The European Union on Thursday urged Sri Lanka to end its import restrictions put in place as a response to economic hardships caused by the COVID-10 pandemic, saying the current curbs are having a negative impact on the businesses.

In April, the Lankan government stopped imports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which it said would be restricted to essentials. This was being widely seen as easing the pressure on the local rupee to prevent it from sliding against the US dollar.

In a statement on Thursday, the EU said it had bought more than a billion Euros worth of goods (220 billion rupees) from Sri Lanka than it bought 2018 and 2019 creating a so-called trade surplus in favour of the island nation.

"Trade, however, is not a one-way street. The current import restrictions are having a negative impact on Sri Lankan and European businesses, and on Foreign Direct Investment,? it said in a statement issued by the EU Colombo office.

"Such measures impair Sri Lanka's efforts to become a regional hub and negatively impact Sri Lankan exports by constraining the import of raw material and machinery. We recall that a prolonged import ban is not in line with World Trade Organisation regulations," it added.

The call came after the Lankan government presented its 2021 budget, maintaining that import restrictions must remain in place to stabilise the rupee.

The local currency had depreciated by over 9 per cent by early April against the dollar. It recorded 196.75 to the dollar and now remains stabilized around 185 levels which the government mainly attributed to the banning of vehicle imports.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Finance Minister, presented the budget on Tuesday amid unprecedented health measures as the island nation since early October is witnessing a massive spike in COVID-19 infections.

Presenting the annual budget, Rajapaksa said the expected economic growth rate for 2021 is 5.5 per cent.

The GDP growth had reduced to 1.6 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, following a 2 per cent growth in the last quarter of 2019, the Central Bank had previously announced.&nbsp;

The European Union on Thursday urged Sri Lanka to end its import restrictions put in place as a response to economic hardships caused by the COVID-10 pandemic, saying the current curbs are having a negative impact on the businesses.

The European Union on Thursday urged Sri Lanka to end its import restrictions put in place as a response to economic hardships caused by the COVID-10 pandemic, saying the current curbs are having a negative impact on the businesses. In April, the Lankan government stopped imports in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which it said would be restricted to essentials. This was being widely seen as easing the pressure on the local rupee to prevent it from sliding against the US dollar. In a statement on Thursday, the EU said it had bought more than a billion Euros worth of goods (220 billion rupees) from Sri Lanka than it bought 2018 and 2019 creating a so-called trade surplus in favour of the island nation. "Trade, however, is not a one-way street. The current import restrictions are having a negative impact on Sri Lankan and European businesses, and on Foreign Direct Investment,? it said in a statement issued by the EU Colombo office. "Such measures impair Sri Lanka's efforts to become a regional hub and negatively impact Sri Lankan exports by constraining the import of raw material and machinery. We recall that a prolonged import ban is not in line with World Trade Organisation regulations," it added. The call came after the Lankan government presented its 2021 budget, maintaining that import restrictions must remain in place to stabilise the rupee. The local currency had depreciated by over 9 per cent by early April against the dollar. It recorded 196.75 to the dollar and now remains stabilized around 185 levels which the government mainly attributed to the banning of vehicle imports. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is also the Finance Minister, presented the budget on Tuesday amid unprecedented health measures as the island nation since early October is witnessing a massive spike in COVID-19 infections. Presenting the annual budget, Rajapaksa said the expected economic growth rate for 2021 is 5.5 per cent. The GDP growth had reduced to 1.6 per cent year-on-year in the first quarter of 2020, following a 2 per cent growth in the last quarter of 2019, the Central Bank had previously announced.

European Union asks Sri Lanka to end its import restrictions

Pakistan has signed a revised deal with Russia under which a major bilateral gas pipeline project in the country would be renamed with a major shareholding for Islamabad, according to a media report on Thursday.

Previously known as North South Gas Pipeline, under the new agreement Pakistan would hold 74 per cent stake in the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project while Russia would have 26 per cent ownership, The Express Tribune reported.

The project envisages supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over a 1,122-km high pressure pipeline from Karachi's Port Qasim to Kasur in Punjab province.

''In the revised project structure, Pakistan will hold 74 per cent shares whereas Russia will have 26 per cent stake,''&nbsp;the report, citing details from the meeting of the two sides here from November 16-18.

Pakistan's ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities and the chill in the US-Pakistan relations has further pushed the country towards Russia and China.

The two sides also agreed, in principle, to execute the project through a special purpose company, which would be incorporated in Pakistan.

Earlier, Russia had to build the pipeline on the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model and transfer its ownership to Pakistan after 25 years.

Also, Russia had to make 85 per cent of the required expenditure on the project whereas Pakistan had to spend 15 per cent of the capital.

However, the report did not provide the total cost of the ambitious project, said to be one of the largest to be undertaken by Russia in Pakistan.

Now, in the revised model, Pakistan has money on account of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) and therefore, it would contribute 74 per cent of the capital and Russia will make 26 per cent of the expenditure.

However, Russia will provide all importable material for the pipeline,&nbsp;the report said.

The Russia-Pakistan technical committee held its first meeting from November 16-18, 2020 in Islamabad on mutual cooperation for the development of a gas pipeline project. Energy ministries of the two countries were present in the meeting.

Discussions were aimed at finalising broad contours and parameters of the project involving construction of a high pressure gas transmission pipeline from Port Qasim (Karachi) to Kasur (Punjab) for the transportation of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) in order to meet gas shortage emanating from growing demand from industrial and domestic consumers.

The recent developments came after a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the matter of GIDC and availability of GIDC funds for project development.

The two countries signed a protocol relating to revised structure of the agreement with different conditions, the report said.&nbsp;

Pakistan has signed a revised deal with Russia under which a major bilateral gas pipeline project in the country would be renamed with a major shareholding for Islamabad, according to a media report on Thursday.

Pakistan has signed a revised deal with Russia under which a major bilateral gas pipeline project in the country would be renamed with a major shareholding for Islamabad, according to a media report on Thursday. Previously known as North South Gas Pipeline, under the new agreement Pakistan would hold 74 per cent stake in the Pakistan Stream Gas Pipeline project while Russia would have 26 per cent ownership, The Express Tribune reported. The project envisages supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over a 1,122-km high pressure pipeline from Karachi's Port Qasim to Kasur in Punjab province. ''In the revised project structure, Pakistan will hold 74 per cent shares whereas Russia will have 26 per cent stake,'' the report, citing details from the meeting of the two sides here from November 16-18. Pakistan's ties with Russia have moved past the bitter Cold War hostilities and the chill in the US-Pakistan relations has further pushed the country towards Russia and China. The two sides also agreed, in principle, to execute the project through a special purpose company, which would be incorporated in Pakistan. Earlier, Russia had to build the pipeline on the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) model and transfer its ownership to Pakistan after 25 years. Also, Russia had to make 85 per cent of the required expenditure on the project whereas Pakistan had to spend 15 per cent of the capital. However, the report did not provide the total cost of the ambitious project, said to be one of the largest to be undertaken by Russia in Pakistan. Now, in the revised model, Pakistan has money on account of Gas Infrastructure Development Cess (GIDC) and therefore, it would contribute 74 per cent of the capital and Russia will make 26 per cent of the expenditure. However, Russia will provide all importable material for the pipeline, the report said. The Russia-Pakistan technical committee held its first meeting from November 16-18, 2020 in Islamabad on mutual cooperation for the development of a gas pipeline project. Energy ministries of the two countries were present in the meeting. Discussions were aimed at finalising broad contours and parameters of the project involving construction of a high pressure gas transmission pipeline from Port Qasim (Karachi) to Kasur (Punjab) for the transportation of regasified liquefied natural gas (RLNG) in order to meet gas shortage emanating from growing demand from industrial and domestic consumers. The recent developments came after a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the matter of GIDC and availability of GIDC funds for project development. The two countries signed a protocol relating to revised structure of the agreement with different conditions, the report said.

