upi--2020-04-16--Japan declares state of emergency; global cases top 2M

Pope Francis , isolated in front of an empty square from the sagrato of St. Peter 's Basilica in St. @ @ @ @ @ City , offers an extraordinary moment of prayer in time of pandemic , the adoration @ @ @ @ @ on March 27 .
The `` Salus Populi Romani '' icon and the crucifix of @ @ @ @ @ in front of the central door of the basilica .
Vatican media broadcast the ceremony @ @ @ @ @ it could also be followed in several languages on Facebook and YouTube .
Photo by @ @ @

1/2
Smaller-than-normal crowds shop at the Sugamo Jizo Dori shopping street in Tokyo on April 11. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
April 16 (UPI) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe declared a nationwide state of emergency Thursday as the number of coronavirus cases worldwide surpassed 2 million. The state of emergency now covers the entire country two weeks after Abe issued a declaration in Tokyo and six prefectures. Japan has more than 8,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and at least 178 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. Advertisement
"I decided to put all prefectures under the state of emergency to curb infections in respective areas and especially to keep the movement of people to a minimum heading into the Golden Week holidays," Abe said.
The emergency declaration will last until May 6.
He also announced that Japanese citizens will receive an economic stimulus check of about $930 each.
Britain
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British leaders, meanwhile, extended the lockdown there for another three weeks, 25 days after first going under restrictions. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, whom Prime Minister Boris Johnson named as his deputy before being hospitalized with COVID-19, announced the extension Thursday.
Johnson wasn't involved in the decision-making process on the extension because he's at the prime minister's country residence recovering from his bout with the virus.
Raab didn't offer specifics on when Britain would begin reopening as the virus' numbers taper off.
"Measures could involve various permutations, some going strong, some easing off," he said.
According to Johns Hopkins, there are more than 104,000 confirmed cases in Britain and at least 13,755 people have died.
European Union
The European Parliament is expected to consider $3.2 billion in emergency spending and other coronavirus measures starting Thursday.
The EU's legislative body met in Brussels to begin a two-day session ahead of a crucial meeting of European leaders next week.
Its most pressing item is a proposal by the EU executive branch for $3.2 billion in emergency spending to fight the coronavirus pandemic, $3 billion of which comes directly from the bloc's budget.
The funding is for direct purchases and distribution of medical supplies such as masks and respirators, transporting equipment, patients in cross-border regions and the construction of mobile field hospitals.
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Lawmakers are also expected to approve special measures funding food delivery for the bloc's poorest and most vulnerable residents.
"History has shown that when an obstacle seems insurmountable, Europe can come together and be creative," European Council President Charles Michel told Parliament as the debate began. "With optimism, determination, let the democratic heart of the EU and our institutions beat. It guarantees the legitimacy of European ambition."
The debate came as the number of COVID-19 cases surpassed 2.13 million, according to Johns Hopkins University. Deaths numbered more than 141,000 as of Thursday afternoon. The United States has recorded 653,000 cases and nearly 31,000 deaths.
Global cease-fire
International support for a global cease-fire during the pandemic, urged by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, appears to be gathering momentum.
French President Emmanuel Macron told French radio Wednesday he has secured backing for the idea from other leaders of the permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, including China, Russia, Britain and the United States.
"[Chinese] President Xi Jinping confirmed his agreement to me," Macron said. "President [Donald] Trump confirmed his agreement to me. [British] Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed his agreement to me. I think [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin will certainly agree, too."
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The French president said the five leaders could meet by video conference within the next few days to approve the plan "with great solemnity, strength and even more efficiency."
WHO caution
Meanwhile, World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday again urged caution in relaxing stay-at-home orders and reopening economies in hard-hit parts of the world, including Europe and the United States.
After noting 40,000 more people had died in the last week, Tedros said there are nevertheless "encouraging signs" in some high-impact countries.
"As you know, some countries are now considering lifting social and economic restrictions," he said. "This is something we all want -- but it must be done extremely carefully. If done too quickly, we risk a resurgence that could be even worse than our present situation."
He reiterated the WHO's guidelines on reopening, especially that community transmissions must first be under control and health systems able to "detect, test, isolate and treat every case and trace every contact."
Scenes from a pandemic: World copes with COVID-19


upi--2020-04-16--New camera can detect single photons of light at record speeds

April 16 ( UPI ) -- The world 's first megapixel photon-counting camera and a first-of-its-kind image sensor technology are capable of detecting single photons of light at record speeds .
The technology , developed by engineers at the Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory in Switzerland , could be used to improve the resolution of augmented reality or the efficiency of LiDAR systems for self-driving cars .
The camera is described in a research paper published Thursday in the journal Optica .
`` Thanks to its high resolution and ability to measure depth , this new camera could make virtual reality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ augmented reality information in a more seamless manner , '' Edoardo Charbon , researcher with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and AQUALab , said in a news release .
The camera 's breakthrough technology is powered by single-photon avalanche diodes , or SPADs .
In addition to shrinking the SPAD pixels to record size , engineers also succeeded in reducing the amount of power that each pixel uses .
As a result of the unprecedented technology upgrades , the camera can achieve record speeds -- acquiring images at up to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impressive timing precision and energy efficiency .
`` For transportation applications , this new camera could help achieve unprecedented levels of autonomy and safety by enabling multiple low-power LiDAR devices to be used on a vehicle , providing fast , high-resolution 3D view of the surroundings , '' said AQUALab researcher Kazuhiro Morimoto , who also works as an engineer for Canon Inc. in Japan .
`` In a somewhat more distant future , quantum communication , sensing and computing could all benefit from photon-counting cameras with multi-megapixel resolution . ''
SPADs work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into electrical signals .
The sensors are used in smartphones and other household devices .
For the latest research , scientists were able to construct an array of extremely small SPADs .
Each SPAD sensor found in the new camera can open and close at record speeds , allowing light in for just 3.8 nanoseconds , roughly four billionth of a second .
The energy demands of similar technologies have limited the size of previous sensor arrays .
By improving the energy efficiency of each sensor , engineers were able pack the SPAD @ @ @ @ @ @ @ featuring millions of pixels .
To efficiently process the electrical signals produced by the SPAD sensors , engineers deployed a sophisticated integrated circuit design .
`` To the best of our knowledge , the spatially overlapped multi-object detection with the single-photon time-gating scheme has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time , '' researchers wrote .
The speed and precision of the new camera makes it possible to measure the amount of time it takes for a photon to travel from its source to the camera 's sensor , as well as produce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confirmed the accuracy of the camera 's time-of-flight measurements using laser pulses .
`` Owing to its noise and dynamic range performance , the proposed sensor will be useful in a wide variety of industrial applications , such as security , automotive , robotic , biomedical , and scientific applications , including quantum imaging and ultra-high-speed imaging , '' researchers wrote .

A new first-of-its-kind camera features sensors capable of detecting single photons at record speeds. Photo by Arianna M. Charbon, Kazuhiro Morimoto, Edoardo Charbon.
April 16 (UPI) -- The world's first megapixel photon-counting camera and a first-of-its-kind image sensor technology are capable of detecting single photons of light at record speeds. The technology, developed by engineers at the Advanced Quantum Architecture Laboratory in Switzerland, could be used to improve the resolution of augmented reality or the efficiency of LiDAR systems for self-driving cars. The camera is described in a research paper published Thursday in the journal Optica. Advertisement
"Thanks to its high resolution and ability to measure depth, this new camera could make virtual reality more realistic and let you interact with augmented reality information in a more seamless manner," Edoardo Charbon, researcher with the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne and AQUALab, said in a news release.
The camera's breakthrough technology is powered by single-photon avalanche diodes, or SPADs. In addition to shrinking the SPAD pixels to record size, engineers also succeeded in reducing the amount of power that each pixel uses.
As a result of the unprecedented technology upgrades, the camera can achieve record speeds -- acquiring images at up to 24,000 frames per second -- while maintaining impressive timing precision and energy efficiency.
Advertisement
"For transportation applications, this new camera could help achieve unprecedented levels of autonomy and safety by enabling multiple low-power LiDAR devices to be used on a vehicle, providing fast, high-resolution 3D view of the surroundings," said AQUALab researcher Kazuhiro Morimoto, who also works as an engineer for Canon Inc. in Japan. "In a somewhat more distant future, quantum communication, sensing and computing could all benefit from photon-counting cameras with multi-megapixel resolution."
SPADs work by detecting single photons and converting them into electrical signals. The sensors are used in smartphones and other household devices. For the latest research, scientists were able to construct an array of extremely small SPADs.
Each SPAD sensor found in the new camera can open and close at record speeds, allowing light in for just 3.8 nanoseconds, roughly four billionth of a second.
The energy demands of similar technologies have limited the size of previous sensor arrays. By improving the energy efficiency of each sensor, engineers were able pack the SPAD sensors more densely, yielding an array featuring millions of pixels.
To efficiently process the electrical signals produced by the SPAD sensors, engineers deployed a sophisticated integrated circuit design.
"To the best of our knowledge, the spatially overlapped multi-object detection with the single-photon time-gating scheme has been experimentally demonstrated for the first time," researchers wrote.
Advertisement
The speed and precision of the new camera makes it possible to measure the amount of time it takes for a photon to travel from its source to the camera's sensor, as well as produce high-speed reconstruction of 3D images. Scientists confirmed the accuracy of the camera's time-of-flight measurements using laser pulses.
"Owing to its noise and dynamic range performance, the proposed sensor will be useful in a wide variety of industrial applications, such as security, automotive, robotic, biomedical, and scientific applications, including quantum imaging and ultra-high-speed imaging," researchers wrote.


