【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2MZ6EW0 Countably quasi-barrelled space
Mgkrupa: Created page
In [[functional analysis]], a [[topological vector space]] (TVS) is said to be '''countably quasi-barrelled''' if every strongly bounded countable union of [[equicontinuous]] subsets of its [[continuous dual space]] is again equicontinuous. This property is a generalization of [[quasibarrelled space]]s.
== Definition ==
A [[Hausdorff space|Hausdorff]] [[locally convex]] TVS with continuous dual space <math>X^{\prime}</math> is said to be '''countably quasi-barrelled''' if it satisfies any of the following equivalent conditions: <ol> <li>If <math>B^{\prime} \subseteq X^{\prime}</math> is a [[strong dual space|strongly bounded]] subset of <math>X^{\prime}</math> that is equal to a countable union of [[equicontinuous]] subsets of <math>X^{\prime}</math>, then <math>B^{\prime}</math> is itself equicontinuous.} | pp=28-63}}</li> <li>Each [[Bornivorous set|bornivorous]] [[Barrelled set|barrel]] in ''X'' that is equal to the countable intersection of closed [[Convex set|convex]] [[Balanced set|balanced]] neighborhoods of 0 is itself a neighborhood of 0.} | pp=28-63}}</li> </ol>
=== σ-quasi-barrelled space ===
A TVS with continuous dual space <math>X^{\prime}</math> is said to be '''σ-quasi-barrelled''' if every [[strong dual space|strongly bounded]] (countable) sequence in <math>X^{\prime}</math> is equicontinuous.} | pp=28-63}}
=== Sequentially barrelled space ===
A TVS with continuous dual space <math>X^{\prime}</math> is said to be '''sequentially quasi-barrelled''' if every [[strong dual space|strongly]] convergent sequence in <math>X^{\prime}</math> is equicontinuous.
== Properties ==
Every countably quasi-barrelled space is a σ-quasi-barrelled space.
== Examples and sufficient conditions ==
Every [[barrelled space]], every [[countably barrelled space]], and every [[quasi-barrelled space]] is countably quasi-barrelled and thus also σ-quasi-barrelled space.} | pp=28-63}} The [[strong dual]] of a [[distinguished space]] and of a metrizable locally convex space is countably quasi-barrelled.} | pp=28-63}}
Every σ-barrelled space is a σ-quasi-barrelled space.} | pp=28-63}} Every [[DF-space]] is countably quasi-barrelled.} | pp=28-63}}
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2MQTR83 Relative of COVID-19 Victim in China Takes Legal Action Against Local Governments
A Chinese citizen whose father died from COVID-19 in a Wuhan hospital has sued to hold the hospital, the city and provincial governments responsible. Zhang Hai is alleging negligence and a deliberate cover-up of the disease caused by the coronavirus.
China's first administrative litigation of its kind, however, stands little chance of prevailing at trial as the nation's court system isn't independent from the ruling Communist Party, according to his lawyer,Chen Jiangang.
The case, however, will set an example for other victims' families to follow suit and stand up against Chinese rights abusers while challenging China's official narrative in its claimed success in combating the disease, rights activist Yang Zhanqing said.
Setting an example
Zhang said in court filings that his father, Zhang Lifa,underwent surgery for fractured bones on January 20 in the military-affiliated General Hospital of the Central Theater Command in Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first discovered.
The elder Zhangdied of COVID-19 on February 1.
The younger Zhang, who now lives in Shenzhen, in China's southern Guangdong province, accused the hospital of negligence for failing to put confirmed COVID-19 patients in isolation wards, which he believes had exposed him and his father to the infection.
Seeking $283,000 in compensation, Zhang also accused the Wuhan and Hubei provincial governments of a cover-up, which he believed led to complacency on the part of the hospital and the public toward the spread of the infection. Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province.
Chinese police officers march past a checkpoint around the Wuhan Central Hospital in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province, April 4, 2020.
Accountability
Zhang said his decision to take legal action shows his determination to seek accountability.
"I've been pursuing accountability. But they [the police] keep suppressing me in any way they can to try to silence me. This [lawsuit] sends a message that I will never be silent. I won't stop holding them responsible," Zhang told VOA.
Zhang, however, said he is paying a price, as he is under heavy surveillance by the authorities.
"They tap my phone and keep a tab on my WeChat and Weibo posts. They can have a printout of what I've said in my WeChat groups. This has really annoyed me. I'm neither a spy nor anti-communist. Instead of making efforts to monitor me, why don't you take time to address my complaints?" he asked, adding that he and his family have long been supportive of the communist government.
This aerial photo shows Leishenshan Hospital which was constructed in a parking lot from prefabricated modules in two weeks in Wuhan, China, April 11, 2020.
China's intimidation
Fearful for Zhang's safety, his lawyer, Chen, said China's threat toward both the accusers and rights lawyers is real.
"The Wuhan police have made it clear to victims' families that arrests will be made if more than five of them reach out to one another to discuss the disease," said Chen, who currently lives in the United States.
"They also said that if you keep pressing charges or seeking compensation ... they will next hurt other members of your family, including your [underaged] kids," he added during an interview with VOA.
The lawyer said that in a normal society, Zhang would stand a great chance of winning the case.
In the Chinese courts tightly controlled by the Communist Party, Zhang's case is unlikely to be processed as it makes the local government vulnerable to criticism, Chen added.
China has also imposed "three bans and six nos" to intimidateChinese rights lawyers, who are prohibited fromengaging in anti-government discussions, providing legal assistance to victims' families who seek national compensation, or even talking to the foreign press, according to Chen.
Although his lawsuit stands little chance of success, Zhang sets an example for other victims' families to stand up against Chinese coercion, said Yang, the rights activist and co-founder of China's Chang Sha Funeng nonprofit organization, which has helped the families of more than 20 COVID-19 victims to seek justice.
Four other victims' families will follow suit to take legal action while eight other families are hoping to negotiate with the local government, he said.
This photo taken on June 10, 2020 shows people visiting an outdoor market in Wuhan in China's central Hubei province.
Defying China's narrative
Their stories will also challenge China's claimed success in fighting the disease, Yang said. According to Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 dashboard, China has had 84,220 confirmed cases and more than 4,630 deaths.
The veteran rights activist also denounced a Thursday report by the state-backed China Society for Human Rights Studies, which argues that the pandemic has magnified the crisis of U.S.-style human rights.
The report criticizes what it calls the U.S. government's inefficient response to the pandemic as prioritizing special interest groups over human lives and politicizing the issue. China says U.S. politicians have used the pandemic as a weapon to attack political rivals and seek election benefits. The U.S. presidential election is November 3, 2020.
Yang, who is based in the U.S., said that the Chinese report "can't stand the test of facts" and can't stand up under scrutiny.
At the height of the outbreak, rights and freedoms weren't seriously eroded in New York, a coronavirus hot spot, as they had been in Wuhan, he said.
"When the pandemic got worse in New York, [I'd seen] nothing like what happened on the streets of Wuhan, where bodies were left unattended, people got beaten, kicked or hanged themselves to death — horrifying and doomsday-like sights. The way New York fought the disease put none under high-handed pressure," he said.