Pakistan, Russia sign revised gas deal, rename project: Report

Denmark's&nbsp;health ministry said on Thursday that a&nbsp;new, mutated strain of the novel coronavirus stemming from mink farms&nbsp;is "most likely" extinct.

"There have been no new cases of the 'Cluster 5' mink mutation since September 15, which has led to the Danish infectious disease authority SSI to conclude that this variant has most likely been eradicated," the ministry said in a statement, after the government ordered a cull of all the country's 15 to 17 million minks in a bid to halt the spread of the variant.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-covid-scare-denmark-shaken-by-mink-culling-342511/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The Danish&nbsp;government said most of the strict restrictions it had imposed on November 5 on seven municipalities in the North Jutland region, home to 280,000 people, would be lifted on Friday. They had originally been due to stay in place until December 3.

All minks in the seven municipalities have been culled, totalling 10.2 million, and the slaughter is still ongoing in other parts of the country.

With three times more minks than people, the Scandinavian country is the world's biggest exporter, selling pelts for around 670 million euros ($792 million) annually, and the second-biggest producer behind China.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/worlds-largest-fur-auction-house-to-shut-down-following-mink-decimation-342962">World's largest fur auction house to shut down&nbsp;following mink decimation</a>

Two weeks ago,&nbsp;Denmark&nbsp;ordered all farmed mink in the country culled to curb widespread outbreaks of COVID-19 on farms, a situation exacerbated by the discovery of a mutated variant, which authorities said showed reduced sensitivity to antibodies.

On Wednesday, the Nordic country's Food and Agriculture Minister resigned following the admission by the government it did not have the proper legal basis behind the cull order, making it a potential constitutional breach.

Opposition parties in&nbsp;Denmark&nbsp;are calling for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to step down too, saying she was ultimately responsible.

Frederiksen has apologised publicly, but maintains the decision to cull all mink was sound and based on an assessment by health authorities.

Based on improved infection numbers in the northern part of&nbsp;Denmark, home to most of the country's mink farms, the Health Ministry on Thursday also announced it would ease restrictions imposed two weeks ago to curb the spread of the virus.

Mink have shown a particular susceptibility to infection from the coronavirus, a problem inflamed by the fact that mink are bred in large numbers and in close living conditions, according to the World Health Organization.

Denmark's health ministry said on Thursday that a new, mutated strain of the novel coronavirus stemming from mink farms is "most likely" extinct. "There have been no new cases of the 'Cluster 5' mink mutation since September 15, which has led to the Danish infectious disease authority SSI to conclude that this variant has most likely been eradicated," the ministry said in a statement, after the government ordered a cull of all the country's 15 to 17 million minks in a bid to halt the spread of the variant.

Denmark's health ministry said on Thursday that a new, mutated strain of the novel coronavirus stemming from mink farms is "most likely" extinct. "There have been no new cases of the 'Cluster 5' mink mutation since September 15, which has led to the Danish infectious disease authority SSI to conclude that this variant has most likely been eradicated," the ministry said in a statement, after the government ordered a cull of all the country's 15 to 17 million minks in a bid to halt the spread of the variant. The Danish government said most of the strict restrictions it had imposed on November 5 on seven municipalities in the North Jutland region, home to 280,000 people, would be lifted on Friday. They had originally been due to stay in place until December 3. All minks in the seven municipalities have been culled, totalling 10.2 million, and the slaughter is still ongoing in other parts of the country. With three times more minks than people, the Scandinavian country is the world's biggest exporter, selling pelts for around 670 million euros ($792 million) annually, and the second-biggest producer behind China. Also read: World's largest fur auction house to shut down following mink decimation Two weeks ago, Denmark ordered all farmed mink in the country culled to curb widespread outbreaks of COVID-19 on farms, a situation exacerbated by the discovery of a mutated variant, which authorities said showed reduced sensitivity to antibodies. On Wednesday, the Nordic country's Food and Agriculture Minister resigned following the admission by the government it did not have the proper legal basis behind the cull order, making it a potential constitutional breach. Opposition parties in Denmark are calling for Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to step down too, saying she was ultimately responsible. Frederiksen has apologised publicly, but maintains the decision to cull all mink was sound and based on an assessment by health authorities. Based on improved infection numbers in the northern part of Denmark, home to most of the country's mink farms, the Health Ministry on Thursday also announced it would ease restrictions imposed two weeks ago to curb the spread of the virus. Mink have shown a particular susceptibility to infection from the coronavirus, a problem inflamed by the fact that mink are bred in large numbers and in close living conditions, according to the World Health Organization.

Denmark says mutated coronavirus from mink farms 'most likely eradicated'

Israeli winemaker Yaakov Berg captured attention by naming his red bled after US Secretary Mike Pompeo, but he said the tag on the label's top right corner,&nbsp;#madeinlegality,&nbsp;is as important as the name.

Berg's immaculately-furnished Psagot Winery sits on a hilltop in the occupied West Bank, with a stunning panoramic view overlooking the Palestinian village of Mukhmas.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pompeo-becomes-first-us-secretary-to-visit-west-bank-settlement-golan-heights-344096">Pompeo becomes first US Secretary to visit West Bank settlement, Golan Heights</a>

For much of the international community, the winery is located in Palestinian territory illegally seized by the Jewish settlers.

Pompeo went to the winery on Thursday, becoming the first top American diplomat to visit a West Bank settlement on a tour that has outraged the Palestinians.&nbsp;

Berg spoke to AFP the day before Pompeo's visit, as his staff organised flowers, set tables in the restaurant and decorated the cobble-stoned property with US and Israeli flags.&nbsp;

Berg exports his products to Europe and has waged an unsuccessful legal campaign against guidelines on labelling products identifying their origin as territories occupied by Israel.

When Pompeo announced last year that President Donald Trump's staunchly pro-Israeli administration no longer considered Jewish settlements in the West Bank illegal, Berg saw it as historic announcement that will entrench the US envoy "in the history of the Jewish people".

Pompeo's support will ensure he is remembered by Jews "100 years from now," Berg said.&nbsp;

"I felt like we need to honour him, to thank him, to really show some appreciation," Berg said about the decision to name a wine after him. &nbsp;

For Berg, the #madeinlegality label affixed to his Pompeo blend is not a branding gimmick but a statement about "morality".

"We are not thieves. We didn't (steal) this land," he told AFP, categorically rejecting the notion that his winery is on land where Israelis do not belong.

'Plundered soil'

According to the Israeli anti-occupation organisation Peace Now, the Psagot Winery is on "stolen land", taken incrementally from the Palestinians who owned it.&nbsp;

"A significant portion of the grapes from which the wine is made come from plundered soil," Peace Now said.&nbsp;

It called Pompeo's visit "a last pathetic attempt to undermine the prospects for peace by normalising the settlements".

President-elect Joe Biden has said his administration will restore US opposition to settlements.&nbsp;

Berg, like Pompeo, was not prepared to acknowledge Trump's election defeat.

"We have been hoping that he will be elected to a second (term)," he said. "Let's wait and see."

