A controversial televangelist actually attempted to heal people with coronavirus through their televisions
Greg Evans in news
UPV

Picture: Victory News/ Screengrab

The controversial televangelist Kenneth Copeland has attempted to cure viewers with the coronavirus by reaching out to them through the television screen.

The 83-year-old made headlines last year after being asked in a tense interview about living a luxury lifestyle including having a private jet.

Now he is back in the news for even odder behaviour as he is literally trying to cure people from the comfort of his television studio on Victory News.

Reaching out to the screen with a hand coated in oil for anointing viewers, Copeland creepily says:

Put your hand on that television set. Hallelujah. Thank you, Lord Jesus. He received your healing. Now say it: 'I take it. I have it. It’s mine. I thank you and praise you for it…'
According to the Word of God, I am healed. And I consider not my own body. I consider not symptoms in my own body, but only that which God has promised.
Only that what the Word has said. And by His stripes, I was healed. And by His stripes, I am healed now.
I am not the sick trying to get healed. I am the healed, and the Devil is trying to give me the flu!… Or whatever else kind of thing he’s trying.
Heal and well in the sweet name of Jesus. Amen. Hallelujah.

We're not experts but we aren't sure that this will help people at all.

Regardless people were quite freaked out by Copeland's actions which were hardly normal.

Advice from the CDC to prevent the spread of the illness has been to regularly wash your hands, avoid contact with anyone who is sick, cover your mouth if you cough or sneeze and disinfect surfaces that are touched daily. If you are sick then stay at home and wear a facemask if you need to be around other people.

At the time of writing, there have been more than 100,000 confirmed cases worldwide and more than 4,000 deaths. Countries like Italy have been placed on lockdown while the United States had banned all travel into the country from parts of Europe and China.

Coronavirus will bankrupt more people than it kills — and that's the real global emergency


We may look back on coronavirus as the moment when the threads that hold the global economy together came unstuck

NOW IS THE TIME FOR

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM, MEDICARE FOR ALL, UBI; UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME

A LIVING WAGE $20 PER HOUR, FOUR HOUR DAY/FOUR DAY WEEK/ 40 HOURS PAY
EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP, HOUSING IS A RIGHT.

Omar Hassan New York

Coronavirus’s economic danger is exponentially greater than its health risks to the public. If the virus does directly affect your life, it is most likely to be through stopping you going to work, forcing your employer to make you redundant, or bankrupting your business.

The trillions of dollars wiped from financial markets this week will be just the beginning, if our governments do not step in. And if President Trump continues to stumble in his handling of the situation, it may well affect his chances of re-election. Joe Biden in particular has identified Covid-19 as a weakness for Trump, promising “steady, reassuring” leadership during America’s hour of need.

Worldwide, Covid-19 has killed 4,389 with 31 US deaths as of today. But it will economically cripple millions, especially since the epidemic has formed a perfect storm with stock market crashes, an oil war between Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the spilling over of an actual war in Syria into another potential migrant crisis.

We may look back on coronavirus as the moment when the threads that hold the global economy together came unstuck; and startups and growing businesses like mine could end up paying the price.


Just as important as fighting the virus — if not more important — is vaccinating our economies against the incoming pandemic of panic. Human suffering can come in the form of illness and death. But it can also be experienced as not being able to pay the bills or losing your home.

Small businesses in particular are struggling as supply chains dry up, leaving them without products or essential materials. Factory closures in China have led to a record low in the country’s Purchasing Manager’s Index which measures manufacturing output. China is the world’s largest exporter and is responsible for a third of global manufacturing, so China’s problem is everyone’s problem — even in the midst of a trade war between the White House and Beijing.

All this makes it even more worrying that governments continue to see this as a health crisis, not an economic one. It is time the economists took over from the doctors, before the real pandemic spreads.