By contrast, China's success in containing the virus is built upon the sacrifice of many, he added.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2Yu9iIL MS-13 gang members arrested in Maryland man's ambush killing Five members of the violent MS-13 street gang--four of them in the country illegally--have been accused of gunning down a Maryland man who was ambushed as he left his home to go to work. June 13, 2020 at 05:24AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/30F2T0l Media coverage spins protester takeover of Seattle area as 'festive zone' Multiple media outlets are offering a positive spin while covering the turmoil that has taken place on the streets of Seattle, with one notable news outlet referring to it as a "festive zone." June 12, 2020 at 08:35AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2UAErtb Trump Calls for Unity to Confront Bigotry, Prejudice
After weeks of civil unrest in America, President Donald Trump is promising that his administration will aggressively pursue economic development in minority communities and confront health care disparities in those areas.
The White House, without releasing details, said this is part of a four-point plan "to build safety, opportunity and dignity."
Speaking Thursday at an event on race and policing in a church in Dallas, Texas, the president said that as part of the plan he will sign an executive order calling for police to meet the most current professional standards for the use of force.
"We have to work together to confront bigotry and prejudice wherever they appear," Trump said. "But we'll make no progress and heal no wounds by falsely labeling tens of millions of decent Americans as racist."
People walk past barricades on a street near Cal Anderson Park, inside what is being called the "Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone" in Seattle, June 11, 2020.
Trump also rejected criticism of his earlier remarks about the need for law enforcement to dominate the streets amid the unrest.
"I'll stick with that," he said.
Trump is taking note of this week's sustained protests on the streets of Seattle in the state of Washington. Earlier in the day, he demanded the city's mayor and the state's governor immediately take back the city "from ugly anarchists" or "if you don't do it, I will."
Radical Left Governor @JayInslee and the Mayor of Seattle are being taunted and played at a level that our great Country has never seen before. Take back your city NOW. If you don't do it, I will. This is not a game. These ugly Anarchists must be stopped IMMEDIATELY. MOVE FAST!
The steps related to African American communities and police reform that Trump unveiled Thursday in Dallas are unlikely to appease those enraged following the death in police custody of an African American man, George Floyd.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr was among those at Thursday's meeting at Gateway Church. He said the sight of a Minneapolis police officer, who is now facing a second-degree murder charge, holding his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly 9 minutes was a "ghastly spectacle" that has galvanized the country.
Barr expressed hope that good would come out of bad, but when it comes to the demands by some demonstrators to dismantle U.S. law enforcement institutions, Barr replied, "we don't need to tear them down."
Trump also said repeatedly Thursday that defunding or dismantling police departments cannot be allowed.
The president downplayed the severity of police brutality against people of color, asserting that most police are good, but "you always have a bad apple no matter where you go."
Texas protesters
As Trump's motorcade arrived at the church, separate groups of protesters were nearby. Some of those demonstrating against the president held profanity-laced signs. Supporters of Trump carried placards for his November reelection bid.
Protesters hold placards near Gateway Church Dallas Campus as U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a roundtable with faith leaders and small business owners in Dallas, Texas, June 11, 2020.
The expected main opponent of Trump in the general election, former Vice President Joe Biden, criticized the president's trip to Dallas.
"For weeks we've seen President Trump run away from a meaningful conversation on systemic racism and police brutality," the Democratic Party presumptive nominee said in a statement. "Instead, he's further divided our country. Today's trip to Texas won't change any of that. President Trump is more interested in photo-ops than offering a healing voice as our nation mourns."
In the Dallas church, Trump sat on a stage at a long semicircular table behind a presidential seal and against a backdrop dotted with American flags and printed with the words "Transition to Greatness."
US economy
The president is predicting a huge economy recovery following disastrous months of business shutdowns and job losses because of the coronavirus pandemic. Just before Trump made his remarks in Dallas, U.S. stocks suffered huge drops with the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing down nearly 7%.
Investors, according to market watchers, were spooked by increases in coronavirus cases in states that have loosened social distancing restrictions, as well as a warning from Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the economy faces "a long road to recovery."
Earlier in the day, Trump rejected Powell's pessimistic forecast.
"The Federal Reserve is wrong so often. I see the numbers also and do MUCH better than they do. We will have a very good Third Quarter, a great Fourth Quarter, and one of our best ever years in 2021. We will also soon have a Vaccine & Therapeutics/Cure. That's my opinion. WATCH!" Trump said on Twitter.
The Federal Reserve is wrong so often. I see the numbers also, and do MUCH better than they do. We will have a very good Third Quarter, a great Fourth Quarter, and one of our best ever years in 2021. We will also soon have a Vaccine & Therapeutics/Cure. That's my opinion. WATCH!
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2AhoSj7 Apple Removes Podcast Apps in China
A popular podcasting platform, Pocket Casts, has been removed from Apple's app store in China at Beijing's request, according to the company's Twitter thread.
Pocket Casts confirmed Wednesday on Twitter that the request was made by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), Beijing's top internet watchdog agency that controls which apps can be accessed on iOS and other platforms in the country. "We were contacted by the CAC through Apple around 2 days before the app was removed from the store," it said.
Pocket Casts has been removed from the Chinese App store by Apple, at the request of the Cyberspace Administration of China. We believe podcasting is and should remain an open medium, free of government censorship. As such we won't be censoring podcast content at their request.
Before Pocket Casts was removed, another podcast player for iPhone, Castro, said on June 4 that its app was also removed from the Chinese app store by Apple. Castro said about 10% of its user base is in China. Asked why its app was taken down, Castro said in a Twitter comment on June 6 that they think it might have been the company's support of the protests in Hong Kong, but "we were not given specifics."
We think it might have been our support of the protests in the Discover tab. We were not given specifics.
Pocket Casts, originally developed by an Austrian company, was acquired by a group of American public radio companies in 2018. It is currently ranked 82nd most popular in the podcast news app section on Apple's U.S website, where the Twitter app is number one. The app was not searchable within Apple's Chinese app store at the time of writing.
Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.
This is not the first time that Apple has removed an app from the app store following a request by the Chinese government. According to a Transparency Report released on Apple's website, for the first six months of 2019, the company received 56 requests from the Chinese government seeking removal of a third-party application offered on the app store related to alleged or suspected legal violations. In comparison, it received only two requests from Vietnam and five from Russia. Apple, by its own account, took down 194 apps in mainland China, none in Vietnam and 16 in Russia.
The podcast removal comes amid fresh criticism from U.S.-based Chinese activists who said that Zoom, a U.S. video communication company, censors video talks on Hong Kong protests and China's Tiananmen Square crackdown.
The video-chat app briefly blocked an account of a Chinese human rights leader and then later restored the account on Wednesday. According to The New York Times, Zoom said in a statement on Wednesday that it had been following local laws when it suspended the account. "It is not in Zoom's power to change the laws of governments opposed to free speech," Zoom said.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2Ad8rnX Former US Justice Lawyers Call for Investigation of Barr
More than 1,250 former attorneys for the U.S. Justice Department called Wednesday for the agency's internal watchdog to investigate the role Attorney General William Barr played in the aggressive police clearance of largely peaceful protesters from a park near the White House last week.
Police mounted on horses and officers on the ground firing pepper balls at the protesters cleared Lafayette Square minutes before President Donald Trump walked through the park June 1 for a photo-op at a nearby church where he held a Bible aloft.
Barr, the top U.S. law enforcement official, has acknowledged telling police commanders stationed at the park that he wanted the fencing perimeter surrounding the park extended a block farther away from the White House after three days of occasionally violent protests in Washington May 29-31.
But he has disputed accounts that clearing the park was directly related to Trump's short walk, which Barr joined, through the park to St. John's Episcopal Church.
