Beirut explosion leaves migrant domestic workers without income or way home

Beirut, Lebanon: Migrant domestic workers protested outside the Kenyan Consulate in the Lebanese capital on Monday and Tuesday after being expelled by their employers without documents and no way to return home.

On the top of an economic crisis that has suffocated the income of one of the most vulnerable sectors of Lebanese society, the massive blast that rocked Beirut on August 4 has brought with it a new obstacle for migrant workers. According to Amnesty International, Lebanon is home to approximately 250,000 migrant domestic workers, mostly women, who come from African and Asian countries.

"These women are among the most marginalised people in society, and are bearing the brunt of the economic crisis exacerbated by COVID-19," said Heba Morayef, Amnesty International's MENA Regional Director in a press release.

During the pandemic, some of these women have been abandoned in front of the Ethiopian Consulate after their employers were not able to provide their regular income. Some of them have even been denied their own passports, which remain in the hands of their former bosses.

Physical abuse has also increased during the lockdown, according to Al Jazeera which documented the case of 23-year-old Faustina Tay who was found dead after she contacted an activist group for domestic abuse in March. The port explosion has now pushed many migrant domestic workers into homelessness.

"Even if they get enough money to buy a ticket back home, they will not be allowed to leave the country as the Lebanese government refuses to let them go," activist Dara Foi Elle told Reuters. "The Nigerian Embassy is trying to get laissez-passer papers to let them go, but we need help from the Lebanese government."

World powers promised not to fail the Lebanese people as the capital, Beirut, recovers from the blast that killed 158 people and destroyed swathes of the city last Tuesday. But foreign countries demanded transparency over how the aid is used, wary of writing blank checks to a government viewed by its own people as deeply corrupt. Some are concerned about the influence of Iran through the Shi'ite group Hezbollah.

Samsung launches Galaxy Note Z Fold 2, foldable smart phone as pandemic shrinks market

Seoul, South Korea: Samsung Electronics Co Ltd unveiled its latest Galaxy Note smartphone and new version of its foldable phone, the Z Fold 2, on Wednesday, hoping to regain ground against rivals Huawei and Apple Inc as the smartphone market begins to recover from its COVID-19 slump.

Samsung launched its previous premium model, the S20, in February at the start of the pandemic but since then has ceded its top ranking in the smartphone market to China's Huawei, as people opt for cheaper models in tough times. The Z Fold 2 has a 6.2-inch (15.75-cm) screen when folded to provide a full smartphone experience even when it is closed, Samsung announced during a livestreamed event. Its unfolded display measures 7.6 inches (19.3 cm).

The new iteration is thinner than the first Fold, and the hinge is improved to be more resilient, Samsung said. Samsung did not disclose the phone's price, but said more details and preorders will be available on Sept. 1. The new Note 20 boasts a larger screen at 6.7 inches (17 cm), 5G connectivity, enhanced writing features with its S-Pen stylus, and access to more than 100 console and PC games via a tie-up with Microsoft Corp's Xbox cloud service.

It will go on sale on Aug. 21 in about 70 countries, including the United States, where the basic version will retail for $999 (USD), compared with its predecessor's $949. Apple fans are unlikely to jump ship to the new Samsung model as the 5G iPhone is likely to be launched later this year, analysts say.

Samsung posted a 29% on-year drop in shipments in the June quarter, the biggest fall among top vendors, according to researcher IDC. Apple, which launched the budget-friendly SE during the period, remained resilient with 11% on-year shipment growth, while Huawei posted only a 5% fall.

The global smartphone market shrank about 16% on-year in the April-June quarter due to COVID-19 lockdowns and consumer caution, a larger contraction than in the first quarter, and is expected to improve only slightly in the second half, IDC said.

US President Donald Trump said he would be in favour of helping US airlines

Washington, DC: US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would be in favour of helping U.S. airlines financially when he was asked about a group of Senate Republicans backing $25 billion payroll assistance for companies financially devastated by the coronavirus pandemic.

"We don't want to lose our airlines so if they're looking at that, whether they're Republican or Democrat, I'd be certainly in favor," Trump said at a White House briefing. He also defended his suggestion of giving a speech from the White House accepting the Republican Party's presidential nomination, after lawmakers and ethicists said it was inappropriate and possibly illegal to use a nonpartisan, public site as a venue for a political address.