upi--2020-04-16--NFL Draft: Dolphins prioritize game film, weigh injury history

April 16 ( UPI ) -- Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said the team will prioritize the game film of prospects over what they did at the combine and in other settings when it considers selections for the 2020 NFL Draft .
`` We have an idea of who we like , '' Grier said .
`` But again , we want to make sure we have all the information .
We have medical meetings coming up in the next couple of days . ''
The Dolphins are one of the most well-stocked NFL teams ahead for total selections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , .
18 and 26 picks in the first round , as well as two second-round selections and nine picks from the third through seventh rounds .
Prospects and NFL teams are in unfamiliar territory this off-season due to the coronavirus pandemic .
March and April typically are reserved for in-person meetings , workouts and medical testing , but those have been transformed into video conferences , phone calls and text messages as Americans follow social distance guidelines and stay-at-home orders .
Despite the limited exposure to the prospects , Grier said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ altered off-season and using footage from college performances as the decisive factor in evaluating players .
`` This year is not any different than any other year , '' Grier said .
`` The [ game ] tape really shows what the player is .
The combine and all of the other stuff gives you a little clearer picture , but at the end of the day , it 's about what the guys do on the field . ''
The Dolphins also could trade some of their draft pick capital for additional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Teams have called us , '' Grier said of trade negotiations .
`` We 've called every team .
Every team calls every team .
Everyone is doing their due diligence . ''
The Dolphins are expected to select former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or another top quarterback prospect -- possibly Oregon 's Justin Herbert -- as their first draft pick .
Grier said the Dolphins have not finalized their draft board , which would include a ranking of players they like best .
Grier will receive final reports from scouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is done .
Tagovailoa was the favorite to be the No .
1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft before the 2019-2020 college football season .
The Crimson Tide standout sustained a season-ending hip injury in November .
Tagovailoa 's history of injuries is a concern for NFL teams but it is also just one factor teams like the Dolphins are weighing as they consider who to draft .
Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow vaulted to the top of draft boards after a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign last season and is expected to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has seen players with a history of injuries in college go on to have successful and durable NFL careers and some with a history of injuries have short NFL tenures .
`` Historically , it can go all over the place , '' Grier said of selecting players who have been injured in college .
`` You always want the talent .
You also talk about the kid -- the person and his work ethic .
You do look at injuries .
It is a factor , [ depending on ] the position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be weighed with that . ''
Tagovailoa completed 69 percent of his throws for 3,966 yards , 43 scores and six touchdowns in 15 games in 2018 at Alabama .
He passed for 2,840 yards , 33 scores and three interceptions in nine games last season .
Herbert completed 66.8 percent of his throws for 3,471 yards , 32 scores and six interceptions in 14 games last season at Oregon .
The 2020 NFL Draft is from April 23 to 25 and will air on ESPN , ABC and the NFL Network @

The Miami Dolphins will weigh injury history with several other factors when evaluating players like former Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) for the 2020 NFL Draft. File Photo by Terry Schmitt/UPI | License Photo
April 16 (UPI) -- Miami Dolphins general manager Chris Grier said the team will prioritize the game film of prospects over what they did at the combine and in other settings when it considers selections for the 2020 NFL Draft. "We have an idea of who we like," Grier said. "But again, we want to make sure we have all the information. We have medical meetings coming up in the next couple of days." Advertisement
The Dolphins are one of the most well-stocked NFL teams ahead for total selections. Miami has the Nos. 5,. 18 and 26 picks in the first round, as well as two second-round selections and nine picks from the third through seventh rounds.
Prospects and NFL teams are in unfamiliar territory this off-season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
March and April typically are reserved for in-person meetings, workouts and medical testing, but those have been transformed into video conferences, phone calls and text messages as Americans follow social distance guidelines and stay-at-home orders.
Advertisement
Despite the limited exposure to the prospects, Grier said the Dolphins are "working through" the altered off-season and using footage from college performances as the decisive factor in evaluating players.
"This year is not any different than any other year," Grier said. "The [game] tape really shows what the player is. The combine and all of the other stuff gives you a little clearer picture, but at the end of the day, it's about what the guys do on the field."
The Dolphins also could trade some of their draft pick capital for additional picks or higher picks in specific rounds.
"Teams have called us," Grier said of trade negotiations. "We've called every team. Every team calls every team. Everyone is doing their due diligence."
The Dolphins are expected to select former Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa or another top quarterback prospect -- possibly Oregon's Justin Herbert -- as their first draft pick.
Grier said the Dolphins have not finalized their draft board, which would include a ranking of players they like best. Grier will receive final reports from scouts and others analyzing the prospects before that is done.
Tagovailoa was the favorite to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 Draft before the 2019-2020 college football season. The Crimson Tide standout sustained a season-ending hip injury in November.
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Tagovailoa's history of injuries is a concern for NFL teams but it is also just one factor teams like the Dolphins are weighing as they consider who to draft.
Former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow vaulted to the top of draft boards after a Heisman Trophy-winning campaign last season and is expected to be the top pick.
Grier said he has seen players with a history of injuries in college go on to have successful and durable NFL careers and some with a history of injuries have short NFL tenures.
"Historically, it can go all over the place," Grier said of selecting players who have been injured in college. "You always want the talent. You also talk about the kid -- the person and his work ethic. You do look at injuries. It is a factor, [depending on] the position he plays. "Every decision has to be weighed with that."
Tagovailoa completed 69 percent of his throws for 3,966 yards, 43 scores and six touchdowns in 15 games in 2018 at Alabama. He passed for 2,840 yards, 33 scores and three interceptions in nine games last season.
Herbert completed 66.8 percent of his throws for 3,471 yards, 32 scores and six interceptions in 14 games last season at Oregon.
Advertisement
The 2020 NFL Draft is from April 23 to 25 and will air on ESPN, ABC and the NFL Network.


upi--2020-04-16--Watch: Wild leopard wanders into hospital bathroom

April 16 ( UPI ) -- A leopard wandered into a hospital in India and ended up locked inside a @ @ @ @ @ wildlife officials .
The Forest Department in Ganhinagar said the leopard wandered into Ayurveda Hospital @ @ @ @ @ was discovered in a bathroom by a female employee .
Hospital workers locked the bathroom @ @ @ @ @ Department , which dispatched personnel to the scene .
The leopard was safely relocated with @ @ @ @ @ the animal , officials said .

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
April 16 (UPI) -- A leopard wandered into a hospital in India and ended up locked inside a bathroom before being relocated by wildlife officials.
The Forest Department in Ganhinagar said the leopard wandered into Ayurveda Hospital in the Kolavada area and was discovered in a bathroom by a female employee.
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Hospital workers locked the bathroom door and contacted the Forest Department, which dispatched personnel to the scene.
The leopard was safely relocated with no injuries to humans or the animal, officials said.


upi--2020-04-16--In photos: Protesters rally against Virginia's stay-at-home order

The group is calling for Gov .
Ralph Northam to end Executive Order 53 , which bans gatherings of more @ @ @ @ @ Kevin Dietsch/UPI

Protesters demonstrate from vehicles as they call on Gov. Ralph Northam to "reopen Virginia" near the State Capitol in Richmond, Va., on April 22. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI


upi--2020-04-16--Sheep that went missing in bushfire turns up seven years later

April 16 ( UPI ) -- An Australian family said a sheep that fled during bushfires seven years ago has been recaptured -- along with a whole lot of new fleece .
Alice Gray of Dunalley , Tasmania , said her family decided to hold her son 's birthday party at the back of their property while in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and while cooking sausage they spotted a white , fluffy shape on the other side of a dam .
Gray 's husband went to investigate when the rest of the family headed back to the house @ @ @ @ @ @ @ received a phone call from him confirming the shape had been Prickles , a sheep that fled when bushfires in 2013 destroyed the farm 's fencing .
`` He gave me a call saying he chased her , leapt on her , and he was holding her down and we all had to go and help , '' Gray told ABC Radio Hobart .
Gray said her family is now holding a contest for members of the public to guess Prickles ' weight before her first shearing in seven years .
`` The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are raising money for the UNHCR , the U.N .
Refugee Agency , as unlike Prickles , people in camps ca n't socially isolate , '' Gray told the Guardian .

Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe
April 16 (UPI) -- An Australian family said a sheep that fled during bushfires seven years ago has been recaptured -- along with a whole lot of new fleece.
Alice Gray of Dunalley, Tasmania, said her family decided to hold her son's birthday party at the back of their property while in lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and while cooking sausage they spotted a white, fluffy shape on the other side of a dam.
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Gray's husband went to investigate when the rest of the family headed back to the house, and a few minutes later she received a phone call from him confirming the shape had been Prickles, a sheep that fled when bushfires in 2013 destroyed the farm's fencing.
"He gave me a call saying he chased her, leapt on her, and he was holding her down and we all had to go and help," Gray told ABC Radio Hobart.
Gray said her family is now holding a contest for members of the public to guess Prickles' weight before her first shearing in seven years.
"The most important part to us is that we are raising money for the UNHCR, the U.N. Refugee Agency, as unlike Prickles, people in camps can't socially isolate," Gray told the Guardian.


upi--2020-04-16--Auto sales drop less than expected, research firm says

April 16 ( UPI ) -- New vehicle sales dropped less than expected in the first 12 days of April amid many closed showrooms due to restrictions to curb coronavirus spread , research firm J.D .
Power said .
The firm said in a report Wednesday retail sales through April 12 were down 55 percent compared to the pre-virus forecast , which suggests this month 's sales might not have the 80 percent drop feared .
`` This is obviously much better than the previous worst-case scenario that we had , '' J.D .
Power Data and Analytics Division President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the demand is showing some resilience . ''
Still , the report said that 578,000 sales have been lost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic .
The report noted that Michigan opened online sales this past week and 23 states , which represented 51 percent of sales in 2019 , have had to close dealer showrooms and sell only online or remotely .
Excluding hard-hit states of New York , Michigan and Pennsylvania , sales were down only 45 percent from the pre-virus forecast .
All three of the states are in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases of COVID-19 across the country .
New York has by far the most at 213,779 cases and 11,586 deaths .
Michigan has 27,893 cases and 1,919 deaths and Pennsylvania has 27,735 cases and 863 deaths .
In New York and Michigan , there is no ban on auto sales , but there are restrictions .
In Pennsylvania , auto sales are banned .