It is difficult to imagine Italy not entering a recession (the world’s ninth largest economy is now on lockdown). It is also difficult to imagine that failing to affect Europe and its largest trading partner, the United States. And it is impossible to see how any of this will not add up to a global downturn, unless governments step in faster and harder than they did 12 years ago during the last financial crisi


The stakes are higher this time, because there seems to be a coordinated effort to economically hurt many Western countries, and warn them away from the aggressive trade policies that Trump has so enthusiastically adopted.

Although China bore the brunt of the virus’s economic and human cost, many in Beijing will see a silver lining in the weakening of the US economy, and a distraction from Trump’s trade wars that appeared to be escalating with no end in sight.

Almost perfectly synchronized with the coronavirus, a Russia-Saudi oil war has erupted. In the short-term, both Moscow and Riyadh can afford the 30 per cent overnight drop in the oil price. But America’s shale gas business cannot: The more expensive process of fracking means that much of the US oil sector will simply not exist if oil prices stay at historic lows, leading to shut downs, job losses and perhaps even state-level recessions.

President Trump has pushed through overdue payroll tax cuts and help for hourly workers — measures that will help both employers and employees survive. In the UK, Chancellor Rishi Sunak today unveiled a ‘Coronavirus Budget’. But everyone needs to think bigger if they want to properly deal with how this new factor changes the status quo.

This is about much more than coronavirus, oil prices, or even the global economy. This is about the balance of power between East and West. The epicenter of this has been, for the last 10 years, Syria. After a decade of conflict on the ground, the face-off seems to have now escalated from proxy war to economic conflict.

The emerging superpowers of Russia and China witnessed what many saw as American irrelevance in Syria. And they are now trying to cement their vision of a truly multi-polar world. Rather than allowing US ally Saudi Arabia to lead the oil markets through the OPEC cartel, Russia and China want to reshape global markets — and power balances — to their advantage.

To survive these shifts, the US, UK and others will need to protect the future of their businesses, large and small, and look for opportunities to benefit from the new economic world order, not deny it. Ignoring these changes will be even more damaging than any flu pandemic.

Omar Hassan is a an economic development specialist and co-founder of UK:MENA Hub

Russian city cancels holy procession to cure coronavirus - over fears of coronavirus

Believers in western city of Lipetsk had hoped to pray away the pandemic

Oliver Carroll Moscow correspondent 12/3/2020

Sergei Bobylev/TASS

The rest of the world may have descended into panic and pandemonium over the coronavirus pandemic, but for a while Orthodox devotees in the Russian city of Lipetsk believed they had found a fail-proof way to a cure.

A religious group going by the name of the “Holy Royal Martyrs” intended to delegate the problem of banishing Covid-19 from Lipetsk to God – by organising a “holy automobile procession” through the city. Organisers said the idea to give a “spiritual push to banish the virus woe” came about after “multiple requests” from believers.

Approximately 50 such fanatics were ready to join in the event this Sunday.

But the procession was not to be after city authorities scuppered plans over public health fears. Now the group will be forced to pray away the virus in the safety of their churches and their own homes.

“We ask followers to sing hymns and read prayers against coronavirus,” Yury Bernikov, the group’s spiritual leader wrote on his social media page.

Earlier in the week, Lipetsk local authorities closed schools and introduced a ban on all mass cultural and sport gatherings. The restrictions, which are due to last two weeks, mirrored similar measures introduced across the country.

Moscow, home to over 12 million often densely populated people, has for over a week been subject to severe restrictions and a regime of “high alert.”

Thousands of flights coming from the seven countries deemed to be most at risk — China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, France, Spain and Germany — have been cancelled. Those who have been in any one of these countries are also being asked to self-isolate for a period of two weeks.

Speaking on Wednesday, prime minister Mikhail Mishustin said that such measures have enabled the country to limit the impact of the virus in Russia.

“Despite the seriousness of the situation abroad, we have managed to keep the risk of transmission to a minimum,” he said. 

---30---

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In Nigeria, the influential former Emir of Kano speaks out after being removed from his position. His lawyers say his treatment is unconstitutional.   