President Donald Trump stands outside St. John's Church, June 1, 2020, in Washington. Standing with Trump are Mark Esper, from left, William Barr, Robert O'Brien, Kayleigh McEnany and Mark Meadows.
The demonstrations were part of nationwide protests in the United States since the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after he was held down on a city street by a white police officer who pressed a knee against his neck even as Floyd repeatedly said he could not breathe.
In a letter, the former Justice Department attorneys told the agency's inspector general, Michael Horowitz, that they were "deeply concerned about the Department's actions, and those of Attorney General William Barr himself, in response to the nationwide lawful gatherings to protest the systemic racism that has plagued this country throughout its history."
The lawyers said, "In particular, we are disturbed by Attorney General Barr's possible role in ordering law enforcement personnel to suppress a peaceful domestic protest in Lafayette Square on June 1, 2020, for the purpose of enabling President Trump to walk across the street from the White House and stage a photo op at St. John's Church, a politically motivated event in which Attorney General Barr participated."
Tear gas floats in the air as a line of police move demonstrators away from St. John's Church across Lafayette Park from the White House, as they gather to protest the death of George Floyd, June 1, 2020, in Washington.
Even though U.S. attorneys general are appointed by Republican and Democratic presidents and serve at their will, there is a general understanding that they are to enforce U.S. law in an apolitical manner.
The former Justice Department attorneys, many of them career prosecutors in both Republican and Democratic administrations in Washington, asked Horowitz to "immediately open and conduct an investigation of the full scope of the Attorney General's and the DOJ's role" in clearing the park and related other actions aimed at controlling the protests.
"The rule of law, the maintenance of the Department's integrity, and the very safety of our citizens demand nothing less," the group wrote.
The Justice Department and Horowitz's office declined comment.
In an interview last Sunday on the CBS News network, Barr said the Lafayette Park protesters "were not peaceful protesters. And that's one of the big lies that the media is – seems to be perpetuating at this point."
US Attorney General Defends Clearing Park of Protesters Near White House
'These were not peaceful protesters,' William Barr claims of operation ahead of President Donald Trump walking through the park for a photo-op
Barr said protesters were given three warnings to clear the park before police and authorities clad in riot gear advanced on them, firing pepper balls.
Barr denied the use of chemical irritants such as tear gas in clearing Lafayette Park, although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines the pepper spray that was used as a type of "tear gas" or "riot control agent."
Barr said the park was cleared because of violent clashes that had erupted there from Friday to Sunday, May 29-31, with police "under constant attack."
"On Sunday, things reached a crescendo," Barr said. "The officers were pummeled with bricks. Crowbars were used to pry up the pavers at the park and they were hurled at police. There were fires set in not only St. John's Church (that Trump stood in front of Monday night a week ago), but a historic building at Lafayette was burned down."
After the May 31 clashes, Barr said, U.S. Park Police decided to expand the fenced-in perimeter around the White House, where Trump, first lady Melania Trump and their son Barron live.
"When I came in Monday, it was clear to me that we did have to increase the perimeter on that side of Lafayette Park and push it out one block," Barr said. "That decision was made by me in the morning. It was communicated to all the police agencies."
DC National Guard Military Police officers stand guard behind a fence surrounding Lafayette Park outside the White House as protests continue over the death in police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, June 2, 2020.
The attorney general said he saw projectiles being thrown at police, but added, "Here's what the media is missing. This was not an operation to respond to that particular crowd. It was an operation to move the perimeter one block."
CBS's Margaret Brennan told Barr that to Americans watching on television it appeared that the park was cleared of protesters so Trump, accompanied by heavy security and top aides, could walk to St. John's for his brief photo opportunity.
"In an environment where the broader debate is about heavy-handed use of force in law enforcement, was that the right message for Americans to be receiving?" she asked.
"Well, the message is sometimes communicated by the media," Barr said. "I didn't see any video being played on the media of what was happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday" of the authorities being attacked by projectiles.
"All I heard was comments about how peaceful protesters were," Barr said. "I didn't hear about the fact that there were 150 law enforcement officers injured and many taken to the hospital with concussions. So, it wasn't a peaceful protest. We had to get control over Lafayette Park, and we had to do it as soon as we were able to do that."
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2MMiByr US General: Taliban Not Yet Met Conditions for US Withdrawal
The Taliban have not yet met conditions required for a complete U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by next May as envisioned in a U.S.-Taliban deal signed in February, the commander overseeing U.S. forces there said Wednesday.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said the U.S. is ahead of schedule for an initial drawdown by July to 8,600 troops. Another U.S. official, who was not authorized to discuss details and so spoke on condition of anonymity, said troop levels are now below 9,000, compared with about 12,000 in February.
McKenzie stressed, however, that going to zero troops by May is dependent on conditions.
"Those conditions would be: Can we be assured that attacks against us will not be generated there? And as of right now ... frankly, if asked my opinion, those conditions have not been fully met," he said in a video conference hosted by the Middle East Institute in Washington. McKenzie spoke from his headquarters in Florida.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion with law enforcement officials, June 8, 2020, at the White House in Washington.
McKenzie's skepticism comes as President Donald Trump focuses on an early troop exit that would fulfill his frequent promise to get the United States out of Afghanistan. Trump has said U.S. troops are acting as police in Afghanistan and should get out of a conflict that is now almost two decades old.
In late May, Trump called for a quick return of American soldiers and urged Afghan forces to step up in the defense of their country. He tweeted: "Bring our soldiers back home but closely watch what is going on and strike with a thunder like never before, if necessary!"
Trump has often complained about the enormous cost of the war, which began in October 2001 with a U.S. invasion to topple the Taliban from power. The president's impatience, and speculation that he may order that all U.S. troops leave by the November election, has caused some angst on Capitol Hill.
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., talks to reporters on Jan. 28, 2020, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Four members of the Senate Intelligence Committee, including the panel's vice chairman, Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia, wrote Tuesday to the director of national intelligence, John Ratcliffe, asking that he provide an update on intelligence planning for Afghanistan if a decision is made to pull out by November.
"A rushed and premature withdrawal would also risk losing the gains we have achieved in Afghanistan, not only in counterterrorism but also in building Afghan governance and military forces," they wrote. "Our nation's intelligence professionals have spent nearly two decades establishing security arrangements with our Afghan partners. Now it is incumbent upon our government to give them the time and space to prepare for an orderly, conditions-based drawdown, in conjunction with military and diplomatic counterparts."
The Taliban had provided sanctuary for al-Qaida, which used Afghanistan as a base for plotting the 9/11 attacks.
"The threat to the United States is not the Taliban. It has never been the Taliban," McKenzie said. "It's the entities that they allow to live in Afghanistan that threaten us." He mentioned the Islamic State group's Afghan affiliate and al-Qaida.
"We believe the Taliban actually are no friends of ISIS and work against them," he said, referring to the Islamic State group. "It is less clear to me that they will take the same action against al-Qaida."
McKenzie said the Trump administration is engaged in "very robust dialogue" internally and with NATO and coalition partners "as we evaluate the way forward" in Afghanistan.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/30stn4Q China's Computers Run on Microsoft Windows: Are They Vulnerable to US Pressure?
As tension grows between China and the United States, there is worry in Beijing that the conflict could end up further restricting Chinese access to American technology.
Of foremost concern is that despite decades of effort, China has yet to build a homegrown operating system good enough to replace Microsoft Windows. "Our operating system market is dominated by U.S. companies such as Microsoft, Google and Apple," a recent report by state-run Xinhua News Agency said. "To fundamentally solve the problem of 'being choked in [the] neck', creating a domestic operating system and supporting software and hardware ecosystem is a must."