J.D. Power said Wednesday auto sales have declined less than expected amid many dealers being restricted to remote sales due to the coronavirus pandemic. File Photo by Roger L. Wollenberg/UPI | License Photo
April 16 (UPI) -- New vehicle sales dropped less than expected in the first 12 days of April amid many closed showrooms due to restrictions to curb coronavirus spread, research firm J.D. Power said. The firm said in a report Wednesday retail sales through April 12 were down 55 percent compared to the pre-virus forecast, which suggests this month's sales might not have the 80 percent drop feared. Advertisement
"This is obviously much better than the previous worst-case scenario that we had," J.D. Power Data and Analytics Division President Thomas King said. "This reflects the demand is showing some resilience."
Still, the report said that 578,000 sales have been lost as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The report noted that Michigan opened online sales this past week and 23 states, which represented 51 percent of sales in 2019, have had to close dealer showrooms and sell only online or remotely.
Excluding hard-hit states of New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania, sales were down only 45 percent from the pre-virus forecast.
All three of the states are in the top five as far as number of cases of COVID-19 across the country. New York has by far the most at 213,779 cases and 11,586 deaths. Michigan has 27,893 cases and 1,919 deaths and Pennsylvania has 27,735 cases and 863 deaths.
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In New York and Michigan, there is no ban on auto sales, but there are restrictions. In Pennsylvania, auto sales are banned.
In 24 states, representing 44 percent of 2019 sales, showrooms remain open.


upi--2020-04-16--Telescope spies tango between star, black hole, proves Einstein right

April 16 ( UPI ) -- The orbital pattern of star dancing around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way looks like a rosette -- the pattern predicted by Einstein 's general theory of relativity .
The discovery , made possible by three decades of observations by the European Southern Observatory 's Very Large Telescope , was announced Thursday in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics .
Newton 's theory of gravity predicted the orbit of a star around a supermassive black hole would take the shape of an ellipse .
The latest research suggests Newton was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Einstein 's general relativity predicts that bound orbits of one object around another are not closed , as in Newtonian gravity , but precess forwards in the plane of motion , '' study co-author Reinhard Genzel , director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany , said in a news release .
`` This famous effect -- first seen in the orbit of the planet Mercury around the Sun -- was the first evidence in favor of general relativity . ''
`` One hundred years later we have now detected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a star orbiting the compact radio source Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way , '' Genzel said .
`` This observational breakthrough strengthens the evidence that Sagittarius A* must be a supermassive black hole of 4 million times the mass of the sun . ''
The close proximity of Sagittarius A* and its neighbors to the center of the Milky Way has offered scientists a unique opportunity to study the effects of extreme gravity on stellar behavior .
One of the stars within the cluster surrounding Sagittarius A* follows an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ billion miles of the supermassive black hole upon its closest approach .
During its approach , the star , S2 , reaches speeds approximating 3 percent of the speed of light .
The star completes an orbit of the black hole every 16 years .
`` After following the star in its orbit for over two and a half decades , our exquisite measurements robustly detect S2 's Schwarzschild precession in its path around Sagittarius A* , '' said study co-author Stefan Gillessen , an astrophysicist at MPE .
Unlike the elliptical orbits @ @ @ @ @ @ @ orbital path of S2 and the positioning of its closest approach shift with each new lap around around the supermassive black hole .
As such , its repeated orbits create a rosette pattern -- a phenomenon called the Schwarzschild precession .
Though predicted by Einstein 's general relativity , such an orbital precession had never been measured before .
The ability to precisely track S2 's unique orbital path was made possible by the VLT Interferometer , an instrument that combines the light of all four 8-meter VLT telescopes .
Scientists suggest the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them begin to understand the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes .
And in the near future , astronomers expect to have even more precise data to work with .
`` If we are lucky , we might capture stars close enough that they actually feel the rotation , the spin , of the black hole , '' said researcher Andreas Eckart , an astronomer at Cologne University in Germany .
`` That would be again a completely different level of testing relativity , ''

Observations made with ESO's Very Large Telescope have revealed for the first time that a star orbiting the black hole at the center of the Milky Way moves as predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. Photo by L. Calçada/ESO
April 16 (UPI) -- The orbital pattern of star dancing around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way looks like a rosette -- the pattern predicted by Einstein's general theory of relativity. The discovery, made possible by three decades of observations by the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, was announced Thursday in the journal Astronomy and Astrophysics. Advertisement
Newton's theory of gravity predicted the orbit of a star around a supermassive black hole would take the shape of an ellipse. The latest research suggests Newton was wrong and Einstein was right.
"Einstein's general relativity predicts that bound orbits of one object around another are not closed, as in Newtonian gravity, but precess forwards in the plane of motion," study co-author Reinhard Genzel, director at the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, said in a news release. "This famous effect -- first seen in the orbit of the planet Mercury around the Sun -- was the first evidence in favor of general relativity."
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"One hundred years later we have now detected the same effect in the motion of a star orbiting the compact radio source Sagittarius A* at the center of the Milky Way," Genzel said. "This observational breakthrough strengthens the evidence that Sagittarius A* must be a supermassive black hole of 4 million times the mass of the sun."
The close proximity of Sagittarius A* and its neighbors to the center of the Milky Way has offered scientists a unique opportunity to study the effects of extreme gravity on stellar behavior. One of the stars within the cluster surrounding Sagittarius A* follows an extremely elliptical orbit, swinging within 12.4 billion miles of the supermassive black hole upon its closest approach. During its approach, the star, S2, reaches speeds approximating 3 percent of the speed of light. The star completes an orbit of the black hole every 16 years.
"After following the star in its orbit for over two and a half decades, our exquisite measurements robustly detect S2's Schwarzschild precession in its path around Sagittarius A*," said study co-author Stefan Gillessen, an astrophysicist at MPE.
Unlike the elliptical orbits of most stars and planets, the orbital path of S2 and the positioning of its closest approach shift with each new lap around around the supermassive black hole. As such, its repeated orbits create a rosette pattern -- a phenomenon called the Schwarzschild precession.
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Though predicted by Einstein's general relativity, such an orbital precession had never been measured before. The ability to precisely track S2's unique orbital path was made possible by the VLT Interferometer, an instrument that combines the light of all four 8-meter VLT telescopes.
Scientists suggest the three decades worth of observations will help them begin to understand the formation and evolution of supermassive black holes. And in the near future, astronomers expect to have even more precise data to work with.
"If we are lucky, we might capture stars close enough that they actually feel the rotation, the spin, of the black hole," said researcher Andreas Eckart, an astronomer at Cologne University in Germany. "That would be again a completely different level of testing relativity,"


upi--2020-04-16--Mail-in voting doesn't benefit either party or invite fraud, Stanford study finds

A man wears a protective mask as he passes a row of U.S. Postal Service mailboxes on Wall Street in New York City on March 20. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
April 16 (UPI) -- Mail-in voting doesn't favor one political party over another, nor does it invite more frequent incidents of fraud, according to new research at Stanford University. The study, published Wednesday, found that despite opposition from President Donald Trump and other Republicans to using mail-in ballots, the postal voting method doesn't prove to be more beneficial to Democrats or Republicans. Advertisement
Stanford University's Democracy and Polarization Lab studied the issue by reviewing data from three states that used vote-by-mail between 1996 and 2018. Researchers found the method didn't appear to "affect either party's share of turnout" or "increase either party's vote share."
The study did find, however, that the method increased "overall average turnout rates" by about 2 percent -- but saw "a truly negligible effect" on turnout based on party.
The idea of expanding mail voting has been pushed by voting rights advocates in recent weeks as the coronavirus pandemic makes even modest gatherings of people dangerous. Public health experts warned the COVID-19 outbreak will likely continue until scientists develop a vaccine, something that could take more than a year.
That means the November presidential election could prove to be particularly challenging for officials seeking to maintain social distancing guidelines.
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"No American should have to choose between making their voice heard and staying safe," former first lady Michelle Obama tweeted on the topic Monday.
Many states, such as Texas, allow mail-in voting but only for those with a disability or illness, are 65 or older, are confined in jail, or will be out of the United States during the election period.
Trump and some Republicans have opposed mail-in ballots.
"People cheat. Mail ballots are a very dangerous thing for this country, because they're cheaters. ... They're fraudulent in many cases," Trump, who voted by absentee ballot in Florida, said last week.
The conservative Honest Elections Project this week announced the launch of a $250,000 ad campaign with the tag line "It should be easy to vote, hard to cheat."
"There are a lot more opportunities for malfeasance," in mail-in ballots, Honest Election Project Executive Director Jason Snead told NBC.
U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-04-17--Former Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov retires from pro hockey

Markov , 41 , announced his retirement Thursday .
The sixth-round pick in the 1998 NHL Draft played 16 seasons @ @ @ @ @ final three years of his career in Russia 's Kontinental Hockey League .
He played @ @ @ @ @ year before the KHL season was canceled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic .
@ @ @ @ @ you 've done for the Canadiens and congratulations on an incredible career , Andrei , @ @ @ @ @ its social media platforms .
Markov appeared in 990 NHL games and recorded 119 goals @ @ @ @ @ also notched five goals and 27 assists in 89 playoff games .

