washingtontimes--2020-11-18--China defends food import controls to curb virus

BEIJING ( AP ) - China ’ s government on Wednesday defended anti-coronavirus controls that have disrupted imports of beef , poultry and fish from the United States , New Zealand and other trading partners .
Customs officials who say the coronavirus has been found on frozen meat and on packaging have imposed temporary suspensions on suppliers .
That prompted complaints by China ’ s trading partners .
The “ reasonable and justifiable ” curbs are intended to protect public health , foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said .
China , where the pandemic began in December , declared the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is trying to prevent new outbreaks caused by the virus being imported by travelers or on food .
“ The relevant measures China took are necessary following the spirit of putting people ’ s lives first and protecting people ’ s health , ” Zhao said .
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand expressed confidence this week her country hadn ’ t exported meat with the virus after Chinese authorities said it was found on beef and packaging from Bolivia , Brazil and New Zealand .
In June , China temporarily suspended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Foods Inc. after the virus was found at one of its farms .
Other importers affected are from Argentina , Ecuador , India , Indonesia , the Netherlands and Russia .
Other products include salmon and pork .

BEIJING (AP) - China’s government on Wednesday defended anti-coronavirus controls that have disrupted imports of beef, poultry and fish from the United States, New Zealand and other trading partners.
Customs officials who say the coronavirus has been found on frozen meat and on packaging have imposed temporary suspensions on suppliers. That prompted complaints by China’s trading partners.
The “reasonable and justifiable” curbs are intended to protect public health, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.
China, where the pandemic began in December, declared the disease under control in March. It is trying to prevent new outbreaks caused by the virus being imported by travelers or on food.
“The relevant measures China took are necessary following the spirit of putting people’s lives first and protecting people’s health,” Zhao said.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand expressed confidence this week her country hadn’t exported meat with the virus after Chinese authorities said it was found on beef and packaging from Bolivia, Brazil and New Zealand.
In June, China temporarily suspended the import of chicken from U.S.-based Tyson Foods Inc. after the virus was found at one of its farms.
Other importers affected are from Argentina, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, the Netherlands and Russia. Other products include salmon and pork.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--US shows off its star-studded Expo 2020 pavillion in Dubai

DUBAI , United Arab Emirates ( AP ) - The U.S. showed off a literally star-studded pavilion on Wednesday for Dubai ’ s upcoming Expo 2020 , complete with a replica SpaceX rocket body beside it .
Two fog machines swirled smoke around the replica , trying to lend the impression it just landed at the still under-construction Expo site in Dubai ’ s southern desert .
But what will be a major draw at this world ’ s fair remains in question as the world struggles through the coronavirus pandemic and global air travel , a key industry for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dubai ’ s Expo 2020 , or world ’ s fair , represents a $ 7 billion bet by this sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates that the event will boost tourism and business interest .
The pandemic forced organizers to delay the start of the event by a year to Oct. 1 , 2021 - putting even more pressure on the expo to turn around Dubai ’ s economy , which had been struggled even before the virus .
That extra time came in handy for countries participating in the event , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up with funding for their pavilion and ended up relying on what it called “ the generosity of the Emirati government ” to cover its estimated $ 60 million cost .
The pavilion ’ s exterior appeared finished Wednesday , but its interior remained a worksite .
John Rakolta , the U.S. ambassador to the UAE , made a point to repeatedly praise the Emirati government for its donation , without offering a figure for the final cost .
Asked if that Emirati donation would influence what the U.S. displayed , Rakolta called @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inclusive.
” “ They ’ ve encouraged us to reach for the stars , ” Rakolta said .
The 3,344 square-meter ( 36,000 square-foot ) pavilion will include a “ 24-minute experience ” of America with moon rocks , a Mars rover and Thomas Jefferson ’ s Quran , Rakolta said .
What an American experience means also could be open to interpretation for a Middle East audience , particularly after years of travel bans targeting predominantly Muslim nations and tensions with Iran under the current Trump administration .
“ The United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all over the world , and there ’ s always going to be tension , ” Rakolta said “ The strength of America is after a hard-fought election to come back together to the middle and to be able to bridge some of the differences that we have.
” Rakolta , a Republican appointed by Trump , added : “ You only agree with about 80 % of what even your own party might have to offer.
” The pandemic also remained at the front of people ’ s minds as attendees all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stood at the ready .
Rakolta said the American pavilion ’ s construction had so far avoided seeing a worker contract the coronavirus .
It remains unclear what the effect of the virus across the wider Expo construction site has been .
Expo 2020 offered no officials to speak to reporters invited for the visit .
Officials from Expo also tried to have journalists sign forms that implied they could face criminal prosecution for not following their orders and refused to allow filming of workers on the site .

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - The U.S. showed off a literally star-studded pavilion on Wednesday for Dubai’s upcoming Expo 2020, complete with a replica SpaceX rocket body beside it.
Two fog machines swirled smoke around the replica, trying to lend the impression it just landed at the still under-construction Expo site in Dubai’s southern desert. But what will be a major draw at this world’s fair remains in question as the world struggles through the coronavirus pandemic and global air travel, a key industry for Dubai, struggles to take off.
Dubai’s Expo 2020, or world’s fair, represents a $7 billion bet by this sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates that the event will boost tourism and business interest. The pandemic forced organizers to delay the start of the event by a year to Oct. 1, 2021 - putting even more pressure on the expo to turn around Dubai’s economy, which had been struggled even before the virus.
That extra time came in handy for countries participating in the event, particularly the U.S. America struggled to come up with funding for their pavilion and ended up relying on what it called “the generosity of the Emirati government” to cover its estimated $60 million cost. The pavilion’s exterior appeared finished Wednesday, but its interior remained a worksite.
John Rakolta, the U.S. ambassador to the UAE, made a point to repeatedly praise the Emirati government for its donation, without offering a figure for the final cost. Asked if that Emirati donation would influence what the U.S. displayed, Rakolta called the UAE “open” and “inclusive.”
“They’ve encouraged us to reach for the stars,” Rakolta said.
The 3,344 square-meter (36,000 square-foot) pavilion will include a “24-minute experience” of America with moon rocks, a Mars rover and Thomas Jefferson’s Quran, Rakolta said. What an American experience means also could be open to interpretation for a Middle East audience, particularly after years of travel bans targeting predominantly Muslim nations and tensions with Iran under the current Trump administration.
“The United States is a melting pot of cultures from all over the world, and there’s always going to be tension,” Rakolta said “The strength of America is after a hard-fought election to come back together to the middle and to be able to bridge some of the differences that we have.”
Rakolta, a Republican appointed by Trump, added: “You only agree with about 80% of what even your own party might have to offer.”
The pandemic also remained at the front of people’s minds as attendees all wore government-mandate face masks and hand sanitizers stood at the ready. Rakolta said the American pavilion’s construction had so far avoided seeing a worker contract the coronavirus.
It remains unclear what the effect of the virus across the wider Expo construction site has been. Expo 2020 offered no officials to speak to reporters invited for the visit. Officials from Expo also tried to have journalists sign forms that implied they could face criminal prosecution for not following their orders and refused to allow filming of workers on the site.
___
Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Watchdog slams UK over secrecy in virus equipment contracts

