Rare snake spotted for the first time in 106 years

SINGAPORE
Friday, 02 Oct 2020

Still around: The brown reptile with white patches was found swimming in a shallow concrete drain near the Nee Soon swamp forest. — The Straits Times/ANN

The rare Selangor mud snake, last seen here in 1914, has been rediscovered after 106 years.

The brown reptile with white patches was found swimming in a shallow concrete drain near Nee Soon swamp forest on Sept 19, said a report published on Wednesday.

The snake was previously found in a rubber plantation at Bukit Sembawang in 1914 and was later deposited in a museum in Dublin, according to the report published in the Singapore Biodiversity Records, a scientific publication hosted by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

Dennis Chan, 26, was out on a walk on Sept 19 with fellow naturalist Neo Xiao Yun, 24, looking for wildlife when they chanced across the snake at around 10pm. He took a photograph of it and left it to go on its way.

The recent rediscovery here has changed the snake’s status in Singapore from “indeterminate” to “extant” now that its existence is definitively recorded. Before this sighting, it was not clear if it still existed here.

“Regionally, this species is also quite rare, with colour photographs having been published in a research paper only in 2018, ” said Law Ing Sind, co-founder of the Herpetological Society of Singapore.

He noted that this record was scientifically significant as it reaffirmed the presence of this species in Singapore, and raised the possibility of it occurring in Peninsular Malaysia.

Little is known about the behaviour and habitat of the snake.

“I personally think Singaporeans should be elated that our small country still has a wealth of biodiversity present, ” added Law. — The Straits Times/ANN

Messages for sick Trump split between 'get well' and 'told you so'

Friday, 02 Oct 2020


(Reuters) - Get well messages for U.S. President Donald Trump poured in from foreign capitals on Friday after he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, but some had little sympathy for a leader whose response to the pandemic has been widely criticised.

Trump, who might be voted out of office on Nov. 3, denies accusations that he downplayed the severity of the outbreak as the world's most powerful nation also became the worst hit, accounting for around 20% of a global death toll that crossed a million this week.


Most diplomatic responses to news that Trump, 74, and his wife Melania had tested positive for COVID-19 observed the niceties, while governments everywhere assessed how it might impact the outcome of next month's U.S. election.

"COVID-19 is a battle we all continue to fight. Everyday. No matter where we live," European Council President Charles Michel said in a tweet, wishing America's First Couple a speedy recovery.


But disappointed by Washington's leadership during the global health crisis, some messages were laced with stinging barbs.

"This demonstrates that the virus spares no one, including those who have shown scepticism. I wish him a swift recovery,” said Gabriel Attal, spokesman for the French government.

If one of the United States most important NATO allies sounded somewhat terse, there was no hiding the bitter satisfaction evident in China's state-controlled media following news that their country's chief antagonist had joined the COVID sick list.

"President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19," tweeted Hu Xijin, editor in chief of China's Global Times newspaper.

"The news shows the severity of the US’s pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection."

Barely two weeks ago, Trump had told the U.N. General Assembly that China, where the virus first emerged late last year, should be held accountable for unleashing "this plague on the world".

But it was just two days ago, during the acrimonious presidential debate that Democratic rival Joe Biden excoriated Trump for his handling of the crisis at home.

Having assured Americans in January that the looming threat of the disease spreading out of China was "totally under control, and told them in February, that the virus would disappear one day "like a miracle", Trump tested their credulity in April by suggesting the possibility that disinfectant could be injected to clean out the virus.

The China Daily, the country's official English language newspaper, piled on:

"Since it emerged earlier this year, Trump, the White House and his campaign have played down the threat and refused to abide by basic public health guidelines — including those issued by his own administration — such as wearing masks in public and practicing social distancing. Instead, Trump has continued to hold campaign rallies that draw thousands of supporters. The virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans and infected more than 7 million nationwide."

Warmth and concern for Trump was more plentiful in Israel and Taiwan, two governments that treasure their friendship with the United States.

"Like millions of Israelis, Sara and I are thinking of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump and wish our friends a full and speedy recovery," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tweeted, referring to his wife.

"The government & people of Taiwan stand with the U.S. at this testing time," Taiwan's foreign ministry said in a statement.