Andrei Markov (L) played 16 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens before ending his career in the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- Veteran Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov has retired from professional hockey. Markov, 41, announced his retirement Thursday. The sixth-round pick in the 1998 NHL Draft played 16 seasons for the Canadiens and the final three years of his career in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. Advertisement
He played for the Lokomotiv Yaroslavl this year before the KHL season was canceled in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
"Thank you for everything you've done for the Canadiens and congratulations on an incredible career, Andrei," the team posted on its social media platforms.
Markov appeared in 990 NHL games and recorded 119 goals and 453 assists. He also notched five goals and 27 assists in 89 playoff games.


upi--2020-04-17--Astronauts return from months in space to Earth changed by pandemic

ORLANDO , Fla. , April 17 ( UPI ) -- Two astronauts and a cosmonaut landed in Kazakhstan at 1:16 a.m. EDT Friday , completing their mission aboard the International Space Station .
The space travelers returned to an earthly world changed by the coronavirus pandemic since they left months ago .
Ground crews tended to them wearing surgical masks and respirators .
NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan concluded nine months living and working on the ISS , while astronaut Jessica Meir and cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka spent almost seven months in space .
After post-landing medical checks , the crew returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city in Baikonur , Kazakhstan .
Morgan and Meir were scheduled to board a NASA plane in the adjacent city of Kyzlorda , Kazakhstan , for a flight back to Houston .
`` It 's a little bit difficult to believe that we are truly going back to a different planet , '' Meir said via live broadcast from the ISS on April 10 .
She said watching from space as billions of people on Earth dealt with the pandemic was `` surreal . ''
Morgan 's 272-day mission began on July 20 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Earth orbits and a journey of 115.3 million miles .
He conducted seven spacewalks , totaling 45 hours and 48 minutes , four of which were to improve and extend the life of the station 's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer as it looks for evidence of dark matter in the universe .
Meir and Skripochka , who launched on Sept. 25 , 2019 , spent 205 days in space , or 3,280 orbits of Earth and a trip of 86.9 million miles .
During her first spaceflight , Meir conducted the first three all-woman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , totaling 21 hours and 44 minutes .
Skripochka is completing his third spaceflight for a cumulative 536 days in orbit .
Remaining aboard the station is the three-person crew of Expedition 63 with NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy serving as station commander and Roscosmos ' Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner serving as flight engineers .

1/9
Expedition 62 astronaut Jessica Meir is seen outside the Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft after she landed with NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka in a remote area near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan on Friday. Photo by Andrey Shelepin/NASA/GCTC | License Photo
ORLANDO, Fla., April 17 (UPI) -- Two astronauts and a cosmonaut landed in Kazakhstan at 1:16 a.m. EDT Friday, completing their mission aboard the International Space Station. The space travelers returned to an earthly world changed by the coronavirus pandemic since they left months ago. Ground crews tended to them wearing surgical masks and respirators. Advertisement
NASA astronaut Andrew Morgan concluded nine months living and working on the ISS, while astronaut Jessica Meir and cosmonaut Oleg Skripochka spent almost seven months in space.
After post-landing medical checks, the crew returned by Russian helicopters to the recovery staging city in Baikonur, Kazakhstan. Morgan and Meir were scheduled to board a NASA plane in the adjacent city of Kyzlorda, Kazakhstan, for a flight back to Houston.
"It's a little bit difficult to believe that we are truly going back to a different planet," Meir said via live broadcast from the ISS on April 10. She said watching from space as billions of people on Earth dealt with the pandemic was "surreal."
Morgan's 272-day mission began on July 20, 2019. His flight spanned 4,352 Earth orbits and a journey of 115.3 million miles. He conducted seven spacewalks, totaling 45 hours and 48 minutes, four of which were to improve and extend the life of the station's Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer as it looks for evidence of dark matter in the universe.
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Meir and Skripochka, who launched on Sept. 25, 2019, spent 205 days in space, or 3,280 orbits of Earth and a trip of 86.9 million miles. During her first spaceflight, Meir conducted the first three all-woman spacewalks with crewmate Christina Koch of NASA, totaling 21 hours and 44 minutes. Skripochka is completing his third spaceflight for a cumulative 536 days in orbit.
Remaining aboard the station is the three-person crew of Expedition 63 with NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy serving as station commander and Roscosmos' Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner serving as flight engineers.


upi--2020-04-17--Cleveland Browns reject rumors they sought to trade Odell Beckham Jr.

April 17 ( UPI ) -- The Cleveland Browns have denied reports that they want to trade star receiver Odell Beckham Jr .
Rumors circulated this week about the AFC North franchise shopping the superstar pass catcher .
Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta killed the rumors Thursday on a conference call .
`` It was completely false , '' he said .
Beckham joined the Browns in a March 2019 trade from the New York Giants .
The Browns sent a first- and third-round pick to the Giants in the exchange .
Beckham , 27 , made the Pro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NFL seasons .
He had 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games for the Browns in 2019 and played through injuries throughout last year 's campaign .
The Browns , who saw staff turnover this off-season , hired new head offensive-minded coach Kevin Stefanski and replaced General Manager John Dorsey with Andrew Berry .
The Browns also signed tight end Austin Hooper and right tackle Jack Conklin to improve the offense .
`` It 's frustrating a little bit , '' DePodesta said of the trade rumors involving Beckham @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear we 're trying to build at this point .
We 're really building around a core of players that we think have a chance to be a championship-caliber core .
`` The idea that we would take away from that core at this moment just does n't make a whole lot of sense and really is not something we 're exploring at all . ''
The Browns own the No .
10 overall pick on the first day of the NFL Draft next Thursday .

The Browns said they aren't trying to trade Odell Beckham Jr. (L) because he is part of their core group. File Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- The Cleveland Browns have denied reports that they want to trade star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Rumors circulated this week about the AFC North franchise shopping the superstar pass catcher. Browns chief strategy officer Paul DePodesta killed the rumors Thursday on a conference call. Advertisement
"It was completely false," he said.
Beckham joined the Browns in a March 2019 trade from the New York Giants. The Browns sent a first- and third-round pick to the Giants in the exchange.
Beckham, 27, made the Pro Bowl in each of his first three NFL seasons. He had 74 catches for 1,035 yards and four touchdowns in 16 games for the Browns in 2019 and played through injuries throughout last year's campaign.
The Browns, who saw staff turnover this off-season, hired new head offensive-minded coach Kevin Stefanski and replaced General Manager John Dorsey with Andrew Berry. The Browns also signed tight end Austin Hooper and right tackle Jack Conklin to improve the offense.
"It's frustrating a little bit," DePodesta said of the trade rumors involving Beckham. "I think it's pretty clear we're trying to build at this point. We're really building around a core of players that we think have a chance to be a championship-caliber core.
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"The idea that we would take away from that core at this moment just doesn't make a whole lot of sense and really is not something we're exploring at all."
The Browns own the No. 10 overall pick on the first day of the NFL Draft next Thursday.


upi--2020-04-17--Watch: Kelly Clarkson says Aretha Franklin made her cry on 'Tonight Show'

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Kelly Clarkson detailed on The Tonight Show how the late , great Aretha Franklin once made her cry tears of joy .
Clarkson told host Jimmy Fallon on Thursday that she performed `` My Country , 'T is of Thee '' at former President Barack Obama 's second inauguration .
The American Idol alum was unaware that Franklin had performed the same song four years earlier at Obama 's first inauguration .
Clarkson said she freaked out once she discovered what happened .
`` I was like , I do n't want to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every time you sing a national anthem everyone always talks about Whitney Houston 's and it 's like , can you not compare me to her like that 's not fair , '' Clarkson said .
Franklin was asked about Clarkson 's performance and said that it was magnificent .
`` I cried .
Not joking , I was in the studio making a record at the time and I bawled because I was like , I 'm done .
I have succeeded , '' Clarkson said .
Clarkson recently released a new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The track was recorded in multiple languages .

April 17 (UPI) -- Kelly Clarkson detailed on The Tonight Show how the late, great Aretha Franklin once made her cry tears of joy.
Clarkson told host Jimmy Fallon on Thursday that she performed "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" at former President Barack Obama's second inauguration.
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The American Idol alum was unaware that Franklin had performed the same song four years earlier at Obama's first inauguration. Clarkson said she freaked out once she discovered what happened.
"I was like, I don't want to be compared to that. That's like every time you sing a national anthem everyone always talks about Whitney Houston's and it's like, can you not compare me to her like that's not fair," Clarkson said.
Franklin was asked about Clarkson's performance and said that it was magnificent.
"I cried. Not joking, I was in the studio making a record at the time and I bawled because I was like, I'm done. I have succeeded," Clarkson said.
Clarkson recently released a new single, "I Dare You." The track was recorded in multiple languages.