"Well, it is legal," Trump said when asked about his speech plans, arguing that the Hatch Act prohibiting leaders from trading on public goods for political gains does not apply to him. "If I use the White House, we save tremendous amounts of money for the government in terms of security, traveling."

Pizza restaurant launches Spain's first virtual waiter app as COVID-19 bites

Palafrugell, Spain: A restaurant on Spain's northeastern Mediterranean coast is pioneering a dining experience that allows customers to avoid most face-to-face contact with staff and minimise the risk of coronavirus contagion.

Customers at Funky Pizza, in Palafrugell on the Costa Brava popular with tourists, can browse the menu, order and pay via the "Funky Pay" app on their phones - the first time a purpose-designed app has been integrated into a restaurant's ordering system in Spain. A waiter does bring the order to the table. "Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," said restaurant owner Carlos Manich. Staff manage the orders from screens behind the bar.

The restaurant has had to adapt to social distancing rules by becoming table service only and reminding customers on entry they must wear face masks at all times when not at their tables. "The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," said Claudia Medina, 26, eating at the restaurant. But some customers disagreed. "I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said customer Javier Comas, 26.

Corona Crisis: Philippines capital returning to lockdown as COVID-19 virus surges

Manila: The Philippine president has agreed to place the capital and outlying provinces back under a lockdown after medical groups warned that the country was waging a losing battle against the coronavirus amid an alarming surge in infections.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said Monday that metropolitan Manila, the capital region of more than 12 million people, and five densely populated provinces will revert to stricter quarantine restrictions for two weeks starting Tuesday. The move, which finance and economic officials oppose, will again prohibit non-essential travel outside of homes. President Rodrigo Duterte relaxed the country's lockdown on June 1 in a bid to restart the stagnant economy.

Under the new restrictions, police checkpoints will return to ensure only authorized people, including medical personnel and workers in vital companies, venture out of their homes, Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said. Other businesses previously allowed to partly reopen, including barbershops, internet cafes, gyms, dine-in restaurants, massage and tattoo shops, drive-in cinemas and tourist destinations, will again be closed.

Authorised companies, including banks, health and food processing firms, can operate partly but need to shuttle their employees from home and work. Workers can travel by bike, motorcycles and private cars, but mass transit will be closed. Businesses in the capital and outlying regions comprise about 67 per cent of the national economy and the Duterte administration has walked a tightrope between public health and economic revival.

The economy contracted slightly in the first quarter but is likely facing a deep recession from the massive business closures that started when Duterte declared a strict lockdown in mid-March. Leaders of nearly 100 medical organizations held a rare online news conference Saturday and warned that the health system has been overwhelmed by infection spikes and may collapse as health workers fall ill or resign from exhaustion and fear.

They asked Duterte to reimpose a tight lockdown in the capital to allow the government to give health workers a time out and allow the government to recalibrate its response to the pandemic. We are waging a losing battle against COVID-19 and we need to draw up a consolidated, definitive plan of action, the groups said in a letter to Duterte that they read publicly.

They expressed fears to Duterte that the Philippine coronavirus crisis may worsen like in the United States. The Department of Health reported a record-high daily tally of 5,032 confirmed coronavirus cases Sunday, bringing the country's total to 103,185, including more than 2,000 deaths.

The Philippines has the second-highest number of confirmed cases in Southeast Asia after Indonesia, and has had more reported infections than China, where the pandemic began late last year. While he granted the demand, Duterte appeared irritated after the medical groups went public with critical remarks, saying they could have talked to him first.

If you will stage a revolution, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counter-revolution. How I wish you would do it, Duterte said in televised remarks Sunday night.You yourself don't have any solution. What are you babbling about?" Duterte asked.
He floated the idea of tapping civilian reservists to be placed under military control, including his daughter who is a city mayor and police nurses and medics, if exhausted doctors and nurses leave their anti-pandemic work.

Trump said he will ban Chinese-owned short-video app Tik Tok in the US

Maryland: U.S. President Donald trump said on Friday, July 31 that he was planning to sign an executive order as soon as Saturday, August 1 banning Chinese-owned short-video app TikTok from the United States.

The move would be the culmination of U.S. national security concerns over the safety of the personal data that TikTok handles. It would represent a major blow for TikTok's owner, Beijing-based ByteDance, which became one of only a handful of truly global Chinese conglomerates thanks to the app's commercial success. "As far as TikTok is concerned, we are banning them from the United States... I will sign the document tomorrow," Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

Trump's announcement followed frantic negotiations on Friday between the White House, ByteDance and potential buyers of TikTok, including Microsoft Corp. They failed to produce a deal that would result in the Chinese company shedding the app's U.S. operations, according to people familiar with the matter. The talks are expected to continue in the coming days.