(This story was refiled to fix typo in paragraph 12)

(Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)

Venezuela to start production of Russian vaccine against coronavirus
 by Bhavi Mandalia October 2, 2020


Venezuela will begin production of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine on its territory. This was announced on national television by the vice-president of the country Dalsey Rodriguez. RIA News…

“We want to confirm that we are not only going to participate in the third phase of clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, but also, thanks to the strategic cooperation between Venezuela and Russia, we will participate in the safe supply of our citizens and the production of vaccines in Venezuela,” the agency said. the words of the politician.

The head of the country’s Ministry of Health, Carlos Alvarado, added that the mass production of the vaccine in Venezuela will begin after the third phase of the drug trial ends in Russia.

On September 30, it was reported that the first six participants in the Sputnik V vaccine study received the second component of the drug, which is needed to enhance the immune metabolism received during the first vaccination.

Sputnik V is the first Russian vaccine against coronavirus; it was launched on 15 August. Citizens from the risk group and doctors will be the first to be vaccinated; mass vaccination of Russians will begin in 2021. According to Murashko, as part of post-registration studies, more than 5.5 thousand people were vaccinated with a domestic drug in Moscow clinics.

New Army field manual recommends midday naps

A new Army field manual says it's OK for soldiers to take afternoon naps to make up for sleep deficits during training. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The Army released a new field manual Thursday that officially embraces midday naps to help improve performance.

The new guide focuses on individual wellness rather than the health of whole units, and it updates the branch's health and fitness recommendations for the first time since 2012.

In addition to encouraging afternoon napping, the Army plans to shift its hourlong early-morning training sessions to fitness training regimens tailored to individuals.

"This will require physical training to occur throughout the duty day, not just during a one-hour period in the early morning," said Megan Reed, a spokeswoman for the Center for Initial Military Training at Fort Eustis, Va., which spearheaded the service's health reform efforts outlined in the new field manual.

The new manual also has chapters on setting goals, visualizing success and "spiritual readiness."

"We've made leaps and strides, by not looking at soldiers as carbon copies of one another, but as individuals. That's the point of Health and Holistic Fitness," said Maj. Gen. Lonnie Hibbard, the commander of the CIMT.

The decision to overhaul the Army's approach to wellness was driven by reports of injuries and other health issues that have placed a drag on soldiers' performance.

According to Army statistics, more than 58,000 soldiers -- the equivalent of 13 brigade teams -- were considered nondeployable, with 15,000 of those being considered permanently nondeployable.

In 2018, more than half of American soldiers reported a new injury, and Army medical documents said 71% of soldiers hurt that year were diagnosed with preventable medical injuries caused by overuse.

Pentagon reports increase in suicide rates among active-duty service members



The Pentagon reported that 344 active-duty members died by suicide in 2019, representing an increase in suicide rates over the past two years. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Suicide rates among active-duty military service members in the United States increased in 2019, the fifth year in a row, according to a report released by the Department of Defense on Thursday.

A total of 498 service members died by suicide in 2019, including 344 active-duty members, the Pentagon said in its Annual Suicide Report.

The active-duty suicides represent a rate of 25.9 per 100,000 service members, up from 24.9 in 2018 and 22.1 in 2017.

"The [calendar year] 2019 suicide rate for the Active Component is statistically comparable to the CY 2017, but not going in the right direction," the Pentagon said.

The department added that suicide rates among the Reserve and National Guard are statistically lower than 2017 and that while overall rates have increased among active-duty members since 2014 they have remained statistically consistent among the Reserve and National Guard members.

Enlisted men under the age of 30 were the most at-risk group according to the data -- they accounted for 61% of all suicides in 2019.

The Pentagon said it developed and began piloting educational and training programs for young and enlisted service members. It also trained more than 2,000 non-medical military providers to provide counseling on "access and safe storage of lethal means" to service members and their families.

"The loss of every life is heartbreaking and each suicide carries a deeply personal story. Every suicide has wide-reaching impacts on families, friends, peers, the broader military community and the nation as a whole," said Elizabeth Van Winkle, executive director of the Office of Force Resiliency.

Data for 2020 is not yet available, but officials said they recognize and are "closely monitoring" the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on death by suicide within the military population.

Amazon has identified more than 19,000 COVID-19 cases among its frontline workers
Tyler Sonnemaker

A worker in a face mask walks by trucks parked at an Amazon facility in Long Island, New York on March 17, 2020. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly/File Photo

Amazon announced in a blog post Thursday that 19,816 of its frontline workers have tested positive for COVID-19.

Amazon said that count came from its "analysis of data on all 1,372,000 Amazon and Whole Foods Market frontline employees" in the US employed at any time from March 1 to September 19.

