The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on shopping across the globe.

The restrictions imposed on shopping and safety concerns raised by health authorities during the pandemic has forced several people to&nbsp;embrace e-commerce.

As most of the world emerges from lockdowns, the way we shop is also changing. Post pandemic, most people are consciously avoiding paying&nbsp;through cash.

Customers are&nbsp;making the most of technology and paying digitally through apps.

In Russia, shoppers are increasingly purchasing goods with just a turn of their heads as they embrace&nbsp;facial payment technology. It&nbsp;has been launched in multiple supermarkets and&nbsp;cafes in Moscow, where customers can avail 20 per cent discount on its use.

The new technology is the future of shopping as it does not require even QR codes for payment. Customers simply need to download the app and&nbsp;enter their&nbsp;biometric information.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-future-of-shopping-374366">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-future-of-shopping-374366/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The uptake of this technology is promising.&nbsp;The X-5 group,&nbsp;Russia's leading food retailer&nbsp;was the first to come up with this technology.

Earlier this month, it joined forces with Russia's state giant Sberbank to roll out this technology in 52 of its supermarkets inspiring smaller stores to do the same.

According to&nbsp;Mikhail Kucherenkov,&nbsp;head of the X-5 group innovation lab,&nbsp;"There are currently more than 5,500 self-checkouts equipped with the facial recognition module. We're planning a rollout throughout the entire country in the near future. "

How does the technology really work?

Facial recognition is a biometric technology used to identify an individual.

A facial image&nbsp;technique makes it possible to authenticate one's identity or&nbsp;check if an individual is who he or she claims to be.

A person's face is compared to an existing image in a database which in return helps to identify the individual. Every little detail is taken into consideration.

The base of the ears,&nbsp;the distance between the two pupils,&nbsp;the shape of the nose, eyebrows and mouth, even the skin grain.

Originally this method was used to fight crime but now -- it is being used to access bank accounts and&nbsp;social media platforms.

Privacy concerns

With rising popularity,&nbsp;there are also growing security and&nbsp;privacy concerns.

In&nbsp;countries without personal freedoms,&nbsp;where governments have&nbsp;no limits to the use of technology,&nbsp;facial recognition could be used to spy upon&nbsp;the citizens.

Ultimately facial recognition data gets stored in servers, and as with any other computer system, it is vulnerable to hackers who&nbsp;can use the data to commit identity fraud.

There is a lack of regulation and no consistent legal framework for its use and limits. Nobody knows what businesses adopting facial recognition are doing.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on shopping across the globe. The restrictions imposed on shopping and safety concerns raised by health authorities during the pandemic has forced several people to embrace e-commerce.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an adverse impact on shopping across the globe. The restrictions imposed on shopping and safety concerns raised by health authorities during the pandemic has forced several people to embrace e-commerce. As most of the world emerges from lockdowns, the way we shop is also changing. Post pandemic, most people are consciously avoiding paying through cash. Customers are making the most of technology and paying digitally through apps. In Russia, shoppers are increasingly purchasing goods with just a turn of their heads as they embrace facial payment technology. It has been launched in multiple supermarkets and cafes in Moscow, where customers can avail 20 per cent discount on its use. The new technology is the future of shopping as it does not require even QR codes for payment. Customers simply need to download the app and enter their biometric information. Watch | The uptake of this technology is promising. The X-5 group, Russia's leading food retailer was the first to come up with this technology. Earlier this month, it joined forces with Russia's state giant Sberbank to roll out this technology in 52 of its supermarkets inspiring smaller stores to do the same. According to Mikhail Kucherenkov, head of the X-5 group innovation lab, "There are currently more than 5,500 self-checkouts equipped with the facial recognition module. We're planning a rollout throughout the entire country in the near future. " How does the technology really work? Facial recognition is a biometric technology used to identify an individual. A facial image technique makes it possible to authenticate one's identity or check if an individual is who he or she claims to be. A person's face is compared to an existing image in a database which in return helps to identify the individual. Every little detail is taken into consideration. The base of the ears, the distance between the two pupils, the shape of the nose, eyebrows and mouth, even the skin grain. Originally this method was used to fight crime but now -- it is being used to access bank accounts and social media platforms. Privacy concerns With rising popularity, there are also growing security and privacy concerns. In countries without personal freedoms, where governments have no limits to the use of technology, facial recognition could be used to spy upon the citizens. Ultimately facial recognition data gets stored in servers, and as with any other computer system, it is vulnerable to hackers who can use the data to commit identity fraud. There is a lack of regulation and no consistent legal framework for its use and limits. Nobody knows what businesses adopting facial recognition are doing.

Smile-to-pay: Shoppers turn to facial payment technology

With Myanmar in turmoil since the army overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February&nbsp;1 coup,&nbsp;ethnic armed groups are being drawn back into conflict with the military junta as they side with opponents of the coup.

More than 500 people have been killed by the military across&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;in protests against the coup, according to a monitoring group. As violence has escalated, about a dozen armed groups have condemned the junta as illegitimate and vowed to stand with the protesters.

In the southeastern Karen state, one of the strongest groups – the Karen National Union (KNU) – says it is responding to appeals for help from coup opponents by sending fighters to protect protesters. Its troops are attacking&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;army positions and cutting off supply routes, in what the group says is a response to encroachment on its territory. In the north, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has staged similar attacks.

On Tuesday, three other guerrilla forces, including the powerful Arakan Army in the western Rakhine state, vowed to join what they called the "spring revolution" if killings do not stop.

Civilian lawmakers, most of whom are in hiding, have announced plans to form a "national unity government" on April 1 - with key roles for ethnic leaders - and are holding online talks about joint resistance to the military junta.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-myanmar-descending-into-civil-war-374374">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-myanmar-descending-into-civil-war-374374/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Dr Sasa, the international envoy of the civilian government's representative body the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), said an interim federal constitution had been drafted with ethnic and civil society groups and there were plans for a "federal army" to replace the military, known as the Tatmadaw.

"If (the international community) fails to take action, of course unavoidable all-out civil war and more bloody days and more bloody weeks and more bloody months await ahead of us," Dr Sasa said. "Having a federal army becomes a must and it's the way we achieve democracy and freedom."

The governor of Thailand's border province where hundreds of Karen refugees from&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;fled to said on Tuesday that they returned to their home country "voluntarily".

