Pokemon Go creators said that they have issued "punishments" to over five million players for cheating.

The players have been sanctions across three games: Pokemon Go, Ingress, and Harry Potter Wizards Unite since 2020, Niantic in a blog post said.&nbsp;

"We have made a commitment with all of our players towards promoting fair gameplay...and improving transparency with our players," the post said.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/emergency-meeting-is-among-us-the-new-pokemon-go-336893">'Emergency meeting': Is Among Us the new Pokémon Go?</a>

It also said that over 20 per cent of these punishments are "permanent bans".&nbsp;

On its website, Niantic has put out a list of things that come under cheating, including GPS location spoofing.&nbsp;

By doing this locating spoofing, gamers trick their device's location and then play these games from their own homes rather than going out to the given location.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/aarogya-setu-beats-pokemon-go-record-crosses-50-million-downloads-in-13-days-292605">Aarogya Setu beats 'Pokémon GO' record, crosses 50 million downloads in 13 Days</a> 
&nbsp; 
Pokemon Go was made available to play at home due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, but some of these changes have been reversed now.&nbsp;

The company said over 90 per cent of the players stopped cheating after receiving a warning.&nbsp;

"We continue to find the right balance between punishing casual cheaters versus the more egregious ones," Niantic said.&nbsp;

"We are continuously working to combat these cheaters and focus on improving our detection and enforcement, as they have no place in our games."&nbsp;

Pokemon Go creators said that they have issued "punishments" to over five million players for cheating. The players have been sanctions across three games: Pokemon Go, Ingress, and Harry Potter Wizards Unite since 2020, Niantic in a blog post said.

Pokemon Go creators said that they have issued "punishments" to over five million players for cheating. The players have been sanctions across three games: Pokemon Go, Ingress, and Harry Potter Wizards Unite since 2020, Niantic in a blog post said. "We have made a commitment with all of our players towards promoting fair gameplay...and improving transparency with our players," the post said. Also read | 'Emergency meeting': Is Among Us the new Pokémon Go? It also said that over 20 per cent of these punishments are "permanent bans". On its website, Niantic has put out a list of things that come under cheating, including GPS location spoofing. By doing this locating spoofing, gamers trick their device's location and then play these games from their own homes rather than going out to the given location. Also read | Aarogya Setu beats 'Pokémon GO' record, crosses 50 million downloads in 13 Days Pokemon Go was made available to play at home due to the coronavirus pandemic last year, but some of these changes have been reversed now. The company said over 90 per cent of the players stopped cheating after receiving a warning. "We continue to find the right balance between punishing casual cheaters versus the more egregious ones," Niantic said. "We are continuously working to combat these cheaters and focus on improving our detection and enforcement, as they have no place in our games."

Pokemon Go 'punishes' over 5 million players for cheating

February 26 in history: WorldWideWeb, Balakot airstrikes, and more

February 25 in history: Muhammad Ali becomes heavyweight champion, and more

A sailor spent over 14 hours in an old fishing buoy before he was rescued from the Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;

Vidam Perevertilov, a Lithuanian engineer, was onboard Silver Supporter, a cargo ship, during a routine supply run from Tauranga, New Zealand to the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory last week.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/three-stranded-in-desert-island-for-33-days-and-surviving-on-coconuts-rats-rescued-362778">Three stranded in desert island for 33 days and surviving on coconuts, rats, rescued</a>

He later told his son that he had been feeling dizzy after wrapping up his night shift and went to the deck to relax before falling into the ocean.&nbsp;

"He doesn’t remember falling overboard. He may have fainted," Perevetilov's son Marat was quoted as saying by New Zealand's Stuff.

Perevetilov added when he gained consciousness he saw the ship sailing into the dark. Meanwhile, the crew did not notice for six hours that the sailor went missing.&nbsp;

The ship made a distress call and a French navy aircraft was sent from Polynesia to search the ship.&nbsp;

Crew onboard were able to find that the 52-year-old sailor had been on the ship at 4 am because he had filed a log report.&nbsp;

Stranded in the middle of the ocean, Perevetilov after surviving the night saw a black speck on the horizon and despite being unsure of what it was, decided to swim towards it.&nbsp;

"His will to survive was strong, but he told me until the sun came up he was struggling to stay afloat," his son said.&nbsp;

Perevetilov continued swimming towards the black speck and the object turned out to be an abandoned fishing buoy.&nbsp;

The sailor went into the buoy and spent time in it till 6 pm when he was rescued by Silver Supporter after someone in the ship heard a "weak human shout".&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

A sailor spent over 14 hours in an old fishing buoy before he was rescued from the Pacific Ocean. Vidam Perevertilov, a Lithuanian engineer, was onboard Silver Supporter, a cargo ship, during a routine supply run from Tauranga, New Zealand to the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory last week.