LONDON ( AP ) - The British government spent billions without proper transparency in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak , the country ’ s public watchdog said Wednesday .
The National Audit Office said in a report that companies with links to politicians were fast-tracked and had more chances of getting a coronavirus contract than other applicants .
Like many countries , the U.K. was caught without enough masks , gowns , gloves and other items to keep health care workers and the public safe as coronavirus cases skyrocketed .
In the push to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 8,600 contracts worth 18 billion pounds ( $ 24 billion ) between March and July , most without a competitive tender process .
Some came from a “ high-priority lane ” of firms referred by politicians , health professionals and government officials , which were considered more credible and processed more quickly than others .
One in 10 of those firms got a contract , compared to one in 100 from the wider pool of applicants .
The auditor said in a sample of cases it studied , “ departments failed to document @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chose a particular supplier or used emergency procurement , and failed to document their consideration of risks , including how they had identified and managed any potential conflicts of interest.
” It said in some cases documents to support decisions were missing , or contracts were awarded after the work had already been done .
In more than half the cases , contracts had not been published by Nov. 10 .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s Conservative government has been accused of running a “ chumocracy ” by awarding lucrative contracts and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministers and the governing Conservative Party - claims it denies .
Two of highest-profile figures hired to lead the government ’ s coronavirus response , Test and Trace chief Dido Harding and vaccines task force leader Kate Bingham , are both married to Conservative lawmakers .
One example of the lucrative contracts on offer , not cited in the audit office report , saw Florida-based jewelry designer Michael Saiger land contracts worth more than 200 million pounds to supply the U.K. government with gloves and gowns .
He contracted a Spanish businessman , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the items from factories in China , and paid him $ 28 million .
Saiger is now suing Andersson for fraud in the U.S. , and details of the deal emerged in court papers .
Opposition Labour Party lawmaker Meg Hillier , who heads Parliament ’ s Public Accounts Committee , said the government had “ ripped up the rules and ridden roughshod over the taxpayer.
” “ The high-priority lane is a real matter of concern , ” she said .
“ The fact that contracts haven ’ t been published , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happens — they have been late getting that information out there - all smacks of secrecy and hiding things.
” Business Secretary Alok Sharma defended the government , saying it had acted with urgency and under “ huge pressure.
” “ We had to do an enormous amount of work very fast to secure PPE and that ’ s what we did , and I ’ m not going to apologize for the fact that quite rightly we made that effort , ” he told the BBC .
Follow AP ’ s coverage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and https : //apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

LONDON (AP) - The British government spent billions without proper transparency in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s public watchdog said Wednesday.
The National Audit Office said in a report that companies with links to politicians were fast-tracked and had more chances of getting a coronavirus contract than other applicants.
Like many countries, the U.K. was caught without enough masks, gowns, gloves and other items to keep health care workers and the public safe as coronavirus cases skyrocketed.
In the push to build up stocks, the government awarded 8,600 contracts worth 18 billion pounds ($24 billion) between March and July, most without a competitive tender process. Some came from a “high-priority lane” of firms referred by politicians, health professionals and government officials, which were considered more credible and processed more quickly than others. One in 10 of those firms got a contract, compared to one in 100 from the wider pool of applicants.
The auditor said in a sample of cases it studied, “departments failed to document key decisions, such as why they chose a particular supplier or used emergency procurement, and failed to document their consideration of risks, including how they had identified and managed any potential conflicts of interest.”
It said in some cases documents to support decisions were missing, or contracts were awarded after the work had already been done. In more than half the cases, contracts had not been published by Nov. 10.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government has been accused of running a “chumocracy” by awarding lucrative contracts and well-paid jobs to people with links to ministers and the governing Conservative Party - claims it denies. Two of highest-profile figures hired to lead the government’s coronavirus response, Test and Trace chief Dido Harding and vaccines task force leader Kate Bingham, are both married to Conservative lawmakers.
One example of the lucrative contracts on offer, not cited in the audit office report, saw Florida-based jewelry designer Michael Saiger land contracts worth more than 200 million pounds to supply the U.K. government with gloves and gowns. He contracted a Spanish businessman, Gabriel Gonzalez Andersson, to help procure the items from factories in China, and paid him $28 million.
Saiger is now suing Andersson for fraud in the U.S., and details of the deal emerged in court papers.
Opposition Labour Party lawmaker Meg Hillier, who heads Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, said the government had “ripped up the rules and ridden roughshod over the taxpayer.”
“The high-priority lane is a real matter of concern,” she said. “The fact that contracts haven’t been published, so we can’t see what happens — they have been late getting that information out there - all smacks of secrecy and hiding things.”
Business Secretary Alok Sharma defended the government, saying it had acted with urgency and under “huge pressure.”
“We had to do an enormous amount of work very fast to secure PPE and that’s what we did, and I’m not going to apologize for the fact that quite rightly we made that effort,” he told the BBC.
___
Follow AP’s coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--World's biggest shipper remains wary of pandemic

COPENHAGEN , Denmark ( AP ) - The world ’ s biggest shipping company , Denmark ’ s A.P .
Moller-Maersk , said Wednesday that global container volumes increased by around 1 % in the third quarter , a faster rebound than expected earlier in the year .
However , global demand for containers is expected to contract by 4-5 % this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic .
The company said its third quarter revenue decreased by 1.4 % to $ 9.9billion while its profit rose to $ 947 million from $ 520 million during the same period a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that “ despite COVID-19 negatively affecting activities in most of our businesses , our disciplined execution of the strategy led to solid earnings and cash flow growth in Q3.
” He said that the group had managed to simplify the organization of its shipping unit and had closed the acquisition of KGH Customs Services , a Sweden-based specialist in trade and customs management services in Europe .
In a statement , the group said it looked “ confidently past the extraordinary 2020.
” “ However we remain well aware of the high level @ @ @ @ @ @ @ downs continue to pose in the coming quarters , ” the company said .
A.P .
Moller-Maersk is based in Copenhagen , operates in 130 countries and employs roughly 80,000 people .

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) - The world’s biggest shipping company, Denmark’s A.P. Moller-Maersk, said Wednesday that global container volumes increased by around 1% in the third quarter, a faster rebound than expected earlier in the year.
However, global demand for containers is expected to contract by 4-5% this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company said its third quarter revenue decreased by 1.4% to $9.9billion while its profit rose to $947 million from $520 million during the same period a year earlier.
CEO Soeren Skou said that “despite COVID-19 negatively affecting activities in most of our businesses, our disciplined execution of the strategy led to solid earnings and cash flow growth in Q3.”
He said that the group had managed to simplify the organization of its shipping unit and had closed the acquisition of KGH Customs Services, a Sweden-based specialist in trade and customs management services in Europe.
In a statement, the group said it looked “confidently past the extraordinary 2020.”
“However we remain well aware of the high level of uncertainty the pandemic and associated lock downs continue to pose in the coming quarters,” the company said.
A.P. Moller-Maersk is based in Copenhagen, operates in 130 countries and employs roughly 80,000 people.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Burkina Faso moves ahead with vote despite extremist attacks