Iran's Khamenei rejects talks with US over missile, nuclear programmes

Tehran: Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a live speech on state TV on Friday, July 31, ruled out negotiations with the United States over Tehran's ballistic missile and nuclear programs, calling on Iranians to resist U.S. bullying.

Khamenei called the United States Iran's "main enemy" and urged Iranians to resist U.S. pressure. He ruled out negotiations with Washington saying Trump would use talks for propaganda as he did with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. "At the negotiating table, America wants us to abandon our nuclear industry altogether, reduce our defence capabilities and relinquish our regional influence," Khamenei said in a televised speech marking the Muslim religious holiday of Eid al-Adha.

Since pulling out of the nuclear deal, Washington has reimposed sanctions that have sharply lowered Tehran's oil exports. It is pursuing a "maximum pressure" policy aimed at forcing Tehran to negotiate a broader deal that further limits its nuclear work, ends its missile program and its support for proxy forces in a regional power struggle with U.S.-backed Gulf Arabs.

Relations between Tehran and Washington have deteriorated since 2018 when U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with six powers under which Tehran agreed to curtail its nuclear program in return for the lifting of most international sanctions. Iran's clerical rulers have tried to prevent a revival of anti-government unrest that have shaken the country in recent years and that began with protests over economic hardship but turned political, with demonstrators demanding top officials step down. Authorities have said street protests will be dealt with "decisively".

In addition to the U.S. sanctions, Iran's economy has been hit by a fall in oil prices, as well as the coronavirus crisis: Iran has one of the highest death tolls in the Middle East from the pandemic.

CEOs from Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple faced jabs for alleged abuse of their market power!

Washington, DC: Tensions between lawmakers were high during a much-anticipated congressional hearing on Wednesday, July 29 with four of America's most prominent tech CEOs in the hot seat.

When Republican Jim Jordan concluded questions about fears that Google's powerful search engine might steer voters to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, Representative Mary Scanlon criticized Jordan's line of questioning. "I'd like to redirect your attention to antitrust law rather than fringe conspiracy theories," she said. "There is no fringe conspiracy," Jordan snapped back, prompting lawmakers to shout "Put your mask on!"

The issue of masks has been contentious between House Republicans and Democrats, especially following another positive case from one of their own colleagues on Wednesday, July 29. Republican U.S. congressman Louie Gohmert, who has steadfastly refused to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic, said on Wednesday he had tested positive for COVID-19, leading at least three of his colleagues to say they would self-quarantine.

The moment with Rep. Jordan came during an hours-long hearing in which Google and Facebook took the sharpest jabs for alleged abuse of their market power from Democrats and Republicans.

Facebook Inc's Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon.com Inc's Jeff Bezos, Alphabet Inc -owned Google's Sundar Pichai and Apple Inc's Tim Cook - whose companies together represent about $5 trillion of market value - parried a range of accusations from lawmakers via videoconference before the House Judiciary Committee's antitrust panel.

On the Republican side, Jordan accused the companies of taking a long list of actions that he said showed they try to hamper conservatives from reaching their supporters."Big Tech is out to get conservatives," he said. The companies have denied allegations of political censorship. Jordan's allegations come after President Donald Trump, who has clashed with several of the biggest tech companies, on Wednesday threatened to take action against them.

"If Congress doesn't bring fairness to Big Tech, which they should have done years ago, I will do it myself with Executive Orders," Trump said on Twitter. The president did not provide details but in the past has been irritated by tech companies, including Facebook and Twitter, which have occasionally taken action on his postings on issues such as treatments for the coronavirus. He has also clashed with the Washington Post, which is owned by Bezos.

Facebook's Zuckerberg took a series of questions about the company's purchase of Instagram in 2012, and whether it was acquired because it was a threat. Zuckerberg responded that the deal had been reviewed by the Federal Trade Commission and that Instagram at the time was a tiny photo-sharing app rather than a social-media phenomenon.

Cicilline's subcommittee has been looking in to allegations by critics that the companies have hurt competitors and consumers with their business practices and seemingly insatiable appetite for data. The hearing marks the first time the four CEOs have appeared together before lawmakers, and was also the first-ever appearance of Bezos before Congress.