A sailor spent over 14 hours in an old fishing buoy before he was rescued from the Pacific Ocean. Vidam Perevertilov, a Lithuanian engineer, was onboard Silver Supporter, a cargo ship, during a routine supply run from Tauranga, New Zealand to the Pitcairn Islands, a British Overseas Territory last week. Also read | Three stranded in desert island for 33 days and surviving on coconuts, rats, rescued He later told his son that he had been feeling dizzy after wrapping up his night shift and went to the deck to relax before falling into the ocean. "He doesn’t remember falling overboard. He may have fainted," Perevetilov's son Marat was quoted as saying by New Zealand's Stuff. Perevetilov added when he gained consciousness he saw the ship sailing into the dark. Meanwhile, the crew did not notice for six hours that the sailor went missing. The ship made a distress call and a French navy aircraft was sent from Polynesia to search the ship. Crew onboard were able to find that the 52-year-old sailor had been on the ship at 4 am because he had filed a log report. Stranded in the middle of the ocean, Perevetilov after surviving the night saw a black speck on the horizon and despite being unsure of what it was, decided to swim towards it. "His will to survive was strong, but he told me until the sun came up he was struggling to stay afloat," his son said. Perevetilov continued swimming towards the black speck and the object turned out to be an abandoned fishing buoy. The sailor went into the buoy and spent time in it till 6 pm when he was rescued by Silver Supporter after someone in the ship heard a "weak human shout".

Sailor rescued 14 hours after he fell off ship in Pacific Ocean

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>on Wednesday revoked a proclamation issued by <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>that blocked several green card holders from entering the United States.&nbsp;

Biden's predecessor Trump imposed the ban last year in a bid to protect the jobs of Americans amid high unemployment due to the pandemic.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-why-migrants-from-honduras-are-rushing-to-the-us-357585/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The ban was initially placed until December last year, but Trump later extended it to March 2021.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-signals-hes-flexible-on-immigration-overhaul-364503">Biden signals he’s flexible on immigration overhaul</a>

Calling immigrants a "risk to the US labour market," Trump blocked their entry into the country by issuing Proclamation 10014 and Proclamation 10052.

Rejecting the proclamation on Wednesday, Biden said the ban had prevented families settled in the US from reuniting and hurt businesses across the country.&nbsp;

Biden said the ban "does not advance the interests of the United States" in his proclamation.

"To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world," he said.&nbsp;

As many as 120,000 family-based preference visas were lost majorly because of the ban in the 2020 budget year, according to the American Immigrant Lawyers Association.&nbsp;

The Trump proclamation did not allow immigrants to bring over family members unless they were US citizens.&nbsp;

It also barred employment-based visas' entry unless the immigrants were involved in any service beneficial to the US, such as healthcare.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked a proclamation issued by Donald Trump that blocked several green card holders from entering the United States. Biden's predecessor Trump imposed the ban last year in a bid to protect the jobs of Americans amid high unemployment due to the pandemic.

US President Joe Biden on Wednesday revoked a proclamation issued by Donald Trump that blocked several green card holders from entering the United States. Biden's predecessor Trump imposed the ban last year in a bid to protect the jobs of Americans amid high unemployment due to the pandemic. Watch | The ban was initially placed until December last year, but Trump later extended it to March 2021. Also read | Biden signals he’s flexible on immigration overhaul Calling immigrants a "risk to the US labour market," Trump blocked their entry into the country by issuing Proclamation 10014 and Proclamation 10052. Rejecting the proclamation on Wednesday, Biden said the ban had prevented families settled in the US from reuniting and hurt businesses across the country. Biden said the ban "does not advance the interests of the United States" in his proclamation. "To the contrary, it harms the United States, including by preventing certain family members of United States citizens and lawful permanent residents from joining their families here. It also harms industries in the United States that utilize talent from around the world," he said. As many as 120,000 family-based preference visas were lost majorly because of the ban in the 2020 budget year, according to the American Immigrant Lawyers Association. The Trump proclamation did not allow immigrants to bring over family members unless they were US citizens. It also barred employment-based visas' entry unless the immigrants were involved in any service beneficial to the US, such as healthcare.

Joe Biden revokes Trump-era ban on green card applicants

YouTube on Wednesday announced that it will allow tweens or young teens to open their accounts within guidelines set by their parents to restrict inappropriate content.&nbsp;

"We’ve heard from parents and older children that tweens and teens have different needs, which weren’t being fully met by our products," YouTube's kids and family product management director James Beser was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-10-most-disliked-videos-on-youtube-322022/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"We are announcing a new choice for parents who have decided their tweens and teens are ready to explore YouTube with a supervised account."

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/youtube-suspends-donald-trump-from-platform-indefinitely-359653">Youtube suspends Donald Trump from platform indefinitely</a>

Beser said that an early version of such accounts will be released in the coming months and will allow parents to use their google accounts to give their children access to YouTube with content and feature constraints.&nbsp;

The service will have an "explore" option for parental control settings that will have videos considered appropriate for children aged nine and older, for instance, tutorials, gaming videos, music clips, educational and news content.&nbsp;

A second setting will let children see videos that are suitable for people aged 13 and older and will include live streams.&nbsp;

For the majority of the content on the platform, a "most of YouTube" setting will be there, which will block only age-restricted or sensitive topics that are only suitable for adults.&nbsp;

The YouTube official said that the new service is "designed for parents" who want to give their children access to the platform, but with "limits".&nbsp;

"We will use a mix of user input, machine learning and human review to determine which videos are included," Beser said.

