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Melbourne To Lift Lockdown As Delta Outbreak Contained

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Melbourne To Lift Lockdown As Delta Outbreak Contained" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-07/hmka4kog_melbourne-650_625x300_27_July_21.jpeg?im=FaceCrop,algorithm=dnn,width=650,height=400" title="Melbourne To Lift Lockdown As Delta Outbreak Contained" /></div>
Pedestrians walk through the quiet streets of Melbourne.
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Melbourne, Australia:
Melbourne's coronavirus lockdown will be lifted late Tuesday, as authorities signalled a Delta variant outbreak in Australia's second-biggest city had been contained.
Neighbouring South Australia state will also ease stay-at-home rules, but the country's largest city Sydney was facing a likely extension to a lockdown now in its fifth week.
After almost two weeks under stay-at-home orders, millions in Melbourne and surrounding Victoria state will exit their fifth lockdown just before midnight Tuesday.
The state had now "seen off two Delta outbreaks" in recent months, premier Dan Andrews said.
"It's not over, though, and we've got to be vigilant against this virus, the Delta strain, in the days and weeks and months ahead until we get as many people vaccinated as we possibly can," he added.
"That is some time away."
Schools, restaurants and shops will reopen but restrictions including mask-wearing will remain.
For at least two weeks, people cannot invite visitors into their homes and numbers at outdoor gatherings will be limited.
Victoria detected 10 new cases Monday, with all in quarantine while infectious.
In Sydney, officials announced 172 new cases linked to an outbreak that began in June when a local driver contracted the virus from an international flight crew.
Australia was lauded for its early pandemic success, after slamming shut its international borders and moving quickly to quash Covid-19 clusters.
But with a largely unvaccinated population, it has struggled to respond to the highly contagious Delta variant, repeatedly sending cities into lockdown.
Roughly 13 percent of Australians have been vaccinated, with low supplies of Pfizer-BioNTech shots and scepticism about the AstraZeneca jab.
The country has recorded more than 33,000 infections and 920 Covid-related deaths in a population of 25 million.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-melbourne-to-lift-lockdown-as-delta-outbreak-contained-2495586">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/coronavirus-melbourne-to-lift-lockdown-as-delta-outbreak-contained-2495586</a>

news world Melbourne To Lift Lockdown As Delta Outbreak Contained

Pedestrians walk through the quiet streets of Melbourne. Melbourne, Australia: Melbourne's coronavirus lockdown will be lifted late...

South, North Korea Have Restored Once-Severed Hotline: Seoul

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="South, North Korea Have Restored Once-Severed Hotline: Seoul" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-07/kva2barg_south-korean-soldiers-stand-guard-650_625x300_27_July_21.jpeg?im=FaceCrop,algorithm=dnn,width=650,height=400" title="South, North Korea Have Restored Once-Severed Hotline: Seoul" /></div>
South Korean soldiers stand guard at the truce village separating the two Koreas, South Korea.
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Seoul, South Korea:
South and North Korea have restored their once-severed hotline and the two countries' leaders have agreed to rebuild trust and improve ties, Seoul's presidential Blue House said on Tuesday.
North Korea's state media outlet, KCNA, also said all inter-Korean communication channels were reopened at 10 a.m. Tuesday (0100 GMT) in line with an agreement between the leaders.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have exchanged multiple letters since April and agreed to reconnect the hotline, the Blue House said.
North Korea cut the hotline in June 2020 as cross-border ties soured after a failed second summit in February 2019 between Kim and former U.S. President Donald Trump, which Moon had offered to mediate.
Moon has called for a recovery of the hotline and talks, pinning high hopes on U.S. President Joe Biden to restart negotiations aimed at dismantling North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2-koreas-agree-to-restore-severed-communication-links-seoul-2495578">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/2-koreas-agree-to-restore-severed-communication-links-seoul-2495578</a>

news world South, North Korea Have Restored Once-Severed Hotline: Seoul

South Korean soldiers stand guard at the truce village separating the two Koreas, South Korea. Seoul, South Korea: South and North Kore...

