After over 45 days in prison, Ethiopian journalist Guyo Wario was finally released on bail Tuesday. But at least three of his Oromia Media Network (OMN) colleagues remain in custody.  “I am so happy for being with family now. [The] prison situation was very tough, but the court investigated my case and approved my bail. I am so happy,” he told VOA’s Horn of Africa service.     A lower court ordered Wario’s release on bail a week ago, and the higher court gave the final order Monday, but paperwork delayed the release, a family member said.  Wario and his colleagues were arrested as authorities cracked down after protests and violence erupted in several Oromia cities and abroad over the killing of Hachalu Hundessa, an Oromo cultural and political singer who was shot dead in Addis Ababa on June 29.    Media and civil rights groups have raised concerns about Ethiopia’s responses to the unrest, including internet blocks, and theIn this image taken from OBN video, the coffin carrying Ethiopia singer Hachalu Hundessa is lowered into the ground during the funeral in Ambo, Ethiopia, Thursday July 2, 2020.OMN journalist Mohamed Siraj was released on bail Saturday but Mellese Diribsa and camera operator Nasir Adem, along with Minnesota resident IT technician Misha Adem Cirrii, remain in detention, the lawyer said. Dhaba said a court had ordered Diribsa to be released on bail, but the journalist remains in jail.     Fekadu Tsega, who directs the Office of the Attorney General, told VOA that Wario was suspected of incitement, but did not specify what led to the allegation.   VOA Horn of Africa’s attempts to reach officials including Tesega for further comment were not successful.   Risks of contracting COVID-19 in detentionCPJ’s sub-Saharan chief Muthoki Mumo said that the health of these journalists is put at risk if authorities hold them for long periods in pretrial detention during the coronavirus pandemic.        Kenyan journalist Collins Juma Osemo, also known as Yassin Juma, told VOA he contracted COVID-19 while in a detention center, after being accused of multiple charges including inciting violence. Juma was released from a quarantine facility last week.    Mumo said that at least three other reporters, including journalists from the privately owned ASRAT Media, were also arrested in July.  Reporter suspensionsAs well as the arrests, authorities at the end of June suspended OMN along with the broadcasters ASRAT and Dimtsi Weyane.  Some reports said the outlets were suspended for three months over allegations of hate speech, inciting violence and misinformation. At least one report said the ASRAT suspension was related to a registration issue. The outlets denied the accusations.     In early July, CPJ reported that the office of the federal attorney general alleged that the media outlets were fomenting conflict among ethnic communities.    If OMN and other media outlets want to continue reporting, they have choices, Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA) Deputy Director-General Wondwosen Andualem  was quoted as saying in a BBC Afan Oromo report.     The authority advised some private media companies on several occasions to correct mistakes, Andualem said, adding, “We don’t want to ban them forever.”  VOA was unable to reach EBA for comment via phone. Calls either didn’t go through because of a bad connection or were unanswered.    Quoting family members and persons familiar with the situation, OMN lawyer Dhaba said authorities have also blocked the station’s bank accounts and frozen its journalists’ assets. “But we are still trying to find out which department has blocked (the) accounts,” he said.   “Following Hachalu’s assassination, several documents and studio equipment were taken away by police from our Addis Ababa studio and OMN bank accounts are blocked,” Dhaba said.   Individuals inside Ethiopia told VOA Horn of Africa this week that OMN is broadcasting from abroad and people can still access the station from inside Ethiopia.    The arrests and shutdowns appear to signal a worrying trend just two years after what media rights groups had described as a turning point in Ethiopia’s press freedom record.   
  