But, asked about the prospects of renewed US hostility to settlements under Biden, Berg argued that from his perspective, Trump's approach had clearly worked.&nbsp;

"We have peace, we have quiet," he said. "We have our Palestinian neighbours and we believe we can live together."

Berg insisted that any peace process that relies on Jews leaving Judea and Samaria, the term many Israelis use for the West Bank, is doomed to fail.&nbsp;

"We are here forever," he said. "We have been praying to come back to Israel and specifically to here for 2,000 years ... We didn't conquer. We just came to our homeland."&nbsp;

Israeli winemaker Yaakov Berg captured attention by naming his red bled after US Secretary Mike Pompeo, but he said the tag on the label's top right corner, #madeinlegality, is as important as the name.

Israeli winemaker Yaakov Berg captured attention by naming his red bled after US Secretary Mike Pompeo, but he said the tag on the label's top right corner, #madeinlegality, is as important as the name. Berg's immaculately-furnished Psagot Winery sits on a hilltop in the occupied West Bank, with a stunning panoramic view overlooking the Palestinian village of Mukhmas. Also read: Pompeo becomes first US Secretary to visit West Bank settlement, Golan Heights For much of the international community, the winery is located in Palestinian territory illegally seized by the Jewish settlers. Pompeo went to the winery on Thursday, becoming the first top American diplomat to visit a West Bank settlement on a tour that has outraged the Palestinians. Berg spoke to AFP the day before Pompeo's visit, as his staff organised flowers, set tables in the restaurant and decorated the cobble-stoned property with US and Israeli flags. Berg exports his products to Europe and has waged an unsuccessful legal campaign against guidelines on labelling products identifying their origin as territories occupied by Israel. When Pompeo announced last year that President Donald Trump's staunchly pro-Israeli administration no longer considered Jewish settlements in the West Bank illegal, Berg saw it as historic announcement that will entrench the US envoy "in the history of the Jewish people". Pompeo's support will ensure he is remembered by Jews "100 years from now," Berg said. "I felt like we need to honour him, to thank him, to really show some appreciation," Berg said about the decision to name a wine after him. For Berg, the #madeinlegality label affixed to his Pompeo blend is not a branding gimmick but a statement about "morality". "We are not thieves. We didn't (steal) this land," he told AFP, categorically rejecting the notion that his winery is on land where Israelis do not belong. 'Plundered soil' According to the Israeli anti-occupation organisation Peace Now, the Psagot Winery is on "stolen land", taken incrementally from the Palestinians who owned it. "A significant portion of the grapes from which the wine is made come from plundered soil," Peace Now said. It called Pompeo's visit "a last pathetic attempt to undermine the prospects for peace by normalising the settlements". President-elect Joe Biden has said his administration will restore US opposition to settlements. Berg, like Pompeo, was not prepared to acknowledge Trump's election defeat. "We have been hoping that he will be elected to a second (term)," he said. "Let's wait and see." But, asked about the prospects of renewed US hostility to settlements under Biden, Berg argued that from his perspective, Trump's approach had clearly worked. "We have peace, we have quiet," he said. "We have our Palestinian neighbours and we believe we can live together." Berg insisted that any peace process that relies on Jews leaving Judea and Samaria, the term many Israelis use for the West Bank, is doomed to fail. "We are here forever," he said. "We have been praying to come back to Israel and specifically to here for 2,000 years ... We didn't conquer. We just came to our homeland."

'Pompeo' wine made legally, says Israeli settler

Apple will pay $113 million (£85 million) to settle allegations from 33 US&nbsp;states and the District of Columbia that it slowed down iPhones to mask battery issues and get users to purchase new devices, state officials announced on Wednesday.

The deal with a coalition led by Arizona, Arkansas, and Indiana is separate from a proposed settlement&nbsp;Apple&nbsp;reached in March to pay affected iPhone owners up to $500 million to stem a class action.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-to-reduce-its-app-store-fees-for-small-developers-343975" hreflang="en">Apple to reduce its App Store fees for small developers</a>

A large number of individuals were influenced when the models of iPhone 6 and 7 and SE were eased back down in 2016 out of an embarrassment that was named battery gate.&nbsp;

Apple declined to remark, in any case, it has recently said the telephones were eased back to safeguard maturing battery life.&nbsp;

The arrangement is discrete from a proposed settlement Apple came to in March to pay influenced iPhone proprietors up to $500m in a legal claim.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-launches-macbook-laptops-with-first-microprocessor-designed-in-house-342287" hreflang="en">Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house</a>

In 2016 Apple refreshed programming on models of the iPhone 6, 7, and SE,&nbsp;which choked chip speeds on maturing telephones.&nbsp;

Unusual slowdowns

Apple recognized its update decreased force requests after specialists discovered unordinary log jams in 2017.&nbsp;

The states contended that Apple had acted misleadingly and ought to have supplanted batteries or revealed the issue.&nbsp;

As indicated by an Arizona documenting, a large number of clients were influenced by power shutoffs.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-puts-taiwanese-supplier-pegatron-on-probation-for-exploitation-of-students-342003" hreflang="en">Apple puts Taiwanese supplier Pegatron on probation for exploitation of student</a>

Apple rejects that the stoppage was for monetary profit.&nbsp;

Yet, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote in a court report unveiled on Wednesday: "Numerous customers concluded that the best way to get improved execution was to buy a more up to date model iPhone from Apple.&nbsp;

"Apple, obviously, completely saw such consequences for deals."&nbsp;

Under the settlement, Apple didn't admit to any bad behavior or violating any law.&nbsp;

The tech titan likewise concurred for the following three years to give "honest data" about iPhone power the executives over its site, programming update notes, and iPhone settings.&nbsp;

The settlement comes after a progression of different claims against Apple.&nbsp;

It is presently secured a fight in court with Epic Games - in the midst of allegations the iPhone-producer utilizes its stranglehold over its App Store to unjustifiably charge engineers.

Apple will pay $113 million (£85 million) to settle allegations from 33 US states and the District of Columbia that it slowed down iPhones to mask battery issues and get users to purchase new devices, state officials announced on Wednesday.

Apple will pay $113 million (£85 million) to settle allegations from 33 US states and the District of Columbia that it slowed down iPhones to mask battery issues and get users to purchase new devices, state officials announced on Wednesday. The deal with a coalition led by Arizona, Arkansas, and Indiana is separate from a proposed settlement Apple reached in March to pay affected iPhone owners up to $500 million to stem a class action. Also read: Apple to reduce its App Store fees for small developers A large number of individuals were influenced when the models of iPhone 6 and 7 and SE were eased back down in 2016 out of an embarrassment that was named battery gate. Apple declined to remark, in any case, it has recently said the telephones were eased back to safeguard maturing battery life. The arrangement is discrete from a proposed settlement Apple came to in March to pay influenced iPhone proprietors up to $500m in a legal claim. Also read: Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house In 2016 Apple refreshed programming on models of the iPhone 6, 7, and SE, which choked chip speeds on maturing telephones. Unusual slowdowns Apple recognized its update decreased force requests after specialists discovered unordinary log jams in 2017. The states contended that Apple had acted misleadingly and ought to have supplanted batteries or revealed the issue. As indicated by an Arizona documenting, a large number of clients were influenced by power shutoffs. Also read: Apple puts Taiwanese supplier Pegatron on probation for exploitation of student Apple rejects that the stoppage was for monetary profit. Yet, Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote in a court report unveiled on Wednesday: "Numerous customers concluded that the best way to get improved execution was to buy a more up to date model iPhone from Apple. "Apple, obviously, completely saw such consequences for deals." Under the settlement, Apple didn't admit to any bad behavior or violating any law. The tech titan likewise concurred for the following three years to give "honest data" about iPhone power the executives over its site, programming update notes, and iPhone settings. The settlement comes after a progression of different claims against Apple. It is presently secured a fight in court with Epic Games - in the midst of allegations the iPhone-producer utilizes its stranglehold over its App Store to unjustifiably charge engineers.