The company claimed its positive case rate was 42% lower than it would expect based on rates in the general population around its facilities is, but its study has not been independently verified.

Amazon has come under fire repeatedly from workers over its pandemic response, and the company is facing multiple investigations over safety measures and working conditions.

Since the beginning of March, 19,816 Amazon and Whole Foods workers have tested positive for COVID-19, Amazon said in a blog post Thursday.

The company said it conducted "a thorough analysis of data on all 1,372,000 Amazon and Whole Foods Market frontline employees across the U.S. employed at any time from March 1 to September 19, 2020."

Amazon claimed that its positive case rate was 42% lower than rates in the general population — as reported by Johns Hopkins University and while also accounting for the geography and age of its employees.

The company said its calculations were "conservative" on the basis that it included both confirmed and presumptive cases and that not everyone in the general population gets screened for the virus, though Amazon's analysis has not been independently verified.

Amazon said that due to its social distancing measures, paid leave policies, mandatory screenings, and other safety measures and investments, "our employees are at a very low risk of transmission in the workplace."

But workers have told a different story. Frontline employees working for both Amazon and Whole Foods have repeatedly gone on strike, filed whistleblower complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and individual states' workplace safety agencies, sued the company, and reached out to media organizations to draw attention to what they say are unsafe working conditions during the pandemic.

Amazon also has a long history of workers raising the alarm about workplace safety which resurfaced this week with a report from Reveal detailing how the company downplayed injury rates. The company has also aggressively cracked down on whistleblowers, firing multiple employees during the pandemic who spoke out about issues, monitoring their private social media conversations, and using technology to track workers seeking to organize for better conditions and pay.

Amazon says nearly 20,000 workers have tested positive for COVID-19

The company said it is conducting "thousands" of tests each day and plans to expand the rate to 50,000 per day at 650 sites by the end of this month. File Photo by Friedemann Vogel/ EPA-EFE

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Amazon on Thursday announced that nearly 20,000 of its employees have tested positive for COVID-19 over the past six months.

The company listed the precise tally at 19,816 presumed or confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus among its 1.37 million Amazon and Whole Foods Market employees in the United States between March and mid-September

Amazon said the number of cases were 42% lower than an estimate of 33,952, previously based on analysis of the Amazon and Whole Foods Market workforce against the general population rate.

The company also said it is conducting "thousands" of tests each day and plans to expand the rate to 50,000 per day at 650 sites by the end of this month.
RELATED Gilead Sciences resumes control of remdesivir distribution


There have been at least eight confirmed COVID-19 deaths among Amazon workers this year, but the company did not include deaths in its report.

Labor groups, politicians and regulators have been calling for the retail giant to disclose its COVID-19 figures among its workforce.

Amazon previously declined to specify the numbers, suggesting they would be misleading and lack context. Thursday, it said the number of cases would be "more powerful" if other companies shared similar data.

"We hope other large companies will also release their detailed learnings and case rates because doing so will help all of us," Amazon said. "This is not an arena where companies should compete -- this is an arena where companies should help one another."

Walmart said in April that fewer than 1% of its 1.5 million U.S. employees had tested positive.

In May, workers from Amazon, Instacart, Whole Foods, Walmart, Target and FedEx held a "sickout" strike due to what they described as flawed policies and lack of protective equipment that may expose them to the virus.

GAO to investigate racism in Veterans Administration


U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), shown here on Capitol Hill Sept. 22, has called for an investigation into systemic racism within the Department of Veterans Affairs. Photo by Ken Cedeno/UPI. | License Photo

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- The Government Accountability Office plans to investigate claims of systemic racism within the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to lawmakers.

Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, requested the investigation after an August survey of 1,500 union-affiliated VA employees said nearly 80% of staffers considered racism a moderate or serious issue in the agency.

Half of those who responded to the survey had personally witnessed racism directed at veterans.

"Reports that racism is a serious problem at VA are especially concerning and demand rigorous scrutiny as our country works to confront systemic racism across our institutions ... Racism and racial discrimination at VA must be taken seriously, and the steps to address it must be robust and enduring," said a joint statement from Schatz and Warren

RELATED VA still failing to make timely appointments for patients, report says

The audit is expected to begin in six months.

According to the VA, about 40 percent of the agency's employees are racial minorities, and in 2019 the agency substantiated about 70 claims of equal opportunity violations.

"VA does not tolerate harassment or discrimination in any form," VA spokeswoman Christina Noel said. "The senators' request to GAO is nothing more than a shameful attempt to besmirch the reputations of hundreds of thousands of dedicated career government employees at VA."