Finally, we head to Morocco, where women are gaining ground on the rap scene, which is largely dominated by men.

HOWIE MANDEL IS A GERMOPHOBE

Howie Mandel wears hazmat suit to ‘America’s Got Talent’ taping as fellow judge Heidi Klum falls ill on set

Suzy Byrne Editor, Yahoo Entertainment
Yahoo TV March 11, 2020

Some celebrities just aren’t taking chances when it comes to protecting themselves amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Howie Mandel showed up to work on the set of America’s Got Talent in a full hazmat suit, with gloves, a mask and breathing tube. The comedian, who is a notorious germaphobe, took off his ball cap to pose for photographers outside the studio.

Perhaps it wasn’t the worst idea. After all, fellow judge Heidi Klum left the set on Tuesday after falling ill. She missed the taping, so for the live show there were only three judges, also including Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara.

Howie Mandel outside the 'America's Got Talent' studio on March 10. (Photo: PG/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

THIS IS OVERKILL, NOT REQUIRED, HE IS ACTUALLY USING WHAT IS CALLED A SCOTT PACK OR SCBA, SELF CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS. 

While the hosts joked in front of the audience about Klum having food poisoning, with new host Vergara quipping that she sent Klum food the night before, Klum doesn’t have food poisoning, according to TMZ. She was just under the weather.

And, no, she does not have the coronavirus, an insider told the news outlet.

AGT continues to have live audiences while other shows — the Wendy Williams Shows, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune included — have temporarily halted the practice as the coronavirus spreads across the U.S.

While Mandel may have been going for laughs with his attire, he does have a crippling fear of germs. He suffers from OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), and has long opted for a fist bump, instead of shaking hands, from way back in his Deal or No Deal days. He’s also said he won’t touch money (unless it’s been washed), doesn’t use handrails and makes his makeup artist use a new sponge before touching his face each day. And his signature bald haircut? That he does by choice — he’s said it feels more “clean.”

It’s not to say he’s not having a little fun with the hazmat suit — after all, he is a comedian. The other day he joked about how , with the coronavirus, he’s not comfortable going to the movies or the mall. The one place he was OK going, he joked, was the DMV.

And Mandel isn’t the only one protecting himself. Naomi Campbell also wore a hazmat suit at Los Angeles International Airport.

The model, who also takes germs very seriously, shared several photos of herself in the zip up outfit, which featured a hood. She had a blue mask over her mouth, wore goggles and pink gloves.

She thanked fellow model Linda Evangelista for the “next level” protection, writing, “safety first.”

Campbell shared her travel routine last year and it went viral for its extremeness. As soon as she gets on a flight, she dons rubber gloves then uses wipes “to clean anything that you can possibly touch. After a lengthy cleaning session, she put on a seat cover on (which get hand washed at whatever hotel she goes to). She also wears a mask for every flight — regardless of whether it’s private or commercial.

NITRILE GLOVES NOT RUBBER OR LATEX 

NITRILE COME IN DISPOSABLE AND GLOVE STYLE

HERE IS WHAT A HOSPITAL WORKER WEARS IN COMPARISON TO HOWIE

HOWIE AIN'T THE ONLY ONE

Protect yourself: Naomi Campbell takes coronavirus threat literally

Outbreak of false virus news in Europe
Issued on: 12/03/2020 

As the global fight against the coronavirus continues, so does the battle against misinformation. Peter O'Brien from the France 24 Observers team busts some myths.

Coronavirus pandemic in the US: Nurses stage protests to call for better protection against virus 

12/03/2020 

NHL plans to suspend season due to coronavirus

CNBC PUBLISHED THU, MAR 12 2020

KEY POINTS

The NHL plans to suspend its season due to the spread of the coronavirus.

The decision comes less that a day after a flurry of game cancellations and season suspensions from all over the sports world.

Major League Soccer and the NBA have also suspended their seasons.


