News of the World

[kyonides]

Chinese Virologist Who Claimed COVID Was Made in Lab Says Her Mom Has Been Arrested in China

https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-virolog...ry-1536962

An academic who claimed—without evidence—that the Chinese government was behind the manufacturing and intentional release of SARS-CoV-2 now says her mother has been arrested in retaliation for her speaking out to U.S. media.
Li-Meng Yan, a former Hong Kong University post-doctoral student, fueled internet conspiracies last month after asserting the virus that causes COVID-19 was "not from nature" while pushing a pre-print report filled with baseless assertions about the origins of the virus.

Well, even if Newsweek calls her claims baseless for political reasons, we need to agree on how low the Chinese government has fallen by arresting her mother. Is the scientist's mother responsible for her daughter's declarations?

This is not the first time my mom and my other family members [have been] arrested by the [CCP]. I cut off most connection with my family directly. This is the fourth time my mom, 63 years old, teacher, got arrested by Chinese Communist Party.

Four times already? That's just too obvious and too abusive for sure!

Kamala Harris halts travel after aide tests positive for coronavirus

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54559605

Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris will halt campaign travel until Monday after two members of her staff tested positive for coronavirus.
The California senator's communications director, Liz Allen, and a flight crew member received the results on Wednesday, a Biden official said.
Neither aide had close contact with the candidates in the 48 hours prior to their positive tests, she added.
Ms Harris had been scheduled to fly to North Carolina on Thursday.

And they complained about Trump and his advisors and staffers.

Russian and Chinese Space Debris

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54562501

Two pieces of old space junk may come within 25m of each other, according to a Silicon Valley start-up which uses radars to track objects in orbit.
LeoLabs has been monitoring the paths of a defunct Russian satellite and a discarded Chinese rocket segment.
It sees them converging over Antarctica at 00:56 GMT (01:56 BST) on Friday.
Other experts who've looked at the available data think Kosmos-2004 and the ChangZheng rocket stage will pass with a far greater separation.
With a combined mass at over 2.5 tonnes and relative velocity of 14.66km/s (32,800mph), any collision would be catastrophic and produce a shower of debris.

Why is it a problem? Well, they will remain for years and could also hit operational satellites like those in use for GPS!

Twitter and Facebook Bias Controversy Goes On

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54552101

Our communication around our actions on the @nypost article was not great. And blocking URL [website link] sharing via tweet or DM [direct message] with zero context as to why we're blocking: unacceptable.

Still, he doesn't explain why they only applied it to an article they disliked but never to one talking crap about Trump.

The Senate Judiciary Committee now plans to vote on Tuesday whether to force Mr Dorsey to appear before it three days later to answer questions about the affair.
Several Republican members have already said they will vote in favour.

Never before have we seen the censorship of a major outlet's reporting.
Big Tech crossed a line and must be held accountable.

So terrible that Facebook and Twitter took down the story of 'Smoking Gun' emails.

Mrs. McEnany shared some information on that New York Post article but Twitter FORCED her to delete the tweet so she could regain access to her account.

Mr Trump has previously indicated that he would like social media websites to be treated as publishers, if they exercise control over what users are allowed to post.

Well, if a traditional newspaper is considered a publisher, if an editorial that worked on a book is called a publisher, then any social media that also reviews its posts or tweets should be held responsible for them as well. Otherwise, they should keep all of their posts intact!

12 Year Old Boy Finds Dinosaur Bones in Alberta, Canada

https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-54547987
The finding took place in the Badlands in Alberta, Canada. His family even sent photos of the bones to the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Curiously, the experts thought those fossils were located in a place that was not known for such discoveries. Now they've found up to 50 bones belonging to a 3 or 4 year old Hadrosaur.

What are you waiting for, Silly?

Nicaragua: Foreign Agents Bill Advances

https://ticotimes.net/2020/10/14/foreign...-rejection

A commission of the Nicaraguan parliament deemed it favorable to approve in the coming days the bill for the Regulation of Foreign Agents, a much-criticized text with which the government of Daniel Ortega seeks to control the funds of civil organizations, an official deputy reported Tuesday.
The United States and the European Parliament last week condemned the bill promoted by the Nicaraguan government on the grounds that it restricts public freedoms. Both also threatened new sanctions.
The text indicates that the persons and companies that work “under the order, supervision and control of a foreign body” will be obligated to register with the Ministry of the Interior.
The same must be done by those who “act as counselors, public relations, advertising agents, information service employers” and political consultants, among others.

And it's highly likely they were inspired by China. Of course, they had to accuse foreign forces of all the troubles the government itself has caused in their country.  

U.S. State Department lifts ‘Do Not Travel’ advisory for Costa Rica

https://ticotimes.net/2020/10/13/u-s-sta...costa-rica

The United States on Tuesday lifted a warning that advised its citizens to avoid all travel to Costa Rica.
Costa Rica, which had been under the strictest advisory (Level 4: Do Not Travel), has improved to a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel).

Curiously, the only Central American country still in the Level 4 Travel Advisory is Panama.  

Dozens arrested as march in San José turns violent

https://ticotimes.net/2020/10/12/dozens-...ns-violent

wenty-eight people were arrested in Costa Rica on Monday afternoon when a march to Casa Presidencial [the Costa Rican counterpart of the White House] turned violent, the Public Security Ministry (MSP) said.
Eleven police officers were injured — two seriously — as protesters attempted to break through a police cordon in Zapote, San José, Security Minister Michael Soto said. Seven police vehicles were damaged in the clashes.

The protests were caused by people's hatred against the IMF. The Costa Rican government had planned to ask for a $1.7 millions loan this month but Rescate Nacional (National Rescue) movement called the population to take over streets. What's interesting here is that on Monday, Police had infiltrated several agents among the movement. It took them a day and several videos where you could watch them promoting violence AGAINST THEIR OWN COLLEAGUES during the protests.

Supreme Court condemns Costa Rican government for not lifting road blocks

https://ticotimes.net/2020/10/14/supreme...oad-blocks

The court unanimously accepted a writ of habeas corpus against the Ministry of the Presidency and the National Police for not removing those who impeded circulation on at least 40 sections of roads throughout the country.
According to the ruling of the constitutional chamber, the demonstrations called by the self-proclaimed Movimiento Rescate Nacional (National Rescue Movement) sought to hinder the country’s road infrastructure and access to seaports.

Two days later the Costa Rican Supreme Court condemned the CR government for being lazy.  

Health Ministry investigates new reports of tainted liquor, methanol poisoning

https://ticotimes.net/2020/10/14/health-...-poisoning
Last year there were several poisonings caused by liquor polluted with methanol, which can kill most of its victims in a couple of hours or even less. Not even the ongoing pandemic stopped drug dealers from supplying the bars or mini markets with those altered bottles of alcohol.

Months ago The Guardian also noticed there were several people dying in Mexico for the same reason.

Mexico: at least 35 people die in mass bad-alcohol poisoning

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/m...s-methanol

Costa Rica: Pre-Columbian Tombs Halt Construction on Route 1 Highway

https://ticotimes.net/2020/10/13/pre-col...-1-highway

An archaeological evaluation prior to the expansion of the main highway in Costa Rica revealed the presence of four pre-Columbian tombs, clay pots and a gold earring, the consortium in charge of the work reported Monday.
The archaeologist Magdalena Leon, in charge of the evaluation, commented that the site where the works are carried out is “multicomponent” — that is, that it had occupations for several periods, which explains why pre- and post-Columbian elements of different phases have been found.

The gold earring is supposed to represent a bird.