KAYA , Burkina Faso ( AP ) - A change in Burkina Faso ’ s electoral code means results from this month ’ s election will be considered valid even if people can ’ t vote in parts of the West African country that are overrun by Islamic extremist violence .
Candidates like Tegawende Ouedraogo , who ran and lost in 2015 , fear the change could cost them the election .
The 38-year-old is based in one of the hardest hit areas in the country , Sanmatenga province .
The province accounts for almost 10 % of the more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year , according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project and thousands of people might not be able to vote .
“ When a tire bursts , people run away .
There might be rumors of attacks and people will not go to polling stations , ” he said .
Burkina Faso will go to the polls on Nov. 22 to vote in presidential and legislative elections marred by ongoing violence .
Attacks linked to Islamic militants have ravaged the once peaceful nation , forcing more than 1 million people from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inaccessible .
It now threatens to undermine the legitimacy of the elections .
Burkina Faso ’ s main political parties voted to change the law in July , making the election valid based on the areas where people can vote , instead of previously requiring ballots to be cast across the country .
Candidates whose supporters are mainly in villages unreachable due to violence fear they won ’ t get the numbers they need to win legislative seats .
The new law signifies the government ’ s inability to secure the nation said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights , a local advocacy group .
“ In certain regions , a lot of Burkinabe will be denied their right to vote , ” he said .
Communities in the hardest hit regions , in the Sahel , north and the east , already feel marginalized , which could exacerbate tensions , he said .
This month ’ s vote is only Burkina Faso ’ s second democratically held election since gaining independence from France in 1960 .
The first one was held five years ago after a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who came to power in a bloody military coup and ruled the nation for nearly 30 years .
While November ’ s elections are said to be more inclusive than the last - allowing opposition parties to run that were previously denied participation - the violence and the pandemic have had officials scrambling to find ways to register citizens , in a country with a historically low voter turnout .
The National Independent Electoral Commission ( CENI ) used helicopters to reach places inaccessible by road and registration was extended after coronavirus movement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Despite the challenges , Yacouba Bambyam Ouedraogo , communications director for CENI said that 95 % of the country was covered adding more than 1 million voters .
But local officials say the more than 1,000 villages that were not reached , is where most of the population lives .
Four of 11 communes in Sanmatenga province weren ’ t fully covered and a lot of people were missed , Youssouf Ouedraogo , president of the municipal electoral commission in Kaya told the AP .
Even people in large towns , such @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people now living in Kaya , won ’ t be able to vote come November .
People fled their homes without ID cards , which are needed to vote , while others arrived after enrolment was over .
Politicians and community leaders are targets for the extremists too .
In July , the mayor of Pensa town was killed by gunmen while traveling to Kaya and in August , the Grand Imam of Djibo was kidnapped by terrorists and killed in the Sahel ’ s Soum province , according to government statements .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country for the elections , but officials have privately acknowledged to the international community , that efforts will likely focus on a portion of the country and “ not seriously try to hold elections in the most insecure parts , ” according to internal foreign embassy cables seen by the AP .
Out of the $ 157 million budgeted for November ’ s elections and the municipal ones next year , none of it is allocated to securing the roads and polling stations , said the cables .
Sahel analysts caution Burkina @ @ @ @ @ @ @ political upheaval in neighboring Mali , where disputed legislative elections and dwindling support for the government amid its handling of the jihadist insurgency , resulted in President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita ’ s overthrow in August .
“ The stakes are high in a way , because of ( Burkina Faso ’ s ) severe problems and the importance of consolidating democracy , ” said Alex Thurston , assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati in the United States .
“ In the present I don ’ t think ( President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a coup .
But in a few years , if insecurity worsens , a questionable result in this election could come back to haunt him , ” he said .

KAYA, Burkina Faso (AP) - A change in Burkina Faso’s electoral code means results from this month’s election will be considered valid even if people can’t vote in parts of the West African country that are overrun by Islamic extremist violence.
Candidates like Tegawende Ouedraogo, who ran and lost in 2015, fear the change could cost them the election. The 38-year-old is based in one of the hardest hit areas in the country, Sanmatenga province.
The province accounts for almost 10% of the more than 2,000 fatalities due to violence this year, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project and thousands of people might not be able to vote.
“When a tire bursts, people run away. There might be rumors of attacks and people will not go to polling stations,” he said.
Burkina Faso will go to the polls on Nov. 22 to vote in presidential and legislative elections marred by ongoing violence. Attacks linked to Islamic militants have ravaged the once peaceful nation, forcing more than 1 million people from their homes and making swaths of land inaccessible. It now threatens to undermine the legitimacy of the elections.
Burkina Faso’s main political parties voted to change the law in July, making the election valid based on the areas where people can vote, instead of previously requiring ballots to be cast across the country. Candidates whose supporters are mainly in villages unreachable due to violence fear they won’t get the numbers they need to win legislative seats.
The new law signifies the government’s inability to secure the nation said, Chrysogone Zougmore, president of the Burkinabe Movement for Human Rights, a local advocacy group.
“In certain regions, a lot of Burkinabe will be denied their right to vote,” he said.
Communities in the hardest hit regions, in the Sahel, north and the east, already feel marginalized, which could exacerbate tensions, he said.
This month’s vote is only Burkina Faso’s second democratically held election since gaining independence from France in 1960. The first one was held five years ago after a popular uprising ousted President Blaise Compaore, who came to power in a bloody military coup and ruled the nation for nearly 30 years.
While November’s elections are said to be more inclusive than the last - allowing opposition parties to run that were previously denied participation - the violence and the pandemic have had officials scrambling to find ways to register citizens, in a country with a historically low voter turnout.
The National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI) used helicopters to reach places inaccessible by road and registration was extended after coronavirus movement restrictions temporarily halted the process in March. Despite the challenges, Yacouba Bambyam Ouedraogo, communications director for CENI said that 95% of the country was covered adding more than 1 million voters.
But local officials say the more than 1,000 villages that were not reached, is where most of the population lives. Four of 11 communes in Sanmatenga province weren’t fully covered and a lot of people were missed, Youssouf Ouedraogo, president of the municipal electoral commission in Kaya told the AP.
Even people in large towns, such as many of the approximately 500,000 displaced people now living in Kaya, won’t be able to vote come November. People fled their homes without ID cards, which are needed to vote, while others arrived after enrolment was over.
Politicians and community leaders are targets for the extremists too. In July, the mayor of Pensa town was killed by gunmen while traveling to Kaya and in August, the Grand Imam of Djibo was kidnapped by terrorists and killed in the Sahel’s Soum province, according to government statements.
The government outwardly says it will secure the country for the elections, but officials have privately acknowledged to the international community, that efforts will likely focus on a portion of the country and “not seriously try to hold elections in the most insecure parts,” according to internal foreign embassy cables seen by the AP.
Out of the $157 million budgeted for November’s elections and the municipal ones next year, none of it is allocated to securing the roads and polling stations, said the cables.
Sahel analysts caution Burkina Faso’s government to heed the political upheaval in neighboring Mali, where disputed legislative elections and dwindling support for the government amid its handling of the jihadist insurgency, resulted in President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita’s overthrow in August.
“The stakes are high in a way, because of (Burkina Faso’s) severe problems and the importance of consolidating democracy,” said Alex Thurston, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati in the United States.
“In the present I don’t think (President) Kabore is in much danger of a coup. But in a few years, if insecurity worsens, a questionable result in this election could come back to haunt him,” he said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Thai police gird for trouble after chaotic political protest