Governor of Mae Hong Son province Sithichai Jindaluang said if tensions rose, a centre would be set up to provide necessary assistance.

Thai Prime Minister&nbsp;Prayuth&nbsp;Chan-ocha&nbsp;on Tuesday downplayed the situation at the border.

"Some villagers arrived and we asked what problems there were and they said they weren't (any) - then can you go back first? We didn't point guns in their faces, we even shook hands and wished each other well. That's humanitarian,"&nbsp;Prayuth&nbsp;said.

Thailand, which has cordial relations with&nbsp;Myanmar, has denied accusations from activists of pushing back thousands of people trying to flee violence against those opposing a military coup there since February.

In state media on Tuesday, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said ethnic armed groups that condemned the coup were "dancing to the tune" of Suu Kyi's ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and the junta's international opponents.

While many armed groups have long called for their incorporation into such a federal force, some said it remained difficult given that rival insurgents have often also fought each other.

Myanmar's fractious borderlands have not known peace since the country's independence from Britain in 1948. But ceasefires signed after the army began democratic reforms in 2011 brought a lull in fighting in some areas.

Leaders of two groups, the KNU and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) said&nbsp;that the military had destroyed that deal – known as the National Ceasefire Agreement - by launching attacks.

General Yawd Serk, the chair of the RCSS, said representatives of the&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military had sent communications to his group seeking negotiations following the coup, but he had informed them that political talks were suspended.

He said ethnic armed groups must "join hands and hurt those that are hurting the people" but inter-ethnic fighting complicates the response.

"We need to see the big picture," said Yawd Serk, whose RCSS has been fighting two other Shan state-based groups.

Khu Oo Reh, the vice-chairman of the KNPP, said conversations between insurgents about forming a united front had been positive but the differences between groups had been "going on for 70 years".

Anthony Davis, a security analyst with British-based Jane's intelligence company, estimated the total strength of the ethnic armies at around 75,000, enough to stretch the 350,000-strong&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;army if it was forced to fight on multiple fronts.

"If the Kachin, Karen, Shan and maybe Rakhine insurgents were to engage in widespread military operations, however loosely coordinated, and at the same time there is an increase in violence in the heartlands, the Tatmadaw would face a huge problem," he said.

Junta representatives did not respond to calls seeking comment about its response to protests.

Conflict between the military and ethnic groups is already escalating.

On Saturday,&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;military fighter jets dropped bombs on territory held by the KNU in the ethnic Karen region, for the first time in more than 20 years, killing several people and sending thousands fleeing to Thailand.

Villagers along the mountainous&nbsp;Myanmar-Thailand border say they are increasingly frightened they will have to flee, some for the second or third time in their lives.

In Mae Sam Laep, a small village nestled in a valley in Thailand's Mae Hong Son province, gunfire resounded through the hills this week as Karen troops clashed with the military on the other side of the Salween River.

Thai media reported the KNU cut off supply routes several months ago to Tatmadaw troops positioned above the river.

Further north, in Huay Pu Kang village that is home to about 450 people from&nbsp;Myanmar's Kayan minority, including Isaac the former KNPP soldier, 31-year-old Mu Toh Tong Se Ti wept as she said relatives inside&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;had asked her to send money so they could prepare for war, but she had nothing to give.

Since the pandemic, the village has lost all of its income from tourism and her stall selling scarves and trinkets cannot turn a profit.

The village chief, 53-year-old Ku Nong, said he was both worried and hopeful. Many older people from his village in&nbsp;Myanmar&nbsp;had already fled into the jungles but the youth were continuing to protest, he said.

"I think this time around there will be more death," he said. "But we will definitely get democracy."

The junta has justified the coup by saying that a November election won by the NLD was fraudulent. It has pledged to restore democracy, without saying when.

With Myanmar in turmoil since the army overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup, ethnic armed groups are being drawn back into conflict with the military junta as they side with opponents of the coup.

With Myanmar in turmoil since the army overthrew elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a February 1 coup, ethnic armed groups are being drawn back into conflict with the military junta as they side with opponents of the coup. More than 500 people have been killed by the military across Myanmar in protests against the coup, according to a monitoring group. As violence has escalated, about a dozen armed groups have condemned the junta as illegitimate and vowed to stand with the protesters. In the southeastern Karen state, one of the strongest groups – the Karen National Union (KNU) – says it is responding to appeals for help from coup opponents by sending fighters to protect protesters. Its troops are attacking Myanmar army positions and cutting off supply routes, in what the group says is a response to encroachment on its territory. In the north, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has staged similar attacks. On Tuesday, three other guerrilla forces, including the powerful Arakan Army in the western Rakhine state, vowed to join what they called the "spring revolution" if killings do not stop. Civilian lawmakers, most of whom are in hiding, have announced plans to form a "national unity government" on April 1 - with key roles for ethnic leaders - and are holding online talks about joint resistance to the military junta. Watch | Dr Sasa, the international envoy of the civilian government's representative body the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH), said an interim federal constitution had been drafted with ethnic and civil society groups and there were plans for a "federal army" to replace the military, known as the Tatmadaw. "If (the international community) fails to take action, of course unavoidable all-out civil war and more bloody days and more bloody weeks and more bloody months await ahead of us," Dr Sasa said. "Having a federal army becomes a must and it's the way we achieve democracy and freedom." The governor of Thailand's border province where hundreds of Karen refugees from Myanmar fled to said on Tuesday that they returned to their home country "voluntarily". Governor of Mae Hong Son province Sithichai Jindaluang said if tensions rose, a centre would be set up to provide necessary assistance. Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on Tuesday downplayed the situation at the border. "Some villagers arrived and we asked what problems there were and they said they weren't (any) - then can you go back first? We didn't point guns in their faces, we even shook hands and wished each other well. That's humanitarian," Prayuth said. Thailand, which has cordial relations with Myanmar, has denied accusations from activists of pushing back thousands of people trying to flee violence against those opposing a military coup there since February. In state media on Tuesday, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing said ethnic armed groups that condemned the coup were "dancing to the tune" of Suu Kyi's ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) and the junta's international opponents. While many armed groups have long called for their incorporation into such a federal force, some said it remained difficult given that rival insurgents have often also fought each other. Myanmar's fractious borderlands have not known peace since the country's independence from Britain in 1948. But ceasefires signed after the army began democratic reforms in 2011 brought a lull in fighting in some areas. Leaders of two groups, the KNU and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) said that the military had destroyed that deal – known as the National Ceasefire Agreement - by launching attacks. General Yawd Serk, the chair of the RCSS, said representatives of the Myanmar military had sent communications to his group seeking negotiations following the coup, but he had informed them that political talks were suspended. He said ethnic armed groups must "join hands and hurt those that are hurting the people" but inter-ethnic fighting complicates the response. "We need to see the big picture," said Yawd Serk, whose RCSS has been fighting two other Shan state-based groups. Khu Oo Reh, the vice-chairman of the KNPP, said conversations between insurgents about forming a united front had been positive but the differences between groups had been "going on for 70 years". Anthony Davis, a security analyst with British-based Jane's intelligence company, estimated the total strength of the ethnic armies at around 75,000, enough to stretch the 350,000-strong Myanmar army if it was forced to fight on multiple fronts. "If the Kachin, Karen, Shan and maybe Rakhine insurgents were to engage in widespread military operations, however loosely coordinated, and at the same time there is an increase in violence in the heartlands, the Tatmadaw would face a huge problem," he said. Junta representatives did not respond to calls seeking comment about its response to protests. Conflict between the military and ethnic groups is already escalating. On Saturday, Myanmar military fighter jets dropped bombs on territory held by the KNU in the ethnic Karen region, for the first time in more than 20 years, killing several people and sending thousands fleeing to Thailand. Villagers along the mountainous Myanmar-Thailand border say they are increasingly frightened they will have to flee, some for the second or third time in their lives. In Mae Sam Laep, a small village nestled in a valley in Thailand's Mae Hong Son province, gunfire resounded through the hills this week as Karen troops clashed with the military on the other side of the Salween River. Thai media reported the KNU cut off supply routes several months ago to Tatmadaw troops positioned above the river. Further north, in Huay Pu Kang village that is home to about 450 people from Myanmar's Kayan minority, including Isaac the former KNPP soldier, 31-year-old Mu Toh Tong Se Ti wept as she said relatives inside Myanmar had asked her to send money so they could prepare for war, but she had nothing to give. Since the pandemic, the village has lost all of its income from tourism and her stall selling scarves and trinkets cannot turn a profit. The village chief, 53-year-old Ku Nong, said he was both worried and hopeful. Many older people from his village in Myanmar had already fled into the jungles but the youth were continuing to protest, he said. "I think this time around there will be more death," he said. "But we will definitely get democracy." The junta has justified the coup by saying that a November election won by the NLD was fraudulent. It has pledged to restore democracy, without saying when.