Biden Announces "New Phase" In Iraq Relations, End Of "Combat Operations"

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Biden Announces 'New Phase' In Iraq Relations, End Of 'Combat Operations'" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-07/ihpabsqc_mustafa-alkadhemi-joe-biden-afp_625x300_27_July_21.jpeg" title="Biden Announces 'New Phase' In Iraq Relations, End Of 'Combat Operations'" /></div>
Joe Biden stressed US support for elections in October in Iraq
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Washington:
President Joe Biden opened talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi on Monday saying relations were in a "new phase" that would include the end of US combat operations in the country.
With Kadhemi at his side in the White House, Biden said that the US is "committed to our security cooperation" and will "to continue to train, to assist, to help, to deal with ISIS as it arises."
"But we're not going to be, at the end of the year, in a combat mission," he said.
Biden also stressed US support for elections in October in Iraq, saying Washington is working closely with Baghdad, the Gulf Cooperation Council and the United Nations to ensure the elections are fair.
Kadhemi said the US and Iraq have a "strategic partnership."
"America, they help Iraq. Together we fight, fight and defeat ISIS," he said.
"Today, our relation is stronger than ever -- our partnership in the economy, the environment, health, education, culture and more."
Biden is currently also overseeing the United States' withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war, with the Taliban on the offensive amid fears they could even topple the Kabul government.
Political support
Biden's comments confirmed his readinesses to further limit US involvement in Iraq, but without removing the remaining 2,500 troops in the country, 18 years after the United States invaded to remove strongman Saddam Hussein.
The move could lend political support to Kadhemi, in power for little over a year and under pressure from Iran-allied political factions to push US troops from his country.
The two leaders' meeting came after weeks of preparations which included discussions on support for fighting Covid-19, aiding the Iraqi private sector and cooperation on climate change.
Ahead of the meeting a senior US official who would not be identified praised Kadhemi for being pragmatic and "a problem solver rather than someone who tries to use problems for his own political interests."
The main concern from Washington is to lend enough support to Iraqi security forces to keep up the fight against the remnants of the ISIS group -- while also keeping a damper on Iran's influence in Iraq.
Since last year the principal role of the remaining US troops in Iraq has been to train, advise and support their Iraqi counterparts to battle ISIS.
But Biden's statement made clear that their involvement in actual fighting ISIS would end.
"Iraq has requested, and we very much agree, that they need continued training, support with logistics, intelligence, advisory capacity building -- all of which will continue," the US official said.
October elections
"We support strengthening Iraq's democracy and we're anxious to make sure the election goes forward in October," he said.
In the vote Kadhemi is hoping to regain ground with powerful pro-Iran political factions, which are overtly hostile to the US presence.
He was expected to persuade Washington to ease some sanctions relating to Iran, to help Iraq honor crucial transactions with its neighbor and tackle power shortages.
Ramzy Mardini, an Iraq specialist at the University of Chicago's Pearson Institute, said the meeting that it could be cosmetically "shaped" to help the Iraqi premier alleviate domestic pressures.
"But the reality on the ground will reflect the status quo and an enduring US presence." said Mardini.
Remaining, however, has its risks.
"If there is no significant announcement on the withdrawal of troops, I fear that the pro-Iran groups may... increase attacks on the US forces," Iraqi researcher Sajad Jiyad told AFP.
The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee, a group of militia factions, threatened to continue the attacks unless the United States withdraws all its forces and ends the "occupation."
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/joe-biden-announces-new-phase-in-iraq-relations-end-of-combat-operations-2495545">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/joe-biden-announces-new-phase-in-iraq-relations-end-of-combat-operations-2495545</a>

news world Biden Announces "New Phase" In Iraq Relations, End Of "Combat Operations"

Joe Biden stressed US support for elections in October in Iraq Washington: President Joe Biden opened talks with Iraqi Prime Minister M...