BANGKOK ( AP ) - Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators rallied in central Bangkok on Wednesday , a day after a chaotic protest outside Parliament was marred by violence that left 55 people injured , including as many as six with gunshot wounds .
Tuesday ’ s protest had been held to encourage lawmakers to approve a motion that would lead to substantive constitutional change , including measures to limit the power of the monarchy .
The protesters gathered peacefully Wednesday at a major intersection and then moved as night fell outside the nearby national police headquarters , its gates protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They said they wanted to express anger at what they regarded as disproportionate use of force the previous day by police who employed chemical-laced water cannons and tear gas against them .
It was the worst violence during months of actions by the student-led protest movement , which has staged increasingly determined rallies of thousands of people around the country .
Sucharn Thoumrungroje , a 20-year-old engineering student , said he decided to attend Wednesday ’ s rally after learning of what happened at Parliament the day before .
“ I feel that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ force against its people , ” he said .
“ I understand that there are risks in taking part in rallies but I will come as much as I can to show that we are not afraid and stand firm on our demands.
” The two-day joint session of the House and Senate debated seven motions for amending the constitution .
Voting took place Wednesday , and the motion backed by the protest movement failed .
That motion , submitted by iLaw , the Internet Law Reform Dialogue , would have allowed all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including articles dealing with the monarchy .
The monarchy is a virtually untouchable institution that the royalist establishment and many ordinary citizens consider to be the heart and soul of the nation , and the motion had not been expected to pass .
Two motions to set up a constitution drafting committee did pass .
One , initiated by the governing coalition , calls for the committee to be composed of a mix of appointed and elected members , while the other , backed by the parliamentary opposition , says all members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , mostly dealing with details of proposed changes , all failed .
The motions that passed will have to go through second and third votes after at least a month .
Protest leaders made clear before Parliament met that they would not be satisfied unless the motion submitted by iLaw passed .
According to Erawan emergency services , 55 people at Tuesday ’ s protest were sent to hospitals , the largest number suffering from the effects of tear gas .
It said four remained hospitalized Wednesday , including three of the six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The circumstances of the shootings were not announced .
Some of the injuries occurred during a brawl between the pro-democracy protesters and stone-throwing royalists who oppose constitutional change .
Police at a news conference Wednesday spoke of only two people with gunshot wounds , and said they were not responsible .
“ We are in the process of an investigation into who might be behind the shootings , ” said police deputy spokesperson Col. Kissana Phathanacharoen .
“ No rubber or live bullets were used by the police for yesterday ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Most of Tuesday ’ s violence occurred when police acted against the student-led demonstrators as they tried to push their way past razor wire and other barriers to enter the grounds of the legislature on the outskirts of Bangkok .
After about six hours of chaos , a protest leader announced the end of the protest , saying the demonstrators had captured enough ground to declare they had achieved their goal of surrounding Parliament .
The parliamentary session was an effort by the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to take the initiative @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in addition to seeking constitutional change wants Prayuth and his government to step down , and to reform Thailand ’ s monarchy , which it feels is too powerful and lacking in accountability .

BANGKOK (AP) - Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators rallied in central Bangkok on Wednesday, a day after a chaotic protest outside Parliament was marred by violence that left 55 people injured, including as many as six with gunshot wounds.
Tuesday’s protest had been held to encourage lawmakers to approve a motion that would lead to substantive constitutional change, including measures to limit the power of the monarchy.
The protesters gathered peacefully Wednesday at a major intersection and then moved as night fell outside the nearby national police headquarters, its gates protected by razor wire and riot police.
They said they wanted to express anger at what they regarded as disproportionate use of force the previous day by police who employed chemical-laced water cannons and tear gas against them.
Much of the water shot at them was dyed blue, and in an act of repayment, Wednesday’s protesters tossed blue and yellow paint on the “Royal Thai Police” sign outside the police headquarters as the crowd cheered. The sign was also adorned with graffiti.
Before the demonstration broke up, protest leaders announced a large protest on Nov. 25 at the offices of the Crown Property Bureau, which manages the vast holdings of Thailand’s royal palace. Its holdings, controlled by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, are estimated to be worth more than $40 billion.
Tuesday’s confrontations outside Parliament were the worst violence during months of actions by the student-led protest movement, which has staged increasingly determined rallies of thousands of people around the country.
Sucharn Thoumrungroje, a 20-year-old engineering student, said he decided to attend Wednesday’s rally after learning of what happened at Parliament the day before.
“I feel that it is unacceptable that the state used force against its people,” he said. “I understand that there are risks in taking part in rallies but I will come as much as I can to show that we are not afraid and stand firm on our demands.”
The two-day joint session of the House and Senate debated seven motions for amending the constitution. Voting took place Wednesday, and the motion backed by the protest movement failed.
That motion, submitted by iLaw, the Internet Law Reform Dialogue, would have allowed all aspects of the constitution to be changed, including articles dealing with the monarchy.
The monarchy is a virtually untouchable institution that the royalist establishment and many ordinary citizens consider to be the heart and soul of the nation, and the motion had not been expected to pass.
Two motions to set up a constitution drafting committee did pass. One, initiated by the governing coalition, calls for the committee to be composed of a mix of appointed and elected members, while the other, backed by the parliamentary opposition, says all members should be elected. The other motions, mostly dealing with details of proposed changes, all failed.
The motions that passed will have to go through second and third votes after at least a month.
Protest leaders made clear before Parliament met that they would not be satisfied unless the motion submitted by iLaw passed.
According to Erawan emergency services, 55 people at Tuesday’s protest were sent to hospitals, the largest number suffering from the effects of tear gas. It said four remained hospitalized Wednesday, including three of the six people it said had suffered gunshot wounds. The circumstances of the shootings were not announced.
Some of the injuries occurred during a brawl between the pro-democracy protesters and stone-throwing royalists who oppose constitutional change.
Police at a news conference Wednesday spoke of only two people with gunshot wounds, and said they were not responsible.
“We are in the process of an investigation into who might be behind the shootings,” said police deputy spokesperson Col. Kissana Phathanacharoen. “No rubber or live bullets were used by the police for yesterday’s police operation, that is confirmed.”
Most of Tuesday’s violence occurred when police acted against the student-led demonstrators as they tried to push their way past razor wire and other barriers to enter the grounds of the legislature on the outskirts of Bangkok.
After about six hours of chaos, a protest leader announced the end of the protest, saying the demonstrators had captured enough ground to declare they had achieved their goal of surrounding Parliament.
The parliamentary session was an effort by the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha to take the initiative away from the pro-democracy movement, which in addition to seeking constitutional change wants Prayuth and his government to step down, and to reform Thailand’s monarchy, which it feels is too powerful and lacking in accountability.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--2 Tennessee men charged in fentanyl-related overdoses

MEMPHIS , Tenn. ( AP ) - Two Tennessee men have been charged in separate overdose deaths related to the @ @ @ @ @ Pipken , 39 , has been indicted on federal charges of distributing heroin , fentanyl @ @ @ @ @ attorney ’ s office in Memphis said Tuesday .
Prosecutors said Pipken sold drugs that @ @ @ @ @ in Bartlett in August 2019 .
Pipken faces 20 years to life in prison if @ @ @ @ @ not show if he had a lawyer late Tuesday .
In another case , the @ @ @ @ @ Patrick Goolsby , 41 , has been charged with second-degree murder and selling a controlled @ @ @ @ @ Investigators said Goolsby sold drugs to Jennifer Leighann Jacobs , 45 , who was found @ @ @ @ @ overdose .
Fentanyl contributed to her death , the TBI said .
It wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ had a lawyer Tuesday .
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid considered many times more deadly @ @ @

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Two Tennessee men have been charged in separate overdose deaths related to the dangerous opioid fentanyl.
Christopher Pipken, 39, has been indicted on federal charges of distributing heroin, fentanyl and methamphetamine, the U.S. attorney’s office in Memphis said Tuesday. Prosecutors said Pipken sold drugs that led to an overdose death in Bartlett in August 2019.
Pipken faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted. Court records did not show if he had a lawyer late Tuesday.
In another case, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Patrick Goolsby, 41, has been charged with second-degree murder and selling a controlled substance in DeKalb County.
Investigators said Goolsby sold drugs to Jennifer Leighann Jacobs, 45, who was found dead in May of an overdose. Fentanyl contributed to her death, the TBI said. It wasn’t immediately clear if Goolsby had a lawyer Tuesday.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid considered many times more deadly than heroin.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Some driver licensing offices reopen after COVID exposure

FRANKFORT , Ky. ( AP ) - Four Kentucky driver licensing offices have reopened this week after being sanitized due @ @ @ @ @ , but others are staying closed longer than expected , officials said .
A regional @ @ @ @ @ smaller field offices in Catlettsburg , Bowling Green and Owensboro reopened Tuesday as planned , @ @ @ @ @ in a statement .
A regional office in Lexington is scheduled to reopen Wednesday .
@ @ @ @ @ will remain closed until next week , officials said .
“ We initially thought , @ @ @ @ @ all seven offices would be deep-cleaned and reopened after 72 hours , ” said Matt @ @ @ @ @ Transportation Cabinet ’ s Department of Vehicle Regulation .
New regulations at local health departments @ @ @ @ @ stay closed longer , he said .
Any appointments disrupted by the emergency closures will @ @ @ @ @ a different office , officials said .