Ethnic groups in Myanmar mobilising against army

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US human rights report lambasts China over Uighur atrocities BioNTech-Pfizer say their Covid-19 vaccine has 100% efficacy in 12-15 year old In a first, Russia r

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Facebook&nbsp;Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as part of its efforts to curb spread of misinformation during elections in four Indian states.

"We recognise that there are certain types of content, such as hate speech, that could lead to imminent, offline harm...To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement," it added.

Facebook&nbsp;has been under fire globally for alleged lapses in controlling hate speech. In the United States, the social media giant put a months-long freeze on political, electoral and social ads to crack down on misinformation and abuses around the November&nbsp;3 presidential elections.

Facebook has drawn flak in the past for its handling of hate speech on the platform in the country. India is among the biggest markets for Facebook and its group companies, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to government data, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook users, and 21 crore users of Instagram.

The US-based company said it has invested significantly in proactive detection technology to help identify violating content more quickly.

In its blog, Facebook said based on lessons it has learned from past elections in India and globally, it is taking steps to enhance civic engagement, combat hate speech, limit misinformation and remove voter suppression amid elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.

"To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement,"&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;said.

It has also designed Election Day reminders to give voters accurate information and encourage them to share it with friends on&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;and WhatsApp, the company said.

In 2019, led by industry body IAMAI, Facebook had set up a high priority channel with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to receive content-related escalations.

The company also works with third-party fact-checkers around the world, including eight partners in India, to provide people with additional context about the content they're seeing on Facebook.

In addition to English, these eight partners fact-check in 11 Indian languages including Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam and Assamese.

When a fact-checker rates a story as false, such content is labelled and shown lower in News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution.

This stops its spread and reduces the number of people who see it, Facebook said.&nbsp;

Facebook Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as part of its efforts to curb spread of misinformation during elections in four Indian states.

Facebook Inc said it was taking steps to combat hate speech and misinformation in India as part of its efforts to curb spread of misinformation during elections in four Indian states. "We recognise that there are certain types of content, such as hate speech, that could lead to imminent, offline harm...To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement," it added. Facebook has been under fire globally for alleged lapses in controlling hate speech. In the United States, the social media giant put a months-long freeze on political, electoral and social ads to crack down on misinformation and abuses around the November 3 presidential elections. Facebook has drawn flak in the past for its handling of hate speech on the platform in the country. India is among the biggest markets for Facebook and its group companies, WhatsApp and Instagram. According to government data, India has 53 crore WhatsApp users, 41 crore Facebook users, and 21 crore users of Instagram. The US-based company said it has invested significantly in proactive detection technology to help identify violating content more quickly. In its blog, Facebook said based on lessons it has learned from past elections in India and globally, it is taking steps to enhance civic engagement, combat hate speech, limit misinformation and remove voter suppression amid elections across Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry. "To decrease the risk of problematic content going viral in these states and potentially inciting violence ahead of or during the election, we will significantly reduce the distribution of content that our proactive detection technology identifies as likely hate speech or violence and incitement," Facebook said. It has also designed Election Day reminders to give voters accurate information and encourage them to share it with friends on Facebook and WhatsApp, the company said. In 2019, led by industry body IAMAI, Facebook had set up a high priority channel with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, to receive content-related escalations. The company also works with third-party fact-checkers around the world, including eight partners in India, to provide people with additional context about the content they're seeing on Facebook. In addition to English, these eight partners fact-check in 11 Indian languages including Bengali, Tamil, Malayalam and Assamese. When a fact-checker rates a story as false, such content is labelled and shown lower in News Feed, significantly reducing its distribution. This stops its spread and reduces the number of people who see it, Facebook said.

Facebook to curb hate speech amid elections in Indian states

Police have arrested a man suspected of attacking an elderly Asian woman in&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;City and charged him with felony assault as a hate crime, the police department said.

