocities and the Security Council’s responsibility. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the world is facing “its biggest crisis since the end of World War II” triggered by the outbreak of the coronavirus, which “is shaking the foundations of our societies and exposing the vulnerabilities of the most fragile countries.” Full Article
w Iran reports more than 1,500 new virus cases By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:05:43 -0400 Iran warned Saturday that coronavirus infections were rising in the southwest despite falls in other regions, as it announced more than 1,500 new confirmed cases. "All provinces are showing a gradual drop in new infections... except for Khuzestan, where the situation is still concerning," health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour said in televised remarks. The health ministry stopped publishing provincial figures for the coronavirus last month. Full Article
w Putin calls for 'invincible' unity as Russians mark Victory Day on lockdown By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 07:53:52 -0400 President Vladimir Putin told Russians they are "invincible" when they stand together as the country on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in lockdown from the coronavirus. With cases surging and authorities urging Russians to stay in their homes, celebrations of this year's Victory Day were muted after the Kremlin grudgingly postponed plans for a grand parade with world leaders. Instead of columns of military hardware and thousands of troops marching through Red Square as planned, Putin walked alone to lay flowers at the Eternal Flame outside the red brick walls of the Kremlin. Full Article
w U.S. continues media battle with Beijing, limits Chinese journalists' visas By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 08:08:01 -0400 The back-and-forth continues.The Department of Homeland Security said Friday the United States will shorten the visa length for Chinese journalists working for non-American news outlets to 90 days. Previously, journalists with Chinese passports were granted open-ended visas. They can apply for extensions under the new rules, but renewed visas will also last just 90 days. The new limit won't apply to reporters from Hong Kong Macau, or to mainland Chinese citizens who hold green cards.It's the latest development in a media war between Washington and Beijing that has intensified during the coronavirus pandemic. American officials said the rules were meant to counterbalance the "suppression of independent journalism" in China, whose government expelled journalists from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post in March. Before that, the U.S. reduced the number of Chinese citizens employed by multiple state-controlled Chinese news organizations to work in the country. The New York Times notes the move wasn't unexpected; U.S. intelligence officials have long believed some journalists at Beijing-run outlets are spies, and the Trump administration has designated some Chinese news agencies foreign government functionaries.The heightened tensions between the world's two biggest powers didn't just show up in the media world Friday. U.S. lawmakers wrote to nearly 60 countries asking them to support Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization, a move that likely won't sit well with China. And Washington also blocked a United Nations security council resolution calling for a global ceasefire during the pandemic because it indirectly referenced the WHO, which the U.S. has blamed in conjunction with China for failing to suppress the outbreak.More stories from theweek.com Outed CIA agent Valerie Plame is running for Congress, and her launch video looks like a spy movie trailer 7 scathing cartoons about America's rush to reopen Trump says he couldn't have exposed WWII vets to COVID-19 because the wind was blowing the wrong way Full Article
w Lawns are the new wedding venue in the age of coronavirus By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 09:49:08 -0400 Couples with dashed wedding plans due to lockdown restrictions have been tying the knot on those tidy green spreads instead, including at least one loaner. Danielle Cartaxo and Ryan Cignarella were supposed to get married in West Orange, New Jersey, on April 11 at a venue with sweeping views of the New York City skyline. The two live in Wayne, Pennsylvania, about 100 miles away, but they had a marriage license issued in West Orange, where Cartaxo lived until she was 5. Full Article
w Putin pays a somber tribute to WWII dead as Russian coronavirus cases skyrocket By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:14:00 -0400 Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power. Full Article
w Putin pays a somber tribute to WWII dead as Russian coronavirus cases skyrocket By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:14:00 -0400 Cancellation of the ceremony was the second blow to Putin, who was forced to call off a referendum extending his time in power. Full Article