To be fair, China is not alone. Other countries including Russia, Germany and South Korea have been trying to develop their own operating systems. But none of them have gotten very far yet.
Washington has already targeted China's technology vulnerabilities. The U.S. Commerce Department has banned Huawei from Google Android and cut off the Chinese tech giant from foreign chip manufacturers in May 2019 after adding it to the Export Administration Regulations Entity List. Just last week, 33 Chinese firms and institutions, including the Shanghai-listed software giant Qihoo 360 Technology, were added to an economic blacklist for activities that threaten American national security or foreign policy interests.
Last month President Donald Trump suggested he is considering going further.
FILE - In this June 19, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump, from left, and Satya Nadella, Chief Executive Officer of Microsoft, listen as Jeff Bezos, Chief Executive Officer of Amazon, speaks during an American Technology Council roundtable.
Decoupling fallout
Economists now talk about "decoupling" the Chinese and U.S. economies, severing supply chains and business relationships that account for trillions of dollars in trade, because of the political tensions between Washington and Beijing.
"Some decoupling in the high-tech area seems inevitable and already in process," said Doug Barry, the spokesman for communications and publications at the US-China Business Council.
Driven by the U.S. campaign to restrict China's technology giants because of threats to U.S. national security, experts say the U.S.-China decoupling could widen to include desktop computers as well.
"To keep China from using Windows would be devastating to China," Dr. Feng Chongyi, associate professor in China Studies at Australia's University of Technology Sydney, wrote in an email to VOA. "I am afraid this is a logical step when the Cold War II escalates to a higher level."
China's vulnerability
Like the rest of the world, China is heavily dependent on American technology companies that design microchips and the most popular computer operating systems.
According to a market report released last July by a Chinese research firm, Microsoft enjoys a dominant position in desktop and server operating systems, with nearly 90% of the market share in China.
"Domestic desktop and mobile operating systems are still in their infancy, accounting for less than 1% of the domestic market share," said the report by Dongxing Securities Co., Ltd.
To China, this represents a staggering national security problem.
FILE - Edward Snowden speaks via video link as he takes part in a round table on the protection of whistleblowers at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, March 15, 2019.
The need for a homegrown operating system took on new urgency inside China in 2013 after Edward Snowden, a former National Security Agency contractor who leaked evidence showing secret U.S. surveillance programs, revealed he had avoided using commercial operating systems like Windows to hide his communications from the National Security Agency (NSA). Media reports then also quoted Snowden as saying the NSA had monitored the communications of top Chinese leaders. In China, his remarks led officials to suspect the NSA might be inserting backdoors into U.S.-made software.
The concern from China led Microsoft to open a facility in Beijing to allow officials to review the operating system source code to ensure there are no hidden backdoors. In 2017 Microsoft announced that the company would build a "Windows 10 China Government Edition" for Chinese government agencies to use. That led Microsoft to partner with a Chinese state-owned company to sell a custom-tailored "Windows 10 CMIT" to the Chinese government.
However, experts say on a practical level Chinese engineers have never been able to fully examine the Microsoft code and guarantee security because of the products' complexity.
"The security risks and supply risks [of using Microsoft software] have never been resolved," an analyst named Yuanzhan wrote last month on Baijiahao, a platform for freelance writers, bloggers, and journalists powered by China's search giant, Baidu.
Today, it's unclear how Beijing views the security of these products. In May 2015, the central government issued a notice requiring all essential government agencies to stop purchasing Microsoft Windows.
However, the latest government data shows at least 3,078 copies of Windows 10 were purchased by different central government agencies in May 2020, according to official reports VOA found on a government procurement website. These were copies of "Windows 10 CMIT."
FILE - People use computers at an Internet cafe in Hefei, Anhui province, September 26, 2010.
Dream of homegrown OS
Building its own operating system has been one of China's largest and longest-running technical challenges. The effort can be traced back to the late 1970s when China first began to use the Unix operating system and tried to develop its own Unix-based operating system. Creating this operating system was formally approved as a critical mission in the country's top-level policy blueprint, the 1992 Five-Year Plan.
But almost three decades later, there's been little success.
Over the years China has developed more than 20 operating systems with some of them being installed on computers used by the military and other sensitive government agencies. None of them has made much of a dent in the consumer market.
One of the biggest reasons, experts say, is the country does not have a so-called software ecosystem of developers creating programs to run on a new homegrown operating system.
"These systems have never been accepted by a large base of software developers," Qin Peng, a former Chinese IT consultant told VOA. "It is actually impossible for China to be in a position to have an ecosystem that is on par with the one in the U.S," said Qin, who left China in 2014 and is now living in the U.S. where he is an independent commentator focusing mainly on IT issues.
Developers are selective on which projects they spend their time and money on, and most of the time their decisions are based on how big the user base is for a particular system.
"Chinese companies have not yet built up a library of premier applications, as many of them rely on Microsoft and Google for all kinds of functions," Qin told VOA.
Liu Xinhuan, general manager of Tongxin Software Technology Co., Ltd., one of China's major operating system makers, said in an interview with a Chinese media outlet that it could take up to 10 years before China can really compete with foreign operating systems, and the key to shorten the process "is to have a large ecosystem" of developers.
All of which means if the Chinese and U.S. economies do further decouple, Beijing could be stuck with few options for replacing the operating systems they have relied on for decades.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2MLPTOg Family, Friends, Strangers Pay Tribute to George Floyd
Family, friends, and people who never knew him filed into the pews of the Fountain of Praise Church in Houston Tuesday for the funeral of George Floyd — the African American man whose death while in the custody of white Minneapolis police lit the fuse of protests against racism around the world.
A line of Houston police officers stood by while Floyd's gold coffin was wheeled into the church.
"George Floyd was not expendable. This is why we're here," Democratic Congressman Al Green of Houston told the crowd. "His crime was that he was born black. That was his only crime. George Floyd deserved the dignity and respect that we accord all people just because they are children of a common God."
Philonise Floyd, brother, of George Floyd pauses at the casket during a funeral service for Floyd at The Fountain of Praise church, June 9, 2020, in Houston.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who met with Floyd's family Monday, taped a eulogy played at the funeral.
"No child should have to ask questions that too many black children have had to ask for generations: Why? Now is the time for racial justice. That is the answer we must give to our children when they ask why," Biden said.
Award-winning singer Ne-Yo performed, saying Floyd "changed the world."
And like many funerals, there were some light moments. His aunt, Kathleen McGee, chuckled as she remember Floyd as a child, recalling him to be a "pesky little rascal, but we loved him."
Floyd's casket is being taken by a horse-drawn carriage to the Houston suburb of Pearland, where he will be buried next to his mother.
Hundreds are enduring the legendary Texas sun and heat, lining the streets between the church and cemetery.
Police officers walk next to the horse-drawn carriage carrying the casket containing the body of George Floyd to Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in Pearland, Texas, June 9, 2020.
Floyd died May 25 after Minneapolis police arrested him on suspicion of spending a counterfeit $20 bill in a food store.
A white police officer, Derek Chauvin, kept his knee on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes even after Floyd said he couldn't breathe.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. Three other offices who were on duty were charged with aiding and abetting.
Floyd's death set off protests across the U.S. and in several major European cities against racism and perceived police brutality against black men.
A mourner adjusts his protective face mask as he waits for the funeral for George Floyd at the Houston Memorial Gardens cemetery in Pearland, Texas, June 9, 2020.
