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Nov232020 by adminNo Comments

Joshua Wong, 2 others plead guilty over 2019 Hong Kong protest

World

Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Joshua Wong and two other prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists pleaded guilty on Monday over their involvement in protests in the summer of 2019. Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam pleaded guilty and were jailed ahead of sentencing next week when they each face up to three years in prison, the Hong Kong Free Press reported. Advertisement The trio pleaded guilty to charges in connection to a June 2019 demonstration when protesters surrounded the police headquarters in opposition to police brutality. Protesters had taken to the streets against a controversial extradition bill that summer but rallies and marches intensified in response to the violent crackdown by police. Wong, who has previously served prison terms over his activism, told reporters before heading into the ...

Oct112020 by adminNo Comments

Covid: Trump ‘no longer a transmission risk to others’

World

Media playback is unsupported on your device US President Donald Trump is no longer a Covid transmission risk to others, the White House physician has said.Sean Conley's memo is the first update on Mr Trump's health since Thursday.There had been concerns that he might still be contagious following his three-day hospital stay. However, the statement did not say whether Mr Trump had tested negative for Covid-19.He is due to face Democratic challenger Joe Biden in the presidential election in less than a month, on 3 November. Polling suggests Mr Biden has a 10-point lead over Mr Trump nationally. However his lead in some key swing states is narrower - he is 7 points ahead in Pennsylvania, 3.7 points ahead in Florida and less than a point ahead in...

Jul152020 by adminNo Comments

Twitter accounts of Obama, Biden, Musk and others ‘hacked’ in apparent Bitcoin scam

Technology

Twitter says it is investigating after a number of high-profile accounts were apparently hacked.Accounts including those of former US president Barack Obama, presidential hopeful Joe Biden and billionaire Elon Musk all had messages about Bitcoin posted on them. Businessman Mike Bloomberg, Amazon chief Jeff Bezos and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates were also among those affected.The fake tweets, which were quickly deleted, offered to send $ 2,000 for every $ 1,000 sent to a bitcoin address.Twitter said in a statement: "We are aware of a security incident impacting accounts on Twitter. ...

Mar162020 by adminNo Comments

Cuba welcomes cruise ship with COVID-19, others seek ports

World

A British cruise ship that was turned away from several Caribbean ports after passengers fell ill with novel coronavirus is scheduled to dock in Cuba Tuesday after the island agreed to help transfer those aboard to planes bound for the United KingdomByThe Associated PressMarch 16, 2020, 8:53 PM1 min readHAVANA -- A British cruise ship that was turned away from several Caribbean ports after passengers fell ill with novel coronavirus is scheduled to dock in Cuba Tuesday after the island agreed to help transfer those aboard to planes bound for the United Kingdom. The Cuban government said it had decided to allow the Braemar to dock in the port of Mariel, about 35 miles west of the capital, “due to the urgency of the situation and the risk to the lives of sick people." Fred. Olsen Cruises sa...

Feb292020 by adminNo Comments

Gene explains why some low-lying plants are bald, others are hairy

Science

Feb. 28 (UPI) -- Scientists have discovered the gene responsible for baldness in plants. The gene explains why some alpine plants are hairy while their low-lying peers are hairless. New genetic analysis suggests snapdragon plants living at high altitudes have evolved the ability to turn off the genes responsible for silencing hair. The tiny hairs on their stalks and leaves help protect plants growing on sunny cliffs and hillsides from harmful ultraviolet rays. Meanwhile, plants growing at lower elevations remain bald. For snapdragon plants living in shady valleys, the tiny hairs, called trichomes, are unnecessary. The hairs of some plants secrete useful chemicals, including the antimalarial drug artemisinin, as well as compounds that lend herbs and hops their unique flavor profiles. The ...