Saturday, October 03, 2020

Trump Positive for Covid-19, Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict, India Rape Cases

It was one A-M in Washington when the president of the United States confirmed he tested positive for Covid-19. Face masks were a topical issue in Tuesday's first presidential debate. Even if the other debates were cancelled, there were enough fireworks in Tuesday's 90 minute shoutfest in Cleveland to last a lifetime. In Portland, Oregon Wednesday, the arraingment of Alan Swinney, a member of the Proud Boys, on twelve charges including allegations he pointed a revolver at counterprotesters and fired a paintball gun and mace at them during a mid-August protest.

It's a three-decade old border dispute that's now escalated into what looks like all-out war between former Soviet republics Armenia and Azerbaijan. Trying to sift through the fog of war propaganda are journalists. Four injured Thursday including Le Monde's Raphael Yaghobzadeh and Allan Kaval.Turkey's president blasting Russia, France and the U-S, saying they've lost their credibility as longtime mediators in the conflict and putting Armenia in his crosshairs.

In India, outrage over two gang rapes and murders of young Dalit women Police Thursday in the country's largest state Uttar Pradesh reporting the gang rape and murder of a 22-year old while 500km away in Hatras district. There were angry protests after police officers cremated the body of a 19-year old victim without her family's permission. Rushed to hospital in New Delhi 200 kilometres away but died on Tuesday. And when he tried to go for a rally, police shoved to the ground Rahul Gandhi, the head of the opposition and prevented him from meeting with the family.