A detailed report with antitrust allegations against the four tech platforms and recommendations on how to tame their market power could be released by late summer or early fall by the committee, which has separately amassed 1.3 million documents from the companies, senior committee aides said.

Italian PM Conte wins backing to extend COVID-19 emergency period

Rome: Italy's upper house of parliament approved on Tuesday, July 28 a request by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to extend until Oct. 15 a state of emergency, expanding his government's powers as it tackles the coronavirus health crisis.

Opposition parties had objected, accusing Conte of trying to keep too much power in his own hands despite a dramatic fall in the rate of contagion. However, the upper house Senate passed the measure by 157 votes to 125 in the 319-seat chamber. Conte announced a six-month state of emergency on Jan. 31, when the first two cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Rome.

"Since there are contagion situations in various areas of the world that show no sign of improving and that the situation in countries close to us, or even bordering with us, such as France, the Balkan countries and Spain, requires an attitude of careful vigilance to prevent the resurgence of the contagion affects also Italy," Conte told the Senate in Tuesday's debate.

However, he drew back from initial plans to seek an extension until the end of the year, saying he only wanted a renewal until mid-October. The state of emergency gives greater powers to both regional and central government, including making it easier for ministers to declare red zones should the disease flare up again, and to bolster hospital resources.

It will also cut bureaucracy as officials prepare schools to reopen in September after being shut for six months. Italy has been one of the worst-affected countries in Europe, registering more than 35,000 deaths from around 246,500 cases. However, new infections have fallen sharply over the past three months and Conte's critics said he needed to involve parliament in key decisions. The lower house, where the coalition has a much larger majority, will vote on the measure on Wednesday, July 29.

Corona Crisis: Cancelled bookings, empty rooms- coronavirus takes toll on Brazil tourism

Brazil: Rio de Janeiro's traditional annual New Year's Eve celebrations were called off this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, hitting local tourism hard.

The fireworks display attracts millions of revellers every year to Copacabana beach. Now, the city's tourism office is considering a virtual celebration to avoid any coronavirus outbreak. Brazil is the second-worst-hit country by the novel coronavirus pandemic after the United States, with 2.4 million cases of the disease and 87,618 deaths. Rio de Janeiro state has the second-highest death toll in Brazil, with nearly 12,876 people dead.

Many parts of Brazil have begun reopening certain segments of society despite tallying tens of thousands of new cases of the disease a day. At the beginning of the month, Rio city allowed bars and restaurants to reopen, leading to crowds at some establishments despite mandated capacity limits and hygiene measures.

Right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has railed against state and local stay-at-home orders, saying the damage to Brazil's economy is worse than the virus itself. Rio is Brazil's tourist magnet, thanks largely to its beaches, beautiful landscape and free-wheeling lifestyle. Tourism accounts for a major portion of the city's economy.

Microsoft India most attractive employer brand: Survey

New Delhi: Technology giant Microsoft India has emerged as the country's most attractive employer brand, followed by Samsung India and Amazon India in the second and third place, respectively, says a survey. 

According to Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) 2020, Microsoft India scored high on financial health, strong reputation and utilisation of the latest technologies. The REBR revealed that in 2020, work-life balance emerged as the top Employee Value Proposition (EVP) driver for the Indian workforce while choosing an employer as it was cited by 43 per cent respondents, followed by attractive salary and employee benefits (41 per cent) and job security (40 per cent).

The REBR sought views of over 1,85,000 respondents (general public, aged 18-65) on 6,136 companies in 33 countries. "Employer branding is an evolving journey based on newer and deeper insights that unravel with time, so organisations must make this a strategic business agenda," Randstad India MD and CEO Paul Dupuis said.

Dupuis further noted that "this process has become increasingly important since the onset of COVID-19, when the job market is undergoing a paradigm shift and the need for organisations to transform their employer branding proposition to make it more "humane" in the new world of work becomes even more critical".

Others in the top 10 most-attractive employer brands in India for 2020 include Infosys Technologies at the fourth place, Mercedes-Benz (5th), Sony (6th), IBM (7th), Dell Technologies Ltd (8th), ITC Group (9th) and Tata Consultancy Services (10th).

The survey further said 69 per cent of respondents indicated that they stayed with their employer in the past year and 81 per cent agreed that non-monetary benefits like company phone/car, childcare services and support, flexible working hours are equally important when choosing an employer.