Jeff Bezos Offers NASA $2 Billion Discount For Blue Origin Moon Lander

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Jeff Bezos Offers NASA $2 Billion Discount For Blue Origin Moon Lander" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2021-06/tbvdus9_jeff-bezos_625x300_07_June_21.jpg" title="Jeff Bezos Offers NASA $2 Billion Discount For Blue Origin Moon Lander" /></div>
Jeff Bezos said that the company would test its lander in orbit around the Earth at its own cost (File)
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Washington:
Blue Origin owner Jeff Bezos wrote an open letter to NASA on Monday offering a $2 billion discount to allow his company to build a Moon lander.
The human landing system (HLS) contract, worth $2.9 billion, was awarded to rival SpaceX in April, but Blue Origin and a third company Dynetics filed protests that are currently awaiting adjudication by the US Government Accountability Office.
The United States is seeking to return to the Moon by 2024 under the Artemis program, using the lessons learned to prepare for a crewed Mars mission in the 2030s.
In his letter to NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Bezos said the offer would "bridge the funding shortfall" that led to the space agency picking just one contractor, instead of two which would then compete with each other.
He added "this offer is not a deferral, but is an outright permanent waiver."
Since losing the award, Blue Origin has been frantically lobbying to have the decision reversed, leading the Senate to pass a bill agreeing to add $10 billion to the human lander system.
But the legislation is still being debated in the House, and has been branded a "Bezos Bailout" by critics.
Bezos wrote that an advantage of Blue Origin's Blue Moon lander was its use of liquid hydrogen for fuel, which can be mined from lunar ice in line with NASA's plans to use the Moon to refuel rockets for operations deeper into the solar system.
He added that the company would test its lander in orbit around the Earth at its own cost.
"We stand ready to help NASA moderate its technical risks and solve its budgetary constraints and put the Artemis Program back on a more competitive, credible, and sustainable path," Bezos concluded.
It is unclear whether Bezos' last-minute intervention will sway the outcome of the award.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/jeff-bezos-offers-nasa-2-billion-discount-for-blue-origin-moon-lander-2495541">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/jeff-bezos-offers-nasa-2-billion-discount-for-blue-origin-moon-lander-2495541</a>

news world Jeff Bezos Offers NASA $2 Billion Discount For Blue Origin Moon Lander

Jeff Bezos said that the company would test its lander in orbit around the Earth at its own cost (File) Washington: Blue Origin owner J...

Five, Including Cop, Suspect, Killed In Hours-Long Standoff In California

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<div class="ins_instory_dv_cont"><img alt="Five, Including Cop, Suspect, Killed In Hours-Long Standoff In California" src="https://c.ndtvimg.com/2018-09/hms9qqjc_us-police-generic_625x300_14_September_18.jpg" title="Five, Including Cop, Suspect, Killed In Hours-Long Standoff In California" /></div>
One policeman has been moderately injured in the shooting (Representational)
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Los Angeles:
Five people, including a policeman and a suspect, were killed in a shooting incident in Wasco, a city in central California, local authorities said Monday.
During a press conference Monday morning, Kern County sheriff's office said they received a report of shots fired at 1.00 pm Sunday (local time). When deputies arrived at the scene, the suspect opened fire at the law enforcement personnel, beginning an hours-long standoff.
Two hours later, Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) teams, who approached the house, were attacked by the gunman. One policeman suffered major injuries and died in the hospital while another deputy has been moderately injured.
At around 6.30 pm (local time), the suspect and deputies exchanged more gunfire and the suspect was wounded. The suspect and three other people, locked in the house during the time of the shooting, died after being taken to a hospital for treatment.
Wasco is in the San Joaquin Valley, about 240 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles.
 
 
source <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/five-killed-in-hours-long-standoff-in-uss-california-2495535">https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/five-killed-in-hours-long-standoff-in-uss-california-2495535</a>

news world Five, Including Cop, Suspect, Killed In Hours-Long Standoff In California

One policeman has been moderately injured in the shooting (Representational) Los Angeles: Five people, including a policeman and a susp...