Batterygate scandal: Apple to pay $113 million settlement on iPhone throttling

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has resolved a&nbsp;16-year-old cosmic mystery and found the missing links to the&nbsp;Blue Ring Nebula.

The Blue Ring Nebula spotted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) perplexed scientists for several years.

A new study published online on Wednesday&nbsp;in the journal Nature may have cracked the case.&nbsp;

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16-year-old cosmic mystery solved!🧐 
The Blue Ring Nebula spotted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) perplexed scientists for years. It appears to be the youngest known example of 2 stars merged into 1 &amp; first known merged star system at this stage. <a href="https://t.co/wedtyWgsuz">https://t.co/wedtyWgsuz</a> <a href="https://t.co/8th7ccZBcf">pic.twitter.com/8th7ccZBcf</a>
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAJPL/status/1329099012926971904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2020</a></blockquote>
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By applying cutting-edge theoretical models to the slew of data that has been collected on this object, the authors posit the nebula,&nbsp;a cloud of gas in space,&nbsp;is likely composed of debris from two stars that collided and merged into a single star.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/WY8J8hFHhiw" width="560"></iframe>

While combined star frameworks are believed to be genuinely normal, they are almost difficult to concentrate following they structure since they're clouded by flotsam and jetsam the crash kicks up. When the garbage has cleared - at any rate countless years after the fact - they're trying to distinguish on the grounds that they look like non-consolidated stars.

The Blue Ring Nebula has all the earmarks of being the missing connection: Astronomers are seeing the star framework two or three thousand years after the consolidation when proof of the association is as yet abundant. It gives off an impression of being the main known cause of a consolidated star framework at this stage.&nbsp;

<img alt="F" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="3944c9ca-4af6-4f4a-bdf4-96b1913eeb4f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/e2-PIA23867-and-23868-640.jpg" />

The Blue Ring Nebula consists of two hollow, cone-shaped clouds of debris moving in opposite directions away from the central star. The base of one cone is traveling almost directly toward Earth. As a result, astronomers looking at the nebula see two circles that partially overlap. Credit: NASA

The group inferred that the cloud was the result of a moderately new heavenly consolidation that probably happened between a star like our Sun and another star just around one-10th that size (or around multiple times the mass of Jupiter). Approaching an incredible finish, the Sun-like star started to grow, crawling nearer to its buddy. In the end, the more modest star fell into a descending twisting toward its bigger buddy. En route, the bigger star destroyed the more modest star, enclosing itself by a ring of flotsam and jetsam prior to gulping the more modest star altogether.&nbsp;

This was the savage occasion that prompted the development of the Blue Ring Nebula. The consolidation dispatched a haze of hot trash into space that was cut in two by the gas plate. This made two cone-formed trash veils of mist, their bases moving ceaselessly from the star in inverse ways and getting more extensive as they travel outward. The base of one cone is coming straightforwardly toward Earth and the other legitimately away. They are too weak to even think about seeing alone, however, the territory where the cones cover (as observed from Earth) frames the focal blue ring GALEX noticed.&nbsp;

Centuries passed. The extending flotsam and jetsam cloud cooled and shaped particles and residue, including hydrogen atoms that crashed into the interstellar medium, the scanty assortment of molecules, and vigorous particles that occupy the space between stars. The impacts energized the hydrogen atoms, making them emanate in a particular frequency of far-UV light. Over the long haul, the shine turned out to be sufficiently brilliant for GALEX to see.&nbsp;

Heavenly consolidations may happen as regularly as once like clockwork in our Milky Way world, which means it's conceivable that a sizeable populace of the stars we find in the sky was once two.&nbsp;

"We see a lot of two-star frameworks that may combine some time in the future, and we think we've recognized stars that blended possibly a great many years prior. However, we have practically no information on what occurs in the middle of," said Metzger. "We think there are presumably a lot of youthful remainders of heavenly consolidations in our system, and the Blue Ring Nebula may show us what they resemble so we can recognize a greater amount of them."&nbsp;

Despite the fact that this is likely the determination of a 16-year-old riddle, it might likewise be the start of another part in the investigation of heavenly consolidations.&nbsp;

"Unfortunately GALEX had the option to discover this truly weak article that we weren't searching for however that ends up being something truly intriguing to space experts," said Seibert. "It just repeats that when you take a gander at the universe in another frequency or in another way, you discover things you never envisioned you would."

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has resolved a 16-year-old cosmic mystery and found the missing links to the Blue Ring Nebula. The Blue Ring Nebula spotted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) perplexed scientists for several years.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has resolved a 16-year-old cosmic mystery and found the missing links to the Blue Ring Nebula. The Blue Ring Nebula spotted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) perplexed scientists for several years. A new study published online on Wednesday in the journal Nature may have cracked the case. 16-year-old cosmic mystery solved!🧐 The Blue Ring Nebula spotted by the Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) perplexed scientists for years. It appears to be the youngest known example of 2 stars merged into 1 & first known merged star system at this stage. https://t.co/wedtyWgsuz pic.twitter.com/8th7ccZBcf — NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) November 18, 2020 × By applying cutting-edge theoretical models to the slew of data that has been collected on this object, the authors posit the nebula, a cloud of gas in space, is likely composed of debris from two stars that collided and merged into a single star. While combined star frameworks are believed to be genuinely normal, they are almost difficult to concentrate following they structure since they're clouded by flotsam and jetsam the crash kicks up. When the garbage has cleared - at any rate countless years after the fact - they're trying to distinguish on the grounds that they look like non-consolidated stars. The Blue Ring Nebula has all the earmarks of being the missing connection: Astronomers are seeing the star framework two or three thousand years after the consolidation when proof of the association is as yet abundant. It gives off an impression of being the main known cause of a consolidated star framework at this stage. The Blue Ring Nebula consists of two hollow, cone-shaped clouds of debris moving in opposite directions away from the central star. The base of one cone is traveling almost directly toward Earth. As a result, astronomers looking at the nebula see two circles that partially overlap. Credit: NASA The group inferred that the cloud was the result of a moderately new heavenly consolidation that probably happened between a star like our Sun and another star just around one-10th that size (or around multiple times the mass of Jupiter). Approaching an incredible finish, the Sun-like star started to grow, crawling nearer to its buddy. In the end, the more modest star fell into a descending twisting toward its bigger buddy. En route, the bigger star destroyed the more modest star, enclosing itself by a ring of flotsam and jetsam prior to gulping the more modest star altogether. This was the savage occasion that prompted the development of the Blue Ring Nebula. The consolidation dispatched a haze of hot trash into space that was cut in two by the gas plate. This made two cone-formed trash veils of mist, their bases moving ceaselessly from the star in inverse ways and getting more extensive as they travel outward. The base of one cone is coming straightforwardly toward Earth and the other legitimately away. They are too weak to even think about seeing alone, however, the territory where the cones cover (as observed from Earth) frames the focal blue ring GALEX noticed. Centuries passed. The extending flotsam and jetsam cloud cooled and shaped particles and residue, including hydrogen atoms that crashed into the interstellar medium, the scanty assortment of molecules, and vigorous particles that occupy the space between stars. The impacts energized the hydrogen atoms, making them emanate in a particular frequency of far-UV light. Over the long haul, the shine turned out to be sufficiently brilliant for GALEX to see. Heavenly consolidations may happen as regularly as once like clockwork in our Milky Way world, which means it's conceivable that a sizeable populace of the stars we find in the sky was once two. "We see a lot of two-star frameworks that may combine some time in the future, and we think we've recognized stars that blended possibly a great many years prior. However, we have practically no information on what occurs in the middle of," said Metzger. "We think there are presumably a lot of youthful remainders of heavenly consolidations in our system, and the Blue Ring Nebula may show us what they resemble so we can recognize a greater amount of them." Despite the fact that this is likely the determination of a 16-year-old riddle, it might likewise be the start of another part in the investigation of heavenly consolidations. "Unfortunately GALEX had the option to discover this truly weak article that we weren't searching for however that ends up being something truly intriguing to space experts," said Seibert. "It just repeats that when you take a gander at the universe in another frequency or in another way, you discover things you never envisioned you would."