Many of those marches turned violent, prompting governors to deploy the National Guard to restore order.
There are also calls for cities to defund police departments. The Minneapolis city council overwhelmingly backs such plan in the face of opposition by Mayor Jacob Frey.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced he will sign an executive order that bans chokeholds in the city.
In California, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the state's police training program to stop teaching chokeholds.
Denver's police chief has also banned chokeholds and Washington Seattle Governor Jay Inslee says he wants to make it mandatory for police officers to report bad behavior by other officers and not just stand by while an atrocity may be committed.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/3cRS90S First African American Leads US Military Service Branch
An African American officer will now lead a U.S. military service branch for the first time in history, after the Senate confirmed Gen. Charles Brown Jr. on Tuesday as U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff in a unanimous vote of 98-0.
Prior to his confirmation, Brown served as the commander of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, responsible for Air Force activities in the U.S. and Indo-Pacific Command theater spread over half the globe.
He also served as the deputy commander for U.S. Central Command, which overseas U.S. military activity in the Middle East, from July 2016-July 2018. Before that, he was the commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command.
Brown's historic confirmation comes as the country is engulfed in protests over racial and social injustice after African American George Floyd died in police custody last month.
"I'm thinking about how my nomination can provide some hope, but also comes with a heavy burden. I can't fix centuries of racism in our country, nor can I fix decades of discrimination that may have impacted members of our Air Force," Brown said Friday in a video to the Air Force.
"As the Commander of Pacific Air Forces, a senior leader in our Air Force, and an African-American, many of you may be wondering what I'm thinking about the current events surrounding the tragic death of George Floyd. Here's what I'm thinking about..." - Gen. CQ Brown, Jr. pic.twitter.com/I2sf1067L6
In the video, Brown said he hoped for the wisdom and knowledge to lead in these "difficult times" and to make improvements "so that all airmen both today and tomorrow appreciate the value of diversity and can serve in an environment where they can reach their full potential."
He spoke candidly about his own experiences of racism, which he said "didn't always sing of liberty and equality," from being asked, "Are you a pilot?" as he wore the same flight suit and flight wings as the other white pilots in his squadron, to being told by other African Americans that he "wasn't black enough" since he was spending more time with his squadron than with them.
Senate Armed Services Chairman James Inhofe, R-Okla, questions Gen. Charles Brown Jr., nominated for reappointment to Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, May 7, 2020.
Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the Senate Armed Services committee, called Brown an "inspiring leader — brave, authentic, and unifying" — whose expertise in the Indo-Pacific theater will be an asset as the military turns more of its focus toward that part of the globe.
Former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. (Ret.) Mike Mullen, called Brown's confirmation Tuesday "a big step in the right direction," but he worried about a shrinking pool of African American leaders in the U.S. military.
"I left some eight-and-a-half years ago, and I worry a great deal that we've regressed since that time because the numbers just aren't there," he said.
Brown, an F-16 fighter jet pilot, has flown nearly 3,000 hours and 130 combat hours during his more than 35 years of service. He was commissioned in 1984 as a distinguished graduate of the ROTC program at Texas Tech University.
Brown was nominated March 2 to replace Gen. David Goldfein, who is expected to retire in the coming weeks from the top Air Force job. Goldfein, another command pilot, served as vice chief of staff of the Air Force, director of the Joint staff and commander of U.S. Air Forces Central Command prior to becoming chief of the Air Force.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/37gXoGc Fauci: Coronavirus Pandemic 'Isn't Over Yet'
Dr. Anthony Fauci described COVID-19 as his "worst nightmare" while speaking Tuesday to a biotechnology industry executives, according to a media report.
"In a period of four months, it has devastated the whole world. ... And it isn't over yet," Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a report in The New York Times. He spoke remotely during a conference held by BIO, the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, the Times reported.
COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus, a contagious respiratory infection that has so far sickened more than 7 million people worldwide, and killed more than 408,000.
Fauci said the speed at which the disease moved around the globe was surprising, saying an efficiently transmitted disease can spread worldwide in six to 12 months, according to the paper.
"This took a month," he said, according to the Times.
Also Tuesday, Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization (WHO) technical lead on the COVID-19 outbreak, tried to clear up clear up "misunderstandings" regarding her comments on asymptomatic transfer of the disease.
On Monday, Van Kerkhove made comments that had been understood to suggest that transmission of the coronavirus by infected people who show no symptoms was rare.
COVID-19 patients lie on beds in a field hospital built inside a gym in Santo Andre, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, June 9, 2020.
Van Kerkhove cited "some estimates" that found between six and 40 percent of the population of transmission may be due to asymptomatic transmission, according to an Associated Press report.
On Tuesday, she said she was referring to a few studies, not a complete picture.
"What I was referring to yesterday were very few studies — some two or three studies that have been published - that actually try to follow asymptomatic cases," she said, according to AP.
Meanwhile, New Zealanders gathered at restaurants and cafes Tuesday to celebrate the official end of their long coronavirus quarantine period.
After more than two months of restrictions that brought everyday life to a standstill, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern lowered the four-tiered lockdown system first imposed in March to its lowest tier, scrapping all virus-related restrictions on public gatherings, including sports and weddings, while keeping New Zealand's borders closed to international travel.
New Zealand has had a total of 1,504 confirmed coronavirus infections with 22 deaths out of 5 million citizens, according to the Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 dashboard. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.
People sit at a cafe on the first day of all New Zealand domestic regulations being lifted for the coronavirus disease, in Nelson, New Zealand, June 9, 2020.
Despite the return of normal life within its borders, Antarctica New Zealand, the government agency responsible for carrying out environmental research on the continent, said Tuesday it will cut back research visits to its Antarctica base to prevent spreading COVID-19 outside the country.
Separately, a new study has found that lockdowns across the globe prevented millions of deaths from the novel coronavirus. Imperial College London says lockdowns and closing nonessential businesses and schools may have saved about 3 million lives in 11 countries — Austria, Belgium, Britain, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.
A separate study in the United States concluded that lockdowns in China, France, Iran, Italy, South Korea, and the U.S. prevented another 530 million COVID-19 cases.
According to the latest figures from U.S.-based Johns Hopkins, the number of COVID-19 infections worldwide now stands at 7,142,462 confirmed cases, with 407,009 deaths. The United States is the leader in both categories, with total infections at 1,961,187 and more than 111,000 confirmed deaths.
Following the U.S. with the most coronavirus infections is Brazil, with 707,412 confirmed cases. The South American country's 37,134 deaths are the world's third-highest after the U.S. and Britain, which now stands at 40,680.
Richard Green and Mia Bush contributed to this report.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2UsQ84Y Israeli PM Says Police Killing of Palestinian Is 'Tragedy'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that the recent police killing of an autistic Palestinian man was unjustified and a "tragedy," offering his condolences to the bereaved family.
Israeli police shot 32-year-old Iyak Hallak in Jerusalem on May 30 while he was walking to his special needs school, after officers mistakenly thought he was armed.
"What happened with Iyad Hallak is a tragedy. This is a man with limitations – autism – who was under suspicion, we know, wrongly, of being a terrorist in a very sensitive location," Netanyahu said at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting.
The killing happened near Lions' Gate in the alleys of the walled Old City, where Hallak had attended school for six years.
"We all offer our condolences to the family. I think this is shared by the entire Israeli public, as well as the entire Israeli government," Netanyahu said.
FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wears a mask as he looks on during the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, May 31, 2020.