In 2018, CPJ noted that no journalists were in custody for their work and that Ethiopian authorities had restored access to over 200 websites.  Mumo said incidents that have taken place are concerning when it comes to “a trajectory of press freedom in Ethiopia.”  In the past two years, authorities have detained journalists, passed restrictive laws, and cut internet access during periods of unrest, civil rights groups say.     VOA’s calls to the federal police commission and federal attorney general office for comment were not successful.    The parliament in February passed a law that punishes “hate speech” and disinformation with hefty fines and lengthy jail terms.  In a statement in December, Human Rights Watch called for Ethiopia to revise the bill,  which it warned could “significantly curtail freedom of expression.”     This report originated in VOA’s Horn of Africa service .
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The strongest typhoon of the year is on its way to the Korean Peninsula Wednesday after lashing Japan with strong winds and rain.Typhoon Maysak peaked early Tuesday with winds of 233 kilometers per hour, coming within a week of the first major storm and a few days before a third potential typhoon.Maysak, a Category 4 storm on the five-level scale, could affect weather as far away as Canada.Maysak is expected to make landfall Wednesday in South Korea as a Category 1 or Category 2 storm. Prefectures along Japan’s eastern coast were still under weather advisories Tuesday, with some at the southern tip of the island under more serious weather warnings. Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city, is predicted to lie in the path of the strongest quadrant of the storm, raising fears of storm surges and flooding, according to the Washington Post. More than 3.4 million people live in Busan.“It is expected that the whole country will be affected by typhoons from the far south of Jeju Island to the day after tomorrow,” tweeted the Korea Meteorological Administration Tuesday. 15시 #태풍’은 매우 강한 태풍으로 일본 오키나와 부근 해상에서 북북동진 중입니다.오늘 늦은밤 제주도남쪽먼바다 시작으로 모레까지 전국이 태풍 영향권에 들 것으로 예상됩니다.전국 매우 강한 바람과 매우 많은 비, 전해상 매우 높은 물결, 일부 해안 폭풍해일 주의!https://t.co/ojZlDteaoipic.twitter.com/e8DBlymVcu— 기상청 (@kma_skylove) September 1, 2020″Very strong winds and very much rain across the country, very high currents, and some coastal storm surges!”This year’s Pacific typhoon season, typically busiest between May and October, has been unusually uneventful thus far.But last week, Typhoon Bavi, weaker than Maysak, dumped significant amounts of rain on the Korean Peninsula, which this year has already experienced one of its longest and wettest monsoon seasons on record.Bavi and Maysak aren’t the end of it. Kyushu, Japan’s southernmost main island, and both Koreas are bracing for another developing storm system, Tropical Storm Haishen, to hit later this week.Korean weather authorities predicted Tuesday that Haishen could strengthen to a Category 4 storm with maximum sustained winds of 162 kilometers per hour by Saturday.The Japan Meteorological Administration noted Tuesday that sea surface temperatures around the country in August were the highest on average since record-keeping began in 1982, contributing to the unusual number of serious storms in the Western Pacific.【報道発表】（R2.9.1）日本の南を中心に海面水温が平年よりかなり高くなっており、8月の月平均海面水温が解析値のある1982年以降で最も高くなった海域があります。#いのちとくらしをまもる防災減災https://t.co/vZS1J8Zeyppic.twitter.com/7YELkX50Hi— 気象庁 (@JMA_kishou) September 1, 2020Videos on social media showed Maysak whipping sheets of rain and gusts of wind Monday night across Okinawa.Typhoon Maysak last night making its way across parts of Japan!At the time Sustained winds over 150 km/h (95 mph)Permission: Shuji Shinjo | Urasoe , Okinawa, Japan@WeatherBug#TyphoonMaysak#Typhoon#Maysakpic.twitter.com/eIJ7Pu1MeU— Live Storm Chasers (@Livestormchaser) September 1, 2020  
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A new Pentagon report predicts that China will “at least double” the size of its nuclear warhead stockpile over the next decade as it pursues its own nuclear triad to conduct nuclear strikes by land, sea and air. China’s modernization and expansion of its nuclear force is part of a broader effort aimed at matching, and in some cases surpassing, the United States military by 2049 as the dominant power in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Pentagon’s annual “China Military Power” report to Congress that was released Tuesday. The report said the number of Chinese nuclear warheads is currently estimated to be slightly more than 200 and includes those that can be fitted to ballistic missiles capable of reaching the United States.  This is the first time the Pentagon has stated a specific number of Chinese warheads, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Chad Sbragia told reporters this week. “We’re certainly concerned about the numbers,” Sbragia said, “but also just the trajectory of China’s nuclear developments writ large.” U.S. capabilitiesThe United States’ nuclear arsenal, with an estimated 3,800 warheads in active status, would still dwarf the Chinese arsenal. The U.S. has submarines and aircraft capable of delivering a nuclear strike, along with intercontinental ballistic missiles on land.  