NASA resolves the mystery of Blue Ring Nebula, reveal stellar missing link

Protests the Thai way: Pool ducks, Hunger Games salute & drag queens

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to move quickly to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran so long as Iran also comes back into compliance. But that vow is easier said than done.

While Biden’s pledge pleased the deal’s other signatories, who were angry that President Donald Trump withdrew from it two years ago, returning to the way things were maybe impossible, complicated by both Iranian and U.S. politics.

Trump, even as a lame duck, is moving quickly to increase U.S. sanctions against Iran and sell advanced weapons to its regional enemies, policies that would be difficult for a new president to reverse.

Last week, he asked his advisers for options to launch a military strike against Iran but appears to have been talked out of it. His aides argued that an attack could quickly lead to a larger war.

Iran, where President Hassan Rouhani faces strong opposition from conservatives in elections set for June 2021, is expected to demand a high price to return to the deal, including the immediate lifting of the punishing sanctions imposed by the Trump administration and billions of dollars in compensation for them.

Those are demands that Biden is highly unlikely to meet — especially given strong congressional opposition.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has tried to pass on to Biden’s advisers through intermediaries Tehran’s insistence that the United States return to the Iran deal unconditionally before any talks resume, according to Iranian diplomats.

The diplomats say that Iran is not interested in a temporary freeze and will not stop enriching uranium or reduce its large stockpile in the meantime. They said that Iran would return to full compliance with the deal when the United States does.

Advisers to Biden do not confirm receiving any messages from Iran and say they will only deal with the issue after the inauguration.

Iran has some leverage. When Trump took office, Iran had roughly 102 kilograms, or about 225 pounds, of enriched uranium, whose production was limited by the 2015 agreement. After the United States withdrew, Iran declared it was no longer bound by the agreement and resumed enriching uranium at higher levels.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week that Iran now had more than 2,440 kilograms, which is more than eight times the limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal. The “breakout” time for Iran to possibly make a nuclear weapon — an ambition it denies — is now considerably shorter than a year.

During the campaign, Biden called Trump’s decision to abandon the deal “reckless” and said it ended up isolating the United States, not Iran.

“I will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy,” Biden wrote in a September op-ed for CNN. “If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.”

A week ago, after Biden’s victory, Rouhani welcomed the initiative, calling it “an opportunity” for the United States “to compensate for its previous mistakes and return to the path of adherence to international commitments.”

The choice of the word “compensate” was not accidental, said Robert Einhorn, a nuclear arms-control negotiator now at the Brookings Institution. Iran says it wants Washington to pay for the billions of dollars in economic losses it incurred when Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran deal in 2018 and reinstituted sanctions that it had lifted.

Since then, Trump has piled on more sanctions. This maximum pressure campaign, as the administration has called it, devastated Iran’s economy but failed to push Iran back to the negotiating table or to curtail its involvement in Iraq, Syria or Lebanon.

The administration is also trying to further limit Iran’s support for proxy militias in those countries. It is selling more sophisticated weapons to the Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf — countries that see Iran as an enemy and have their own regional ambitions — and accelerating the transfer of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates.

Some think Trump will take more kinetic measures, including further sabotage and cyberattacks on Iran’s nuclear or missile programs or even military action, which Israel, Egypt and the Gulf allies would most likely support.

“I don’t think the administration is finished on the Iran issue,” said Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a long-standing supporter of a tough policy on Iran. “I think people are going to run hard for the next three months against Iran, knowing that after January there could be a very different Iran policy in place.”

Iranian negotiators know that the United States would never provide financial compensation, Einhorn said. “But they may stake out a tough negotiating position, especially given the dynamics of their upcoming election.” He suggested that Iran would demand not just the removal of the nuclear-related sanctions but also those imposed for human rights violations, ballistic missile development and support for terrorist groups, which a Biden administration would find politically and technically difficult to do.

Short of a quick reentry into the nuclear deal, Einhorn said, the parties should work toward an interim agreement, in which Iran would roll back a meaningful part of its current nuclear buildup in exchange for partial sanctions relief — especially giving Iran access to some of its oil revenues now blocked in overseas bank accounts. Iran might welcome such an interim arrangement if it gave the economy a quick boost, especially before the mid-June elections.

But given the complications of the U.S. transition of power, with the requirements for security clearances and Senate confirmation already slowed by Trump’s refusal to concede defeat and cooperate with Biden, top officials might not be in place very soon. The practical window between inauguration Jan. 20 and June is likely to be only two or three months, which argues for a rapidly constructed “back channel” between Washington and Tehran after Biden takes office.

Despite Trump’s pressure campaign, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has kept the door open to a U.S. return, refusing to completely abandon the nuclear deal, said Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran expert with the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Iranians opposed to the initial deal argue that the United States has proved it cannot be trusted, and Iran rejected any negotiations with Trump. But Khamenei provided Rouhani “the green light, the political space to make these messages to a Biden administration” about Iran’s desire for Washington to return to the deal, Geranmayeh said.

At the same time, she noted, Rouhani’s hard-line opponents will not want him “to get this win before the elections in June, and they will look to jam this effort as the Republicans will try to jam Biden’s,” she said. Biden could quickly lift a number of sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear activities, including approving more waivers allowing Iran to sell oil. He could ease travel restrictions on Iranian citizens, increase humanitarian trade by easing banking impediments, and lift sanctions on some key officials, like Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the main nuclear negotiator.

But sanctions instituted under the category of counterterrorism and human rights, like those against the Revolutionary Guard, would be harder to void, especially because many Democrats also support them. But Geranmayeh said that Iran would insist that the United States lift the sanction against the Central Bank of Iran, accused of financing designated terrorist groups, so that it can once again use the global banking system.

If the Iran deal can be reconstituted, Iran has said it is open to talks on other issues, especially regional concerns around Iraq and Syria. But Iran has so far refused to put on the table its missile program, which is already under separate U.S. and U.N. sanctions.

The key, as with all major policies in Iran, is Khamenei, now 81. He regards the U.S. as a doomed country in “political, civil and moral decline.” He went along with the nuclear deal because it promised significant economic benefits from the lifting of sanctions and now apparently regards his skepticism about the United States as confirmed by Trump’s withdrawal from the pact.

But with the change in U.S. leadership, he again sees the possibility of easing the economic straitjacket that renewed U.S. sanctions have imposed.