A general view of the arena bowl prior to NHL action between the Winnipeg Jets and the St. Louis Blues in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Bell MTS Place on April 10, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Jonathan Kozub | NHLI | Getty Images

The National Hockey League is expected to suspended its 2019-2020 regular season due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, a person with knowledge of the situation told CNBC.

The person asked not to be identified as the league has not made an official announcement, which is expected later Thursday. The NHL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

he New York Post first reported the NHL would suspend its season, which would come after a flurry of cancellations in the sports world.

Earlier Thursday, Major League Soccer announced the suspension of its season for 30 days due to the fast-spreading outbreak. Organizers also announced the PGA Tour will play without fans until at least April 5.

Late Wednesday, the NBA suspended its season after a Utah Jazz player tested positive tested positive for COVID-19.

Within the U.S., at least 1,300 coronavirus cases have been confirmed, according to data compiled from Johns Hopkins University.

Earlier this week, the NHL and other major sports leagues changed locker room access to reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus.

More sports shut down as virus fears grip US

Issued on: 12/03/2020 Los Angeles (AFP)

Swathes of the North American sports world went into lockdown on Thursday as fears over the coronavirus outbreak forced leagues to halt play and bar spectators from high-profile events.

A day after the NBA shocked US sport by announcing an indefinite suspension of the basketball season, Major League Soccer followed suit by announcing a 30-day halt to the competition.

The United States Soccer Federation has also cancelled upcoming international friendlies and training camps at all levels, scrapping two US men's games against the Netherlands and Wales later this month.

Two US women's fixtures -- against Australia in Utah on April 10 and another against Brazil in San Jose California on April 14 -- were also axed.

In Florida, the ATP/WTA Miami Open was called off as Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez declared a state of emergency over the outbreak.

The hardcourt tennis tournament, one of the world's top events outside of the Grand Slams, was scheduled to begin with qualifying on March 23 and run through April 5.

The decision followed the cancellation of the Indian Wells tournament due to take place in California this week. ATP Tour chiefs in London later declared a six-week suspension of the tennis calendar.

Other sports, meanwhile, were preparing to stage events without spectators following warnings from US health officials that large gatherings of fans posed a risk of escalating the outbreak.

- Golf fans locked out -

The opening leg of IndyCar's 2020 season will get under way on Sunday against a backdrop of empty viewing stands after spectators were banned by city officials in St. Petersburg, Florida.

"I don't make this decision lightly," said St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman after announcing the lockout.

"I strongly believe life must carry on, as best we are able. But the reality now is that's just not possible. I am disappointed. I love this race. But I love this city and our residents more."

In golf, meanwhile, the PGA Tour announced a ban on spectators at all of its events starting with Friday's second round at The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida.

The specator runs all the way up to the final tune-up event before next month's Masters at Augusta, the opening major of the seasons.

"I feel pain for the spectators," said South Africa-born Slovakian golfer Rory Sabbatini on Thursday. "I hope we can get this under control and get everybody back out there.

"It makes you realize how interconnected the entire planet is these days. It makes you realize in the global picture how really small we are."

The swathe of cancellations, suspensions and spectator lockouts is unprecedented in the history of modern US sport, with only the shutdown following the September 11, 2001 attacks coming close to matching the present turmoil.

- Positive case 'tipping point' -

Sports team officials said Thursday that the shutdown became inevitable after the disclosure on Wednesday that Utah Jazz basketball player Rudy Gobert had tested positive for the virus.

The NBA immediately announced all play in the league had been suspended until further notice.

"I thought for the past week that as soon as a player tested positive, it could be a tipping point," said Jorge Mas, one of the co-owners of David Beckham's MLS team Inter Miami.

Inter Miami had been due to play their first ever home game this weekend.

Mas said while fans and players would be disappointed, the MLS and its teams had been left with no other choice.

"(The players) were looking forward to opening up at home for the first time in front of a raucous crowd but they understand this is beyond our control," Mas said. "It's the right and correct decision."

Major League Baseball chiefs, meanwhile, were expected to hold a conference call with its teams over how to proceed with the season, due to get under way later this month.