Police identified the suspect as Brandon Elliot, 38, who was already on lifetime parole for murdering his mother, the&nbsp;New&nbsp;York&nbsp;Police Department said in a statement to Reuters. Elliot was arrested and charged early on Wednesday.

The NYPD's Hate Crimes Force had been looking for the assailant since Monday afternoon, after a man punched and kicked a 65-year-old woman, knocked her to the ground and stamped at least three times on her head. He also made anti-Asian statements.

Videos posted on social media showed witnesses at the scene did not try to protect her and one man shut the door of a nearby building while the attacker casually walked away.

The police also confirmed that the victim sustained a serious physical injury.

The incident, which happened on a street in midtown Manhattan, is one among many rising hate crimes against Asian Americans. Such crimes rose by 149% in 2020 in 16 major cities compared with 2019, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

Police have arrested a man suspected of attacking an elderly Asian woman in New York City and charged him with felony assault as a hate crime, the police department said.

Police have arrested a man suspected of attacking an elderly Asian woman in New York City and charged him with felony assault as a hate crime, the police department said. Police identified the suspect as Brandon Elliot, 38, who was already on lifetime parole for murdering his mother, the New York Police Department said in a statement to Reuters. Elliot was arrested and charged early on Wednesday. The NYPD's Hate Crimes Force had been looking for the assailant since Monday afternoon, after a man punched and kicked a 65-year-old woman, knocked her to the ground and stamped at least three times on her head. He also made anti-Asian statements. Videos posted on social media showed witnesses at the scene did not try to protect her and one man shut the door of a nearby building while the attacker casually walked away. The police also confirmed that the victim sustained a serious physical injury. The incident, which happened on a street in midtown Manhattan, is one among many rising hate crimes against Asian Americans. Such crimes rose by 149% in 2020 in 16 major cities compared with 2019, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism.

New York police arrest man over attack on Asian woman in hate crime case

The United States on Tuesday highlighted a deteriorating picture for human rights across the world and&nbsp;called&nbsp;out China's repression of Uighurs.

The State Department released reports on the rights situation last year in nearly 200 countries, which are required annually by law and include detailed reports on China.

"The trend lines on human rights continue to move in the wrong direction," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters.

Blinken said some governments had used the coronavirus crisis as a "pretext to restrict rights and consolidate authoritarian rule."

In China, authorities had disappeared four citizen journalists reporting on the initial COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Academics in China who strayed from the official narratives about the pandemic faced harassment, censorship and in some cases interventions by universities and police, the State Department said.

The report on China issued on Tuesday used more assertive language to describe the Chinese government's mass detention program in Xinjiang province.

Blinken said in January that he agreed with a determination by his predecessor, Mike Pompeo, that China was committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, which China denies.

In addition to the "more than one million" Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minority groups it said were in extrajudicial internment camps, the report said there were "an additional two million subjected to daytime-only 're-education' training", a new reference not included in the previous year's report.

In Ethiopia, the department called out what it said were significant human rights issues. It accused the government of at times not taking steps to prosecute officials who committed human rights abuses, "resulting in impunity for abusers."

It also said limited access to the Tigray region, where thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes, makes it difficult to determine the extent of human rights abuses and violations.

The United Nations has raised concerns about atrocities being committed in Tigray, while Blinken has described acts carried out in the region as ethnic cleansing. Ethiopia has rejected Blinken's allegation.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's spokeswoman and a government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment early on Thursday.

Blinken also said that the State Department would bring back topics of reproductive health in the country reports, topics removed by the former administration of President Donald Trump.

An addendum will be released later this year that will cover the issues, which include information about maternal mortality and discrimination against women in accessing sexual and reproductive health, Blinken said.

"Because women's rights - including sexual and reproductive rights - are human rights," Blinken said.

The United States on Tuesday highlighted a deteriorating picture for human rights across the world and called out China's repression of Uighurs. The State Department released reports on the rights situation last year in nearly 200 countries, which are required annually by law and include detailed reports on China.

The United States on Tuesday highlighted a deteriorating picture for human rights across the world and called out China's repression of Uighurs. The State Department released reports on the rights situation last year in nearly 200 countries, which are required annually by law and include detailed reports on China. "The trend lines on human rights continue to move in the wrong direction," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters. Blinken said some governments had used the coronavirus crisis as a "pretext to restrict rights and consolidate authoritarian rule." In China, authorities had disappeared four citizen journalists reporting on the initial COVID-19 outbreak in Wuhan. Academics in China who strayed from the official narratives about the pandemic faced harassment, censorship and in some cases interventions by universities and police, the State Department said. The report on China issued on Tuesday used more assertive language to describe the Chinese government's mass detention program in Xinjiang province. Blinken said in January that he agreed with a determination by his predecessor, Mike Pompeo, that China was committing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang, which China denies. In addition to the "more than one million" Uighurs and other Muslim ethnic minority groups it said were in extrajudicial internment camps, the report said there were "an additional two million subjected to daytime-only 're-education' training", a new reference not included in the previous year's report. In Ethiopia, the department called out what it said were significant human rights issues. It accused the government of at times not taking steps to prosecute officials who committed human rights abuses, "resulting in impunity for abusers." It also said limited access to the Tigray region, where thousands have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes, makes it difficult to determine the extent of human rights abuses and violations. The United Nations has raised concerns about atrocities being committed in Tigray, while Blinken has described acts carried out in the region as ethnic cleansing. Ethiopia has rejected Blinken's allegation. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's spokeswoman and a government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment early on Thursday. Blinken also said that the State Department would bring back topics of reproductive health in the country reports, topics removed by the former administration of President Donald Trump. An addendum will be released later this year that will cover the issues, which include information about maternal mortality and discrimination against women in accessing sexual and reproductive health, Blinken said. "Because women's rights - including sexual and reproductive rights - are human rights," Blinken said.

US human rights report lambasts China over Uighur atrocities

A Tokyo restaurant operator suing the city for mandating shorter business hours decried the "hypocrisy" of health officials who flout the government's own COVID-19 contagion protocols.

Kozo Hasegawa, the operator of 43 restaurants including one that inspired the movie "Kill Bill: Volume I," is contesting the constitutionality of the measures and said that reports of bureaucrats going out at night proves they do not believe in the protocols either.

"They don't think that it's really dangerous for them to go out and drink," Hasegawa, the president of Global-Dining Inc told reporters on Tuesday. "It's hypocrisy."