"We know that our systems will make mistakes and will continue to evolve over time."

 
&nbsp;

YouTube on Wednesday announced that it will allow tweens or young teens to open their accounts within guidelines set by their parents to restrict inappropriate content.

YouTube on Wednesday announced that it will allow tweens or young teens to open their accounts within guidelines set by their parents to restrict inappropriate content. "We’ve heard from parents and older children that tweens and teens have different needs, which weren’t being fully met by our products," YouTube's kids and family product management director James Beser was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Watch | "We are announcing a new choice for parents who have decided their tweens and teens are ready to explore YouTube with a supervised account." Also read | Youtube suspends Donald Trump from platform indefinitely Beser said that an early version of such accounts will be released in the coming months and will allow parents to use their google accounts to give their children access to YouTube with content and feature constraints. The service will have an "explore" option for parental control settings that will have videos considered appropriate for children aged nine and older, for instance, tutorials, gaming videos, music clips, educational and news content. A second setting will let children see videos that are suitable for people aged 13 and older and will include live streams. For the majority of the content on the platform, a "most of YouTube" setting will be there, which will block only age-restricted or sensitive topics that are only suitable for adults. The YouTube official said that the new service is "designed for parents" who want to give their children access to the platform, but with "limits". "We will use a mix of user input, machine learning and human review to determine which videos are included," Beser said. "We know that our systems will make mistakes and will continue to evolve over time."

YouTube brings 'tweens-only' accounts with parental controls

The Australian Parliament on Thursday approved the new law that will make it compulsory for Google and Facebook to pay media companies for news content published on their platforms. Meanwhile, a big study of 1.2 million people found that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective.&nbsp;

Click on headlines to read more

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-tussle-with-facebook-australia-passes-law-requiring-tech-firms-to-pay-for-news-366055">Amid tussle with Facebook, Australia passes law requiring tech firms to pay for news</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/20/183628-untitled-design-1.jpg?itok=aq70xnSB" />

The Australian Parliament on Thursday passed the news media and digital platforms mandatory bargaining code that will make it compulsory for Alphabet's Google and Facebook to pay media companies for news content.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/our-patience-is-not-unlimited-us-on-nuclear-deal-with-iran-366054">Our patience is not unlimited, US on nuclear deal with Iran</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/19/183419-1.jpg?itok=ISLASABO" />

As Iran and the US tussle over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, the Biden administration said that its "patience is not unlimited".

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/large-study-shows-pfizers-coronavirus-vaccine-94-effective-366057">Large study shows Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine 94% effective</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/12/12/173751-pfizer-vaccine.jpg?itok=oAwIKRa2" />

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-condemns-rights-groups-report-on-xinjiang-and-uighur-muslims-366040">China condemns rights group's report on Xinjiang and Uighur Muslims</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2020/12/09/173155-a-chinese-police-officer-outside-a-vocational-education-centre-in-xinjiang-uighur-autonomous-region.jpg?itok=qoxyQFmU" />

Beijing has harshly reacted against the Human Rights Watch (HRW) that slammed China for the inhuman treatment it metes out to the Uighur Muslims.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-condemns-rights-groups-report-on-xinjiang-and-uighur-muslims-366040">Imran Khan pushes anti-India agenda on two-day Sri Lanka visit</a>

<img src="https://cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/styles/story_page/public/2021/02/24/184184-pjimage-1.jpg?itok=2vVyDZYd" />

Imran Khan is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka. His first visit to the island nation since becoming prime minister. On day one, they focused on boosting bilateral relations, expanding trade ties and attracting more investments but as the day ended, it became amply clear that Khan only wanted a new platform to push his anti-India agenda. Alongside, he also did some good PR for Pakistan's iron-brother China.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Exclusive: Ranil Wickremesinghe on WION

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-exclusive-ranil-wickremesinghe-on-wion-366049/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

 
&nbsp;

The Australian Parliament on Thursday approved the new law that will make it compulsory for Google and Facebook to pay media companies for news content published on their platforms.

The Australian Parliament on Thursday approved the new law that will make it compulsory for Google and Facebook to pay media companies for news content published on their platforms. Meanwhile, a big study of 1.2 million people found that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective. Click on headlines to read more Amid tussle with Facebook, Australia passes law requiring tech firms to pay for news The Australian Parliament on Thursday passed the news media and digital platforms mandatory bargaining code that will make it compulsory for Alphabet's Google and Facebook to pay media companies for news content. Our patience is not unlimited, US on nuclear deal with Iran As Iran and the US tussle over the revival of the 2015 nuclear deal, the Biden administration said that its "patience is not unlimited". Large study shows Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine 94% effective A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective. China condemns rights group's report on Xinjiang and Uighur Muslims Beijing has harshly reacted against the Human Rights Watch (HRW) that slammed China for the inhuman treatment it metes out to the Uighur Muslims. Imran Khan pushes anti-India agenda on two-day Sri Lanka visit Imran Khan is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka. His first visit to the island nation since becoming prime minister. On day one, they focused on boosting bilateral relations, expanding trade ties and attracting more investments but as the day ended, it became amply clear that Khan only wanted a new platform to push his anti-India agenda. Alongside, he also did some good PR for Pakistan's iron-brother China. Watch | Gravitas: Exclusive: Ranil Wickremesinghe on WION