w Union Garment Workers Fear 'an Opportunity to Get Rid of Us' By news.yahoo.com Published On :: Sat, 09 May 2020 10:46:45 -0400 Myan Mode, a garment factory on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar, produces men's jackets, women's blazers and coats for Western fashion companies like Mango and Zara. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, it has seen a decrease in orders from international retailers.That was why it let go almost half of its 1,274 workers in late March, the factory's managing director said in response to protesters who arrived at the factory's doors to denounce the dismissals.Three fired sewing operators, however, said the factory was taking an opportunity to punish workers engaged in union activity. In an interview, the operators -- Maung Moe, Ye Yint and Ohnmar Myint -- said that of the 571 who had been dismissed, 520 had belonged to the factory's union, one of 20 that make up the Federation of Garment Workers Myanmar. About 700 workers who did not belong to the union kept their jobs, they said.Myan Mode's South Korean-based owner did not respond to requests for comment, and did not provide details about the firings.Moe, 27, was the factory union's president and had organized several strikes. Yint, 30, was the union's secretary, while Myint, 34, had been a union member since its founding in June 2018."The bosses used COVID as an opportunity to get rid of us because they hated our union," Moe said. He said he and other union members had been in discussions with the factory managers before the firings, demanding personal protective equipment and that workers be farther apart on the factory floor. "They thought we caused them constant headaches by fighting for our rights and those of our fellow workers."Union-busting -- practices undertaken to prevent or disrupt the formation of trade unions or attempts to expand membership -- has been a serious problem across the fashion supply chain for decades. But with the global spread of COVID-19 placing fresh pressures on the industry, it is a particular issue in South Asia, where about 40 million garment workers have long grappled with poor working conditions and wages."Union-busting is not a COVID-specific issue for the garment industry -- it happens all the time," said Luke Smitham of the sustainability consultancy Kumi Consulting.Zara's parent company, Inditex, which is supplied by Myan Mode, said its code of conduct for manufacturers expressly prohibited any discrimination against worker representatives. The company said in an email that it was "actively following the situation" at Myan Mode, and would "try to achieve the best possible solution for workers."Mango, which has started to reopen its stores in Europe, said in an emailed statement that it "understood the need to ensure that the human rights of factory workers are respected." The company added that it was maintaining "a continuous" dialogue with suppliers.Roughly 2% of garment workers in Myanmar, where the minimum wage is roughly $3.50 a day, and 0.5% of garment workers in Bangladesh belong to a union, according to affiliate data estimates collected by the global trade union IndustriALL. While Cambodia's workforce is more unionized than others in the region -- around 80% -- the unions there are fragmented, meaning successful collective bargaining negotiations can be difficult.Tear gas, water cannons, police brutality and imprisonment were some of the tools used by the governments of Bangladesh, Cambodia, India and Myanmar to punish striking garment workers and union members last year, according to the International Trade Union Confederation, an umbrella group for unions around the world. It noted that many workers in those countries who tried to form a union were dismissed from jobs or blacklisted by factories. And the number of countries that exclude workers from the right to establish or join a trade union increased to 107 in 2019 from 92 in 2018.Andrew Tillett-Saks, a labor organizer in Yangon, said he had seen a surge in unionizing by garment workers in Myanmar over the last 18 months -- and a reaction from factory owners. Before the pandemic, he said, some garment factories with fledgling unions were abruptly closing and firing union members, then reopening weeks later to supply the same brands under a slightly different name with a new group of nonunionized workers.Tillett-Saks said that much of the focus had been on whether brands would pay wages for workers during the pandemic, or for orders that had already been produced. But factory owners "taking this as an opportunity to break down labor movements in the supply chain could be an even bigger issue."Some brands, like H&M, have tried to facilitate union activity in supplier factories by signing ACT, an agreement brokered by IndustriALL and designed to secure fair wages for workers through collective bargaining and building guarantees of labor rights into purchasing agreements. But there are still hurdles. Before the International Labor Organization, a U.N. agency, can take action, allegations of mistreatment must be sent in writing from a national or international trade union organization and then reviewed internally by the agency -- a complicated process even before the pandemic."We have heard allegations of anti-union discrimination in recent weeks," said John Ritchotte, a specialist in social dialogue and labor administration in Asia for the International Labor Organization. "However, it is currently more difficult than usual for us to verify those allegations through our usual procedures because of travel restrictions and local lockdowns."In the weeks since the Myan Mode layoffs, around 15,000 jobs in the textile industry have been lost and about 