As per the survey, 38 per cent of Gen Z (18-24 years) are looking for good training opportunities from their employer, while 34 per cent of the millennials (25-34 years) are attracted to forward-thinking and tech-savvy organisations and deem the use of latest technologies as a very important attribute.

Around 46 per cent of Gen X (35-54 years) find good work-life balance a very important pull-factor towards an employer, whereas 32 per cent of the boomers (55-64 years) find a convenient location as the key factor.

The survey noted that the Indian workforce prefers to work for companies operating in sectors like IT, ITeS & telecom, automotive, followed by FMCG, retail & e-commerce and BFSI.

China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal work together to fight COVID-19 and resume economy

Beijing, China: Foreign ministers of China, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal on Monday agreed to work together to fight COVID-19 and resume economy.

The agreement came at a teleconference of the four countries' foreign ministers chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan Mohammed Haneef Atmar, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Pakistani Minister for Economic Affairs Khusro Bakhtyar and Nepali Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali attended the video conference.

Wang said that as a neighbor and partner, China is ready to continue working with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal to overcome difficulties, safeguard people's health, promote the resumption of work and production and improve people's livelihood to win the final victory over COVID-19.

Wang proposed that the four countries consolidate consensus of solidarity against COVID-19, carry out cooperation on regional joint response to COVID-19, enhance cooperation in the fight against the pandemic and in vaccine development, and accelerate economic recovery and development after the pandemic.

Ministers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal expressed their willingness to deepen cooperation with China to fight COVID-19, ensure the flow of trade and transport corridors, facilitate people-to-people and trade connection, and build a "silk road of health" and community of a shared future for humanity.

California: boarding school to hold classes outdoors for social distancing

California, US: Students at a small boarding school in Southern California received an unusual set of instructions this summer: return to campus in the fall armed with a portable chair, a sun hat and sunscreen, ready for outdoor classes to avoid spreading the novel coronavirus.

This might not be too big a stretch at Midland School, where students learn by experience in a classroom with only three walls, grow much of their food and heat showers by lighting a fire.

Holding classes outdoors is just one way Midland is preparing to bring its roughly 85 students back to campus in the fall. The school hopes testing will be available for all students before they return and has asked that they quarantine as much as possible before arriving at the 2,860-acre campus in Los Olivos, inland from Santa Barbara.

"It's very exciting and very daunting, but it plays to our strengths to be place-based, to be teaching outside, to be engaging with students experientially, to be taking a challenging moment and weaving that in to the curriculum and the student experience," Head of School Christopher Barnes said. Barnes initially had expected students to return to campus in late August, but delayed Midland's in-person start date to mid-September after California Governor Gavin Newsom barred counties with rising cases, including Santa Barbara, from opening schools.

Once the county is off the monitoring list for 14 consecutive days, schools can start in-person instruction, Newsom said. Barnes is prepared to further delay the semester or hold classes online if necessary, but said he hopes that virus numbers will decline and that Santa Barbara will be taken off the watch list.

He recognizes that Midland, where full tuition for the next school year is over $62,000, is in a privileged position compared to other schools, particularly public ones. Though almost half of Midland students receive financial aid, the resources available per student and a 4:1 student-faculty ratio translates into academic and health benefits for students, Barnes said.

U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for schools to re-open in the fall, a move he sees as key to economic recovery and a way to boost to his re-election chances in November. But the Los Angeles and San Diego unified school districts, citing "skyrocketing" coronavirus infection rates in California, announced plans on July 13 to resume instruction in August with online teaching only.

Barnes hopes the small residential environment on the large campus at Midland will help the school to create a coronavirus-free bubble if students return, though he acknowledged that the boarding school environment, where students often eat three meals a day together and share bathrooms, poses unique challenges in the event of an outbreak.

Unlike many boarding schools in the U.S., which have a mix of day students and boarders, all of the students at Midland and over half of the faculty live on campus. Roommates, who live in pairs in cabins, would become de facto family members for the purposes of social distancing and mask wearing, Barnes said.

And students would be asked not to travel from campus before the winter break in December, with the school having canceled the usual October break. Parents would be able to visit campus to see their child and hike, but will be limited from going inside cabins and other areas.

Raymond Carr, an incoming Midland senior, recognizes that his final year in school may not look the way he hoped, but is looking forward to taking advantage of the 35 miles of hiking trails on campus that faculty and others have been busy widening over the summer to allow for hiking six feet apart.