Morning news brief: Facebook-Australia row, Pfizer's vaccine, and more

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine </a>is 94 per cent effective.&nbsp;

For the Israeli study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 600,000 people received Pfizer's drug and an equal number of people did not receive the shots.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-pfizers-abusive-vaccine-deals-366048/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The people involved in both groups had similar characteristics, like age, sex, medical condition, among others.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-pfizer-tried-to-bully-argentina-and-brazil-in-exchange-for-vaccines-366037">How Pfizer tried to bully Argentina and Brazil in exchange for vaccines</a>

Pfizer's vaccine, the study found, was 94 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 seven or more days after the second dose was administered.

However, the efficacy for symptomatic patients reduced to 57 per cent between 14-20 days after the first dose.&nbsp;

The results of this Israeli study is close to the 95 per cent efficacy that Pfizer achieved during Phase 3 clinical trials.

It also found people who received the second shot had a 92 per cent lower chance of getting any form of infection at all compared to those who were not vaccinated.&nbsp;

"This is the first peer-reviewed large scale evidence for the effectiveness of a vaccine in real world conditions," Ben Reis, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and one of the study's authors, told news agency AFP.

The study was conducted between December 20, 2020 and February 1, 2021, a period when a newer variant first confirmed in the UK was rampant in Israel, suggesting that the vaccine works well against the variant that has alarmed experts across the world.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective. For the Israeli study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 600,000 people received Pfizer's drug and an equal number of people did not receive the shots.

A massive study involving 1.2 million people published on Wednesday showed that Pfizer-BioNTech's coronavirus vaccine is 94 per cent effective. For the Israeli study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, nearly 600,000 people received Pfizer's drug and an equal number of people did not receive the shots. Watch | The people involved in both groups had similar characteristics, like age, sex, medical condition, among others. Also read | How Pfizer tried to bully Argentina and Brazil in exchange for vaccines Pfizer's vaccine, the study found, was 94 per cent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 seven or more days after the second dose was administered. However, the efficacy for symptomatic patients reduced to 57 per cent between 14-20 days after the first dose. The results of this Israeli study is close to the 95 per cent efficacy that Pfizer achieved during Phase 3 clinical trials. It also found people who received the second shot had a 92 per cent lower chance of getting any form of infection at all compared to those who were not vaccinated. "This is the first peer-reviewed large scale evidence for the effectiveness of a vaccine in real world conditions," Ben Reis, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and one of the study's authors, told news agency AFP. The study was conducted between December 20, 2020 and February 1, 2021, a period when a newer variant first confirmed in the UK was rampant in Israel, suggesting that the vaccine works well against the variant that has alarmed experts across the world.

Large study shows Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine 94% effective

When a government employee first went to police two years ago with claims of being raped in Australia’s Parliament building, she dropped the case, fearful of losing her job. Two years later, she decided to speak out publicly, prompting a political fallout that emboldened her Wednesday to file an official police report.

In the days since she went public, three other women have come forward, telling local news outlets that the same man, a former Liberal Party employee, had sexually assaulted them.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/australian-pm-apologises-to-women-who-alleged-rape-in-parliament-364056/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

“Most cases of this nature don’t end up in a conviction,” the former government employee, Brittany Higgins, 26, said in a phone interview with The New York Times. “I’m speaking my truth, and I know it’s the right thing to do.”

To women’s rights advocates, the situation reflects the systemic misogyny in Australia’s halls of power, especially in the governing conservative Liberal Party.

Higgins said she had been questioned by the defense minister, then her boss, in the same room where the attack took place: the minister’s office. Those allegations drew an apology from Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “This should not be an environment where a young woman can find herself in such a vulnerable situation,” he said last week. “That is not OK.”

But he was excoriated for what critics called a “train wreck” of a response. He seemed to suggest that it wasn’t until he’d had a chat with his wife — who he said had asked, “What if it was one of your daughters?” — that he offered an apology.

Some current and former government employees said they hoped the accusations finally catalyzed a cultural shift in Parliament. Some women’s rights advocates said such attitudes toward women ran deep in the blood of not only Australia’s government but also the nation at large, which has tended to lag behind other Western countries on gender issues.

“We really refuse to believe women,” said Sharna Bremner, an assault survivor and the founder of End Rape on Campus Australia, adding that the country’s strict defamation laws have tended to stifle the #MeToo movement.

The new accusations by the other women, spanning 2016 to 2020, were reported by the newspaper The Australian and the Australian Broadcasting Corp. At least one woman who came forward said she had done so out of support for Higgins. The women, who could not be reached for comment, have not been publicly identified. They have not publicly identified the man, either.

“I’m so sorry they had to go through this because I know how soul-destroying it is,” Higgins said of the women coming forward. She and her partner both left their jobs as a result of her ordeal, she added. “It’s been incredibly difficult,” she said. “It’s been deeply painful for my family to go through, for my loved ones to go through. I commend them personally on their bravery.”