“Despite Khamenei’s hubris, a Biden presidency presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Tehran,” Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment wrote. “The opportunity is a chance to improve the country’s moribund economy; the challenge is that Tehran will no longer be able to effectively use President Donald Trump as a pretext or distraction for its domestic repression, economic failures and regional aggression.”

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to move quickly to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran so long as Iran also comes back into compliance. But that vow is easier said than done.

President-elect Joe Biden has promised to move quickly to rejoin the nuclear deal with Iran so long as Iran also comes back into compliance. But that vow is easier said than done. While Biden’s pledge pleased the deal’s other signatories, who were angry that President Donald Trump withdrew from it two years ago, returning to the way things were maybe impossible, complicated by both Iranian and U.S. politics. Trump, even as a lame duck, is moving quickly to increase U.S. sanctions against Iran and sell advanced weapons to its regional enemies, policies that would be difficult for a new president to reverse. Last week, he asked his advisers for options to launch a military strike against Iran but appears to have been talked out of it. His aides argued that an attack could quickly lead to a larger war. Iran, where President Hassan Rouhani faces strong opposition from conservatives in elections set for June 2021, is expected to demand a high price to return to the deal, including the immediate lifting of the punishing sanctions imposed by the Trump administration and billions of dollars in compensation for them. Those are demands that Biden is highly unlikely to meet — especially given strong congressional opposition. Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has tried to pass on to Biden’s advisers through intermediaries Tehran’s insistence that the United States return to the Iran deal unconditionally before any talks resume, according to Iranian diplomats. The diplomats say that Iran is not interested in a temporary freeze and will not stop enriching uranium or reduce its large stockpile in the meantime. They said that Iran would return to full compliance with the deal when the United States does. Advisers to Biden do not confirm receiving any messages from Iran and say they will only deal with the issue after the inauguration. Iran has some leverage. When Trump took office, Iran had roughly 102 kilograms, or about 225 pounds, of enriched uranium, whose production was limited by the 2015 agreement. After the United States withdrew, Iran declared it was no longer bound by the agreement and resumed enriching uranium at higher levels. The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week that Iran now had more than 2,440 kilograms, which is more than eight times the limit set by the 2015 nuclear deal. The “breakout” time for Iran to possibly make a nuclear weapon — an ambition it denies — is now considerably shorter than a year. During the campaign, Biden called Trump’s decision to abandon the deal “reckless” and said it ended up isolating the United States, not Iran. “I will offer Tehran a credible path back to diplomacy,” Biden wrote in a September op-ed for CNN. “If Iran returns to strict compliance with the nuclear deal, the United States would rejoin the agreement as a starting point for follow-on negotiations.” A week ago, after Biden’s victory, Rouhani welcomed the initiative, calling it “an opportunity” for the United States “to compensate for its previous mistakes and return to the path of adherence to international commitments.” The choice of the word “compensate” was not accidental, said Robert Einhorn, a nuclear arms-control negotiator now at the Brookings Institution. Iran says it wants Washington to pay for the billions of dollars in economic losses it incurred when Trump pulled the United States out of the Iran deal in 2018 and reinstituted sanctions that it had lifted. Since then, Trump has piled on more sanctions. This maximum pressure campaign, as the administration has called it, devastated Iran’s economy but failed to push Iran back to the negotiating table or to curtail its involvement in Iraq, Syria or Lebanon. The administration is also trying to further limit Iran’s support for proxy militias in those countries. It is selling more sophisticated weapons to the Arab monarchies in the Persian Gulf — countries that see Iran as an enemy and have their own regional ambitions — and accelerating the transfer of F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates. Some think Trump will take more kinetic measures, including further sabotage and cyberattacks on Iran’s nuclear or missile programs or even military action, which Israel, Egypt and the Gulf allies would most likely support. “I don’t think the administration is finished on the Iran issue,” said Mark Dubowitz, chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a long-standing supporter of a tough policy on Iran. “I think people are going to run hard for the next three months against Iran, knowing that after January there could be a very different Iran policy in place.” Iranian negotiators know that the United States would never provide financial compensation, Einhorn said. “But they may stake out a tough negotiating position, especially given the dynamics of their upcoming election.” He suggested that Iran would demand not just the removal of the nuclear-related sanctions but also those imposed for human rights violations, ballistic missile development and support for terrorist groups, which a Biden administration would find politically and technically difficult to do. Short of a quick reentry into the nuclear deal, Einhorn said, the parties should work toward an interim agreement, in which Iran would roll back a meaningful part of its current nuclear buildup in exchange for partial sanctions relief — especially giving Iran access to some of its oil revenues now blocked in overseas bank accounts. Iran might welcome such an interim arrangement if it gave the economy a quick boost, especially before the mid-June elections. But given the complications of the U.S. transition of power, with the requirements for security clearances and Senate confirmation already slowed by Trump’s refusal to concede defeat and cooperate with Biden, top officials might not be in place very soon. The practical window between inauguration Jan. 20 and June is likely to be only two or three months, which argues for a rapidly constructed “back channel” between Washington and Tehran after Biden takes office. Despite Trump’s pressure campaign, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has kept the door open to a U.S. return, refusing to completely abandon the nuclear deal, said Ellie Geranmayeh, an Iran expert with the European Council on Foreign Relations. Iranians opposed to the initial deal argue that the United States has proved it cannot be trusted, and Iran rejected any negotiations with Trump. But Khamenei provided Rouhani “the green light, the political space to make these messages to a Biden administration” about Iran’s desire for Washington to return to the deal, Geranmayeh said. At the same time, she noted, Rouhani’s hard-line opponents will not want him “to get this win before the elections in June, and they will look to jam this effort as the Republicans will try to jam Biden’s,” she said. Biden could quickly lift a number of sanctions tied to Iran’s nuclear activities, including approving more waivers allowing Iran to sell oil. He could ease travel restrictions on Iranian citizens, increase humanitarian trade by easing banking impediments, and lift sanctions on some key officials, like Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, the main nuclear negotiator. But sanctions instituted under the category of counterterrorism and human rights, like those against the Revolutionary Guard, would be harder to void, especially because many Democrats also support them. But Geranmayeh said that Iran would insist that the United States lift the sanction against the Central Bank of Iran, accused of financing designated terrorist groups, so that it can once again use the global banking system. If the Iran deal can be reconstituted, Iran has said it is open to talks on other issues, especially regional concerns around Iraq and Syria. But Iran has so far refused to put on the table its missile program, which is already under separate U.S. and U.N. sanctions. The key, as with all major policies in Iran, is Khamenei, now 81. He regards the U.S. as a doomed country in “political, civil and moral decline.” He went along with the nuclear deal because it promised significant economic benefits from the lifting of sanctions and now apparently regards his skepticism about the United States as confirmed by Trump’s withdrawal from the pact. But with the change in U.S. leadership, he again sees the possibility of easing the economic straitjacket that renewed U.S. sanctions have imposed. “Despite Khamenei’s hubris, a Biden presidency presents both an opportunity and a challenge for Tehran,” Karim Sadjadpour of the Carnegie Endowment wrote. “The opportunity is a chance to improve the country’s moribund economy; the challenge is that Tehran will no longer be able to effectively use President Donald Trump as a pretext or distraction for its domestic repression, economic failures and regional aggression.”

Biden wants to rejoin Iran nuclear deal, but it won’t be easy

Apple Inc said on Wednesday it plans to start a program to lower its App Store commissions for software developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds each year from the store, but some of the company's critics called the move "window dressing."