Inter Miami owner Mas believes a shutdown in baseball is inevitable.

"I think MLB will also postpone their opening day. It's the prudent thing to do," Mas said.

© 2020 AFP

Violence as Chile marks right-winger Pinera's two years in power

Issued on: 12/03/2020

A demonstrator with a placard that reads "Get out Pinera"

 takes part in a protest against Chile's government in Santiago,

 Chile, March 11, 2020. © Cristobal Saavedra Voguel, REUTERS

Text by:NEWS WIRES

Students clashed with riot police in Chile's capital Santiago during protests that marked the second anniversary of conservative President Sebastian Pinera taking office on Wednesday.

The protests coincided with the 30th anniversary of Chile's return to democracy after Augusto Pinochet's 1973-1990 dictatorship.

During a ceremony in Santiago, Pinera said that 30 years of democratic rule in Chile had been a "fertile" period that dragged eight million Chileans out of poverty.

But he also recognized shortcomings and inequalities that hurt "the soul of our nation."

"We have not sufficiently taken into account the fears and shortcomings of our middle class. We have not progressed strongly enough towards full equality between men and women. We have not fought with sufficient will against the abuses and the privileges of others," said Pinera.

Fueled by outrage at Pinera and the Chilean elite that controls most of the country's wealth, the South American nation has seen since October its worst social unrest since the transition to democracy in 1990.

Thirty people have been killed in the protests, many as a result of a heavy-handed police response condemned as repressive by UN investigators. Thousands have been wounded.

The main aim of the continuing protests is to pressure Pinera to expand social reforms he has already proposed.

The most serious of Wednesday's disturbances occurred outside the landmark National Institute school in the center of Santiago, just a few blocks from the presidential palace, where police fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse stone-throwing students.

The demonstration gained momentum through the afternoon, when other protesters joined the students.

"Before, we protested in Plaza Italia, and now we are here," said Rodrigo Lagos, a teacher, referring to the square where most of the protests have begun.

"If (Pinera) doesn't leave the easy way, he's going to have to leave the hard way," added the 46-year-old.

The clashes disrupted traffic through the center of Santiago for several hours.

Similar incidents took place elsewhere in the capital, as demonstrators responded to social media appeals to protest against Pinera.

Several metro stations were shut because of the violence, and some transport routes to the south of the city were suspended.

(AFP)

Students protest as Chile marks 30 years of democracy
The Chilean government celebrated 30 years of democracy in the country. Students, however, staged massive protests to call out the president’s response to income inequality.


As Chile celebrated three decades of democracy on Wednesday, students across the national capital ramped up protests against President Sebastian Pinera over income inequality in the country.

"We must combat violence and care for our democracy," said Pinera, in a speech at the presidential palace. "Democracy is never guaranteed."

Read more: Chile president under fire over gender violence remarks

Chile has seen a series of mass protests against inequality since October last year, when the government attempted to raise metro fares. Pinera has been under fire for the strong police response to these protests, including a liberal use of tear gas.

Students have taken an active part in these civil disobedience protests, even blocking public transportation by sitting with their legs dangling over the lines at multiple metro stations. One of the top trending topics on Twitter in Chile has been #FueraPinera or "Pinera Out."

Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet handed over power to Patricio Aylwin on March 11, 1990, which marked the country's return to democracy after Pinochet came to power in 1973. Numerous cases of government excesses — including torture and killings — were reported during this period.

Brutal beating by Chilean police caught on CCTV

Multiple cases of police brutality have been reported during protests against Pinera, who has been in office for two years. Many opposition legislators chose to boycott the celebratory event at the presidential palace in light of the authorities' response to protesters.

Pinera addressed the protests during his speech, as he talked about the "many problems that have caused great pain to the soul of our nation and that undoubtedly require the commitment and contribution of all Chileans."

see/rc (Reuters, dpa)

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UNLIKE TRUMP
Canada’s Justin Trudeau is self-isolating while his wife waits on coronavirus test results

PUBLISHED THU, MAR 12 2020 

KEY POINTS

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is self-isolating at home while his wife, Sophie Gregoire, awaits the results of a test for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, a spokesperson said Thursday. 