upi--2020-04-17--Iran's corruption may block IMF coronavirus aid

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Displaying a characteristically impeccable case of bad timing , Iran 's Supreme Audit Court presented a devastating report to the Iranian parliament on Tuesday showing how $ 4.8 billion had gone missing from government funds in 2018 , pointing to massive corruption by the ruling mullahs .
Coming at the precise moment the International Monetary Fund was considering the Iranian regime 's request for a $ 5 billion aid package to help them through the coronavirus crisis , the revelation was less than helpful .
The auditor 's report showed how $ 31.4 billion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the importation of goods in 2018 , while only $ 26.6 billion of goods had actually been accounted for , leaving a glaring $ 4.8 billion shortfall .
Adel Azar , head of the Supreme Audit Court , told the parliament that his report indicated a high level of corruption by government officials who had received funds at government currency rates more favorable than those available on the open market .
He cited 63 cases of embezzlement by elite government officials who had received between $ 50 million and $ 100 million each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only 15 of these embezzlers had been reported to the prosecutor 's office .
Iran 's President Hassan Rouhani has claimed his country has no funds to help the people during the COVID-19 pandemic and has demanded emergency aid from the IMF , despite the fact that supreme leader Ali Khamenei has assets worth an estimated $ 200 billion in tax-exempt foundations that are not overseen by any government body .
Last week , Rouhani said the IMF would be guilty of discrimination if it chose to withhold money from Iran , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But the IMF will no doubt be carefully considering Iran 's request against the background of institutionalized corruption .
Jihad Azour , the IMF 's director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department , has told the media , `` We have received a request for assistance , and since we have had limited engagement with Iran in recent times , the process of obtaining the information we require to assess the request is taking time . ''
The regime has struggled to control the spread of the disease , although they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they claimed COVID-19 had infected 77,000 people and killed 4,800 , although accurate daily reports from the vast network of People 's Mojahdein Organization of Iran ( PMOI/MEK ) resistance units inside Iran showed the real figures were more than 800,000 infected and over 30,000 dead nationwide .
The true figures demonstrate that Iran is the world 's worst affected country , despite assurances from Rouhani that it is safe for people to return to work and for schools to reopen .
Many shops , factories and workshops have resumed operations , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rouhani has even boasted that `` no patient has been refused access to hospital in any province or city across the country .
There have been no cases of bed shortages or ICU beds if a patient required special attention ... We know of not even a single case over the past three months of anyone not being admitted to hospital due to poverty ... .
Everyone [ had been admitted ] with their insurance and in the case of financial difficulties , patients have not been charged . ''
In direct contradiction @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raissi told the Entekhab daily newspaper , `` We can not have a precise assessment of the actual figure [ of the fatalities ] , and we can not multiply our statistics by two to three , but definitely the cases that we have registered do not reflect the real statistics ...
The scope of those who have been infected is much larger .
Claims that 800,000 people have been infected and the number of those who have died is several times the number we have announced are definitely accurate . ''
Tehran @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and its `` maximum pressure '' policy , claiming that U.S. sanctions have restricted its ability to respond effectively to the disease , despite the fact that the sanctions specifically excluded medicinal and humanitarian supplies .
But the ayatollah 's long-standing policy of bragging , lying and concealing the truth has rebounded on them during the COVID-19 crisis .
What little trust tiny sectors of the population still had in the regime has evaporated , encouraging U.S. President Donald Trump to signal he was keen to block Iran 's bid for the $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the biggest contributor to the IMF , Trump is in a pivotal position to veto the loan .
He has shown his displeasure with the World Health Organization by suspending massive U.S. contributions to its budget for the next 60 days .
Presumably the IMF does not want to invite a similar fate .
The U.S .State Department and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regard Iran as the world 's biggest sponsor of terrorism , pointing to the regime 's continued funding of Bashar al-Assad in Syria , the Houthis in Yemen , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Shi'ia militias in Iraq .
Pompeo remains opposed to the IMF handout , believing it would fail to go to the hospitals , nurses and doctors who require assistance .
Nevertheless , the European Union , as a leading appeaser of the Iranian regime , has begun operating their Iran-EU payment mechanism , with France , Germany and the United Kingdom opening a trading arrangement with the mullahs in direct violation of U.S. sanctions .
The EU seems oblivious to the fact that while Iran 's 80 million population are facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus , the regime and its terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are sitting on a mammoth jihad war chest worth an estimated $ 300 billion .
They prefer to keep this money to wage Holy War on their Middle East neighbors and to finance international terror rather than supporting their own people .
The theocratic regime 's oppression , corruption , humanitarian discord and sponsorship of terror should be enough to persuade the IMF on the future of any financial aid .
Struan Stevenson is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ European Parliament representing Scotland ( 1999-2014 ) , president of the Parliament 's Delegation for Relations with Iraq ( 2009-14 ) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup ( 2004-14 ) .
He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association .

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a cabinet meeting in Tehran on Wednesday. Photo courtesy of Iranian president's office/EPA-EFE
April 17 (UPI) -- Displaying a characteristically impeccable case of bad timing, Iran's Supreme Audit Court presented a devastating report to the Iranian parliament on Tuesday showing how $4.8 billion had gone missing from government funds in 2018, pointing to massive corruption by the ruling mullahs. Coming at the precise moment the International Monetary Fund was considering the Iranian regime's request for a $5 billion aid package to help them through the coronavirus crisis, the revelation was less than helpful. The auditor's report showed how $31.4 billion had been allocated by the government for the importation of goods in 2018, while only $26.6 billion of goods had actually been accounted for, leaving a glaring $4.8 billion shortfall. Advertisement
Adel Azar, head of the Supreme Audit Court, told the parliament that his report indicated a high level of corruption by government officials who had received funds at government currency rates more favorable than those available on the open market. He cited 63 cases of embezzlement by elite government officials who had received between $50 million and $100 million each to import goods, but noted that only 15 of these embezzlers had been reported to the prosecutor's office.
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Iran's President Hassan Rouhani has claimed his country has no funds to help the people during the COVID-19 pandemic and has demanded emergency aid from the IMF, despite the fact that supreme leader Ali Khamenei has assets worth an estimated $200 billion in tax-exempt foundations that are not overseen by any government body.
Last week, Rouhani said the IMF would be guilty of discrimination if it chose to withhold money from Iran, which is a member of the IMF. But the IMF will no doubt be carefully considering Iran's request against the background of institutionalized corruption.
Jihad Azour, the IMF's director of the Middle East and Central Asia Department, has told the media, "We have received a request for assistance, and since we have had limited engagement with Iran in recent times, the process of obtaining the information we require to assess the request is taking time."
The regime has struggled to control the spread of the disease, although they repeatedly broadcast false reports. On Thursday, they claimed COVID-19 had infected 77,000 people and killed 4,800, although accurate daily reports from the vast network of People's Mojahdein Organization of Iran (PMOI/MEK) resistance units inside Iran showed the real figures were more than 800,000 infected and over 30,000 dead nationwide.
Advertisement
The true figures demonstrate that Iran is the world's worst affected country, despite assurances from Rouhani that it is safe for people to return to work and for schools to reopen. Many shops, factories and workshops have resumed operations, exacerbating the spread of the virus.
Rouhani has even boasted that "no patient has been refused access to hospital in any province or city across the country. There have been no cases of bed shortages or ICU beds if a patient required special attention... We know of not even a single case over the past three months of anyone not being admitted to hospital due to poverty.... Everyone [had been admitted] with their insurance and in the case of financial difficulties, patients have not been charged."
In direct contradiction, Iran's Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raissi told the Entekhab daily newspaper, "We cannot have a precise assessment of the actual figure [of the fatalities], and we cannot multiply our statistics by two to three, but definitely the cases that we have registered do not reflect the real statistics... The scope of those who have been infected is much larger. Claims that 800,000 people have been infected and the number of those who have died is several times the number we have announced are definitely accurate."
Advertisement
Tehran has exploited the epidemic to blame Washington and its "maximum pressure" policy, claiming that U.S. sanctions have restricted its ability to respond effectively to the disease, despite the fact that the sanctions specifically excluded medicinal and humanitarian supplies. But the ayatollah's long-standing policy of bragging, lying and concealing the truth has rebounded on them during the COVID-19 crisis.
What little trust tiny sectors of the population still had in the regime has evaporated, encouraging U.S. President Donald Trump to signal he was keen to block Iran's bid for the $5 billion IMF aid package. As the biggest contributor to the IMF, Trump is in a pivotal position to veto the loan. He has shown his displeasure with the World Health Organization by suspending massive U.S. contributions to its budget for the next 60 days. Presumably the IMF does not want to invite a similar fate.
The U.S .State Department and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo regard Iran as the world's biggest sponsor of terrorism, pointing to the regime's continued funding of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Gaza and the Shi'ia militias in Iraq. Pompeo remains opposed to the IMF handout, believing it would fail to go to the hospitals, nurses and doctors who require assistance. Nevertheless, the European Union, as a leading appeaser of the Iranian regime, has begun operating their Iran-EU payment mechanism, with France, Germany and the United Kingdom opening a trading arrangement with the mullahs in direct violation of U.S. sanctions.
Advertisement
The EU seems oblivious to the fact that while Iran's 80 million population are facing a spiraling daily death toll from the coronavirus, the regime and its terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps are sitting on a mammoth jihad war chest worth an estimated $300 billion. They prefer to keep this money to wage Holy War on their Middle East neighbors and to finance international terror rather than supporting their own people. The theocratic regime's oppression, corruption, humanitarian discord and sponsorship of terror should be enough to persuade the IMF on the future of any financial aid.
Struan Stevenson is the Coordinator of the Campaign for Iran Change. He was a member of the European Parliament representing Scotland (1999-2014), president of the Parliament's Delegation for Relations with Iraq (2009-14) and chairman of the Friends of a Free Iran Intergroup (2004-14). He is an international lecturer on the Middle East and president of the European Iraqi Freedom Association.