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Four Kentucky driver licensing offices have reopened this week after being sanitized due to exposure to the coronavirus, but others are staying closed longer than expected, officials said.
A regional office in Jackson and four smaller field offices in Catlettsburg, Bowling Green and Owensboro reopened Tuesday as planned, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said in a statement. A regional office in Lexington is scheduled to reopen Wednesday. Offices in Columbia and Florence will remain closed until next week, officials said.
“We initially thought, due to minimum exposure, all seven offices would be deep-cleaned and reopened after 72 hours,” said Matt Cole, commissioner of the Transportation Cabinet’s Department of Vehicle Regulation. New regulations at local health departments meant some offices had to stay closed longer, he said.
Any appointments disrupted by the emergency closures will be rescheduled or offered at a different office, officials said.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Kentucky ag department taking hemp program applications

The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is taking applications for its 2021 hemp licensing program .
Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles suggested @ @ @ @ @ and assess the risk ” when deciding whether to enter the hemp industry .
He @ @ @ @ @ the ag department that the industry is having a difficult year due to FDA regulatory @ @ @ @ @ .
But Quarles said he believes there will be a long-term hemp market in Kentucky @ @ @ @ @ bright spots on the horizon , but we ’ ve always said we are building @ @ @ @ @ up and that it is going to take time for the market to mature , @ @ @ @ @ ag department has an online application portal on its hemp webpage , kyagr.com/hemp .
Applications @ @ @ @ @ 15 .

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) -
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture is taking applications for its 2021 hemp licensing program.
Ag Commissioner Ryan Quarles suggested growers “do their homework and assess the risk” when deciding whether to enter the hemp industry. He said in a release from the ag department that the industry is having a difficult year due to FDA regulatory burdens and concerns about overproduction.
But Quarles said he believes there will be a long-term hemp market in Kentucky.
“There are some bright spots on the horizon, but we’ve always said we are building an industry from the ground up and that it is going to take time for the market to mature,” he said.
The ag department has an online application portal on its hemp webpage, kyagr.com/hemp. Applications must be submitted by March 15.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Largest outbreak at WVa prison grows to 260 active cases

CHARLESTON , W.Va. ( AP ) - The coronavirus has infected 260 inmates at West Virginia ’ s McDowell County @ @ @ @ @ largest outbreak at a state prison .
The state reported numbers on Tuesday showing six @ @ @ @ @ .
Gov .
Jim Justice said on Monday 28 staff members also were sick .
@ @ @ @ @ on lockdown , and state data show 136 people are quarantined there for possible exposure @ @ @ @ @ employees across the state ’ s prisons and jails currently have the coronavirus .
There @ @ @ @ @ among inmates outside of McDowell .

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The coronavirus has infected 260 inmates at West Virginia’s McDowell County Corrections, by far the largest outbreak at a state prison.
The state reported numbers on Tuesday showing six more people were confirmed positive. Gov. Jim Justice said on Monday 28 staff members also were sick. He said the facility was on lockdown, and state data show 136 people are quarantined there for possible exposure.
In total, 57 employees across the state’s prisons and jails currently have the coronavirus. There are eight other active cases among inmates outside of McDowell.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Car parts distributor to create 250-job Tennessee facility

NASHVILLE , Tenn. ( AP ) - A company that distributes automotive and industrial parts plans to invest $ 50 @ @ @ @ @ facility with 250 jobs .
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development says Atlanta-based @ @ @ @ @ new distribution center in Lebanon to create the jobs over five years .
The company @ @ @ @ @ network of 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores in the U.S. , with additional automotive operations @ @ @ @ @ Australia and New Zealand .
The company also distributes industrial parts throughout the U.S. , @ @ @ @ @ and New Zealand .
The new facility will supply about 300 NAPA stores .

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A company that distributes automotive and industrial parts plans to invest $50 million in a new Tennessee facility with 250 jobs.
The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development says Atlanta-based Genuine Parts Co. expects the new distribution center in Lebanon to create the jobs over five years.
The company distributes automotive parts to a network of 6,000 NAPA Auto Parts stores in the U.S., with additional automotive operations in Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
The company also distributes industrial parts throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. The new facility will supply about 300 NAPA stores.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Amid pandemic, Belgrade street kids find comfort at refuge