Apple takes a 30 per cent cut of most purchases made on the App Store, although the commission drops to 15% for subscriptions that remain active for more than a year.

Apple said the "vast majority" of developers will benefit from its program launched to give companies a boost during the pandemic, which will become effective January 1.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-launches-macbook-laptops-with-first-microprocessor-designed-in-house-342287" hreflang="en">Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house</a>

"Small businesses are the backbone of our global economy and the beating heart of innovation and opportunity in communities around the world," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said.&nbsp;

"We're launching this program to help small business owners write the next chapter of creativity and prosperity on the App Store, and to build the kind of quality apps our customers love."

Apple's App Store fees and rules have come under fire from large firms such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify Technology SA, Match Group Inc and Epic Games as well as startups and smaller companies that allege the fees deprive consumers of choices and push up the price of apps.

In reply to its critics, the iPhone maker has previously said its rules apply evenly to developers and that the App Store provides an easy way to reach its huge base of users without having to set up payment systems in the 175 countries where it operates.

The move will affect a broad swath of developers who make up a small portion of Apple's App Store revenue. Based on the publishers it tracks, analytics firm Sensor Tower said 97.5 per cent&nbsp;of iOS developers generated less than $1 million per year in gross consumer spending. But those same developers contributed only 4.9&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of the App Store's 2019 revenue.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/apple-puts-taiwanese-supplier-pegatron-on-probation-for-exploitation-of-students-342003" hreflang="en">Apple puts Taiwanese supplier Pegatron on probation for exploitation of student</a>

"It’s a symbolic gesture," said Sarah Maxwell, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for App Fairness, a group of Apple's critics. "You have to apply to the program, and the vast majority of developers who generate livable revenue through their apps won't benefit from this change."

The announcement, however, will have no effect on developers that generate huge amounts of cash from wildly popular apps from the likes of music giant Spotify and video game sensation Epic Games.

According to research firm Sensor Tower, the move by Apple affects apps generating less than five percent of its revenue from the App Store.

Apple says its marketplace has some 1.8 million apps, most of them free. The App Store in 2019 generated some $519 billion in commerce in 2019, with about 85 percent flowing to the developers, according to the company.

But Apple's policies have been coming under increasing scrutiny.

Apple and the developer of the blockbuster game Fortnite, Epic Games, are fighting in court over whether the California-based company's tight control of its App Store, and its 30 percent cut of revenue, counts as monopolistic behavior.&nbsp;

Apple pulled Fortnite from its store in August after Epic released an update that dodges revenue sharing. A trial to resolve the dispute is expected year.

Spotify meanwhile has filed a complaint with EU authorities alleging Apple has abused its dominant position to extract unfair fees from online services.

The Coalition for App Fairness, a newly formed association with includes Spotify, Fortnite, and several other app developers, expressed disappointment with Apple's move.

"Developers want a level playing field from Apple, NOT a symbolic gesture," the coalition said in a Twitter statement.

"Apple's announcement today is a calculated move and ignores fundamental flaws with the App Store, specifically."

The group said the $1 million thresholds is arbitrary and that Apple's policies are still hurting many app developers.

Apple Inc said on Wednesday it plans to start a program to lower its App Store commissions for software developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds each year from the store, but some of the company's critics called the move "window dressing.

Apple Inc said on Wednesday it plans to start a program to lower its App Store commissions for software developers who make $1 million or less in proceeds each year from the store, but some of the company's critics called the move "window dressing." Apple takes a 30 per cent cut of most purchases made on the App Store, although the commission drops to 15% for subscriptions that remain active for more than a year. Apple said the "vast majority" of developers will benefit from its program launched to give companies a boost during the pandemic, which will become effective January 1. Also read: Apple launches MacBook laptops with first microprocessor designed in-house "Small businesses are the backbone of our global economy and the beating heart of innovation and opportunity in communities around the world," Apple chief executive Tim Cook said. "We're launching this program to help small business owners write the next chapter of creativity and prosperity on the App Store, and to build the kind of quality apps our customers love." Apple's App Store fees and rules have come under fire from large firms such as Microsoft Corp, Spotify Technology SA, Match Group Inc and Epic Games as well as startups and smaller companies that allege the fees deprive consumers of choices and push up the price of apps. In reply to its critics, the iPhone maker has previously said its rules apply evenly to developers and that the App Store provides an easy way to reach its huge base of users without having to set up payment systems in the 175 countries where it operates. The move will affect a broad swath of developers who make up a small portion of Apple's App Store revenue. Based on the publishers it tracks, analytics firm Sensor Tower said 97.5 per cent of iOS developers generated less than $1 million per year in gross consumer spending. But those same developers contributed only 4.9 per cent of the App Store's 2019 revenue. Also read: Apple puts Taiwanese supplier Pegatron on probation for exploitation of student "It’s a symbolic gesture," said Sarah Maxwell, a spokeswoman for the Coalition for App Fairness, a group of Apple's critics. "You have to apply to the program, and the vast majority of developers who generate livable revenue through their apps won't benefit from this change." The announcement, however, will have no effect on developers that generate huge amounts of cash from wildly popular apps from the likes of music giant Spotify and video game sensation Epic Games. According to research firm Sensor Tower, the move by Apple affects apps generating less than five percent of its revenue from the App Store. Apple says its marketplace has some 1.8 million apps, most of them free. The App Store in 2019 generated some $519 billion in commerce in 2019, with about 85 percent flowing to the developers, according to the company. But Apple's policies have been coming under increasing scrutiny. Apple and the developer of the blockbuster game Fortnite, Epic Games, are fighting in court over whether the California-based company's tight control of its App Store, and its 30 percent cut of revenue, counts as monopolistic behavior. Apple pulled Fortnite from its store in August after Epic released an update that dodges revenue sharing. A trial to resolve the dispute is expected year. Spotify meanwhile has filed a complaint with EU authorities alleging Apple has abused its dominant position to extract unfair fees from online services. The Coalition for App Fairness, a newly formed association with includes Spotify, Fortnite, and several other app developers, expressed disappointment with Apple's move. "Developers want a level playing field from Apple, NOT a symbolic gesture," the coalition said in a Twitter statement. "Apple's announcement today is a calculated move and ignores fundamental flaws with the App Store, specifically." The group said the $1 million thresholds is arbitrary and that Apple's policies are still hurting many app developers.

Apple to reduce its App Store fees for small developers

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday he had delivered on a key election promise to rebuild the island nation's intelligence network in the year since assuming office.

Sri Lanka's former wartime defence chief won the presidency after promising to end the spread of Islamist extremism in the country following deadly bombings in April 2019 that killed more than 250 people.

"After I came into power, I appointed suitable officials in charge of the security apparatus of the country and gave them the required authority to carry out their responsibilities without any compromise," Gotabaya said in a televised address to the nation, which marked a year in office.

"The intelligence services that had collapsed in the past were restructured and revitalised."

Gotabaya, as he is popularly known, is the younger brother of current Prime Minister and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the two led the country to victory against separatist Tamil rebels a decade ago after a 26-year civil war.

But Gotabaya - immensely popular among Sri Lanka's Sinhala Buddhist majority - has also been accused of war crimes, allegations he has denied.

Human rights groups have expressed fears of a surge in Buddhist nationalism and violation of fundamental rights under his administration.

On Wednesday, Gotabaya sought to allay such concerns by saying his administration would protect all citizens' rights irrespective of race or religion.

His changes to the constitution, however - which give him more power - have heightened fears among the Tamil minority, analysts say.