One of the three women, whose accusations were first published Sunday in The Weekend Australian, said she had chosen to tell her story to help shine a light on the “awful” culture in the Australian government.

The woman told the paper that she met the man last year for dinner. She said that after he bought her several drinks, they went to her home, where he had sex with her without wearing a condom, despite her telling him they could not have sex unless he wore one. She told The Australian that if Higgins’ case had been properly dealt with by the government in 2019, “this would not have happened to me.”

Another woman, whose accusations were published by The Australian on Monday, said the same man had sexually assaulted her just days before the 2016 election. The woman said she had just finished high school. The man bought several rounds of vodka and tequila shots for her and offered to “look after” her in his hotel room, she said. The woman said that, after falling asleep, she awoke to find herself half undressed and the man lying on top of her.

She told The Australian that hearing Higgins’ story made her think her attacker “has a pattern of behavior.”

Another woman, whose account was made public Monday, said the same man “reached his hand under the table and stroked her thigh” in 2017, during drinks with colleagues at a bar in Canberra, the ABC reported.

In the days since all four women went public, Morrison has announced several inquiries into areas such as workplace culture, how sexual abuse accusations are handled by the government and what his own office knew about the alleged assault of Higgins at the time. Some of the investigations will be conducted by government ministers and others by independent agencies, he said.

Critics have said the government’s response has been lackluster. Governmental inquiries, they say, are likely to fall short of the kind of drastic cultural shift required to change attitudes toward women in Parliament and beyond.

“A review is a political Band-Aid,” said Rachael Burgin, a lecturer in criminology at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. “I’ve seen nothing from anyone in the government to suggest that they’ve taken it seriously enough to see some substantive change,” Burgin added.

Others have questioned Morrison’s claims that he had no knowledge of the alleged assault when it first occurred. Morrison has said he did not know about it until Feb. 12. He has since asked Phil Gaetjens, secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, to conduct an inquiry.

Higgins’ former boss in Parliament, Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, has also apologized to Higgins, especially for holding a meeting about the alleged assault in the same room where it had occurred. On Wednesday, as Reynolds was set to discuss her handling of the accusations, she was hospitalized, citing existing medical conditions.

Higgins has said she was “determined to drive significant reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally.” She said that, for example, in 2019, an employee in the prime minister’s office had refused to provide her with access to the closed-circuit television footage from the evening of the alleged assault.

“Brittany Higgins is giving us an opportunity here to actually fix something,” said Clare O’Neil, a member of the opposition Labor Party. “This is a nation’s Parliament. We should be setting the standard, not the floor.” 
&nbsp;

When a government employee first went to police two years ago with claims of being raped in Australia’s Parliament building, she dropped the case, fearful of losing her job.