The prime minister added that he awaited the outcome of an investigation into the shooting.
Thousands of mourners massed for Hallak's funeral, while online the hashtag #PalestinianLivesMatter echoed the fury being seen at mass protests against police violence and racism in the United States.
Hallak's slaying prompted condolence visits from Israelis, including lawmakers from the Arab-led Joint List, Jerusalem's chief rabbi and Yehudah Glick, a right-wing former member of parliament.
Glick is dedicated to increasing Jewish presence at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, the third holiest site in Islam, in the Old City. The location is also the holiest site for Jews, who refer to it as the Temple Mount.
Glick, who survived a 2014 assassination attempt over his Jerusalem activities, said he was attacked Thursday when exiting the Hallak mourning tent in an attempted "murderous lynching" attack and sustained light wounds.
Speaking on Sunday, Netanyahu said the killing of Hallak "does not justify the wild attack on former MP Glick."
"I'm sure justice will be done here too," the prime minster said.
Police arrested one person in connection with the attack and released him to house arrest while the investigation continued.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2AVHZ1Q Christ in Glory with Saints and Odoardo Farnese
DilletantiAnonymous: /* References */
[[File:Annibale Carracci - Christ in Glory - WGA4411.jpg|thumb|390px]] '''''Christ in Glory with Saints and Odoardo Farnese''''' or ''''''Christ in Glory with Odoardo Farnese and Saints Peter, John the Evangelist, Mary Magdalene, Hermenegild and Edward''''' is a painting by [[Annibale Carracci]], now in the [[Galleria Palatina]] in Florence<ref></ref>.
It was produced in Rome for [[Odoardo Farnese (cardinal)|Odoardo Farnese]] and originally placed in the [[Camaldoli|Eremo di Camldoli]]. At the end of the 17th century it was moved from there to its current gallery in Florence by [[Ferdinando II de' Medici]]<ref name= Zapperi > Roberto Zapperi, ''Odoardo Farnese, principe e cardinale'', in ''Les Carrache et les décors profanes. Actes du colloque de Rome (2-4 octobre 1986)'', Roma, 1988, pp 335-358.</ref>. A notable preparatory drawing for the upper part of the painting is now in the [[Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille]]<ref></ref>.
==Dating and interpretation== Its dating is the object of much critical dispute, depending on various interpretations of its significance. Some argue it was an expression of Odoardo's admiration for the kings of England, based on his descent from the [[House of Lancaster]] via his mother [[Maria d'Aviz]] of Portugal<ref name= Zapperi /> - it is Odoardo's namesake the English king [[Edward the Confessor]] who is shown presenting him to Christ<ref name= Zapperi />. On the other side of the composition is [[Hermenegild]], another royal saint, to whom Odoardo's paternal ancestor [[Philip II]] had a particular devotion. His presence alludes to the [[House of Farnese]]'s family links to the [[House of Habsburg]], further legitimising Odoardo's dynastic claims<ref name= Zapperi />. The argument via the royal saints dates the work to before the final fading of Odoardo's aims in England in the early 1600s, with their stylistic arguments placing it between 1597 and 1598<ref name= Zapperi />.
[[File:Annibale carracci (disegno), pianeta di odoardo farnese, 1590-1610 ca. 01.JPG|left|thumb|Reverse of Odoardo Farnese's shield, [[Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Firenze)|Museo dell'Opera del Duomo]], Florence.]] Another theory holds that the work was produced to celebrate Odoardo's appointment as "[[cardinal protector]]" of the kingdom of England in February 1600, which would place it in or just after that year<ref name= Ginzburg_Gloria > Silvia Ginzburg, in ''Annibale Carracci, Catalogo della mostra Bologna e Roma 2006-2007'', Milano, 2006, p. 350.</ref>.
==Original destination== <!---Egualmente disputata è la destinazione iniziale del quadro.
Se è indubbio, infatti, che ad un certo punto il dipinto è stato collocato nell'Eremo di Camaldoli, dove Odoardo Farnese aveva edificato una cappella, non è certo se questa sia sempre stata la destinazione della tela, ovvero se essa vi sia giunta in un momento successivo.
Per la tesi che vuole il dipinto manifestazione delle ambizioni regali di Odoardo, l'invio a Camaldoli sarebbe avvenuto qualche tempo dopo l'esecuzione dell'opera, cioè quando le sue possibilità di diventare re di Inghilterra erano definitivamente venute meno ed egli ritenne inopportuno che il quadro potesse essere ancora visto a Roma: di qui la decisione di "occultarlo" in una località periferica<ref name= Zapperi />.
Per la tesi contraria, il dipinto sarebbe stato concepito sin dall'origine per essere inviato a Camaldoli, come dimostrerebbe il fatto che nella composizione compare la Maddalena: la cappella farnesiana dell'Eremo, infatti, era dedicata a questa santa, la cui presenza testimonierebbe, pertanto, che la tela sia stata eseguita proprio allo scopo di adornare la cappella<ref name= Ginzburg_Gloria />.
All'esecuzione di questo dipinto sono verosimilmente connessi anche due splendidi paramenti sacri, una [[Pianeta (liturgia)|pianeta]] e un [[paliotto]] (anch'essi ora a Firenze, presso il [[Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (Firenze)|Museo dell'Opera del Duomo]]) egualmente provenienti dall'Eremo di Camaldoli<ref name= Ginzburg_Pianeta >Silvia Ginzburg, in ''Annibale Carracci, Catalogo della mostra Bologna e Roma 2006-2007'', Milano, 2006, p. 352.</ref>.
La committenza farnesiana di questo corredo sacro è indubbia, come attesta la presenza di simboli della [[Farnese|casata]] quali i gigli e l'unicorno, ma il riconoscimento della spettanza ad Annibale della loro decorazione<ref>Annibale non progettò solo il disegno delle scene figurative di questi paramenti, ma le dipinse sulla stoffa. Diversamente da quanto è usuale osservare, infatti, i santi, gli angeli e gli altri elementi decorativi di questo corredo non sono ricami, ma veri e propri dipinti su tessuto (Ginzburg, ''op. cit.'', p. 352).</ref> non è stata immediata: inizialmente si pensò a [[Francesco Salviati]] o [[Perin del Vaga]], artisti che alcuni decenni prima, come Annibale, avevano lavorato al servizio dei Farnese<ref name="Ginzburg_Pianeta" />.
Tuttavia, la presenza sulla pianeta (''recto'') sia di sant'Edoardo che di sant'Ermenegildo (oltre ad alcune riconsiderazioni stilistiche) hanno, infine, indotto a ritenere questo corredo intimamente connesso alla tela di Palazzo Pitti (riconoscendone contestualmente l'autografia del Carracci). In questa chiave i due manufatti tessili, insieme al dipinto, furono il frutto di un'unica commissione di Odoardo Farnese ad Annibale, complessivamente finalizzata alla dotazione della cappella camaldolese<ref name= Ginzburg_Pianeta />. --->
== Analysis == [[File:Giulio Romano Deesis Parma.jpg|left|thumb|[[Giulio Romano]], ''Deesis between Saint Paul and Saint Catherine'', 1520 ca., [[Galleria nazionale di Parma|Galleria nazionale]], Parma]] <!---Nella parte alta della tela Cristo in gloria, tra san Pietro e san Giovanni evangelista, accoglie l'intercessione del gruppo di santi sottostanti a favore del cardinale Farnese in posizione orante.