BELGRADE , Serbia ( AP ) - In a small , brightly-colored backstreet house in Belgrade a teenage girl is drying her hair , while two others eat lunch in the kitchen .
A group of boys are having their temperatures checked at the entrance as a precaution against coronavirus .
It ’ s another busy day for Svratiste , or Roadhouse , Belgrade ’ s first daily drop-in center for street kids that for years has been a rare oasis of warmth and comfort for the Serbian capital ’ s most vulnerable inhabitants .
Since opening in 2007 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some as young as five - who have come here to warm up , wash or eat .
With social isolation growing and the economic situation worsening in the pandemic , the center ’ s role has become even more significant .
Coordinator Mina Lukic said the health crisis has made Belgrade ’ s poor even poorer as it takes a toll on the Balkan country ’ s struggling economy .
Prices of plastic and other scrap material that the kids and their families collect to sell have dropped dramatically in the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We believe this is why we have more children visiting us in the past weeks than they used to , ” she said .
“ The kids that come to us are all aged 5 to 15 , pre-school or primary school children , ” she added .
“ What ’ s common for all of them is that they work in the street and live in extreme poverty.
” Hundreds , if not thousands of children in Belgrade fit that category .
Their families typically live in make-shift slum settlements , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s social , health care and education systems .
From an early age , the children are sent out in the streets to beg , collect scrap materials or look for other ways to find food or money .
They often face abuse and very few ever go to school .
While Serbia has a nationwide network of social care centers and institutions for the underprivileged , Lukic said the street kids often slip under the radar .
” They are a separate ( social ) group and should be treated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s team of 13 social workers , psychologists and other experts have welcomed more than 1,400 children over the years .
Funded by donors and people who regularly bring in clothes and other aid , the group recently set up another center in a new part of town .
Normally open every day , both centers only closed down during the national state of emergency when the pandemic started in March .
The activists stayed in touch with the kids and their families , who returned when the lockdown was lifted in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clothes , the Svratiste team has also sought to help the children socialize and get to know their town by visiting playgrounds , cinemas and theaters .
A key effort has been to include them in the education system and make sure they stay .
During the pandemic , the center helped with online classes that most children have no means of following .
One of their success stories has been Bosko Markovic , now 18 , who first came to Svratiste five years ago .
With the center ’ s help , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has his eyes set on becoming a policeman , he told the Associated Press .
“ They ( Svratiste ) have made me a better person , ” he said proudly .
“ One Good Thing ” is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times - stories of people who find a way to make a difference , no matter how small .
Read the collection of stories at https : //apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) - In a small, brightly-colored backstreet house in Belgrade a teenage girl is drying her hair, while two others eat lunch in the kitchen. A group of boys are having their temperatures checked at the entrance as a precaution against coronavirus.
It’s another busy day for Svratiste, or Roadhouse, Belgrade’s first daily drop-in center for street kids that for years has been a rare oasis of warmth and comfort for the Serbian capital’s most vulnerable inhabitants.
Since opening in 2007, Svratiste has welcomed hundreds of children - some as young as five - who have come here to warm up, wash or eat. With social isolation growing and the economic situation worsening in the pandemic, the center’s role has become even more significant.
Coordinator Mina Lukic said the health crisis has made Belgrade’s poor even poorer as it takes a toll on the Balkan country’s struggling economy. Prices of plastic and other scrap material that the kids and their families collect to sell have dropped dramatically in the past months, shrinking already meager earnings.
“We believe this is why we have more children visiting us in the past weeks than they used to,” she said.
“The kids that come to us are all aged 5 to 15, pre-school or primary school children,” she added. “What’s common for all of them is that they work in the street and live in extreme poverty.”
Hundreds, if not thousands of children in Belgrade fit that category. Their families typically live in make-shift slum settlements, and mostly stay out of the state’s social, health care and education systems.
From an early age, the children are sent out in the streets to beg, collect scrap materials or look for other ways to find food or money. They often face abuse and very few ever go to school.
While Serbia has a nationwide network of social care centers and institutions for the underprivileged, Lukic said the street kids often slip under the radar.
”They are a separate (social) group and should be treated as such,” she insisted.
Svratiste’s team of 13 social workers, psychologists and other experts have welcomed more than 1,400 children over the years. Funded by donors and people who regularly bring in clothes and other aid, the group recently set up another center in a new part of town.
Normally open every day, both centers only closed down during the national state of emergency when the pandemic started in March. The activists stayed in touch with the kids and their families, who returned when the lockdown was lifted in May.
Apart from providing food and clothes, the Svratiste team has also sought to help the children socialize and get to know their town by visiting playgrounds, cinemas and theaters. A key effort has been to include them in the education system and make sure they stay. During the pandemic, the center helped with online classes that most children have no means of following.
One of their success stories has been Bosko Markovic, now 18, who first came to Svratiste five years ago. With the center’s help, Markovic has finished high school and now has his eyes set on becoming a policeman, he told the Associated Press.
“They (Svratiste) have made me a better person,” he said proudly.
___
“One Good Thing” is a series that highlights individuals whose actions provide glimmers of joy in hard times - stories of people who find a way to make a difference, no matter how small. Read the collection of stories at https://apnews.com/hub/one-good-thing


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Florida Atlantic gets record grant to study Holocaust

BOCA RATON , Fla. ( AP ) - Florida Atlantic University has received a $ 20 million gift to create @ @ @ @ @ Jewish studies .
Entrepreneur Kurt Wallach and his Marilyn made the donation , the largest @ @ @ @ @ history , the school announced Tuesday .
The institute will be named after them .
@ @ @ @ @ Nazi Germany with his family in 1933 , his father taking them to Holland .
@ @ @ @ @ to New York in 1936 .
After serving in the U.S. Navy in World War @ @ @ @ @ businesses , including Kurtell Growth Industries , a real estate investment firm .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ not speak .
We remember all the victims including our family members who perished needlessly @ @ @ @ @ a statement .
“ No one should ever be subjected to such horror .
We @ @ @ @ @ we can provide that lives will be saved and history will not be repeated .
@

BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) - Florida Atlantic University has received a $20 million gift to create an institute for Holocaust and Jewish studies.
Entrepreneur Kurt Wallach and his wife Marilyn made the donation, the largest in the university’s history, the school announced Tuesday. The institute will be named after them.
Wallach, 94, fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1933, his father taking them to Holland. From there, they moved to New York in 1936.
After serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II, Wallach started several businesses, including Kurtell Growth Industries, a real estate investment firm.
“We speak for those who cannot speak. We remember all the victims including our family members who perished needlessly,” Wallach said in a statement. “No one should ever be subjected to such horror. We hope that through the education we can provide that lives will be saved and history will not be repeated.”


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--As virus hits Italy's south, some flee troubled health care

GIUGLIANO IN CAMPANIA , Italy ( AP ) - Patients , some wrapped in blankets that look like they came from home , moan in their beds .
What appears to be medical tubing and a wad of gauze or paper towels litter the floor of San Giuliano public hospital , which treats coronavirus patients in a bleak town in Italy ‘ s Neapolitan hinterland .
In another surreptitiously filmed scene , 15 kilometers ( 9 miles ) away in Naples , an elderly man suspected of having COVID-19 takes his last , labored breaths in a bathroom at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ undignified end memorialized on a phone camera by a fellow patient and posted online .
Meanwhile , outside the ER entrance for Cardarelli , the main health care facility for densely populated Naples , those desperate for oxygen for loved ones line up in their cars , waiting for nurses to bring tanks of the life-saving element to ailing passengers anxious to enter the crowded ER .
The pandemic , which has killed more than 46,000 people in Italy , has heightened the urgency of the plight of those seeking medical care in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economically underdeveloped south .
But these glimpsed moments of drama , while shocking , are nothing new to people here who depend on such care .
In late September , as coronavirus infections surged in Italy after a summer decline , prosecutors put 17 hospital managers and workers under investigation for an insect infestation at a Naples hospital .
Cardarelli , meanwhile , was once accused by the consumer group Codacons of leaving patients crowded in corridors like they were “ old boxes.
” Naples prosecutors are investigating the bathroom death at Cardarelli @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has ordered an internal probe .
At San Giuliano , hospital officials declined to speak to an AP reporter who visited Saturday , and there was no immediate answer at the hospital ‘ s administrative office on Tuesday evening .
Many in the Naples area resign themselves to what the La Repubblica newspaper denounced as hellish , “ Dantesque ” waits to receive treatment for COVID-19 .
Others bundle up their loved ones and head north , where Italian health care enjoys a better reputation - but many hospitals there are also overwhelmed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the epicenter of Italy ‘ s latest coronavirus outbreak , as it was when the virus first hit Europe .
In the regional capital of Milan , coronavirus infections rampaged through the city ’ s most prestigious home for the elderly early in the pandemic .
In the spring , a severe nationwide lockdown meant that while the north suffered the brunt , the south was largely spared .
But now , the virus is hitting several regions hard at once - a phenomenon seen in other European countries .
With the Campania @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at least 116 patients sought treatment this month in neighboring Lazio , at Formia ’ s Dono Svizzero hospital .
Some had tested positive for the virus , while others had other ailments and feared becoming infected with the virus in the area ’ s chaotic emergency rooms .
“ If patients knock on the door , it ’ s open , ” Paolo Nucero , head of the Formia hospital ’ s emergency room , told Italian state television .
“ At the moment , we ’ re holding up .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we will start suffering.
” Leaving one ’ s region to seek better medical treatment elsewhere in Italy is so prevalent that a foundation studying the quality of the nation ’ s health care publishes what it calls the “ flight index.
” The GIMBE Foundation found that nearly all those “ fleeing ” local health care went north .
In Italy ‘ s health care system , each region manages its own spending .
In a cruel illustration of the ‘ ’ rich get richer while the poor get poorer ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Italians who travel outside their regions still falls to the region where they reside .
That means a bonanza of funds for the northern regions providing the care but a drain on the coffers of poorer , southern parts .
Along the Naples waterfront , Luigi Orefice perched his 4-year-old son , Giovanni , on the thick wall lining the promenade .
With fog ringing the Vesuvius volcano in the background , the postcard-like panorama would be familiar to tourists .
But his job delivering beverages to hospitals lets Orefice see the ugly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” image of the south .
His deliveries take him inside hospitals in the dead of night , when Orefice says he has witnessed lax protocols , like staff walking barefoot .
“ We might have the best hospital department chief of staffs , but at the bottom , hospital workers are poorly managed , ” he said .
Outside San Giuliano Hospital in Giugliano in Campania on a recent day , Feliciano Manna , a representative of the UIL labor syndicate for ambulance crews , noted that Campania lost about 15,000 health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cuts .
Italy ’ s Civil Protection force is currently recruiting 450 doctors to help the region care for COVID-19 patients .
Only weeks before the pandemic began did Campania ’ s public health care system emerge from years of central government control , part of efforts to cut waste and drive down costs .
The person behind the video inside San Giuliano Hospital “ took advantage of a moment when he saw some wad of gauze of the floor , ” said Manna .
“ The staff is doing super-human work , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t discredit that.
” In a parking lot behind the hospital , Giuseppe Sguiglia , 30 , and his 26-year-old wife waited in their car , inching forward in a long line of people signed up for COVID-19 tests .
Last year , Sguiglia said , he had to use a local hospital .
Judging from that experience , “ we understood that Naples would be a disaster ” if the pandemic spread south , he said .
Some cite the insidious influence of organized crime on some of Campania ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AP query , the Interior Ministry said Monday that the minister will decide this month whether a sprawling Naples health care district should be put under temporary control of the ministry ’ s local prefect - depending on if it ’ s determined that the Camorra infiltrated its administration .
According to a separate , criminal investigation before the pandemic , mobsters allegedly demanded payment of hundreds of euros to speed up the release of patients ’ bodies at one Naples hospital to their families .