RELATED Study of VA patients confirms minorities have higher odds for COVID-19

The American Federation of Government employees, which represents about 270,000 of the 400,000 people who work for the VA, welcomed the investigation.

The union successfully sued the Federal Labor Relations Authority this summer for limiting federal workers' bargaining rights, and has AFGE president Everett Kelley has said the problem of racism within the VA has been exacerbated under President Donald Trump's administration.

Last week Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said top military brass are working to remove identifying information -- including photos but also names and other information that could reveal the applicant's race or gender -- from promotion packets.

RELATED New California law forms panel to examine reparations for slavery

And this summer the Pentagon created a Board on Diversity and Inclusion which is soliciting input from service members via crowdsourcing and other means on the best ways to improve diversity and inclusion within military ranks.

ONE PARTY STATE

Gallup: Record share of Americans prefer one party control White House, Congress

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tears up her copy of the State of the Union address as President Donald Trump finishes during a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on February 4. File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 2 (UPI) -- A record plurality of Americans, but not a majority, believe it's best for the United States to have a president and both houses of Congress from the same political party, a Gallup poll showed Friday.

The survey, part of Gallup's annual Governance survey, shows that 41% of U.S. adults said it's better to have the same party control all three facets.

Another 23% said they would rather divided party rule, a president from one party and a Congress from another. Thirty-two percent said they had no preference.

Presently, Republicans hold the White House and the Senate, while Democrats control the House. When President Donald Trump took office in 2017, all three were held by the Republican Party.

RELATED Gallup: Trust in federal gov't to handle problems near all-time low

"The prior high in preferences for one-party government occurred in 2012 [38%] when incumbent President Barack Obama was running for a second term," Gallup wrote.

"One year later, in the midst of a federal government shutdown tied to a dispute over funding the Affordable Care Act, a record-low 25% favored one-party government, with 38% saying it made no difference which parties held the White House and Congress."

Gallup saw an average of 36% who prefer one-party rule, over the past five years -- while 24% favored the parties split control. The 12-point difference had been as close as three points between 2002 and 2014.

RELATED Gallup: Rare majority in U.S. say gov't should do more to solve problems

In Friday's poll, 52% of Republicans and 43% of Democrats said they prefer one-party rule. Thirty-one percent of independents feel the same.

"Americans' preferences for one-party or divided government appear to be rooted in the desire to maximize their party's power more than philosophical considerations about what leads to better political outcomes," Gallup added.

"The poll was conducted before [Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader] Ginsburg's death, so it is unclear whether Americans are any more, or less, likely to favor one-party or divided government today," the polling service said.

Gallup polled more than 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide for the survey earlier this month, which has a margin of error of 4 points.

US presidential election Nuclear-guided planes took off just before Trump’s announcement – timing raised speculation about the purpose of the flights
 

by Bhavi Mandalia  October 2, 2020




Simultaneous flights of these military planes are not in themselves unusual at all.

The United States planes to control nuclear weapons took to the air half an hour before the president Donald Trump reported his coronavirus infection. The matter was discovered by a resident of Hawaii Tim Hogan, who reported the matter on a messaging service on Twitter.

Hogan published his observations on the movements of E-6B Mercury aircraft at 7.19 Finnish time. Trump tweeted about his coronavirus infection at 7.54 Finnish time.

Trump had said he was expecting the results of his test a couple of hours earlier, at 5.44 Finnish time. Based on this, Hogan guessed to start monitoring nuclear weapons control aircraft.

The aviation journalist Forbes also tells about it on his blog.

Event is not in itself rare. Last October, for example, an aviation enthusiast noticed found these machines in the air as many as six at a time. E-6B aircraft have been manufactured 16.

Deputy Director of the Open Nuclear Project, which specializes in nuclear threat monitoring Melissa Hanham drew attention, however, to the fact that two E-6Bs took off: one on the east coast of the United States and one on the west coast.

Hanham considered it possible that the timing was meant to be reminiscent of the U.S. nuclear weapons power. He considers that such a reminder would be in line with the strategy of the Ministry of Defense.

Open Former member of the Bellingcat network specializing in source information, current editor of visual investigative journalism for The New York Times Christiaan Triebert instead, he thought it was still a routine flight. He fatthat if Friday flights are included, the last month during which the E-6B aircraft with identification code AE0414 has been in the air On the 19th and E-6B with identification code AE0415 On the 16th.