The episode illustrates the growing economic strain from measures to contain the epidemic, with government data showing retail sales in&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;fell for the third straight month in February.

Restaurants in the capital region have been particularly hard hit. Although greater Tokyo area lifted a state of emergency earlier this month, it is enforcing fines against eateries that do not close by 9 p.m.

Health Minister Norihisa Tamura apologised on Tuesday after media reports that 23 ministry employees had held a late-night party at a pub in the Ginza district of Tokyo.

COVID-19 infections are down from their peak but they have trended up in recent days, raising fears of a possible fourth wave.

Hasegawa says the business restrictions are unscientific and unfair. His legal team has crowdsourced more than 17 million yen ($154,615) for legal costs and is seeking just 104 yen in damages.

Most health experts say that an adherence to hygiene rules and social distancing have helped&nbsp;Japan&nbsp;keep overall COVID-19 cases and deaths relatively low, without the kind of rigid lockdowns seen in other countries.

A Tokyo restaurant operator suing the city for mandating shorter business hours decried the "hypocrisy" of health officials who flout the government's own COVID-19 contagion protocols.

A Tokyo restaurant operator suing the city for mandating shorter business hours decried the "hypocrisy" of health officials who flout the government's own COVID-19 contagion protocols. Kozo Hasegawa, the operator of 43 restaurants including one that inspired the movie "Kill Bill: Volume I," is contesting the constitutionality of the measures and said that reports of bureaucrats going out at night proves they do not believe in the protocols either. "They don't think that it's really dangerous for them to go out and drink," Hasegawa, the president of Global-Dining Inc told reporters on Tuesday. "It's hypocrisy." The episode illustrates the growing economic strain from measures to contain the epidemic, with government data showing retail sales in Japan fell for the third straight month in February. Restaurants in the capital region have been particularly hard hit. Although greater Tokyo area lifted a state of emergency earlier this month, it is enforcing fines against eateries that do not close by 9 p.m. Health Minister Norihisa Tamura apologised on Tuesday after media reports that 23 ministry employees had held a late-night party at a pub in the Ginza district of Tokyo. COVID-19 infections are down from their peak but they have trended up in recent days, raising fears of a possible fourth wave. Hasegawa says the business restrictions are unscientific and unfair. His legal team has crowdsourced more than 17 million yen ($154,615) for legal costs and is seeking just 104 yen in damages. Most health experts say that an adherence to hygiene rules and social distancing have helped Japan keep overall COVID-19 cases and deaths relatively low, without the kind of rigid lockdowns seen in other countries.

'Kill Bill' restaurant operator suing Tokyo for hypocritical COVID-19 measures

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday named&nbsp;two citizen astronauts, including a&nbsp;college science professor and an aerospace data analyst&nbsp;for its first all-civilian spaceflight&nbsp;in history.

The two latest citizen astronauts were introduced at a news briefing livestreamed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX human spaceflight chief Benji Reed and billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who conceived the mission in part as a charity drive.

Isaacman, founder and CEO of e-commerce firm Shift4 Payments, is forking over an unspecified but presumably exorbitant sum to fellow billionaire and SpaceX owner Elon Musk to fly himself and three others into orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/bone-cancer-survivor-hayley-arceneaux-to-join-billionaire-jared-isaacman-on-spacex-all-civilian-trip-365462">Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX 'all-civilian' trip</a>

The flight, scheduled for no earlier than September&nbsp;15, is expected to last three to four days from launch to splashdown.

"When this mission is complete, people are going to look at it and say this was the first time that everyday people could go to space," Isaacman, 38, told reporters.

Dubbed Inspiration4, the mission is designed primarily to raise awareness and support for one of Isaacman's favorite causes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading pediatric cancer center. He has pledged $100 million personally to the institute.

Assuming the role of mission "commander," Isaacman in February designated St. Jude physician's assistant Haley Arceneaux, 29, a bone cancer survivor and onetime patient at the Tennessee-based hospital, as his first crewmate.

Announced on Tuesday, Chris Sembroski, 41, a Seattle-area aerospace industry employee and US&nbsp;Air Force veteran, was selected through a sweepstakes that drew 72,000 applicants and has raised $113 million in St. Jude donations.

Sian Proctor, 51, a geoscience professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, and entrepreneur who was once a NASA astronaut candidate, was chosen separately through an online business contest run by Shift4 Payments.

All four will undergo extensive training modeled after the curriculum NASA astronauts use to prepare for SpaceX missions.

The Inspiration4 mission may mark a new era in spaceflight, but it is not the only all-civilian crewed rocket launch in the works.

British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic enterprise is developing a spaceplane to carry paying customers on suborbital excursions.

SpaceX plans a separate launch, possibly next year, of a retired NASA astronaut, a former Israeli fighter pilot and two other people in conjunction with Houston-based private spaceflight company Axiom Space.

Musk also intends to fly Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon in 2023. Fees charged for those flights will help finance the development of Musk's new, heavy-lift Starship rocket for missions to the moon and Mars.

Inspiration4 is about more than a billionaire's joyride through space, organizers say, promising the crew will conduct a number of as-yet undetermined science experiments during its brief voyage.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday named two citizen astronauts, including a college science professor and an aerospace data analyst for its first all-civilian spaceflight in history.