When a government employee first went to police two years ago with claims of being raped in Australia’s Parliament building, she dropped the case, fearful of losing her job. Two years later, she decided to speak out publicly, prompting a political fallout that emboldened her Wednesday to file an official police report. In the days since she went public, three other women have come forward, telling local news outlets that the same man, a former Liberal Party employee, had sexually assaulted them. Watch | “Most cases of this nature don’t end up in a conviction,” the former government employee, Brittany Higgins, 26, said in a phone interview with The New York Times. “I’m speaking my truth, and I know it’s the right thing to do.” To women’s rights advocates, the situation reflects the systemic misogyny in Australia’s halls of power, especially in the governing conservative Liberal Party. Higgins said she had been questioned by the defense minister, then her boss, in the same room where the attack took place: the minister’s office. Those allegations drew an apology from Prime Minister Scott Morrison. “This should not be an environment where a young woman can find herself in such a vulnerable situation,” he said last week. “That is not OK.” But he was excoriated for what critics called a “train wreck” of a response. He seemed to suggest that it wasn’t until he’d had a chat with his wife — who he said had asked, “What if it was one of your daughters?” — that he offered an apology. Some current and former government employees said they hoped the accusations finally catalyzed a cultural shift in Parliament. Some women’s rights advocates said such attitudes toward women ran deep in the blood of not only Australia’s government but also the nation at large, which has tended to lag behind other Western countries on gender issues. “We really refuse to believe women,” said Sharna Bremner, an assault survivor and the founder of End Rape on Campus Australia, adding that the country’s strict defamation laws have tended to stifle the #MeToo movement. The new accusations by the other women, spanning 2016 to 2020, were reported by the newspaper The Australian and the Australian Broadcasting Corp. At least one woman who came forward said she had done so out of support for Higgins. The women, who could not be reached for comment, have not been publicly identified. They have not publicly identified the man, either. “I’m so sorry they had to go through this because I know how soul-destroying it is,” Higgins said of the women coming forward. She and her partner both left their jobs as a result of her ordeal, she added. “It’s been incredibly difficult,” she said. “It’s been deeply painful for my family to go through, for my loved ones to go through. I commend them personally on their bravery.” One of the three women, whose accusations were first published Sunday in The Weekend Australian, said she had chosen to tell her story to help shine a light on the “awful” culture in the Australian government. The woman told the paper that she met the man last year for dinner. She said that after he bought her several drinks, they went to her home, where he had sex with her without wearing a condom, despite her telling him they could not have sex unless he wore one. She told The Australian that if Higgins’ case had been properly dealt with by the government in 2019, “this would not have happened to me.” Another woman, whose accusations were published by The Australian on Monday, said the same man had sexually assaulted her just days before the 2016 election. The woman said she had just finished high school. The man bought several rounds of vodka and tequila shots for her and offered to “look after” her in his hotel room, she said. The woman said that, after falling asleep, she awoke to find herself half undressed and the man lying on top of her. She told The Australian that hearing Higgins’ story made her think her attacker “has a pattern of behavior.” Another woman, whose account was made public Monday, said the same man “reached his hand under the table and stroked her thigh” in 2017, during drinks with colleagues at a bar in Canberra, the ABC reported. In the days since all four women went public, Morrison has announced several inquiries into areas such as workplace culture, how sexual abuse accusations are handled by the government and what his own office knew about the alleged assault of Higgins at the time. Some of the investigations will be conducted by government ministers and others by independent agencies, he said. Critics have said the government’s response has been lackluster. Governmental inquiries, they say, are likely to fall short of the kind of drastic cultural shift required to change attitudes toward women in Parliament and beyond. “A review is a political Band-Aid,” said Rachael Burgin, a lecturer in criminology at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. “I’ve seen nothing from anyone in the government to suggest that they’ve taken it seriously enough to see some substantive change,” Burgin added. Others have questioned Morrison’s claims that he had no knowledge of the alleged assault when it first occurred. Morrison has said he did not know about it until Feb. 12. He has since asked Phil Gaetjens, secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, to conduct an inquiry. Higgins’ former boss in Parliament, Defense Minister Linda Reynolds, has also apologized to Higgins, especially for holding a meeting about the alleged assault in the same room where it had occurred. On Wednesday, as Reynolds was set to discuss her handling of the accusations, she was hospitalized, citing existing medical conditions. Higgins has said she was “determined to drive significant reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally.” She said that, for example, in 2019, an employee in the prime minister’s office had refused to provide her with access to the closed-circuit television footage from the evening of the alleged assault. “Brittany Higgins is giving us an opportunity here to actually fix something,” said Clare O’Neil, a member of the opposition Labor Party. “This is a nation’s Parliament. We should be setting the standard, not the floor.”

She made a 'soul-destroying' rape claim. Then 3 others came forward.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday called the armed forces announcement demanding his resignation an "attempted military coup".&nbsp;

He also asked his supporters to gather in the centre of the capital Yerevan.

"I consider the statement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces an attempted military coup. I invite all of our supporters to Republic Square right now,"&nbsp;Pashinyan wrote in a Facebook post.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/armenians-take-to-the-streets-to-call-for-pms-resignation-365099">Armenians take to the streets to call for PM's resignation</a>

Pashinyan also sacked the general staff of armed forces Onik Gasparyan after the latter's office released a statement asking the prime minister and his cabinet to resign on Wednesday.

Gasparyan on Wednesday in a statement said that Pashinyan's government is "not capable of taking adequate decisions" and denounced "attacks by the authorities aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces." 
&nbsp; 
On Wednesday, the Armenian PM also fired deputy chief of staff Tigran Khachatryan, who had ridiculed Pashinyan's claims that Russian-supplied missiles had failed to reach targets during last year's intense battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

Pashinyan and his government have faced massive anger and protests over the handling of the war with Azerbaijan over the conflicted region, building pressure on him to step down.&nbsp;

The massive anger is against the Russian-brokered peace deal that ended six weeks of war and ceded large territories of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

&nbsp;

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday called the armed forces announcement demanding his resignation an "attempted military coup". He also asked his supporters to gather in the centre of the capital Yerevan.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Thursday called the armed forces announcement demanding his resignation an "attempted military coup". He also asked his supporters to gather in the centre of the capital Yerevan. "I consider the statement of the General Staff of the Armed Forces an attempted military coup. I invite all of our supporters to Republic Square right now," Pashinyan wrote in a Facebook post. Also read | Armenians take to the streets to call for PM's resignation Pashinyan also sacked the general staff of armed forces Onik Gasparyan after the latter's office released a statement asking the prime minister and his cabinet to resign on Wednesday. Gasparyan on Wednesday in a statement said that Pashinyan's government is "not capable of taking adequate decisions" and denounced "attacks by the authorities aimed at discrediting the Armed Forces." On Wednesday, the Armenian PM also fired deputy chief of staff Tigran Khachatryan, who had ridiculed Pashinyan's claims that Russian-supplied missiles had failed to reach targets during last year's intense battle over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Pashinyan and his government have faced massive anger and protests over the handling of the war with Azerbaijan over the conflicted region, building pressure on him to step down. The massive anger is against the Russian-brokered peace deal that ended six weeks of war and ceded large territories of Nagorno-Karabakh to Azerbaijan.