The data appears to be monitoring military aviation Ads-b.nl date.

CNN reporter Jim Sciutto In turn, he wrote on Twitter that he has received confirmation that the flights had been planned even before the news of Trump ‘s illness.

Boeingin manufactured E-6B aircraft belong to the U.S. Navy. They have communication systems to control nuclear submarines as well as intercontinental nuclear missiles.

The U.S. President’s wartime flying command system includes several other planes and types of planes designed to receive various commands and control various functions in the air, if the situation required them to be shared by the President and his administration from the President’s Air Force One.

System was originally developed specifically for the nuclear threat, but it can also be exploited in other threat situations if, for some reason, command systems on U.S. soil could not be used.

The machines are commonly referred to in the United States Doomsday planes that is, the machines of doomsday.

President Trump’s coronavirus infection by no means means he is jumping on a plane and responding to the threat of nuclear war.

Nuclear power the president’s state of health is a serious matter, not least because the president is monitored around the clock by an air force officer tasked with carrying and guarding a bag, or bags, called “nuclear weapons football” that contain U.S. nuclear weapon system launch codes.

If necessary, the president must be able to give commands for the use of nuclear weapons in an emergency, even in minutes. Therefore, his state of health must be sufficient for rapid solutions.

The possible spread of coronavirus infection in the presidential chain of command may also be a concern. If the President is unable to perform his duties due to illness, the Constitution provides that they shall be taken over by the Vice-President.

Vice President, Mike Pence was working near Trump this week before Trump ‘s infection was diagnosed, so on Friday day there was still no certainty as to whether Pence had become infected himself.

US tariffs didn’t change China but rejoining Pacific trade pact could: Obama aide

Washington’s tariff hikes have not forced China to reform, former acting deputy trade representative Wendy Cutler says in think tank report

Next president should rejoin the 11-member Asia-Pacific agreement Donald Trump withdrew from in 2017, she argues

Wendy Cutler, the former acting deputy US trade representative, said the US could not counter China by working alone. Photo: Handout

A former US trade official is calling for the next US president to rejoin a trans-Pacific trade agreement as a means to working with like-minded countries and offering an alternative to China’s state capitalism.

Wendy Cutler, who was acting deputy US trade representative under former president Barack Obama, said the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) was still the best way for the United States to redefine global trade and counter China. Her comments came in a report published on Wednesday by think tank the Asia Society Policy Institute, of which she is vice-president.

Formerly the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the CPTPP is one of the world’s largest multilateral free-trade agreements, accounting for 13.5 per cent of global GDP, and was seen by Beijing as a way for the Obama administration to contain China’s rise in the Pacific region.

The agreement was renamed after the
US, under President Donald Trump, withdrew in 2017, and came into force the following year, featuring 11 Asia-Pacific countries: Japan, Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.


Trump orders US withdrawal from trans-Pacific trade deal

The report contributed to by Cutler – “Re-engaging the Asia-Pacific on Trade: A TPP road map for the Next US Administration” – urges the next president to explore options for re-engaging with countries about the trade agreement.

“In recent years, the case for US participation in the TPP has only become more compelling as the political and economic importance of the Asia-Pacific region has grown and concerns about Beijing’s economic model have mounted,” Cutler said.

“With no end to tensions with China in sight, there is a growing recognition that the United States would be better off enlisting like-minded countries to rein in
unfair Chinese trade practices and to promote an alternative economic model to state-led capitalism, rather than going it alone. To date, US unilateral tariff hikes and export control restrictions have not led to meaningful Chinese reforms.”
The report suggested four options that the next US administration would have for re-engaging the CPTPP countries on trade: returning to the original TPP agreement, formally acceding to the CPTPP, seeking a broader renegotiation with the CPTPP as a baseline, or working on a narrower sector-specific deal as an immediate, interim step.

Representatives from the 11 CPTPP member countries mark the signing of the agreement in 2018. Photo: AP

Cutler said in the report that renegotiation of the trade deal could be one of the more likely options, with the US revising or adding provisions such as rules on origin, labour, environment and currency manipulation. This option, though time-consuming, could also open the door to expanding the deal for other accession candidates such as South Korea to join and reshape the agreement, Cutler argued.

She said the US can rebuild trust with CPTPP members by first pursuing an interim, sector-specific trade deal on an area such as digital trade, or trade in medical and other essential products in light of the vulnerabilities in supply chains exposed by the
coronavirus pandemic.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: US urged to rejoin Pacific trade agreement