Elon Musk's SpaceX on Wednesday named two citizen astronauts, including a college science professor and an aerospace data analyst for its first all-civilian spaceflight in history. The two latest citizen astronauts were introduced at a news briefing livestreamed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida by SpaceX human spaceflight chief Benji Reed and billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who conceived the mission in part as a charity drive. Isaacman, founder and CEO of e-commerce firm Shift4 Payments, is forking over an unspecified but presumably exorbitant sum to fellow billionaire and SpaceX owner Elon Musk to fly himself and three others into orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. Also read| Bone cancer survivor Hayley Arceneaux to join billionaire Jared Isaacman on SpaceX 'all-civilian' trip The flight, scheduled for no earlier than September 15, is expected to last three to four days from launch to splashdown. "When this mission is complete, people are going to look at it and say this was the first time that everyday people could go to space," Isaacman, 38, told reporters. Dubbed Inspiration4, the mission is designed primarily to raise awareness and support for one of Isaacman's favorite causes, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a leading pediatric cancer center. He has pledged $100 million personally to the institute. Assuming the role of mission "commander," Isaacman in February designated St. Jude physician's assistant Haley Arceneaux, 29, a bone cancer survivor and onetime patient at the Tennessee-based hospital, as his first crewmate. Announced on Tuesday, Chris Sembroski, 41, a Seattle-area aerospace industry employee and US Air Force veteran, was selected through a sweepstakes that drew 72,000 applicants and has raised $113 million in St. Jude donations. Sian Proctor, 51, a geoscience professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix, Arizona, and entrepreneur who was once a NASA astronaut candidate, was chosen separately through an online business contest run by Shift4 Payments. All four will undergo extensive training modeled after the curriculum NASA astronauts use to prepare for SpaceX missions. The Inspiration4 mission may mark a new era in spaceflight, but it is not the only all-civilian crewed rocket launch in the works. British billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic enterprise is developing a spaceplane to carry paying customers on suborbital excursions. SpaceX plans a separate launch, possibly next year, of a retired NASA astronaut, a former Israeli fighter pilot and two other people in conjunction with Houston-based private spaceflight company Axiom Space. Musk also intends to fly Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa around the moon in 2023. Fees charged for those flights will help finance the development of Musk's new, heavy-lift Starship rocket for missions to the moon and Mars. Inspiration4 is about more than a billionaire's joyride through space, organizers say, promising the crew will conduct a number of as-yet undetermined science experiments during its brief voyage.

SpaceX names two citizen astronauts for first all-civilian spaceflight

Astronomers have observed the most ''pristine'' visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System,&nbsp;according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics.

Pristine, in astronomical terms, describes a comet that has never passed close enough to a star to be transformed by its searing heat.

2I/Borisov was discovered in 2019 by Ukrainian astrophysicist Gennady Borisov at the MARGO Observatory in Crimea and is only the second interstellar object detected in our planetary system.

The first,&nbsp;the asteroid known as Oumaumua, which roughly means "Scout" in the Hawaiian language,&nbsp;baffled scientists for its unprecedented properties.

Both objects had trajectories unbound by the Sun, suggesting they came our way through the emptiness of deep space from another Solar System.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-how-many-interstellar-objects-may-be-visiting-our-solar-system-370700">Astronomers detect how many interstellar objects may be visiting our solar system</a>

Writing in the journal Nature Communications, an international team describe how 2I/Borisov's coma,&nbsp;the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet, polarised light at a higher rate than typical comets.&nbsp;

This is evidence that the comet probably didn't pass very close to its own star before embarking on its interstellar voyage.

The heat from a star can evaporate a comet's ice particles, liberating dust particles.&nbsp;

Lighter particles form the comet's tail while heavier ones fall back on to its surface, building a crust. Observing the tail of a comet can help scientists see how pristine&nbsp;or intact&nbsp;it is.

Co-author Lioudmila Kolokolova from the University of Maryland's Department of Astronomy explained the findings with reference to the coma, the cloud of gases and particles enveloping the comet core.

"Since we have observed a very homogeneous coma, without any signs of jets and other features, we suppose that the comet does not have a crust," she said.

"Thus it is really a pristine object, not affected much by radiation and charged particles."

The researchers said that only one other comet, Hale-Bopp, discovered by amateur astronomers in 1995,&nbsp;had exhibited similarly polarised light.

&nbsp;'Extremely low odds'

A second paper, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed the dust in the 2I/Borisov's coma and found it consisted of tiny "pebbles".

This compact pebble dust may have resulted from its formation, "perhaps due to gravitational stirring by giant planets much like in our own Solar system" according to lead author Bin Yang, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory.&nbsp;

She said that the indications were that 2I/Borisov's composition was "quite similar to a solar system comet".

There are likely to be far more interstellar objects out there in the vast expanse of space than the two observed so far in our Solar System, she added.

"We think there are many asteroids and comets around other stars," she said.

"However, because of the vast distance between us and other stars, the odds of finding these wandering objects is extremely low."&nbsp;

Astronomers have observed the most ''pristine'' visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System, according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics.

Astronomers have observed the most ''pristine'' visitor from outer space ever seen in our Solar System, according to a pair of studies released Tuesday detailing its unique characteristics. Pristine, in astronomical terms, describes a comet that has never passed close enough to a star to be transformed by its searing heat. 2I/Borisov was discovered in 2019 by Ukrainian astrophysicist Gennady Borisov at the MARGO Observatory in Crimea and is only the second interstellar object detected in our planetary system. The first, the asteroid known as Oumaumua, which roughly means "Scout" in the Hawaiian language, baffled scientists for its unprecedented properties. Both objects had trajectories unbound by the Sun, suggesting they came our way through the emptiness of deep space from another Solar System. Also read| Astronomers detect how many interstellar objects may be visiting our solar system Writing in the journal Nature Communications, an international team describe how 2I/Borisov's coma, the nebulous envelope around the nucleus of a comet, polarised light at a higher rate than typical comets. This is evidence that the comet probably didn't pass very close to its own star before embarking on its interstellar voyage. The heat from a star can evaporate a comet's ice particles, liberating dust particles. Lighter particles form the comet's tail while heavier ones fall back on to its surface, building a crust. Observing the tail of a comet can help scientists see how pristine or intact it is. Co-author Lioudmila Kolokolova from the University of Maryland's Department of Astronomy explained the findings with reference to the coma, the cloud of gases and particles enveloping the comet core. "Since we have observed a very homogeneous coma, without any signs of jets and other features, we suppose that the comet does not have a crust," she said. "Thus it is really a pristine object, not affected much by radiation and charged particles." The researchers said that only one other comet, Hale-Bopp, discovered by amateur astronomers in 1995, had exhibited similarly polarised light. 'Extremely low odds' A second paper, published in Nature Astronomy, analysed the dust in the 2I/Borisov's coma and found it consisted of tiny "pebbles". This compact pebble dust may have resulted from its formation, "perhaps due to gravitational stirring by giant planets much like in our own Solar system" according to lead author Bin Yang, an astronomer at the European Southern Observatory. She said that the indications were that 2I/Borisov's composition was "quite similar to a solar system comet". There are likely to be far more interstellar objects out there in the vast expanse of space than the two observed so far in our Solar System, she added. "We think there are many asteroids and comets around other stars," she said. "However, because of the vast distance between us and other stars, the odds of finding these wandering objects is extremely low."