40 factories closed across Asia, said Khaing Zar Aung, president of Industrial Workers Federation of Myanmar.Moe said the fired Myan Mode workers had protested outside the factory for weeks, watching as daily wage workers entered and scores of exhausted former colleagues left at midnight after overtime shifts. Eventually, management offered severance but not re-employment to the 571 fired workers, plus 49 employees who had walked out in solidarity. All but 79 eventually took the severance pay.The Garment Manufacturers Association in Cambodia said about 60% of its factories -- where union members have also been targeted -- had been severely affected by canceled orders of ready-made garment exports because of the pandemic.On March 31, several dozen union workers at the Superl leatherwear factory on the outskirts of Phnom Penh -- which produces handbags for brands like Michael Kors, Tory Burch and Kate Spade -- were told they were being let go. One was a woman who was six months pregnant.Soy Sros, a factory shop steward and the local president of the Collective Union of Movement of Workers, wrote about the company's actions on Facebook, stating it violated a March 6 appeal from the Cambodian government saying COVID should not be used as a chance to discriminate against union members.Twenty-four hours later, Sros was forced by factory management to take down her post and make a thumbprint on a warning letter accusing her of defamation. On April 2, she was removed from the factory floor by the police and charged with posting fake information on social media. She is now in jail.Superl, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, did not respond to requests for comment, nor did Michael Kors and Tory Burch, who regularly place orders at the factory. Another customer, Tapestry, the owner of Kate Spade, declined to comment.In Myanmar, Moe, Yint and Myint all said they did not regret joining the union despite the difficulties they had faced. They said the loss of jobs was proof that worker representation was needed."I worry for the future of garment workers here without representatives," Myint said, referring to both the firings at Myan Mode and other factories across Asia. "But for now, I worry about providing for my family and getting food on the table."This article originally appeared in The New York Times.(C) 2020 The New York Times Company Full Article
w We’ve found the world’s worst coworker, and here’s what they do By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 19:36:59 +0000 No, you should not CC the CEO on every email you send. Full Article Biz & IT email office life world's worst coworker
w Attackers exploit 0-day code-execution flaw in the Sophos firewall By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 20:06:49 +0000 Yep, in-the-wild SQL injection exploits in 2020 are still a thing. Full Article Biz & IT exploits firewalls Sophos vulnerabilities zerodays
w Comcast waives data cap until at least June 30 in response to pandemic By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Apr 2020 21:54:33 +0000 Comcast hasn't enforced data cap since March 13 because of pandemic. Full Article Biz & IT Comcast data cap pandemic
w Loan site buckling under COVID-19 strain shows man another applicant’s data By arstechnica.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:43:49 +0000 Form requires sensitive data, including driver’s license and voided check scan. Full Article Biz & IT banks COVID-19 paycheck protection program privacy
w Google Play has been spreading advanced Android malware for years By arstechnica.com Published On :: Wed, 29 Apr 2020 22:15:56 +0000 Advanced hacker group seeded market with at least 8 apps likely since 2016. Full Article Biz & IT
w LockBit, the new ransomware for hire: A sad and cautionary tale By arstechnica.com Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 04:18:33 +0000 You've probably never heard of LockBit, but that's likely to change. Full Article Biz & IT extortion lockbit ransomware
w How well can algorithms recognize your masked face? By arstechnica.com Published On :: Sun, 03 May 2020 10:55:37 +0000 There's a scramble to adapt to a world where people routinely cover their faces. Full Article Biz & IT Policy AI facial recognition surveillance
w Ubuntu 20.04: Welcome to the future, Linux LTS disciples By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 12:00:01 +0000 ZFS gets more accessible, security becomes a bigger priority, and Ubuntu speeds up overall. Full Article Biz & IT Features
w “Chickens**t” whistleblower firings are “poison,” resigning Amazon VP says By arstechnica.com Published On :: Mon, 04 May 2020 15:27:05 +0000 Firings highlight “toxicity running through the company culture,” Bray said. Full Article Biz & IT Policy Amazon labor tim bray
w CenturyLink still hasn’t met 2019 FCC deadline, now faces pandemic roadblocks By arstechnica.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 18:15:03 +0000 Pandemic disrupts broadband progress as cities halt construction. Full Article Biz & IT Policy centurylink FCC
w [Update] Frontier will charge up to $89 for social distancing on flights By arstechnica.com Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 19:12:01 +0000 Because the airline industry can monetize literally anything, apparently. Full Article Biz & IT Policy airlines commercial flights coronavirus COVID-19 frontier nickel and dime