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Did the US help create Covid-19? Ex-CDC chief carpet-bombs the official narrative
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Paul Zilinskas put up 32 points as IU Indianapolis beat Alabama A&M 88-83 on Monday. Zilinskas shot 11 for 20 (5 for 10 from 3-point range) and 5 of 5 from the free-throw line for the Jaguars (3-5). Jarvis Walker scored 13 points while going 3 of 9 from the floor, including 2 for 5 from 3-point range, and 5 for 7 from the line. Timaris Brown and Sean Craight both added 11 points. Darius Ford led the Bulldogs (4-4) in scoring, finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Anthony Bryant added 17 points for Alabama A&M. Chad Moodie also had 16 points and three blocks. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Sinn Fein was accused of “ignoring” the role 3,000 Troubles deaths had in damaging community relations in Northern Ireland in a memo sent to a direct rule minister in 2003. Declassified files show the note to former MP John Spellar also said the republican party had ignored the “visceral component of sectarianism” in responding to a new government good relations strategy. Mr Spellar, then a Northern Ireland Office minister, had launched a consultation on the “A Shared Future” document, an attempt to address community divisions, segregation and sectarianism in the region at a time when the devolved powersharing institutions were suspended. Former NIO Minister John Spellar had launched a consultation on a new good relations strategy for NI in 2003 (Matthew Fearn/PA) Mr Stewart told Mr Spellar that Ms de Brun’s letter had been critical of the document and was clearly intended to “mark your card”. He said among a number of points raised by de Brun was that “the promotion of equality is the key to improving community relations”. His memo adds: “Sinn Fein is clearly seeking to position or align the issue of community relations within its equality and human rights agenda. “This general Sinn Fein position has resulted in a simplistic analysis of community relations, which is flawed in its description of the causes and necessary policy response. “However, Sinn Fein ignores the many other factors, not least the violent conflict that resulted in over 3,000 deaths. “Sinn Fein also portrays poor community relations (for nationalists) as being a purely rational response to the political situation. “This ignores the more visceral component of sectarianism, which is all too prevalent in both communities.” Mr Stewart continues: “To suggest, as Sinn Fein does, that the promotion of equality should be the key component of good relations policy is to ignore the key message in A Shared Future, that indirect approaches alone are insufficient to deal with sectarianism and the abnormal relationship between sections of the Northern Ireland community.” The official recommended the minister invite representatives of Sinn Fein to a meeting to discuss the policy. Stormont’s powersharing Executive and Assembly was suspended in 2003 (Liam McBurney/PA) The note says: “Morrow said he had no problem with sharing the future and suggested that the first step to that would be an election to decide who spoke for whom – though he was quick to say he didn’t want politics to dominate the meeting.” It adds: “Weir said that the biggest step towards improving community relations would be the creation of a political environment that had the broad support of both unionism and nationalism, and the GFA (Good Friday Agreement) could not create that environment.”
HOUSTON (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 27 points before being one of six people ejected after a fight in the final minute of the Miami Heat’s 104-100 victory over the Houston Rockets on Sunday night. Herro was thrown to the ground by the Rockets’ Amen Thompson with 35 seconds left and the Heat leading 99-94. Players and coaches from both benches then came onto the court. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings. Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week
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The Fall of Ant Group's IPO: Alibaba's Missteps, Legal Battles, and a $433.5M SettlementThe House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has asked the U.S. Treasury Department to reexamine the United States’ relationship with Hong Kong, given the CCP’s stronger hold on the city through the implementation of a 2020 update to the Hong Kong National Security Law. Led by committee chair Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.) and ranking member Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.), the lawmakers requested a briefing, pointing to evidence that Hong Kong may now be used by Russia, North Korea, and the Chinese regime to evade international sanctions and reroute financing for the Russian war. “Hong Kong has shifted from a trusted global financial center to a critical player in the deepening authoritarian axis of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Iran, Russia, and North Korea,” the lawmakers wrote in a letter published Nov. 25. “We must now question whether longstanding U.S. policy towards Hong Kong, particularly towards its financial and banking sector, is appropriate.” Hong Kong was given preferential treatment in the 1990s because it was understood to operate separately from mainland China, but this has changed, the lawmakers said. They pointed to condemnations of the CCP-directed Hong Kong policies by both the current and former State Departments as further indication that the executive branch believes Hong Kong to be under the CCP’s control. The lawmakers also pointed out that Hong Kong entities have already been sanctioned for aiding Russian war efforts. “The city has now become a global leader in practices such as importing and re-exporting banned Western technology to Russia, creating front companies for purchasing barred Iranian oil, facilitating the trade of Russian-sourced gold, and managing ‘ghost ships’ that engage in illegal trade with North Korea,” the letter reads. Hong Kong representatives did not respond to an inquiry from The Epoch Times by publication time. The commission advised Congress that Hong Kong’s role in global trade undermines international sanctions and national security efforts and also “exposes Western investors, financial institutions, and firms to financial and reputational risks when they do business in Hong Kong.” In addition to the PMLC designation, it recommended Congress examine the relationship between Hong Kong and United States authorities in enforcing export controls and sanctions. Chief among the concerns is Hong Kong’s updated National Security Law and companion legislation that criminalizes various forms of political assembly. Experts say the law’s broad and vague language, which puts treason and cooperation with international political organizations on the same footing, effectively puts Hong Kong under the direct control of the Chinese communist regime. The commission warned that the regime applies these laws extraterritorially, and the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong puts the safety of those who conduct business with it at risk. Just last week, Hong Kong courts sentenced 45 pro-democracy activists to as high as 10 years in prison under the updated National Security Law. “This week saw Hong Kong authorities, acting at the behest of the CCP, impose harsh and unjust prison sentences against courageous pro-democracy Hong Kongers,” he stated. “It is clear that Hong Kong’s legal system has been degraded and is controlled by the CCP.”