Astronomers observe most 'pristine' comet from outer space in Solar system

The participation of both Indian External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had&nbsp;sparked speculation of a possible meeting between the two leaders amidst recent peace overtures from the Pakistan Army.&nbsp;

While announcing his participation, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Friday said Jaishankar is expected to meet leaders of other participating countries on the sidelines of the 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) ministerial conference.&nbsp;

However, Jaishankar and&nbsp;Qureshi had a bumpy and awkward encounter when they gathered for a group picture during the summit. They constantly avoided each other.

Jaishankar engaged with key stakeholders of the Afghanistan peace dialogue including&nbsp;Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Turkish Foreign Minister,&nbsp;Mevlut Cavusoglu and&nbsp;Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif. He extended support to a regional process on peace in Afghanistan under the United Nations umbrella.&nbsp;

The process was proposed by the US, in a letter by the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. The proposal calls for the meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and the US under the United Nations for a "unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan".

The last meeting between Qureshi and an Indian external affairs minister took place in May 2019 in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. Late Sushma Swaraj was then holding the portfolio of the external affairs minister.&nbsp;

On March 18, Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said it was time for India and Pakistan to ''bury the past and move forward.''

India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence and that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility.&nbsp;

The HoA-IP ministerial conference is part of the Istanbul Process, a regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan that was launched on November 2, 2011, in Turkey. &nbsp;

With India's participation at the Heart of Asia Summit, it finally has a formal seat at the table&nbsp;for the peace negotiations.

The participation of both Indian External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had sparked speculation of a possible meeting between the two leaders amidst recent peace overtures from the Pakistan Army.

The participation of both Indian External Affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar and Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi had sparked speculation of a possible meeting between the two leaders amidst recent peace overtures from the Pakistan Army. While announcing his participation, the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement on Friday said Jaishankar is expected to meet leaders of other participating countries on the sidelines of the 9th Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process (HoA-IP) ministerial conference. However, Jaishankar and Qureshi had a bumpy and awkward encounter when they gathered for a group picture during the summit. They constantly avoided each other. Jaishankar engaged with key stakeholders of the Afghanistan peace dialogue including Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu and Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif. He extended support to a regional process on peace in Afghanistan under the United Nations umbrella. The process was proposed by the US, in a letter by the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. The proposal calls for the meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, India, and the US under the United Nations for a "unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan". The last meeting between Qureshi and an Indian external affairs minister took place in May 2019 in Bishkek on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting. Late Sushma Swaraj was then holding the portfolio of the external affairs minister. On March 18, Pakistan's powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa said it was time for India and Pakistan to ''bury the past and move forward.'' India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence and that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility. The HoA-IP ministerial conference is part of the Istanbul Process, a regional initiative on security and cooperation for a stable and peaceful Afghanistan that was launched on November 2, 2011, in Turkey. With India's participation at the Heart of Asia Summit, it finally has a formal seat at the table for the peace negotiations.

Heart of Asia Summit: No India-Pakistan bilateral talks in Tajikistan

A mixed martial arts fighter dabbed tears from his eyes as he described calling 911 after witnessing the deadly arrest of&nbsp;George&nbsp;Floyd in Minneapolis last May, the third witness called in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

Prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office have begun their case by calling several people who witnessed the arrest on May 25, 2020: a Minneapolis 911 dispatcher who became alarmed by live police surveillance video of the arrest and a young woman who worked at the gas station across the street who recorded the scene on her cellphone.

Also see|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/opening-statements-begin-in-derek-chauvin-trial-for-george-floyds-death-374151" hreflang="en">Opening statements begin in Derek Chauvin trial for George Floyd's death</a>

During the witness testimony, prosecutors have played videos of the arrest to the jury taken from multiple angles, including the bystanders' video that shows Chauvin, who is white, pressing his knee into the neck of a dying Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, for about nine minutes.

The footage, which prosecutors say show excessive force, horrified people around the world and led to one of the largest protest movements seen in the United States in decades. Many have held up Floyd's death as an example of the brutality they say is routinely doled out by US&nbsp;law enforcement in encounters with people of colour.

Lawyers for Chauvin, 45, said he followed his police training and is not guilty of the charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter.

Donald Williams, eyewitness

Williams is a 33-year-old professional mixed martial arts fighter and father who can be heard on the videos of the arrest of Floyd screaming at Chauvin shortly after Floyd was accused of passing a fake $20 bill.

His is one of the loudest and deepest voices in the videos, and Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, showing rising impatience, cut off some of Williams' longer answers when the defence objected that the witness was speculating on the medical cause of Floyd's death.

"I feel he was in very much danger, to see another man like me being controlled —," Williams, who is Black, said of Floyd before the judge interrupted him.

Williams, 33, calls Chauvin a "bum" in the video, accuses him of "enjoying" his restraining of Floyd. He told jurors he believed that Chauvin was using his knee in a "blood choke" on Floyd, a wrestling move to knock an opponent unconscious, and a "shimmy" move to tighten pressure on Floyd's neck. He told the jury he feared for Floyd's life.

"You can see his eyes slowly rolling back," Williams said. "You can see that he's trying to gasp for air."

Chauvin's lawyers have said that Chauvin was distracted from "the care" of Floyd by the angry bystanders. Prosecutors asked Williams whether he heard any bystanders threaten the police, and he said no.

A 911 call Williams made after the arrest was played to the jury. Williams dabbed his eyes with a white tissue as his distressed voice filled the room.

"I believe I witnessed a murder," Williams told the jury. "So I felt I needed to call the police on the police."

In a sometimes tense cross-examination, both Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, and Williams found themselves using their arms to demonstrate different kinds of chokeholds on themselves as Nelson sought to show the jury that Williams has not himself trained police in using force.

Nelson then read aloud some of the obscene insults Williams hurled at Chauvin in the video.

"You call him a 'tough guy'?" Nelson asked, demanding only a 'yes' or 'no' answer. "You call him a 'real man?'"

Williams looked over at Chauvin with a slight smile as each insult was readout.

"You call him a 'bum' at least 13 times?" Nelson continued.

"If that's what you count in the video," Williams replied with a slight smile, "then that's what you got: 13."

A mixed martial arts fighter dabbed tears from his eyes as he described calling 911 after witnessing the deadly arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, the third witness called in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin.