upi--2020-04-17--Google says it's blocking 18M coronavirus scam emails a day

Some of the phony emails purport to be from the World Health Organization or government organizations, the company said. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- Google says it is blocking 18 million scam emails per day seeking to exploit the coronavirus fears for criminal purposes. The tech giant said in a blog post Thursday phony emails sent to Gmail users are attempts to entice recipients into downloading malware or contributing to phony charities by using the coronavirus pandemic as a hook. Advertisement
Gmail is the world's largest online email service with 1.5 billion active users.
Some of the phony emails purport to be from the World Health Organization or government organizations asking for donations. They include mechanisms to distribute downloadable files that can install backdoors onto the user's computer.
Others look to take advantage of people working from home during the crisis by impersonating employers. Some purport to be from government institutions with information about stimulus payments.
Google said they are "phishing" attacks in which thieves try to entice recipients to reveal personal information.
"Every day, Gmail blocks more than 100 million phishing emails," the blog post said. "During the last week, we saw 18 million daily malware and phishing emails related to COVID-19. This is in addition to more than 240 million COVID-related daily spam messages."
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The company said its machine learning programs have "evolved to understand and filter these threats, and we continue to block more than 99.9 percent of spam, phishing, and malware from reaching our users."
U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-04-17--Gallup: Face mask use in U.S. rises to more than 60 percent

Firefighter Mark Nagel wears a protective mask while on a call Wednesday in St. Louis, Mo. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- The use of face masks by U.S. residents rose dramatically in one week after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended them in public, a new survey showed Friday. Gallup said it found face mask use increased from 38 percent before the CDC advice to 62 percent the week after. Another 24 percent said they are now considering wearing a mask outside the home, while 14 percent said they would not. Advertisement
Seventy-one percent of people living in cities and 72 percent living in the West said they're wearing masks in public.
Those less likely to wear them are those in the Midwest (46 percent), Republicans (48 percent) and those living in small towns or rural areas (52 percent), the poll said.
"Those in the Western and Northeastern regions of the U.S. where the outbreaks have been worst are significantly more likely than those in the Midwest and South to have donned face coverings in public," Gallup's Megan Brenan said. "Likewise, residents of cities and suburbs are more likely than those in more rural areas to have worn masks."
Gallup interviewed 2,400 adults for the survey, which has a margin of error of 4 points.
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U.S. copes with COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-04-17--Jazz's Mike Conley beats Bulls' Zach LaVine to win H-O-R-S-E challenge

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. beat Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine in the championship of the NBA 's first H-O-R-S-E competition airing on ESPN amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Conley beat LaVine H-O to H-O-R-S-E in the final round Thursday .
The Jazz star beat former NBA star Chauncey Billups in the semifinals before advancing to the championship .
LaVine edged WNBA star Allie Quigley in his semifinal matchup .
`` I 'm happy to have won , '' Conley told ESPN .
`` I 'm a competitor at heart .
Winning was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently used a very acrobatic shot against his competitors .
The Bulls guard -- known for his dunks -- had to alter his style due to jams not being allowed in the competition .
His regular shot included a jump toward the hoop before lifting the ball over the rim and dropping it through the net , without touching the basket .
Quigley grabbed an early lead on LaVine before he advanced by making his last three shots .
He beat the WNBA star H-O to H-O-R-S-E. Conley made his first three shots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to beat Billups .
Conley utilized his off hand for an advantage in the shot making sequence .
He advanced to the finals by beating Billups H-O to H-O-R-S-E. Conley continued to frustrate his opponent in the final , using his right hand instead of his primary hand to swish jump shots .
He made one shot by spinning it on his left hand while punching the ball with his right hand .
He made another with his off hand while standing behind the backboard .
Competition sponsor State Farm will donate more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ response efforts .
The NBA suspended play indefinitely on March 11 .
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in early April that the league would not consider a potential return until May 1 at the earliest .

April 17 (UPI) -- Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr. beat Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine in the championship of the NBA's first H-O-R-S-E competition airing on ESPN amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Conley beat LaVine H-O to H-O-R-S-E in the final round Thursday. The Jazz star beat former NBA star Chauncey Billups in the semifinals before advancing to the championship. LaVine edged WNBA star Allie Quigley in his semifinal matchup.
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"I'm happy to have won," Conley told ESPN. "I'm a competitor at heart. Winning was always in the picture."
LaVine frequently used a very acrobatic shot against his competitors. The Bulls guard -- known for his dunks -- had to alter his style due to jams not being allowed in the competition. His regular shot included a jump toward the hoop before lifting the ball over the rim and dropping it through the net, without touching the basket.
Quigley grabbed an early lead on LaVine before he advanced by making his last three shots. He beat the WNBA star H-O to H-O-R-S-E.
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Conley made his first three shots and hit a variety of trick shots to beat Billups. Conley utilized his off hand for an advantage in the shot making sequence. He advanced to the finals by beating Billups H-O to H-O-R-S-E.
Conley continued to frustrate his opponent in the final, using his right hand instead of his primary hand to swish jump shots. He made one shot by spinning it on his left hand while punching the ball with his right hand. He made another with his off hand while standing behind the backboard.
Competition sponsor State Farm will donate more than $200,000 in support of coronavirus response efforts. The NBA suspended play indefinitely on March 11. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in early April that the league would not consider a potential return until May 1 at the earliest.


upi--2020-04-17--Watch: Sam Smith, Demi Lovato compete in the Olympics in 'Im Ready' video

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Sam Smith and Demi Lovato pay tribute to the Olympics in their new music @ @ @ @ @ Ready . ''
Smith and Lovato take part in a number of Olympic events such @ @ @ @ @ field and diving .
The singers receive gold medals at the end and celebrate together @ @ @ @ @ podium .
`` It 's a hot night in my head in the chill of @ @ @ @ @ been looking hard for a lover disguised as a sinner/ No not a cheater , @ @ @ @ @ cold , cold-blooded defeater , '' Lovato sings while standing on a diving board .
@ @ @ @ @ will be featured on Smith 's upcoming third studio album .
The project was originally @ @ @ @ @ has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic .

April 17 (UPI) -- Sam Smith and Demi Lovato pay tribute to the Olympics in their new music video for "I'm Ready."
Smith and Lovato take part in a number of Olympic events such as wrestling, track and field and diving.
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The singers receive gold medals at the end and celebrate together at the top of a podium.
"It's a hot night in my head in the chill of winter/ No, I've been looking hard for a lover disguised as a sinner/ No not a cheater, a redeemer/ He's a cold, cold-blooded defeater," Lovato sings while standing on a diving board.
"I'm Ready" will be featured on Smith's upcoming third studio album. The project was originally titled To Die For and has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demi Lovato turns 30: a look back


upi--2020-04-17--Ex-Trump attorney Michael Cohen to serve out prison term at home

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Michael Cohen , President Donald Trump 's former personal attorney , will be released from his three-year prison sentence early because of concerns about the coronavirus , his attorney says .
Cohen is being held at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Otisville , N.Y. , and was scheduled for release in November 2021 .
He now will be sent home on May 1 , attorney Roger Bennett Adler said late Thursday .
Prison officials will require Cohen to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement after first undergoing a two-week COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the First Step Act , different forms of compassionate relief can be granted , '' Adler told ABC News .
`` My client 's application was granted . ''
Adler said several staff and inmates have tested positive for the disease at the New York facility .
A request last month by Cohen for early release was denied by a federal judge .
Cohen began his sentence last May after pleading guilty for arranging a hush money scheme in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign to pay two women who @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Cohen testifies before the House oversight committee on February 27, 2019. File photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal attorney, will be released from his three-year prison sentence early because of concerns about the coronavirus, his attorney says. Cohen is being held at a minimum-security federal prison camp in Otisville, N.Y., and was scheduled for release in November 2021. He now will be sent home on May 1, attorney Roger Bennett Adler said late Thursday. Advertisement
Prison officials will require Cohen to serve the remainder of his sentence in home confinement after first undergoing a two-week COVID-19 quarantine at the prison.
"Pursuant to the First Step Act, different forms of compassionate relief can be granted," Adler told ABC News. "My client's application was granted."
Adler said several staff and inmates have tested positive for the disease at the New York facility.
A request last month by Cohen for early release was denied by a federal judge.
Cohen began his sentence last May after pleading guilty for arranging a hush money scheme in the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign to pay two women who said they had affairs with Trump.


upi--2020-04-17--Google thanks teachers, childcare workers with new Doodle

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Google is honoring teachers and childcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic with a new @ @ @ @ @ features the letter `` G '' in the company 's logo sending a heart to @ @ @ @ @ by the letter `` E. '' The teacher is giving an online lesson by using @ @ @ @ @ next to a dry erase board .
Google says that Doodles will continue to pay @ @ @ @ @ still working during the COVID-19 pandemic .
`` As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around @ @ @ @ @ coming together to help one another now more than ever .
We 're launching a @ @ @ @ @ honor many of those on the front lines , '' the company said .
Google @ @ @ @ @ 6 and last paid tribute to food service workers .