Armenian PM slams attempted 'military coup'; armed forces chief sacked

Deaths in Japan fell last year for the first time in more than a decade, a jarring contrast to the huge death tolls suffered by many countries in the pandemic and a signal that Japan’s coronavirus measures have had positive spillover effects.

The Health Ministry reported this week that deaths in Japan had dropped by more than 9,300 in 2020 to around 1.4 million. The decrease — seven-tenths of 1% from the year before — was a surprising turnabout for a nation with the oldest population in the world.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-japans-minister-of-happiness-364132/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

When the coronavirus first began spreading early last year, many feared that Japan’s large cohort of older people would make the country especially vulnerable. But case numbers and deaths have stayed much lower than in the United States and Western Europe.

As of Tuesday, Japan had recorded just under 7,600 deaths from the virus, and the seven-day average for new cases stood around 1,200. Daily infection numbers have never exceeded 8,000.

The United States, by contrast, has recorded more than 500,000 deaths and 28 million infections. Deaths from causes other than COVID-19 have reportedly risen, too, perhaps because people have avoided medical facilities.

Life expectancy for Americans fell by a full year in the first six months of 2020, the largest drop since World War II.

The most recent Japanese government data does not break down mortality by category, so it is difficult to say with certainty what caused the decrease in deaths.

But data from earlier in the year suggests that it was spurred in large part by a drastic decline in respiratory illnesses, a likely side effect of the country’s almost ubiquitous adoption of mask wearing and social distancing.

While masks were already a common sight in Japan, over the past year, they have become de rigueur as a virus-fighting measure.

The country has also widely adopted other steps to prevent transmission of the virus, including the placement of hand sanitizer at the entrance to virtually every commercial space and workplace, and broad adherence to government recommendations to avoid the “three C’s”: closed spaces, crowded places and close contact with others.

One other, albeit small, factor is a decrease in traffic accidents as fewer people took to the roads, especially as the government twice declared states of emergency. Deaths from road accidents dropped nearly 12% in 2020, to 2,839, according to data maintained by the National Police Agency. It was the lowest number since the agency began tracking the data in 1948.

Japan is not alone in seeing peripheral benefits from coronavirus measures. Deaths in China fell slightly in the first three months of 2020 outside the virus epicenter of Wuhan, according to a study by the University of Oxford and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

While the decrease in deaths in Japan was a welcome development, there were some ominous signs. The country has seen a resurgence in suicides, particularly among women, with just under 4% more people taking their own lives in 2020 than in the previous year. Among women, the increase was nearly 15%.

Experts traced the phenomenon to stresses related to the pandemic including job losses, the increased isolation of people sheltering in place and the growing domestic burdens shouldered by women.

Japan’s population also continued to contract despite the decline in overall deaths. The country, which began shrinking in 2007 because of falling birthrates and its increasing proportion of older people, lost more than 511,000 people in 2020, a slight acceleration from the previous year.

Births fell once again last year, suggesting that the pandemic is likely to speed up Japan’s depopulation. According to government projections, the population, which now stands at 126 million, will fall below 100 million by 2053 and sink to 88 million by 2065.

Deaths in Japan fell last year for the first time in more than a decade, a jarring contrast to the huge death tolls suffered by many countries in the pandemic and a signal that Japan’s coronavirus measures have had positive spillover effects.

Deaths in Japan fell last year for the first time in more than a decade, a jarring contrast to the huge death tolls suffered by many countries in the pandemic and a signal that Japan’s coronavirus measures have had positive spillover effects. The Health Ministry reported this week that deaths in Japan had dropped by more than 9,300 in 2020 to around 1.4 million. The decrease — seven-tenths of 1% from the year before — was a surprising turnabout for a nation with the oldest population in the world. Watch | When the coronavirus first began spreading early last year, many feared that Japan’s large cohort of older people would make the country especially vulnerable. But case numbers and deaths have stayed much lower than in the United States and Western Europe. As of Tuesday, Japan had recorded just under 7,600 deaths from the virus, and the seven-day average for new cases stood around 1,200. Daily infection numbers have never exceeded 8,000. The United States, by contrast, has recorded more than 500,000 deaths and 28 million infections. Deaths from causes other than COVID-19 have reportedly risen, too, perhaps because people have avoided medical facilities. Life expectancy for Americans fell by a full year in the first six months of 2020, the largest drop since World War II. The most recent Japanese government data does not break down mortality by category, so it is difficult to say with certainty what caused the decrease in deaths. But data from earlier in the year suggests that it was spurred in large part by a drastic decline in respiratory illnesses, a likely side effect of the country’s almost ubiquitous adoption of mask wearing and social distancing. While masks were already a common sight in Japan, over the past year, they have become de rigueur as a virus-fighting measure. The country has also widely adopted other steps to prevent transmission of the virus, including the placement of hand sanitizer at the entrance to virtually every commercial space and workplace, and broad adherence to government recommendations to avoid the “three C’s”: closed spaces, crowded places and close contact with others. One other, albeit small, factor is a decrease in traffic accidents as fewer people took to the roads, especially as the government twice declared states of emergency. Deaths from road accidents dropped nearly 12% in 2020, to 2,839, according to data maintained by the National Police Agency. It was the lowest number since the agency began tracking the data in 1948. Japan is not alone in seeing peripheral benefits from coronavirus measures. Deaths in China fell slightly in the first three months of 2020 outside the virus epicenter of Wuhan, according to a study by the University of Oxford and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. While the decrease in deaths in Japan was a welcome development, there were some ominous signs. The country has seen a resurgence in suicides, particularly among women, with just under 4% more people taking their own lives in 2020 than in the previous year. Among women, the increase was nearly 15%. Experts traced the phenomenon to stresses related to the pandemic including job losses, the increased isolation of people sheltering in place and the growing domestic burdens shouldered by women. Japan’s population also continued to contract despite the decline in overall deaths. The country, which began shrinking in 2007 because of falling birthrates and its increasing proportion of older people, lost more than 511,000 people in 2020, a slight acceleration from the previous year. Births fell once again last year, suggesting that the pandemic is likely to speed up Japan’s depopulation. According to government projections, the population, which now stands at 126 million, will fall below 100 million by 2053 and sink to 88 million by 2065.