Questa parte del dipinto si rifà, sul piano compositivo, al quadro di [[Giulio Romano]] raffigurante la ''Deesis tra i santi Paolo e Caterina'' ([[Galleria nazionale di Parma]]), dipinto a sua volta derivante da un disegno di [[Raffaello]]. Questa tela, che per molto tempo venne ritenuta dello stesso Raffaello, si trova a Parma probabilmente sin dalla sua realizzazione e lì fu vista da Annibale<ref name= PosnerII >Donald Posner, ''Annibale Carracci: A Study in the reform of Italian Painting around 1590'', Londra, 1971, Vol. II, N. 103, p. 45.</ref>.
La composizione del Carracci si staglia contro una veduta della [[Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano|basilica di San Pietro]] (non ancora del tutto completata, manca, infatti, la [[Lanterna (architettura)|lanterna]] della Cappella Clementina): è un probabile auspicio del ritorno dell'Inghilterra al cattolicesimo.
Al centro della composizione, in secondo piano, si vede una persona che incede carponi. Figura che allude ad uno dei miracoli di sant'Edoardo che, secondo la sua leggenda agiografica, guarì uno storpio, divenendo patrono di questi ammalati<ref name= PosnerII />.
Oltre al rimando a Raffaello si è colta nel dipinto ancora una forte influenza del [[Correggio (pittore)|Correggio]]: è un elemento che gran parte della critica ritiene probante ai fini di una datazione dell'opera al 1597-1598, cioè ad un periodo in cui le reminiscenze dell'Allegri non sono state ancora del tutto sostituite dai nuovi stimoli romani.
Non tutti gli studiosi, però, condividono l'idea di un definitivo abbandono da parte di Annibale del riferimento correggesco (e settentrionale in genere) con il protrarsi del suo soggiorno romano e quindi non ritengono la percepibilità di queste derivazioni incompatibile con una datazione del ''Cristo in gloria'' fiorentino successiva di qualche anno<ref name= Ginzburg_Gloria />.
Non sarebbe estranea al dipinto nemmeno l'ascendenza classica. Secondo alcuni autori, infatti, il volto della Maddalena (a sinistra nella tela) sarebbe una ripresa della statua di Niobe, facente parte del celebre gruppo dei Niobidi di proprietà dei [[Medici]] (da Roma poi trasferito agli [[Uffizi]])<ref>Aidan Weston-Lewis, ''Annibale Carracci and the antique'', in ''Master Drawings'', XXX, 1992, p. 293.</ref>. Volto riprodotto da Annibale in uno dei suoi disegni più famosi e citato anche in altri dipinti.
È stato osservato, infine, che il busto del cardinale [[Roberto Bellarmino|Bellarmino]] del [[Gian Lorenzo Bernini|Bernini]] sarebbe una derivazione della figura di Odoardo Farnese in posa orante nella tela di Annibale: le due figure, infatti, mostrano un'identità di posizione e di atteggiamento che non appare casuale<ref>Tomaso Montanari, ''Il Barocco'', Torino, 2012, p. 64.</ref>. --->
== Other images == <gallery> File:Annibale Carracci, Niobe, Windsor Castle.jpg|[[Annibale Carracci]], ''Niobe'', 1595-1598, [[Royal Collection]], [[Windsor Castle]] File:Bellarmino IlGesù.jpg|[[Gian Lorenzo Bernini]], ''Bust of cardinal Roberto Bellarmino'', 1621-1624, [[Chiesa del Gesù]], Rome </gallery>
== References== <references />
[[Category:Paintings by Annibale Carracci]] [[Category:Paintings of the Galleria Palatina]] [[category:Paintings depicting Jesus]] [[category:Paintings depicting Saint Peter]] [[category:Edward the Confessor]] [[category:Paintings depicting Mary Magdalene]] [[category:Paintings depicting John the Evangelist]] [[category:1598 paintings]] [[category:1600 paintings]]
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2BRVjFd Ben Shapiro slams Pelosi for donning kente cloth in Floyd demonstration: 'What in the world are you doing?' Conservative commentator Ben Shapiro slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Tuesday for "coordinating outfits with the Democratic Power Rangers" after congressional Democrats donned African-patterned garb and knelt in a demonstration against racism and police brutality at the Capitol. June 10, 2020 at 05:11AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2Unm62z Senate confirms Charles Brown as Air Force chief of staff, making him first African-American service chief The Senate on Tuesday unanimously confirmed Gen. Charles "CQ" Brown, Jr. as the next Air Force's chief of staff – marking the first time an African-American officer has served as chief of staff of a military service. June 10, 2020 at 05:06AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/3f2QfvK Five US States Holding Political Party Primaries on Tuesday
Voters in five U.S. states went to the polls Tuesday for political party primary elections, but the balloting in the southern state of Georgia was slow, with voters reporting long lines and officials saying there were problems with voting machines not working.
In the state's largest city, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms urged voters to be patient, saying the long lines and voting machine issues were widespread.
"This seems to be happening throughout Atlanta and perhaps throughout the county," Lance Bottoms wrote on Twitter. "If you are in line, PLEASE do not allow your vote to be suppressed. PLEASE stay in line."
A person stretches as voters wait in a line in Georgia's primary election at Park Tavern in Atlanta, June 9, 2020.
Georgia's secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, had warned ahead of the election of the possibility of long lines because of the continuing recommendations in many parts of the U.S. that people in public places maintain a two-meter distance from each other to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Jon Ossoff, a 33-year-old chief executive of an investigative TV production company, leads a large field of Georgia Democrats seeking the party's nomination to oppose incumbent Republican Senator David Perdue, a close ally of President Donald Trump, in the November election.
Ossoff faces six other Democrats in the party primary but needs 50% of the vote to avoid an Aug. 11 runoff election. Perdue has no Republican challengers in his bid for a second six-year term in the Senate.
Elections also are being held in Nevada, South Carolina, North Dakota and West Virginia.
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. has pushed state election officials to institute new measures to allow absentee voting by mail, even as Trump has contended, without evidence, that mail-in voting will lead to widespread voting fraud.
On Tuesday, Nevada is staging an all-mail election, while North Dakota, Georgia and West Virginia sent applications for absentee ballots to voters to allow them to vote by mail if they desire.
Minor mag. 3.9 earthquake - 21 Km al suroeste de Pochomil, Nicaragua on Monday, 8 June 2020 ...
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2YcYVZX 3.9 earthquake - 21 Km al suroeste de Pochomil, Nicaragua on Monday, 8 June 2020 - 1589982743825 seconds ago. Minor mag. 3.9 earthquake - 21 ... June 09, 2020 at 07:41AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/37bindq Sophie, Countess of Wessex, says her kids will 'likely ... have to work for a living,' won't 'use HRH titles' Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, says her two children -- Lady Louise, 16, and James, Viscount Severn, 12 -- might not be taking on any official royal roles, along with their Her/His Royal Highness titles, when they become adults. June 09, 2020 at 07:15AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2XHtCY8 'Flying taxi' drone that can travel at 80 miles per hour shown off in China Flying to work, anyone? June 09, 2020 at 06:51AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/2BJvKG9 White House Holds the Line on 'Law & Order' Stance
The White House has "no regrets" about the violent clearing of protesters a week ago from Lafayette Square ahead of a presidential photo opportunity in front a church, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters on Monday.
"We stand by those actions," McEnany said, when asked about the widely criticized move by law enforcement to fire what witnesses have documented as pepper balls and stinging rubber pellets.