A mixed martial arts fighter dabbed tears from his eyes as he described calling 911 after witnessing the deadly arrest of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May, the third witness called in the murder trial of former police officer Derek Chauvin. Prosecutors from the Minnesota attorney general's office have begun their case by calling several people who witnessed the arrest on May 25, 2020: a Minneapolis 911 dispatcher who became alarmed by live police surveillance video of the arrest and a young woman who worked at the gas station across the street who recorded the scene on her cellphone. Also see| Opening statements begin in Derek Chauvin trial for George Floyd's death During the witness testimony, prosecutors have played videos of the arrest to the jury taken from multiple angles, including the bystanders' video that shows Chauvin, who is white, pressing his knee into the neck of a dying Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, for about nine minutes. The footage, which prosecutors say show excessive force, horrified people around the world and led to one of the largest protest movements seen in the United States in decades. Many have held up Floyd's death as an example of the brutality they say is routinely doled out by US law enforcement in encounters with people of colour. Lawyers for Chauvin, 45, said he followed his police training and is not guilty of the charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder or second-degree manslaughter. Donald Williams, eyewitness Williams is a 33-year-old professional mixed martial arts fighter and father who can be heard on the videos of the arrest of Floyd screaming at Chauvin shortly after Floyd was accused of passing a fake $20 bill. His is one of the loudest and deepest voices in the videos, and Hennepin County District Judge Peter Cahill, showing rising impatience, cut off some of Williams' longer answers when the defence objected that the witness was speculating on the medical cause of Floyd's death. "I feel he was in very much danger, to see another man like me being controlled —," Williams, who is Black, said of Floyd before the judge interrupted him. Williams, 33, calls Chauvin a "bum" in the video, accuses him of "enjoying" his restraining of Floyd. He told jurors he believed that Chauvin was using his knee in a "blood choke" on Floyd, a wrestling move to knock an opponent unconscious, and a "shimmy" move to tighten pressure on Floyd's neck. He told the jury he feared for Floyd's life. "You can see his eyes slowly rolling back," Williams said. "You can see that he's trying to gasp for air." Chauvin's lawyers have said that Chauvin was distracted from "the care" of Floyd by the angry bystanders. Prosecutors asked Williams whether he heard any bystanders threaten the police, and he said no. A 911 call Williams made after the arrest was played to the jury. Williams dabbed his eyes with a white tissue as his distressed voice filled the room. "I believe I witnessed a murder," Williams told the jury. "So I felt I needed to call the police on the police." In a sometimes tense cross-examination, both Chauvin's lead lawyer, Eric Nelson, and Williams found themselves using their arms to demonstrate different kinds of chokeholds on themselves as Nelson sought to show the jury that Williams has not himself trained police in using force. Nelson then read aloud some of the obscene insults Williams hurled at Chauvin in the video. "You call him a 'tough guy'?" Nelson asked, demanding only a 'yes' or 'no' answer. "You call him a 'real man?'" Williams looked over at Chauvin with a slight smile as each insult was readout. "You call him a 'bum' at least 13 times?" Nelson continued. "If that's what you count in the video," Williams replied with a slight smile, "then that's what you got: 13."

'I called the police on the police,' witness recalls at Floyd trial

The World Health Organization chief on Tuesday criticised the&nbsp;lack of data access from China for the study on the origins of COVID-19.

China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to the WHO-led team, one of the team’s investigators has already said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the global pandemic began.

"In my discussions with the team, they expressed the difficulties they encountered in accessing raw data," Tedros said. "I expect future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data sharing."

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The conclusions that the virus origins remains incomplete likely means that tensions over how the pandemic started, and whether China has helped or hinder efforts to find out, as the United States has alleged,&nbsp;will continue.

A team commissioned by the&nbsp;World&nbsp;Health&nbsp;Organization&nbsp;to investigate the source of the coronavirus in Wuhan in January concluded that it was "extremely unlikely" that the pathogen originated in a top-security lab in the ground-zero Chinese city.

The WHO team's leader, Peter Ben Embarek, told a separate virtual press briefing on Tuesday that it was "perfectly possible" COVID-19 cases were circulating in November or October 2019 around Wuhan, potentially leading to the disease spreading abroad earlier than documented so far.

He said the team felt political pressure, including from outside China, but that he never was pressed to remove anything from its final report.

Covid-19 has killed more than 2.7 million people worldwide in the 15 months since it emerged, forcing governments around the&nbsp;world&nbsp;to introduce restrictions that have battered the global economy.

The probe was plagued by delays, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which under former US&nbsp;President Donald Trump's administration accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak.

The WHO declared on January&nbsp;30, 2020, that COVID-19 constituted an international emergency, its highest level of alert.

The World Health Organization chief on Tuesday criticised the lack of data access from China for the study on the origins of COVID-19. China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to the WHO-led team, one of the team’s investigators has already said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the global pandemic began.

The World Health Organization chief on Tuesday criticised the lack of data access from China for the study on the origins of COVID-19. China refused to give raw data on early COVID-19 cases to the WHO-led team, one of the team’s investigators has already said, potentially complicating efforts to understand how the global pandemic began. "In my discussions with the team, they expressed the difficulties they encountered in accessing raw data," Tedros said. "I expect future collaborative studies to include more timely and comprehensive data sharing." The conclusions that the virus origins remains incomplete likely means that tensions over how the pandemic started, and whether China has helped or hinder efforts to find out, as the United States has alleged, will continue. A team commissioned by the World Health Organization to investigate the source of the coronavirus in Wuhan in January concluded that it was "extremely unlikely" that the pathogen originated in a top-security lab in the ground-zero Chinese city. The WHO team's leader, Peter Ben Embarek, told a separate virtual press briefing on Tuesday that it was "perfectly possible" COVID-19 cases were circulating in November or October 2019 around Wuhan, potentially leading to the disease spreading abroad earlier than documented so far. He said the team felt political pressure, including from outside China, but that he never was pressed to remove anything from its final report. Covid-19 has killed more than 2.7 million people worldwide in the 15 months since it emerged, forcing governments around the world to introduce restrictions that have battered the global economy. The probe was plagued by delays, concern over access and bickering between Beijing and Washington, which under former US President Donald Trump's administration accused China of hiding the extent of the initial outbreak. The WHO declared on January 30, 2020, that COVID-19 constituted an international emergency, its highest level of alert.

WHO chief criticises lack of data access from China for Covid origins' study

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