Deaths fell in Japan last year. How?

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said there is a need for coordinated action between the centre and state governments to reduce taxes on petrol and diesel prices.

"There is a need for coordinated action between the centre and the states because there are inherent taxes levied by both,"&nbsp;the governor said, adding that calibrated reduction of taxes is important.

Watch |&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-2-factors-are-dictating-how-much-you-spend-on-fuel-365528/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

He, however, said both the centre and the state governments have their revenue pressures and they are required to spend high sums of money to enable the country and the people to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic stress.

"So the revenue requirement and the compulsion of the governments are fully understood. But having said that the impact on inflation also is something, which comes in from the fact that petrol and diesel prices do have an impact on the cost of manufacturing, production,"&nbsp;the Governor said at an event organised by Bombay Chamber of Commerce.

On the central bank's digital currency, Das said a lot of work is going on internally in the RBI and some broad guidelines and approach papers will be released on it soon.

The governor said RBI has certain concerns on cryptocurrencies and it has already been communicated to the government.

He said RBI is looking into strengthening the regulatory architecture for asset reconstruction companies (ARCs).

"(We are) refining and further upgrading the regulatory architecture in respect of the ARCs to ensure that they have a skin in the game, and they are very much in business is receiving a lot of attention from us,"&nbsp;Das said.

On setting up of ARC for non-performing asset (NPA) management, as announced in the Budget 2021, he said, "(in) no way will it jeopardise the activity of the existing ARCs."

The governor said there is growing realisation and awareness among banks to dealing with bad assets and they are proactively making provision in their books for stressed assets.

He said RBI has sharpened and deepened its supervisory methods and is doing deep dive into areas of banking which were not done earlier.&nbsp;

"We have a precise idea of build-up of stressed assets in banks and as soon as we see a sign of stress, we immediately enter into a discussion with the banks and proactively deal with the problems,"&nbsp;he said.

Das also asked public and private sector banks to improve their credit appraisal processes and take measures to stop ever-greening of loans.

He emphasised that the country's financial sector currently is in a far much better place than it was earlier.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said there is a need for coordinated action between the centre and state governments to reduce taxes on petrol and diesel prices.

Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das on Thursday said there is a need for coordinated action between the centre and state governments to reduce taxes on petrol and diesel prices. "There is a need for coordinated action between the centre and the states because there are inherent taxes levied by both," the governor said, adding that calibrated reduction of taxes is important. Watch | He, however, said both the centre and the state governments have their revenue pressures and they are required to spend high sums of money to enable the country and the people to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic stress. "So the revenue requirement and the compulsion of the governments are fully understood. But having said that the impact on inflation also is something, which comes in from the fact that petrol and diesel prices do have an impact on the cost of manufacturing, production," the Governor said at an event organised by Bombay Chamber of Commerce. On the central bank's digital currency, Das said a lot of work is going on internally in the RBI and some broad guidelines and approach papers will be released on it soon. The governor said RBI has certain concerns on cryptocurrencies and it has already been communicated to the government. He said RBI is looking into strengthening the regulatory architecture for asset reconstruction companies (ARCs). "(We are) refining and further upgrading the regulatory architecture in respect of the ARCs to ensure that they have a skin in the game, and they are very much in business is receiving a lot of attention from us," Das said. On setting up of ARC for non-performing asset (NPA) management, as announced in the Budget 2021, he said, "(in) no way will it jeopardise the activity of the existing ARCs." The governor said there is growing realisation and awareness among banks to dealing with bad assets and they are proactively making provision in their books for stressed assets. He said RBI has sharpened and deepened its supervisory methods and is doing deep dive into areas of banking which were not done earlier. "We have a precise idea of build-up of stressed assets in banks and as soon as we see a sign of stress, we immediately enter into a discussion with the banks and proactively deal with the problems," he said. Das also asked public and private sector banks to improve their credit appraisal processes and take measures to stop ever-greening of loans. He emphasised that the country's financial sector currently is in a far much better place than it was earlier.

Need coordinated action between centre, states on tax reduction in fuel prices: RBI governor 

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