Google is recognizing teachers and childcare workers with a new Doodle. Image courtesy of Google
April 17 (UPI) -- Google is honoring teachers and childcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic with a new Doodle. Google's homepage features the letter "G" in the company's logo sending a heart to a teacher who is represented by the letter "E." Advertisement
The teacher is giving an online lesson by using a webcam and is standing next to a dry erase board.
Google says that Doodles will continue to pay homage to those who are still working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As COVID-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people are coming together to help one another now more than ever. We're launching a Doodle series to recognize and honor many of those on the front lines," the company said.
Google started the initiative on April 6 and last paid tribute to food service workers.


upi--2020-04-17--House Republicans urge Trump to condition WHO funding on Ghebreyesus' removal

April 17 ( UPI ) -- Seventeen Republicans of the House foreign affairs committee told President Donald Trump in a letter that they support his controversial move to halt funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic , urging him to condition this year 's contribution to the agency on the resignation of its director-general .
In a letter sent to Trump on Thursday , the Republicans , led by foreign affairs committee ranking member Michael McCaul of Texas , said they have `` lost faith '' in WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus ' ability @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recommend Trump condition his removal for the release of future funds .
`` We are deeply concerned with the WHO 's and Chinese Communist Party 's handling of the early stages of COVID-19 , '' the Republicans said .
`` The CCP 's lies and WHO 's poor handling of this crisis enabled a regional epidemic to become a pandemic . ''
The lawmakers argued the WHO handcuffed countries around the world in their fight against the coronavirus , which emerged in early December in China before spreading the world over , infecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in more than 145,000 deaths .
The Republicans accused Ghebreyesus of ignoring early warning signs , delaying the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern despite evidence the disease spread through human-to-human transmission and heaping praise on China even though it delayed countries from properly responding to the initial outbreak by not informing the WHO of the virus until Dec. 31 .
They added that Ghebreyesus `` has a record of embracing [ China 's ] propaganda and policies '' that `` undermines his ability to serve impartially as director-general .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ his mandate to objectively respond to the largest global health crisis since the HIV/AIDS pandemic reached its peak in the mid-2000s , '' the Republicans said .
Trump on Tuesday announced he had ordered a halt to funding the WHO over its `` mismanaging and covering up the spread '' of the coronavirus .
On Wednesday , Trump criticized the WHO for initially being against placing travel bans on China during the early stages of the then epidemic , saying that inaction was `` a horrible , tragic mistake . ''
`` WHO @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borders at a very crucial phase , quickly unleashing the contagion around the world , '' he told reporters from the Rose Garden .
Trump 's halt to funding was chastised from the other side of the political aisle with Democrats going so far as to call it `` dangerous . ''
`` This decision is dangerous , illegal and will be swiftly challenged , '' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif. , said in a statement .
Rep. Eliot Engel , D-N.Y. , chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inaction for the United States now being the epicenter of the pandemic with more cases of infection than any other nation .
Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus , even in late February stating it is the Democrats ' `` new hoax '' during a rally in South Carolina .
`` This was never a hoax or a conspiracy , '' Engel said in a statement .
`` It was a dire threat to this country that the president ignored .
That 's the reason the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Blaming the WHO will accomplish nothing and cutting off resources will only make things worse . ''
After Trump made the announcement , Ghebreyesus said the organization regrets Trump 's decision , calling for unity in the face of the pandemic .
`` This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat -- a dangerous enemy , '' he said .
Since the United States reported its first infection on Jan. 21 , the country has recorded more than 671,000 cases and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a live tracker by Johns Hopkins University .

United States President Donald J. Trump listens as Rep. Michael McCaul speaks in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10, 2018. Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- Seventeen Republicans of the House foreign affairs committee told President Donald Trump in a letter that they support his controversial move to halt funding to the World Health Organization over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, urging him to condition this year's contribution to the agency on the resignation of its director-general. In a letter sent to Trump on Thursday, the Republicans, led by foreign affairs committee ranking member Michael McCaul of Texas, said they have "lost faith" in WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' ability to lead the organization and that they recommend Trump condition his removal for the release of future funds. Advertisement
"We are deeply concerned with the WHO's and Chinese Communist Party's handling of the early stages of COVID-19," the Republicans said. "The CCP's lies and WHO's poor handling of this crisis enabled a regional epidemic to become a pandemic."
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The lawmakers argued the WHO handcuffed countries around the world in their fight against the coronavirus, which emerged in early December in China before spreading the world over, infecting more than 2 million people and resulting in more than 145,000 deaths.
The Republicans accused Ghebreyesus of ignoring early warning signs, delaying the declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern despite evidence the disease spread through human-to-human transmission and heaping praise on China even though it delayed countries from properly responding to the initial outbreak by not informing the WHO of the virus until Dec. 31.
They added that Ghebreyesus "has a record of embracing [China's] propaganda and policies" that "undermines his ability to serve impartially as director-general."
"Director-General Tedros has failed in his mandate to objectively respond to the largest global health crisis since the HIV/AIDS pandemic reached its peak in the mid-2000s," the Republicans said.
Trump on Tuesday announced he had ordered a halt to funding the WHO over its "mismanaging and covering up the spread" of the coronavirus.
On Wednesday, Trump criticized the WHO for initially being against placing travel bans on China during the early stages of the then epidemic, saying that inaction was "a horrible, tragic mistake."
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"WHO's guidance had failed to control their borders at a very crucial phase, quickly unleashing the contagion around the world," he told reporters from the Rose Garden.
Trump's halt to funding was chastised from the other side of the political aisle with Democrats going so far as to call it "dangerous."
"This decision is dangerous, illegal and will be swiftly challenged," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement.
Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, condemned it, blaming Trump's early inaction for the United States now being the epicenter of the pandemic with more cases of infection than any other nation.
Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the virus, even in late February stating it is the Democrats' "new hoax" during a rally in South Carolina.
"This was never a hoax or a conspiracy," Engel said in a statement. "It was a dire threat to this country that the president ignored. That's the reason the United States is now the epicenter of this crisis. Blaming the WHO will accomplish nothing and cutting off resources will only make things worse."
Advertisement
After Trump made the announcement, Ghebreyesus said the organization regrets Trump's decision, calling for unity in the face of the pandemic.
"This is a time for all of us to be united in our common struggle against a common threat -- a dangerous enemy," he said.
Since the United States reported its first infection on Jan. 21, the country has recorded more than 671,000 cases and more than 145,000 deaths, according to a live tracker by Johns Hopkins University.


upi--2020-04-17--Blood test could spot pancreatic cancer early

Pancreatic cancer is known as a `` silent killer '' because it 's often detected far too late .
But there 's hope a new blood test may be able to spot the most common type of pancreatic tumor in its early stages .
In a small study , the test also appeared to be able to accurately identify the stage of pancreatic cancer in patients -- helping to determine the most appropriate treatment , researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine said .
According to the American Cancer Society , more than 47,000 people die from pancreatic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ! ''
host Alex Trebek is currently waging a battle against the disease .
`` Right now , the majority of patients who are diagnosed already have metastatic [ advanced ] disease , so there is a critical need for a test that can not only detect the disease earlier but also accurately tell us who might be at a point where we can direct them to a potentially curative treatment , '' study co-senior author Erica Carpenter said in a university news release .
She directs Penn 's Liquid Biopsy Laboratory and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` If validated [ in a larger group of patients ] , this test could not only provide a key tool for at-risk patients , but also a monitoring tool for patients with certain known risk factors like BRCA mutations , '' Carpenter said .
The researchers found that the test -- known as a liquid biopsy -- was more accurate at detecting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma , or PDAC , than any other known biomarker alone .
A biomarker is a measurable substance in a blood test or other form of testing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with PDAC and 27 people who were cancer-free , the test was 92 percent accurate in detecting the cancer , which is better than the best known biomarker , CA19-9 , which is 89 percent accurate .
The liquid biopsy was also more accurate at staging the cancer compared to the use of radiological scans , the research team reported .
The blood test was 84 percent accurate in determining the stage of pancreatic cancer , compared with 64 percent for imaging alone .
The study was published April 16 in the journal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study team , PDAC is the most common form of pancreatic cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths .
The five-year survival rate is just 9 percent , and most patients live less than one year after diagnosis .
If the cancer is detected early , patients may be able to have surgery to remove the cancer , which can cure them , but it 's difficult to catch the cancer before it 's progressed or spread .
Patients whose cancer has n't spread beyond the pancreas , but who still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ size or location of the tumor , typically undergo three months of chemotherapy or radiation , and then are reassessed to determine if surgery is an option .
For patients whose pancreatic cancer has spread , there are currently no treatments that could cure them .
Dr. Wasif Saif is deputy physician-in-chief and medical director at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success , N.Y. Reading over the new findings , he noted that needle biopsy is currently `` the gold standard to diagnose and stage the [ pancreatic ] tumor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inadequate .
`` The current study offers a potential of liquid biopsy in pancreatic cancer as diagnostic tool and warrants further research in this field , '' Saif said .
`` Liquid biopsy is usually defined as a sample of blood to look for cancer cells from a tumor that are circulating in the blood , or for pieces of DNA from tumor cells that are in the blood . ''
The American Cancer Society has more on pancreatic cancer .

