Utah Sen. Mitt Romney joined a group of protesters Sunday near the White House, becoming the latest politician to rally in the wake of the death of George Floyd and one of the most prominent Republicans.
While marching, Romney told an NBC reporter, "We need a voice against racism. We need many voices against racism and against brutality. We need to stand up and say that black lives matter."
USA TODAY
Saudi Arabia could drastically limit numbers at the annual haj pilgrimage to prevent a further outbreak of coronavirus after cases in the country topped 100,000, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.
Some 2.5 million pilgrims visit the holiest sites of Islam in Mecca and Medina for the week-long haj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it. Official data show haj and the lesser, year-round umrah pilgrimage earn the kingdom about $12 billion a year.
Saudi Arabia asked Muslims in March to put haj plans on hold and suspended umrah until further notice.
Two sources familiar with the matter said authorities are now considering allowing "only symbolic numbers" this year, with restrictions including a ban on older pilgrims and additional health checks.
With strict procedures, authorities think it may be possible to allow in up to 20% of each country's regular quota of pilgrims, another source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Some officials are still pushing for a cancellation of the haj, expected to start in late July, the three sources said.
The government media office and a spokesman for the haj and umrah ministry did not respond to requests for comment.
Limiting or cancelling haj will further pressure government finances hit by the plunge in oil prices and the pandemic. Analysts predict a severe economic contraction this year.
The kingdom halted international passenger flights in March, and on Friday it reimposed a curfew in Jeddah, where haj flights land, after a spike in infections in the city.
In 2019, around 19 million pilgrims attended umrah while haj drew 2.6 million. An economic reform plan of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to increase umrah and haj capacity to 30 million pilgrims annually and generate 50 billion riyals ($13.32 billion) of revenues by 2030.
(This story corrects penultimate paragraph to say curfew was reimposed in Jeddah on Friday, not Sunday, and to say international flights were suspended in March, not on Sunday.)
Source: Reuters
After a week in which President Donald Trump threatened to use military force against protesters, Colin Powell and other retired military leaders blasted the commander-in-chief for taking steps they say will harm the relationship between the military and U.S. citizens.
Powell, who served as Secretary of State under former President George W. Bush and was previously chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told CNN's "State of the Union" that Trump is "drifting" away from the Constitution and said he's a habitual liar.
"We have a Constitution. We have to follow that Constitution. And the president's drifted away from it," Powell said, offering praise for military leaders who have spoken out against the president in recent days.
Powell, who did not vote for Trump in 2016, said he would vote for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, this fall.
Trump responded to Powell on Twitter, calling him "a real stiff who was very responsible for getting us into the disastrous Middle East Wars" and that Powell "just announced he will be voting for another stiff, Sleepy Joe Biden."
Biden welcomed Powell's backing.
"This isn’t about politics," Biden tweeted, Sunday afternoon. "This is about the future of our country. Grateful for your support, Secretary Powell."
Echoing Trump's former Defense Secretary James Mattis, Powell said he agreed that Trump is the first president in his lifetime who is not trying to unite the country. Powell said the protests have shown him the country is at "a turning point."
"The Republican party, the president thought they were immune, they can say anything they wanted," Powell said. "And even more troubling, the Congress would just sit there and not in any way resist what the president is doing."
"The one word I have to use with respect to what he's been doing for the last several years is the word I would never have used before, never would have used with any of the four presidents I worked for, he lies," Powell added. "He lies about things. And he gets away with it because people will not hold him accountable."
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has lost his grandmother, Madam Comfort Olasoji.
She died in the early hours of Sunday
A statement by Director, Media & Public Affairs, Ooni’s Palace, Comrade Moses Olafare, confirmed that the grandmother gave up the ghost at her residence in Ile-Ife on at the age of 103 years.
The Nation
The Federal Government has revealed the identities of convicted sex offenders in the country.
It published the names and photos of convicted sex offenders through the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).
The names and photos of the rapists were published via the agency’s Twitter handle on Sunday.
Of the ten names published, six offenders were convicted in 2019 while four others were convicted in 2020.
A further breakdown of the published names showed that the offenders are from Ekiti, Abuja, Kano and Lagos states.
While two of the offenders were convicted for incest, others were punished for rape.
Among those named is a former supervisor at Chrisland School, Adegboyega Adenekan, 47, who was jailed 60 years for defiling a two-year-old child.
“The U.S. has already withdrawn. Either the WHO works without any ideological prejudices or we are out,” he said.
Bolsanaro speaking to CNN Brasil on Friday night, cited the decision by WHO to resume the testing of hydroxychloroquine on COVID-19 patients after weeks of suspension.
“We do not need any people from outside to give us tips about health here.
Daily Post
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