"I'm really looking forward to going back to Midland in person, hopefully, because it's just one of my favorite places ever. It really changed my life going there and made me a way better student and appreciate nature so much more than I did before," Carr said

Kenya extends curfew for a month as COVID-19 cases jump

Nairobi: Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta extended a nightly curfew on Monday, July 27 for 30 days to curb the spread of COVID-19 and banned alcohol sales in restaurants but stopped short of locking down the country again despite a surge in cases.

The curfew had been due to be lifted on Aug. 6 or 7. Kenyans on the streets of Nairobi greeted the news with mixed feelings, with some expressing concern about the rising numbers of COVID-19 cases and favouring a total lockdown. Kenya has so far reported 17,975 cases of infection with the new coronavirus and 285 deaths from the related disease COVID-19. The health ministry said on Sunday (July 26) it had reported 960 more cases, the biggest daily jump since the first case was confirmed in March.

Kenyatta, referring to the country being at war with an invisible enemy, said the government had also shortened restaurant operating times by an hour, and ordered bars to stay closed indefinitely.

UK's National History Museum gets ready to reopen

London, England: London's Natural History Museum is dusting off the blue whale that soars above its central hall, along with its dinosaur skeletons and thousands of other exhibits in preparation for re-opening next month after COVID-19 forced its closure in March.

Museum Director Michael Dixon said staff had been working for weeks to make the museum, which is one of London's most popular attractions, safe for the limited number of visitors it can accommodate with social distancing measures in place. "We want to the museum to look at its fabulous best - this great cathedral to nature," he told Reuters on Monday, July 27.

"As you can see behind me, Hope the whale is getting her annual dusting, we have brought that forward this year, and she will look her magnificent best on the 5th of August when we reopen to the public." The museum, which has been based in South Kensington since 1881, closed its doors on March 17, six days before Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

Though the museum receives government support, which has been bolstered during the crisis, a lack of income from visitors has hit the museum hard, said Dixon. Even once reopened only 20 percent of the normal number of visitors would be admitted, he added.

While unfortunate for the museum, those lucky enough to get a visiting slot will be in for a "fantastic VIP experience," said Dixon. "They will be able to see things without so many people around them, and I think that will be a wonderful experience for many, many people," he said.

Republican senator contends with mobile phone while unveiling recovery plan

Washington, DC: Senator Chuck Grassley's news conference to unveil the Republicans' coronavirus aid package was disrupted-by his mobile phone. As he announced plans to slash the supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 to $200 at a news conference on Monday, July 27, Grassley was drowned out by the persistent ring of a mobile phone.

Turning to find out where the ringing was coming from, Grassley chuckled as an aide suggested the disruption was coming from his pocket. "You've got to be kidding...I'm embarrassed, I'm sorry," Grassley said after turning off the offending phone. Senate Republicans on Monday proposed a $1 trillion coronavirus aid package hammered out with the White House, paving the way for talks with Democrats on how to help Americans as expanded unemployment benefits for millions of workers expire this week.

Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell called the proposal a "starting point" focused on getting children back to school and employees back to work and protecting corporations from lawsuits, while slashing the expiring supplemental unemployment benefits of $600 a week by two-thirds. The plan sparked immediate opposition from both Democrats and Republicans. Democrats decried it as too limited compared to their $3 trillion proposal that passed the House of Representatives in May, and some Republicans called it too expensive.

Republicans want to reduce the expanded unemployment benefit from the current $600 per week, which expires on Friday, to $200, paid in addition to state unemployment benefits, and to extend the program for two months. After that, the benefit would switch to 70% of a worker's previous wages, to a maximum of $500 a week including state unemployment benefits.The supplemental benefit has been a financial lifeline for laid-off workers and a key support for consumer spending. The extra unemployment funds - exceeding the former wages of some workers - have been a sticking point for many Republicans, who say they encourage Americans to stay home rather than go back to work.

Democrats, in turn, have decried the Republican delay in writing more legislation as U.S. coronavirus cases passed the 4 million mark, a milestone for a pandemic that has killed roughly 150,000 people in the United States and thrown tens of millions out of work.

Eid: Sales of sacrificial cattle at Pakistan markets fall as worshippers go online

Karachi, Pakistan: Business isn't as robust as usual for cattle traders in Pakistan as people who usually buy sacrificial animals ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha are going online, rather than to the dusty markets to make their purchases amid coronavirus concerns.