Pancreatic cancer is known as a "silent killer" because it's often detected far too late. But there's hope a new blood test may be able to spot the most common type of pancreatic tumor in its early stages.
In a small study, the test also appeared to be able to accurately identify the stage of pancreatic cancer in patients -- helping to determine the most appropriate treatment, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine said.
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According to the American Cancer Society, more than 47,000 people die from pancreatic cancer each year. Beloved "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is currently waging a battle against the disease.
"Right now, the majority of patients who are diagnosed already have metastatic [advanced] disease, so there is a critical need for a test that can not only detect the disease earlier but also accurately tell us who might be at a point where we can direct them to a potentially curative treatment," study co-senior author Erica Carpenter said in a university news release. She directs Penn's Liquid Biopsy Laboratory and is a research assistant professor of medicine.
Advertisement
"If validated [in a larger group of patients], this test could not only provide a key tool for at-risk patients, but also a monitoring tool for patients with certain known risk factors like BRCA mutations," Carpenter said.
The researchers found that the test -- known as a liquid biopsy -- was more accurate at detecting pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, or PDAC, than any other known biomarker alone. A biomarker is a measurable substance in a blood test or other form of testing.
In a test of 20 patients with PDAC and 27 people who were cancer-free, the test was 92 percent accurate in detecting the cancer, which is better than the best known biomarker, CA19-9, which is 89 percent accurate.
The liquid biopsy was also more accurate at staging the cancer compared to the use of radiological scans, the research team reported. The blood test was 84 percent accurate in determining the stage of pancreatic cancer, compared with 64 percent for imaging alone.
The study was published April 16 in the journal Clinical Cancer Research.
According to the study team, PDAC is the most common form of pancreatic cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. The five-year survival rate is just 9 percent, and most patients live less than one year after diagnosis.
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If the cancer is detected early, patients may be able to have surgery to remove the cancer, which can cure them, but it's difficult to catch the cancer before it's progressed or spread.
Patients whose cancer hasn't spread beyond the pancreas, but who still can't have surgery due to the size or location of the tumor, typically undergo three months of chemotherapy or radiation, and then are reassessed to determine if surgery is an option.
For patients whose pancreatic cancer has spread, there are currently no treatments that could cure them.
Dr. Wasif Saif is deputy physician-in-chief and medical director at the Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success, N.Y. Reading over the new findings, he noted that needle biopsy is currently "the gold standard to diagnose and stage the [pancreatic] tumor," but even then, accuracy is inadequate.
"The current study offers a potential of liquid biopsy in pancreatic cancer as diagnostic tool and warrants further research in this field," Saif said. "Liquid biopsy is usually defined as a sample of blood to look for cancer cells from a tumor that are circulating in the blood, or for pieces of DNA from tumor cells that are in the blood."
More information
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The American Cancer Society has more on pancreatic cancer.
Copyright 2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.


upi--2020-04-17--China's economy shrinks almost 7%; Wuhan revises up deaths

Pope Francis , isolated in front of an empty square from the sagrato of St. Peter 's Basilica in St. @ @ @ @ @ City , offers an extraordinary moment of prayer in time of pandemic , the adoration @ @ @ @ @ on March 27 .
The `` Salus Populi Romani '' icon and the crucifix of @ @ @ @ @ in front of the central door of the basilica .
Vatican media broadcast the ceremony @ @ @ @ @ it could also be followed in several languages on Facebook and YouTube .
Photo by @ @ @

Shelves are fully stocked with food products and toilet paper as grocery stores remain relatively empty in Beijing on April 2. Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
April 17 (UPI) -- China's economy shrank by 6.8 percent in the first three months of the year, its first quarterly contraction on record, the National Bureau of Statistics of China reported on Friday. The squeeze to its gross domestic product is the first since it started reporting such figures in 1992, and occurred as cities were placed under lockdown, businesses were told to shutter and factories were ordered closed as the country attempted to clamp down on the spread of the deadly and infectious coronavirus. Advertisement
The bureau said in a statement that industrial, service and market sales all dropped while investment growth slowed as did imports and exports. It added, however, that agriculture and the emerging service industries grew while the sales of daily necessities and online retail sales of physical goods "grew fast."
The contraction was announced as health officials in China's coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan revised up its death toll by nearly 50 percent on Friday.
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The Wuhan municipal headquarters for the COVID-19 pandemic increased its number of deaths by 1,290 to 3,869, citing a responsibility to "history, the people and the deceased," read an English-language transition of the notification published by China's state-run Xinhua.
The health officials said the reason for the discrepancy was due to some patients dying at home, a lack of communication between hospitals, incomplete information concerning patients who died from the virus and an overwhelmed medical system that resulted in either mistaken, belated or missed reporting.
The total number of infections was also revised up by 325 to 50,333 patients as of the end of Thursday, the officials said.
"Life and people are what matter most," the notification read. "Every life lost in the epidemic is not only a loss to their family but also a grief for the city. Our sincere condolences go to the families of those who deceased in the COVID-19 epidemic, and we express deep sorrow to the compatriots and medical workers who lost their lives in the epidemic."
The revision came amid allegations, particularly from the United States, that China has under-reported its figures.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously questioned China's numbers, told reporters that he doesn't trust their counting as he attacked the Asian nation's handling of its outbreak.
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"Do you really believe those numbers in this vast country called China?" he said. "Does anybody really believe that?"
Trump's comments came a day after he announced he was pulling funding from the World Health Organization, accusing it of responding too slowly to the public health crisis and taking at face value China's claims of being transparent.
Since the outbreak began in December, China has several times adjusted either its numbers or how it counts cases.
In the middle of February, China revised down its death toll by 108 due to "repeated statistics." A day earlier, the National Health Commission adjusted who it considers to be a confirmed infection. And earlier this month, China began counting asymptomatic cases for the first time.
China's National Health Commission on Friday reported 26 new cases of the coronavirus and zero deaths over the previous 24 hours, increasing its total infections to 82,367 while its death toll stood pat at 3,342. However, the numbers did not include Wuhan's revisions.
Globally, there were 2.15 million coronavirus infections and 145,563 deaths as of early Friday, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Scenes from a pandemic: World copes with COVID-19


upi--2020-04-17--On This Day, April 17: Apollo 13 returns to Earth

April 17 ( UPI ) -- On this date in history : In 1421 , the sea broke the dikes at Dort , Holland , drowning an estimated 100,000 people .
In 1521 , the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated Martin Luther after he refused to admit to charges of heresy .
In 1790 , U.S. statesman , printer , scientist and writer Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at age 84 .
In 1912 , the sister ship of the doomed RMS Titanic , the Olympic , radioed in that survivors of the ocean liner sinking were rescued and safely on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , a force of anti-Castro rebels began the Bay of Pigs Invasion in an attempt to overthrow Cuba 's new communist government .
In 1964 , Jerrie Mock of Columbus , Ohio , became the first woman to complete a solo flight around the world .
In 1969 , a jury found Sirhan B. Sirhan guilty of first-degree murder for the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy .
In 1970 , with the world anxiously watching on television , Apollo 13 , a U.S. lunar spacecraft that sustained a severe malfunction on its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Earth .
In 1989 , the Polish labor union Solidarity was granted legal status after nearly a decade of struggle and suppression -- clearing the way for the downfall of the country 's Communist Party .
In 1993 , a federal jury convicted two Los Angeles police officers and acquitted two others of violating the civil rights of Rodney King during his 1991 arrest and beating .
In 2004 , the Israeli army confirmed it had killed Abdel Aziz Rantisi , Hamas co-founder and its leader in Gaza , in a missile @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rantisi , who had opposed any compromise with Israel .
In 2012 , U.S. investor Warren Buffett , one of the world 's wealthiest people , said he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer .
In 2013 , an explosion at a West , Texas , fertilizer plant killed 15 people , injured dozens and caused massive property damage in the community .
In 2018 , former first lady Barbara Bush died at the age of 92 after refusing medical treatment for her failing health .
Her husband , former President George H.W @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year later .
In 2019 , Beyonce released a surprise album from her Coachella performance -- Homecoming : The Live Album -- along with a new Netflix documentary -- Homecoming : A Film by Beyonce .

1/4
On April 17, 1970, with the world anxiously watching on television, Apollo 13, a U.S. lunar spacecraft that sustained a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returned to Earth. File Photo courtesy of NASA
April 17 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1421, the sea broke the dikes at Dort, Holland, drowning an estimated 100,000 people. Advertisement
In 1521, the Roman Catholic Church excommunicated Martin Luther after he refused to admit to charges of heresy.
In 1524, Italian navigator Giovanni Verrazano discovered New York Harbor.
In 1790, U.S. statesman, printer, scientist and writer Benjamin Franklin died in Philadelphia at age 84.
File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI
In 1912, the sister ship of the doomed RMS Titanic, the Olympic, radioed in that survivors of the ocean liner sinking were rescued and safely on board the RMS Carpathia.
In 1961, a force of anti-Castro rebels began the Bay of Pigs Invasion in an attempt to overthrow Cuba's new communist government.
In 1964, Jerrie Mock of Columbus, Ohio, became the first woman to complete a solo flight around the world.
In 1969, a jury found Sirhan B. Sirhan guilty of first-degree murder for the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy.
Advertisement
File Photo by Ron Bennett/UPI
In 1970, with the world anxiously watching on television, Apollo 13, a U.S. lunar spacecraft that sustained a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returned to Earth.
In 1989, the Polish labor union Solidarity was granted legal status after nearly a decade of struggle and suppression -- clearing the way for the downfall of the country's Communist Party.
In 1993, a federal jury convicted two Los Angeles police officers and acquitted two others of violating the civil rights of Rodney King during his 1991 arrest and beating.
In 2004, the Israeli army confirmed it had killed Abdel Aziz Rantisi, Hamas co-founder and its leader in Gaza, in a missile strike. Two others also died with Rantisi, who had opposed any compromise with Israel.
In 2012, U.S. investor Warren Buffett, one of the world's wealthiest people, said he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
File Photo by Molly Riley/UPI
Advertisement
In 2013, an explosion at a West, Texas, fertilizer plant killed 15 people, injured dozens and caused massive property damage in the community.
In 2018, former first lady Barbara Bush died at the age of 92 after refusing medical treatment for her failing health. Her husband, former President George H.W. Bush, died less than one year later.
In 2019, Beyonce released a surprise album from her Coachella performance -- Homecoming: The Live Album -- along with a new Netflix documentary -- Homecoming: A Film by Beyonce.


upi--2020-04-17--UPI News Quiz: 'essential' TV, COVID-19 elections, life in quarantine

U.S. News // 7 hours ago
Hunter Biden lawyer asks to withdraw from case because he could be called as witness
Aug. 15 (UPI) -- Hunter Biden's lawyer asked to withdraw from the criminal case against Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, over the possibility he might be called as a witness.