Government Adviser Who Warned of 200,000 COVID Cases a Day Faces Scrutiny After Dramatic Fall in UK Infections

Professor Neil Ferguson, the controversial epidemiologist who predicted there would be as many as 200,000 COVID cases a day in the UK if restrictions were lifted, is facing scrutiny after infections continued to drop for the 6th day in a row.
The day before so-called ‘freedom day’ in England, where most mask mandates and social distancing restrictions were lifted, Ferguson was asked by the BBC’s Andrew Marr where the country was heading as a result.
“It’s very difficult to say for certain, but I think 100,000 cases a day is almost inevitable,” said Ferguson, adding, “The real question is do we get to double that or higher? We could get to 200,000 cases a day.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="6.9882352941176">
Neil Ferguson, July 18: "100,000 cases a day is almost inevitable."<a href="https://t.co/kYw3jhHcl1">pic.twitter.com/kYw3jhHcl1</a> <a href="https://t.co/9dgimVEGks">https://t.co/9dgimVEGks</a>
— Michael P Senger (@MichaelPSenger) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1419719097080635392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a>
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The professor went on to warn of “major disruption” to the NHS and the interruption of elective surgeries.
Ferguson is being proven wrong by the statistics once again, which today showed there were 24,950 new coronavirus cases, the sixth consecutive daily fall.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="4.1">
Epic graph. <a href="https://t.co/a9r1JxRST2">pic.twitter.com/a9r1JxRST2</a>
— SecondOpinion (@DaFeid) <a href="https://twitter.com/DaFeid/status/1419631695737786376?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
“Lockdown zealots will attribute this decline to the vaccines, but that begs the question of why they weren’t confident the vaccines would prevent cases from surging when they predicted armageddon last Monday?” <a href="https://dailysceptic.org/2021/07/26/do-the-u-k-s-falling-case-numbers-prove-lockdowns-dont-work/">asks</a> Toby Young.
As Christopher Snowdon highlights, the scientists who claimed England’s unlocking represented “a threat to world” are also being proven spectacularly wrong. SAGE government advisers who claimed that relaxing restrictions was “a dangerous and unethical experiment” also face embarrassment.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true" readability="10.181818181818">
In a superb touch, the graph under that quote in the Guardian article headlined 'England’s Covid unlocking is threat to world, say 1,200 scientists' automatically updates once a day. <a href="https://t.co/eRXqybDxja">https://t.co/eRXqybDxja</a> <a href="https://t.co/ByHhFCDVer">pic.twitter.com/ByHhFCDVer</a>
— Christopher Snowdon (@cjsnowdon) <a href="https://twitter.com/cjsnowdon/status/1419708776379191296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 26, 2021</a>
</blockquote>
The issue once again begs the question; Why does the government continue to follow advice given by arch-lockdown advocates who have got it wrong time and time again?
Don’t forget that it was Ferguson who infamously <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8759609/Professor-Lockdown-stands-doomsday-forecast-sent-Britain-lockdown.html">warned</a> that half a million Brits would die without a draconian lockdown, despite the fact that countries like Sweden which didn’t impose lockdown had similar waves and infection rates.
Not only has Ferguson repeatedly proven himself to be totally unreliable (after having already disgraced himself during the 2001 foot and mouth outbreak), but he infamously betrayed what he really thought about the severity of the pandemic via his own behavior.
During the first lockdown, when Ferguson himself was predicting up to half a million deaths, the professor took the threat of the virus so seriously, he allowed his mistress to <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/05/05/exclusive-government-scientist-neil-ferguson-resigns-breaking/">violate the rules</a> by traveling back and forth across London to continue the pair’s sordid affair.
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source <a href="https://summit.news/2021/07/26/government-adviser-who-warned-of-200000-covid-cases-a-day-faces-scrutiny-after-dramatic-fall-in-uk-infections/">https://summit.news/2021/07/26/government-adviser-who-warned-of-200000-covid-cases-a-day-faces-scrutiny-after-dramatic-fall-in-uk-infections/</a>

revolution summit Government Adviser Who Warned of 200,000 COVID Cases a Day Faces Scrutiny After Dramatic Fall in UK Infections

Professor Neil Ferguson, the controversial epidemiologist who predicted there would be as many as 200,000 COVID cases a day in the UK if res...