The government has imposed social distancing restrictions including a half-day closure of the markets to discourage crowds that gather at the markets. This too has led to a drop in customers set up on the outskirts of urban centres ahead of one of Islam's most important festivals., told Reuters his customers had almost halved.

"We are very worried. Customers don't turn up during the day because it is hot. In the night they (government) have disallowed the customers," said trader Allah Ditta, who travelled over 700 kilometres from the city of Muzzafargarh to sell his stock.

Authorities are advising people to make their purchases of sacrificial animals virtually, or at least wear masks when visiting cattle markets as they fear preparations for the holidays could reverse a recent decline in the country's COVID-19 infection number. Most visitors flouted a requirement to wear masks, and many were accompanied by children who this year are barred at the main cattle market of Karachi, Pakistan's largest city at the weekend.

While market visitors have fallen, more people are paying charities to slaughter cattle on their behalf and deliver their cut to them or donate it to the needy. "Due to the pandemic and lockdown, people's interest in online bookings (for collective sacrifice) have increased. In just 30 days we are almost fully booked, this used to take two months in previous years," said Shakil Dehelvi, joint secretary-general of Alamgir Welfare Trust whose charity has received its target booking number twice as quickly as last year.

Pakistan has reported over 270,000 COVID-19 cases with almost 6,000 deaths. Daily cases of new infection numbered just under 1,200 on Sunday versus a peak last month nearing 7,000 around another festival, Eid al-Fitr.

President of Brazil Bolsonaro removes mask in public after coronavirus recovery

Brasilia: Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday, July 27 took off his mask in public as he greeted supporters in Brasilia, days after saying he had recovered from the coronavirus, which he said had not had a serious impact on his health.

The right-wing leader tested positive for the coronavirus earlier this month and went into quarantine at his residence, but said on Saturday that his latest test had come back negative. Brazil has the worst coronavirus outbreak in the world outside of the United States and Bolsonaro has been criticized for minimizing the severity of the disease and doing little to curb its spread as deaths mount.

Standing outside the Alvorada Palace, the Brazilian president's official residence, Bolsonaro removed his mask after supporters asked that he take it off so they could snap pictures and selfies with him. Initially, Bolsonaro said he would not take his mask off because he would end up "on the front-page of tomorrow's newspapers" if he did, but ended up doing so for brief periods of time in response to supporters.

The Brazilian Press Association filed a criminal complaint against Bolsonaro earlier this month because he took off his mask in the presence of reporters just as he announced he had tested positive for the coronavirus. The group alleges Bolsonaro endangered the health of those present at the news conference.

On Monday, Brazil reported a total of 2,442,375 confirmed coronavirus cases and 87,618 deaths. New cases totalled 23,384, while there were 614 new deaths.

India: After ban on 59 Chinese Apps, 275 more apps including PubG on security agency radar

New Delhi: The government of India may soon ban Player Unknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) in India. PUBG is one of the most popular smartphone mobile games in India and many other countries. suggesting a ban on 275 apps have started to surface online a month after the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps, including popular ones like TikTok, UC Browser, citing data security concerns.

PUBG has been developed by a South Korean video game company called Bluehole. However, Chinese multinational conglomerate Tencent holds a considerable amount of share in the popular game. The government is considering a ban on the battle royale format game over data security concerns. Several apps have been on the radar lately owing to alleged data-sharing practices with the Chinese government.

PUBG has been subject to heavy criticism several times in the past but for a different reason. After receiving several complaints from parents and guardians, some state governments across the nation put a temporary ban on the gaming app for its addictive nature that had a psychological impact on players, especially youngsters.
For PubG, India is its largest market, according to app intelligence firm Sensor Tower estimates, generating about 175 million installs to date, or 24% of the total downloads. PUBG had, then, assured to take feedback from parents, educators and government organisations to create a safe ecosystem that would enhance the game playing experience. 

India’s neighbouring country, Pakistan, too has banned PUBG earlier this month on the grounds of addictive nature of the game that is detrimental to the player’s health. Later, on July 26, a Pakistan court lifted the ban. 
Asia’s fifth-largest economy is now the battleground for Chinese and American internet majors that are vying to dominate one of the world’s largest and most open internet markets, with an estimated base of 450 million smartphone users.