China lacks the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air, but the Pentagon said the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) publicly revealed the H-6N bomber as its first nuclear capable air-to-air refueling bomber late last year. In the past 15 years, the Chinese Navy has constructed 12 nuclear submarines, six of which provide China’s first “credible, sea-based nuclear deterrent,” according to the report. By the mid-2020s it will likely build a new, guided-missile nuclear attack submarine that could provide a secret land-attack option if equipped with land-attack cruise missiles. China has declined urgings from the Trump administration to join the U.S. and Russia in a deal to limit strategic nuclear arms. Without China’s added participation, the U.S. appears poised to let an existing U.S.-Russia arms treaty known as New START expire in February 2021.  ‘Rule-breaking behavior’Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper warned that the world’s “free and open” system forged in the wake of World War II was under attack by what he called China’s ”rule-breaking behavior” in the Indo-Pacific region.  He spoke in Hawaii ahead of travel in the Indo-Pacific region to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on Wednesday.    Esper called the Indo-Pacific region the “epicenter” of great power competition, vowing not to “cede an inch” to countries that threaten international freedoms, in an apparent dig at China.    Amid Chinese military exercises last week, Beijing fired four medium-range ballistic missiles from mainland China into the disputed waters of the South China Sea, a U.S. defense official told VOA. The Pentagon issued a statement of concern, saying China’s actions “stand in contrast to its pledge to not militarize the South China Sea and are in contrast to the United States’ vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, in which all nations, large and small, are secure in their sovereignty, free from coercion, and able to pursue economic growth consistent with accepted international rules and norms.”   
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Two county sheriffs in the city of Portland area have rejected Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s proposal that would have them support nightly patrols to reduce violence associated with protests in the city.
Brown, a Democrat, offered the plan that calls for state police to arrest people committing violent acts, while the Multnomah County district attorney prosecutes serious crimes committed in Portland’s home county.
Under the plan, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Department would assist in the patrols, as well as arrests, and work to ensure there is adequate jail space.Brown’s plan also reached out the sheriff’s offices in nearby Clackamas and Washington Counties to assist with personnel and resources, but, in separate statements Monday, officials refused, saying law enforcement is getting no support from prosecutors.In a statement, Clackamas County Sheriff Craig Roberts said had he been consulted by the governor about her plan, he would have told her more police enforcement will not solve the problem. He said the criminal justice system must do its part and hold offenders accountable.Roberts said police are arresting the same people every night because they are not being charged by the district attorney. Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett expressed the same sentiment, saying the “lack of political support for public safety, the uncertain legal landscape” and “intense scrutiny on use of force” in Portland made the risks unacceptable for his deputies.The rejection of Brown’s plan leaves state and local law enforcement to individually address continuing protests, as Portland approaches 100 consecutive nights of demonstrations. 
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No.  Health officials don’t recommend the clear plastic barriers as a substitute for masks because of the lack of research on whether they keep an infected person from spreading viral droplets to others.
However, those who want extra protection may want to wear a face shield in addition to a mask.
Face shields have the added benefit of protecting your eyes and discouraging you from touching your face by acting as a physical barrier, says Christopher Sulmonte, project administrator of the biocontainment unit at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Meanwhile, the available research so far indicates that the best face shields for preventing viral spread are hooded or wrap around the sides and bottom of the face, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s because those shields leave less space for droplets from sneezing, coughing and talking to escape.
If you do wear a reusable face shield in addition to a mask, the CDC notes the importance of cleaning it after each use. The agency also says you should wash your hands before and after taking it off, and avoid touching your face while removing it.
 