GIUGLIANO IN CAMPANIA, Italy (AP) - Patients, some wrapped in blankets that look like they came from home, moan in their beds. What appears to be medical tubing and a wad of gauze or paper towels litter the floor of San Giuliano public hospital, which treats coronavirus patients in a bleak town in Italy’s Neapolitan hinterland.
In another surreptitiously filmed scene, 15 kilometers (9 miles) away in Naples, an elderly man suspected of having COVID-19 takes his last, labored breaths in a bathroom at the emergency room of Cardarelli Hospital, his undignified end memorialized on a phone camera by a fellow patient and posted online.
Meanwhile, outside the ER entrance for Cardarelli, the main health care facility for densely populated Naples, those desperate for oxygen for loved ones line up in their cars, waiting for nurses to bring tanks of the life-saving element to ailing passengers anxious to enter the crowded ER.
The pandemic, which has killed more than 46,000 people in Italy, has heightened the urgency of the plight of those seeking medical care in public hospitals in the country’s economically underdeveloped south. But these glimpsed moments of drama, while shocking, are nothing new to people here who depend on such care.
In late September, as coronavirus infections surged in Italy after a summer decline, prosecutors put 17 hospital managers and workers under investigation for an insect infestation at a Naples hospital. Cardarelli, meanwhile, was once accused by the consumer group Codacons of leaving patients crowded in corridors like they were “old boxes.”
Naples prosecutors are investigating the bathroom death at Cardarelli, and the hospital’s director has ordered an internal probe. At San Giuliano, hospital officials declined to speak to an AP reporter who visited Saturday, and there was no immediate answer at the hospital’s administrative office on Tuesday evening.
Many in the Naples area resign themselves to what the La Repubblica newspaper denounced as hellish, “Dantesque” waits to receive treatment for COVID-19. Others bundle up their loved ones and head north, where Italian health care enjoys a better reputation - but many hospitals there are also overwhelmed.
Lombardy in the north is again the epicenter of Italy’s latest coronavirus outbreak, as it was when the virus first hit Europe. In the regional capital of Milan, coronavirus infections rampaged through the city’s most prestigious home for the elderly early in the pandemic.
In the spring, a severe nationwide lockdown meant that while the north suffered the brunt, the south was largely spared. But now, the virus is hitting several regions hard at once - a phenomenon seen in other European countries.
With the Campania region that surrounds Naples now under strain, at least 116 patients sought treatment this month in neighboring Lazio, at Formia’s Dono Svizzero hospital. Some had tested positive for the virus, while others had other ailments and feared becoming infected with the virus in the area’s chaotic emergency rooms.
“If patients knock on the door, it’s open,” Paolo Nucero, head of the Formia hospital’s emergency room, told Italian state television. “At the moment, we’re holding up. But if we have a super flood, we will start suffering.”
Leaving one’s region to seek better medical treatment elsewhere in Italy is so prevalent that a foundation studying the quality of the nation’s health care publishes what it calls the “flight index.” The GIMBE Foundation found that nearly all those “fleeing” local health care went north.
In Italy’s health care system, each region manages its own spending. In a cruel illustration of the ‘’rich get richer while the poor get poorer” adage, footing the medical bills of Italians who travel outside their regions still falls to the region where they reside. That means a bonanza of funds for the northern regions providing the care but a drain on the coffers of poorer, southern parts.
Along the Naples waterfront, Luigi Orefice perched his 4-year-old son, Giovanni, on the thick wall lining the promenade. With fog ringing the Vesuvius volcano in the background, the postcard-like panorama would be familiar to tourists. But his job delivering beverages to hospitals lets Orefice see the ugly realities beyond the “O Sole Mio” image of the south.
His deliveries take him inside hospitals in the dead of night, when Orefice says he has witnessed lax protocols, like staff walking barefoot.
“We might have the best hospital department chief of staffs, but at the bottom, hospital workers are poorly managed,” he said.
Outside San Giuliano Hospital in Giugliano in Campania on a recent day, Feliciano Manna, a representative of the UIL labor syndicate for ambulance crews, noted that Campania lost about 15,000 health care workers in recent years to budget cuts. Italy’s Civil Protection force is currently recruiting 450 doctors to help the region care for COVID-19 patients.
Only weeks before the pandemic began did Campania’s public health care system emerge from years of central government control, part of efforts to cut waste and drive down costs.
The person behind the video inside San Giuliano Hospital “took advantage of a moment when he saw some wad of gauze of the floor,” said Manna. “The staff is doing super-human work,” he said. The video “doesn’t discredit that.”
In a parking lot behind the hospital, Giuseppe Sguiglia, 30, and his 26-year-old wife waited in their car, inching forward in a long line of people signed up for COVID-19 tests.
Last year, Sguiglia said, he had to use a local hospital. Judging from that experience, “we understood that Naples would be a disaster” if the pandemic spread south, he said.
Some cite the insidious influence of organized crime on some of Campania’s institutions.
In response to an AP query, the Interior Ministry said Monday that the minister will decide this month whether a sprawling Naples health care district should be put under temporary control of the ministry’s local prefect - depending on if it’s determined that the Camorra infiltrated its administration.
According to a separate, criminal investigation before the pandemic, mobsters allegedly demanded payment of hundreds of euros to speed up the release of patients’ bodies at one Naples hospital to their families.
___
Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Bahrain FM visits Israel in latest sign of warming ties