“The doctor’s advice to the Prime Minister is to continue daily activities while self-monitoring, given he is exhibiting no symptoms himself,” Cameron Ahmad, Trudeau’s communications director, wrote in a statement.

The rapidly evolving pandemic has threatened to bring global economic activity to a virtual stand-still. It has also sparked fears in the U.S. and elsewhere that major decision-makers could be infected.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregorie Trudeau arrive for The Throne Speech at the Senate of Canada on December 5, 2019 in Ottawa.
Dave Chan | AFP | Getty Images

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is self-isolating at home while his wife, Sophie Gregoire, awaits the results of a test for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, a spokesperson said Thursday.

“The doctor’s advice to the Prime Minister is to continue daily activities while self-monitoring, given he is exhibiting no symptoms himself,” Cameron Ahmad, Trudeau’s communications director, wrote in a statement. “However, out of an abundance of caution, the Prime Minister is opting to self-isolate and work from home until receiving Sophie’s results.”

Gregoire recently returned from a speaking engagement in London and began exhibiting “mild flu-like symptoms including a low fever” late on Wednesday, according to the statement. Gregoire is also self-isolating at home and her symptoms have subsided.

There have been 117 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Canada, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Trudeau will spend Thursday in briefings, phone calls and virtual meetings from home, Ahmad said, including a discussion with a federal committee Trudeau announced earlier in March to coordinate the government’s response to the public health crisis.

The rapidly evolving pandemic has threatened to bring global economic activity to a virtual stand-still. It has also sparked fears in the U.S. and elsewhere that major decision-makers could be infected.

Earlier on Thursday, media reports said that a Brazilian official who dined with President Donald Trump at his Florida golf resort over the weekend has tested positive for coronavirus. Trump said he’s not concerned.

Those reports came after Trump had contact with two U.S. congressmen before they self-quarantined over coronavirus fears. At least one of those lawmakers has since tested negative.

Former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading contender for the Democratic nomination, formed a coronavirus committee on Wednesday to advise his campaign on minimizing risk from the pandemic.Both Biden and his rival Sen. Bernie Sanders canceled rallies this week in Ohio because of coronavirus. Health officials have warned against holding large public gatherings, where the virus can spread to many people rapidly.

Health officials say older individuals and those with chronic health problems are more vulnerable to coronavirus. While Trump, Biden and Sanders are all in their 70s, Trudeau is 48.

Coronavirus has infected more than 127,749 people around the world and killed at least 4,717.


Canada PM working from home as wife tested for COVID-19
Issued on: 12/03/2020 


Ottawa (Canada) (AFP)

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife announced they were self-isolating Thursday as she undergoes tests for the new coronavirus after returning from a speaking engagement with "mild flu-like symptoms."

Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau's symptoms have subsided since she recently got back from Britain, but as a precaution the prime minister "will spend the day in briefings, phone calls and virtual meetings from home," according to a statement.

Trudeau also cancelled a meeting Thursday and Friday with Canada's provincial and territorial leaders in Ottawa, but still planned to speak with them and world leaders by phone about measures being taken to curb the spread of the virus in Canada.

Gregoire-Trudeau's symptoms had included "a low fever late last night." She immediately sought medical advice and testing.

Trudeau has exhibited no symptoms, and was advised by doctors "to continue daily activities while self-monitoring."

"However, out of an abundance of caution, the prime minister is opting to self-isolate and work from home until receiving Sophie's results," said his office.

Since the novel coronavirus first emerged in late December 2019, 127,070 cases have been recorded in 115 countries and territories, killing 4,687 people, according to an AFP tally compiled at 1200 GMT on Thursday based on official sources.

Canada has so far reported more than 100 cases in six provinces, and one death.

© 2020 AFP