The press secretary, during a regular briefing, said the decision to extend the security perimeter around the White House, which includes the fencing off of the 7-acre (2.83 hectare) park, was made after a small fire was set in the basement of nearby St. John's Church.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer are calling for the immediate reopening of the park.
The top Democratic lawmakers, in a letter to Trump, note the square "has long been a venue where Americans can gather to freely exercise their constitutional rights in close proximity to the White House."
The letter tells the president, "Your conversion of this unique public park in the heart of our Nation's capital to what looks like a militarized zone denies citizens access to the park and sends the worst possible message to the American public and people around the world."
The demonstrators in the District of Columbia have been part of sustained protests nationwide since George Floyd, an African American man, died May 25 in Minneapolis after a white police officer held him face down on the street and pressed a knee against his neck for nearly nine minutes.
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable discussion with law enforcement officials, June 8, 2020, at the White House in Washington.
President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon held a law enforcement roundtable, during which he praised police for doing an incredible job in the country. He did suggest police – facing a backlash for brutality that in particular has targeted people of color – could conduct operations in "a much more gentle fashion." However, the president emphasized, "We can't give up the finest law enforcement in the world."
Trump, in the White House State Dining Room, said his administration is considering ideas about police reform.
Sweeping legislation focused on police reform that House Democrats unveiled Monday, however, is a nonstarter for Republicans, McEnany said.
Trump said, "There won't be defunding. There won't be dismantling of our police. There's not going to be any disbanding of our police."
On Sunday, the Minneapolis City Council voted to disband its police department and invest in community-based public safety programs amid demands from activists to "defund the police."
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio plans to trim his city's $6 billion police budget and divert some of the funds to social services.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has announced he will cut the city's police budget by as much as $150 million, with some of that money going to fund youth jobs programs and health programs.
The phrase "defund the police, has become a rallying cry for thousands of demonstrations and potentially, now, a political litmus test.
Trump's presumptive opponent in the November general election, former Vice President Joe Biden, "does not believe that police should be defunded," his campaign said on Monday.
Attorney General William Barr, during Monday's White House roundtable, said law enforcement understands that African Americans distrust police and that the law in the United States did not provide equal protection to African Americans until the 1960s. He said he is hearing lots of interest from police leaders on clarifying the standards and training on use of force and "we look forward to working with you to get that done."
"The time for waiting is over," Barr said. "It's now incumbent on us to bring good out of bad."
Taking note of recent protests that included arson and looting, Barr, the nation's top law enforcement officer, said, "It is our responsibility to make sure that our country is ruled by law and not by violence."
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/30jLSsg Wall Street Climbs Higher as Investors Show Confidence
Wall Street picked up Monday where it left off at the end of last week with the S&P erasing all its losses for the year and investors confident the economy is coming back to pre-COVID-levels.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 461 points, or nearly 2%. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 were both 1% higher.
Monday's 39-point gain for the S&P puts it right back in the black, gaining all the ground it lost since the coronavirus outbreak began to be fully felt in March.
Travel-related stocks led Monday's gains on Wall Street, including United Airlines, American Airlines, and Carnival Cruises. The price of leading U.S. retailer, Kohl's, was also 8% higher.
Major European indexes in London, Frankfurt and Paris were all a fraction lower Monday, while major Asian indexes closed on an upswing.
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/3h4pvwN Gen. Jack Keane says China's actions have Beijing closer to 'replace the United States as a global leader' Fox News senior strategic analyst Gen. Jack Keane told "America's Newsroom" on Monday that the United States must "break the ties" with China "that are clearly affecting the health and security of the American people." June 09, 2020 at 04:14AM
【Move to another page】 Quote https://ift.tt/3f0dhU4 Protesters Again Gather Near White House Demanding Racial Justice, Police Reform
Hundreds of peaceful protesters gathered near the White House on a sunny Sunday in Washington, the start of a 10th day of demonstrations against racism and police brutality that were spawned by the death of a black man in police custody.
Many in the crowd walked along the newly named Black Lives Matter Plaza a short distance from the White House.
Early in the day, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter that as a result of peaceful protests on Saturday he had ordered the National Guard to start withdrawing 5,000 troops from Washington that had been called to the city to quell violent demonstrations that had erupted a week ago.
More than 10,000 people had protested peacefully in Washington on Saturday and there were no signs of unrest Sunday in a scene resembling a community street fair. Amidst protest chants, many in the racially diverse crowd Sunday stopped to pose for photos in front of a big cloth sign reading "Black Lives Matter."
Demonstrators protest near the White House in Washington, June 7, 2020, over the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died after being restrained by Minneapolis police officers.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said no protesters were arrested Saturday. But she attacked Trump and his administration for flooding the city with federal police and National Guard troops in the last week to quell protests that at times became violent.
"What we saw last week was basically an invasion of our city," Bowser told the "Fox News Sunday" show. "Active-duty Army troops moved from all points around the country to threaten our autonomy."
There now have been nearly two weeks of protests in dozens of American cities, with some of them turning into angry clashes between demonstrators and police and other law enforcement authorities. With tens of thousands taking to the streets coast to coast, they have been perhaps the most widespread protests since the extended demonstrations against the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
The demonstrations demanding racial justice and systemic policing reforms erupted across America and have continued daily after George Floyd, 46, died May 25 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for nearly 9 minutes as Floyd gasped that he could not breathe. It was the latest of many deaths among black Americans while in police custody.
The White House is seen behind a vehicle barrier, in Washington, June 7, 2020, the morning after massive protests over the death of George Floyd were held in the U.S. capital.
Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder in the case, while three other officers who did not intervene have been charged with aiding and abetting the killing.
Trump, facing a national re-election contest Nov. 3 against former Vice President Joe Biden, has at times voiced support for peaceful protests, but also demanded tough police action against rowdy protesters and told the country's 50 state governors they were weak if they did not arrest more demonstrators.
Floyd is being buried Tuesday in Houston, Texas, where he lived for years. Trump made a brief call to his relatives in the days after his death to express his sympathy, while Biden is meeting with Floyd's family on Monday.
In protests in cities around the globe, people of all ages and races have chanted in solidarity, "I can't breathe," which were among Floyd's last words.
In the U.S. capital, peaceful protesters marched in many neighborhoods Saturday on a hot and humid afternoon, as well as at the U.S. Capitol and along the National Mall.
The Washington Monument and the White House are visible as protesters gather in Washington,June 6, 2020, over the death of George Floyd.
Bowser spoke in the late afternoon to a large crowd at the newly designated Black Lives Matter Plaza, just north of Lafayette Park and the White House. Bowser had local artists paint "Black Lives Matter" in large yellow letters over several blocks of 16th Street Northwest.
Bowser, who is African American, urged the crowd to be loud in demanding "more justice and more peace."
"I have a 2-year-old girl," she said. "I want her to grow up in a country where she's not scared to go to the grocery store, not scared to go to work."
Large protests were also held in Minneapolis, Miami, New York City, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Philadelphia and Denver. And for most cities, many of which had seen violence and some looting earlier in the week, Saturday's events were peaceful.
But protests in London turned violent Saturday after protesters clashed with mounted police.
The protest had started peacefully, but near the 10 Downing Street home of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, a small number of protesters allegedly threw bottles at police, which led the mounted officers to push back protesters. One mounted officer was injured when she fell off her horse, the French news agency Agence France-Presse reported.
More than 2,000 people gathered in Marseilles, France, for a peaceful protest, but it turned into skirmishes between the demonstrators and police, who fired tear gas and pepper spray.