JERUSALEM ( AP ) - Bahrain ’ s foreign minister visited Israel on Wednesday in the latest sign of warming ties following a series of U.S.-brokered normalization accords between Israel and Arab nations .
Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani flew into Tel Aviv on a Gulf Air passenger plane and was to hold meetings in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top officials .
He will also take part in a trilateral meeting with Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo , who arrived later Wednesday .
The foreign minister was welcomed on the tarmac @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and other U.S. and Israeli officials .
Everyone wore masks and tapped elbows in greeting due to concerns about the coronavirus .
“ I arrive here from a country convinced of the importance of peace , ” Alzayani said later at a press conference with Ashkenazi .
“ There is a clear keenness on both sides to make this cooperation work and to demonstrate this can have clear positive benefits for our countries and the region.
” He invited Ashkenazi to attend next month ’ s Manama Dialogue , an annual security @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Ashkenazi said they hope to celebrate the opening of embassies by the end of the year .
He said Bahrainis will soon be able to apply for visas online and that the two countries will soon have direct flights .
He also welcomed the decision of the Palestinian Authority to restore ties with Israel that had been cut off earlier this year over Israel ‘ s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank .
Israel put those plans on hold when the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize ties in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday by the Palestinians to resume cooperation with Israel , security cooperation , ” Ashkenazi said .
“ Our door is open to renewed negotiation , and I urge the Palestinians to step through this door with no preconditions.
” Bahrain followed the UAE in agreeing to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel earlier this year .
The breakthrough reflects a changing Middle East in which Israel and the Gulf countries view Iran as a shared threat that eclipses the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians .
Sudan also agreed to establish ties with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the United States that will pave the way for much-needed foreign aid following last year ’ s overthrow of longtime President Omar al-Bashir .
The Trump administration hailed all three agreements as historic breakthroughs in the lead-up to the election .
President-elect Joe Biden also welcomed the agreements , and is expected to build on them as he presses Israel and the Palestinians to return to peace negotiations .
Before this year ’ s accords , only Egypt and Jordan had recognized Israel , as part of peace treaties negotiated more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultivate much warmer ties with the Gulf countries , aiming for cooperation across various fields , including tourism and public health .
In normalizing ties with Israel , the three nations broke with a longstanding Arab consensus that recognition should only be granted in return for concessions in the peace process .
The Palestinians condemned the normalization accords as a betrayal of their cause .

JERUSALEM (AP) - Bahrain’s foreign minister paid a history-making visit to Israel on Wednesday, in the latest sign of warming ties following a series of U.S.-brokered normalization accords between Israel and Arab nations.
Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani flew into Tel Aviv on a Gulf Air passenger plane, making him the first Bahraini minister to make an official visit to Israel. He held a series of meetings with top officials, capped by joint talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the visiting U.S. secretary of state, Mike Pompeo.
At a joint news conference, all three men warmly praised the “Abraham Accords,” the U.S.-brokered agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Sudan.
Netanyahu called the visit a “milestone,” while Pompeo said the accords sent a message to Iran and its allies that “their influence in the region is waning and they are ever more isolated.”
Alzayani said his country’s agreement with Israel, signed at the White House in September and cemented by a visit last month by an Israeli delegation, would lead to cooperation in areas like trade and education, and direct flights and the opening of embassies in the near future.
“It has been obvious the intention and keenness of all sides is to ensure that the peace we are pursuing will be a warm peace that will deliver clear benefits to our people,” Alzayani said.
He also said he hoped the agreement would help pave the way for peace throughout the region.
But, he said, “in order to achieve and consolidate such a peace, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict needs to be resolved. I therefore call for both parties to get around the negotiating table, to achieve a viable two-state solution, as is also sought by the international community.”
The Palestinians have condemned Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates for reaching agreements with Israel, accusing them of weakening the traditional Arab consensus that normalized ties could not take place without the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Despite Alzayani’s mention of the Palestinians, neither Bahrain nor the UAE has given any indication it plans on pushing the issue with Israel.
The Palestinians severed ties with the Trump administration after it recognized contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital three years ago, and they have rejected Trump’s Mideast plan, saying it unfairly favors Israel. The Palestinians have welcomed the election of President-elect Joe Biden and expressed hope the incoming administration will take a more evenhanded approach.
Earlier, Alzayani was welcomed on the tarmac by his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, and other U.S. and Israeli officials. Everyone wore masks and tapped elbows in greeting due to concerns about the coronavirus.
He invited Ashkenazi to attend next month’s Manama Dialogue, an annual security conference held in Bahrain’s capital.
Ashkenazi said they hope to celebrate the opening of embassies by the end of the year.
He also welcomed the decision of the Palestinian Authority to restore ties with Israel that had been cut off earlier this year over Israel’s plans to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Israel put those plans on hold when the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize ties in August.
“I welcome the decision yesterday by the Palestinians to resume cooperation with Israel, security cooperation,” Ashkenazi said. “Our door is open to renewed negotiation, and I urge the Palestinians to step through this door with no preconditions.”
Bahrain followed the UAE in agreeing to establish full diplomatic ties with Israel earlier this year. The breakthrough reflects a changing Middle East in which Israel and the Gulf countries view Iran as a shared threat that eclipses the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians.
Sudan also agreed to establish ties with Israel as part of a larger agreement with the United States that will pave the way for much-needed foreign aid following last year’s overthrow of longtime President Omar al-Bashir.
The Trump administration hailed all three agreements as historic breakthroughs in the lead-up to the election. Joe Biden also welcomed the agreements, and is expected to build on them as he presses Israel and the Palestinians to return to peace negotiations.
Before this year’s accords, only Egypt and Jordan had recognized Israel, as part of peace treaties negotiated more than 25 years ago. Israel hopes to cultivate much warmer ties with the Gulf countries, aiming for cooperation across various fields, including tourism and public health.
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Associated Press writer Joseph Krauss contributed.


washingtontimes--2020-11-18--Republicans shake up state Senate leadership in New Mexico

SANTA FE , N.M. ( AP ) - A new leader has emerged atop the Republican minority contingent in the @ @ @ @ @ In a caucus meeting Tuesday , Sen. Gregory Baca of Belen was chosen as Republican @ @ @ @ @ slot previously was held by Sen. Stuart Ingle of Portales .
An attorney and U.S. @ @ @ @ @ a district that spans most of Valencia County , the Native American community of Isleta @ @ @ @ @ County .
Democrats successfully defended Senate and House majorities in the general election .
Political @ @ @ @ @ Democrat Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces as Senate president pro tempore .
That leadership @ @ @ @ @ assignments and is determined by the entire Senate .
Five Democrats are vying for the @ @ @ @ @ in the Democratic primary by Carrie Hamblen , who went on to win the general @ @

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A new leader has emerged atop the Republican minority contingent in the New Mexico state Senate.
In a caucus meeting Tuesday, Sen. Gregory Baca of Belen was chosen as Republican minority leader. The leadership slot previously was held by Sen. Stuart Ingle of Portales.
An attorney and U.S. Navy veteran, Baca represents a district that spans most of Valencia County, the Native American community of Isleta Pueblo and portions of Bernalillo County.
Democrats successfully defended Senate and House majorities in the general election.
Political jockeying is underway to succeed Democrat Mary Kay Papen of Las Cruces as Senate president pro tempore.
That leadership position wields influence over committee assignments and is determined by the entire Senate. Five Democrats are vying for the slot.
Papen was ousted in the Democratic primary by Carrie Hamblen, who went on to win the general election.