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Колишній представник Державного департаменту США з питань України Курт Волкер увійшов до незалежної ради компанії з оренди залізничних вагонів BGS Rail. Про це 1 вересня повідомила група Avia Solutions, до складу якої входить BGS Rail. Ця компанія зареєстрована в Україні.

За очікуваннями Avia Solutions Group, Волкер своєю участю посилить присутність компанії на ринку.

«Присутність посла Волкера в компанії допоможе BGS Rail успішно розробляти та втілювати плани з розвитку, що збільшить обсяги прямих закордонних інвестицій та створить нові робочі місця на українському ринку», – йдеться в заяві групи.

Читайте також: «Продовження влади Путіна – це радше ознака слабкості, а не сили» – Курт Волкер

Пресреліз Avia Solutions також містить коментар Волкера, який вказує на можливість посилити українську економіку у своїй новій роботі.

«У співпраці з Avia Solutions Group в їхньому розвитку BGS Rail я бачу можливість посилити економіку України, розбудувати сервіс світового класу та створити робочі місця для українських громадян. Це суголосно глобальній стратегії Avia Solutions Group», – стверджує він.

Курт Волкер обіймав посаду спеціального представника Державного департаменту США з питань України у 2017-2019 роках. Він подав у відставку на тлі процесу імпічменту президента США Дональда Трампа, якого звинувачували в тиску на Україну.
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Україна виплатила єврооблігації на 2,1 мільярда доларів, повідомило Міністерство фінансів.

«Сьогодні, 1 вересня 2020 року, Міністерство фінансів України погасило другу серію облігацій зовнішньої державної позики (ОЗДП), випущених під час реструктуризації в 2015 році. Загальна сума платежу становила понад 2 мільярди доларів США, в тому числі 1,69 мільярда доларів США погашення єврооблігацій і 0,40 млрд доларів США процентних платежів за єврооблігаціями з терміном погашення в 2020-2027 роках», – розповіли у відомстві.

Там додали, що до кінця року залишок валютних платежів за державним боргом становить близько 1,6 мільярда доларів США.

Міністерство фінансів зазначає, що ОЗДП із погашенням в 2020 році загальною номінальною сумою 1,78 млрд доларів США випустили у 2015-16 роках із процентною ставкою 7,75% на рік.

При цьому 1 вересня Міністерство фінансів залучило до державного бюджету 2,83 мільярда гривень під час аукціонів облігацій внутрішньої державної позики. Середньозважена дохідність за цими ОВДП становила 9,29%.
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Міністерство юстиції вирішило продавати арештоване майно через систему електронних аукціонів «Prozorro.Продажі». За словами члена наглядової ради системи Світлани Панаіотіді, відповідний наказ підписав голова Мін’юсту Денис Малюська.

«Що ж це означає для ринку? По-перше, прозорість і принцип «усі бачать усе». По-друге, високий рівень конкуренції між численними маркетплейсами, підключеними до «Prozorro.Продажі».  А завдяки цьому в аукціонах  братимуть участь більше учасників, що сприятиме зростанню початкової ціни на торгах.  Залишилось зробити лише один технічний крок: СЕТАМ має здійснити технічну інтеграцію з «Prozorro.Продажі», аби наказ «запрацював», – написала Панаіотіді у фейсбуці.

За її словами, система «Prozorro.Продажі» вже заробила для держави понад 29 мільярдів гривень.

 
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The number of COVID-19 infections has been rising in Spain, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic. In this report narrated by Jonathan Spier, Alfonso Beato has more from Barcelona on the dilemmas the country faces as it prepares to reopen schools.
PRODUCER: Jon Spier
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Євро вперше з вересня 2018 року коштує більш ніж 33 гривні, свідчать дані на сайті Національного банку України.

Євро подорожчав на 17 копійок і на 2 вересня його вартість встановлена на рівні 33 гривень 7 копійок.

Долар подорожчав на 5 копійок – до 27 гривень 61 копійки.
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The U.S Geological Survey says a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck near the coast of Northern Chile early Tuesday.   Initially, local media reported some minor damage near the epicenter.  There are reports of people living along the coast being evacuated as a precaution, but  no immediate word of anyone being injured.The earthquake was felt in the western region of neighboring Argentina.The earthquake has already produced more than a dozen aftershocks.Chilean authorities say the earthquake posed no threat of a tsunami.
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