Sri Lanka's constitution still has "a few controversial aspects", Gotabaya said in his speech.

"We have already appointed a committee to seek public opinion to draft a new constitution," he said.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday he had delivered on a key election promise to rebuild the island nation's intelligence network in the year since assuming office.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said on Wednesday he had delivered on a key election promise to rebuild the island nation's intelligence network in the year since assuming office. Sri Lanka's former wartime defence chief won the presidency after promising to end the spread of Islamist extremism in the country following deadly bombings in April 2019 that killed more than 250 people. "After I came into power, I appointed suitable officials in charge of the security apparatus of the country and gave them the required authority to carry out their responsibilities without any compromise," Gotabaya said in a televised address to the nation, which marked a year in office. "The intelligence services that had collapsed in the past were restructured and revitalised." Gotabaya, as he is popularly known, is the younger brother of current Prime Minister and former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and the two led the country to victory against separatist Tamil rebels a decade ago after a 26-year civil war. But Gotabaya - immensely popular among Sri Lanka's Sinhala Buddhist majority - has also been accused of war crimes, allegations he has denied. Human rights groups have expressed fears of a surge in Buddhist nationalism and violation of fundamental rights under his administration. On Wednesday, Gotabaya sought to allay such concerns by saying his administration would protect all citizens' rights irrespective of race or religion. His changes to the constitution, however - which give him more power - have heightened fears among the Tamil minority, analysts say. Sri Lanka's constitution still has "a few controversial aspects", Gotabaya said in his speech. "We have already appointed a committee to seek public opinion to draft a new constitution," he said.

Sri Lanka's Gotabaya says has reassembled nation's intelligence network

Israel and Bahrain will open embassies in each others territories soon, their foreign ministers said on Wednesday (November 18), as the two countries look to broaden cooperation that Washington has promoted as an anti-Iran alliance and potential economic bonanza.

On a first official visit by Bahraini officials to Israel, the Gulf kingdom's foreign minister, Abdullatif Al-Zayani, said his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, would visit Manama in December.

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Askenazi, speaking at Israel's foreign ministry with Al-Zayani, said he hoped the opening ceremonies would be held by the end of 2020.

Bahrain&nbsp;and its Gulf neighbour the United Arab Emirates both signed US-sponsored normalisation accords with Israel at the White House on September 15, pacts that were condemned as a "betrayal" by the Palestinians and their allies.

The agreements shattered a longstanding Arab consensus that there should be no normalisation with Israel until it reaches a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/israel-bahrain-formalise-diplomatic-ties-336286">Israel, Bahrain formalise diplomatic ties</a>

By the end of 2020 Bahraini citizens will be able to apply online for a visa to visit Israel, Ashkenazi said, and direct flights would start soon.

At a joint appearance following their talks, Ashkenazi hailed Zayani's visit as "yet another historic day in the Middle East".

"It is an exciting moment to meet a friend for the first time, face-to-face," he said.&nbsp;

The Bahraini delegation travelled on Gulf Air flight GF972, a reference to Israel's telephone country code,&nbsp;on the airline's first commercial flight to Tel Aviv.

President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Avi Berkowitz, was also on the flight, which flew over Saudi Arabia, an accommodation by the Gulf’s powerhouse, which has so far resisted US&nbsp;appeals to normalise ties with Israel.

Zayani expressed "confidence that this historic visit will be a further step on our journey towards a better more peaceful more secure and more prosperous Middle East."

He was due to hold talks in Jerusalem later Wednesday with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

During his two-day trip, Pompeo is expected to make the first visit by a senior US official to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.

All Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land are regarded as illegal by most of the international community.

Their persistent expansion under successive Netanyahu-led governments has proved one of the biggest obstacles to the peace process with the Palestinians.

The United States has very close relations with&nbsp;Bahrain&nbsp;too. The tiny but strategic kingdom just across the Gulf from Iran is home to the US Fifth Fleet.

All three allies,&nbsp;Israel,&nbsp;Bahrain&nbsp;and the US,&nbsp;see the Shiite regional power as a common threat.

Zayani's visit is expected to be followed by others.&nbsp;

On Tuesday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin sent an official invitation to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayad Al-Nahyan, seen by many as the UAE's de facto ruler.

Since September, the Trump administration has brokered agreements with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan toward normalising their relations with Israel in a strategic realignment against Iran.

The shift has enraged the Palestinians who have demanded statehood before any such regional rapprochement.

Although White House officials have said more countries are considering normalising ties with Israel, further developments appear unlikely before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office and establishes his administration’s policy on Iran.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen, speaking on Army Radio, said a commitment towards a tough policy on Iran by the next administration in Washington would determine whether other countries would opt for normalisation deals with Israel.

Israel and Bahrain will open embassies in each others territories soon, their foreign ministers said on Wednesday (November 18), as the two countries look to broaden cooperation that Washington has promoted as an anti-Iran alliance and potential economic bonanza.

Israel and Bahrain will open embassies in each others territories soon, their foreign ministers said on Wednesday (November 18), as the two countries look to broaden cooperation that Washington has promoted as an anti-Iran alliance and potential economic bonanza. On a first official visit by Bahraini officials to Israel, the Gulf kingdom's foreign minister, Abdullatif Al-Zayani, said his Israeli counterpart, Gabi Ashkenazi, would visit Manama in December. Also read: Saudi Arabia will join UAE-Israel-Bahrain deal at 'right time', says Trump Askenazi, speaking at Israel's foreign ministry with Al-Zayani, said he hoped the opening ceremonies would be held by the end of 2020. Bahrain and its Gulf neighbour the United Arab Emirates both signed US-sponsored normalisation accords with Israel at the White House on September 15, pacts that were condemned as a "betrayal" by the Palestinians and their allies. The agreements shattered a longstanding Arab consensus that there should be no normalisation with Israel until it reaches a comprehensive peace deal with the Palestinians. Also read: Israel, Bahrain formalise diplomatic ties By the end of 2020 Bahraini citizens will be able to apply online for a visa to visit Israel, Ashkenazi said, and direct flights would start soon. At a joint appearance following their talks, Ashkenazi hailed Zayani's visit as "yet another historic day in the Middle East". "It is an exciting moment to meet a friend for the first time, face-to-face," he said. The Bahraini delegation travelled on Gulf Air flight GF972, a reference to Israel's telephone country code, on the airline's first commercial flight to Tel Aviv. President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy, Avi Berkowitz, was also on the flight, which flew over Saudi Arabia, an accommodation by the Gulf’s powerhouse, which has so far resisted US appeals to normalise ties with Israel. Zayani expressed "confidence that this historic visit will be a further step on our journey towards a better more peaceful more secure and more prosperous Middle East." He was due to hold talks in Jerusalem later Wednesday with both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and visiting US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. During his two-day trip, Pompeo is expected to make the first visit by a senior US official to a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank. All Jewish settlements on occupied Palestinian land are regarded as illegal by most of the international community. Their persistent expansion under successive Netanyahu-led governments has proved one of the biggest obstacles to the peace process with the Palestinians. The United States has very close relations with Bahrain too. The tiny but strategic kingdom just across the Gulf from Iran is home to the US Fifth Fleet. All three allies, Israel, Bahrain and the US, see the Shiite regional power as a common threat. Zayani's visit is expected to be followed by others. On Tuesday, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin sent an official invitation to Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayad Al-Nahyan, seen by many as the UAE's de facto ruler. Since September, the Trump administration has brokered agreements with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Sudan toward normalising their relations with Israel in a strategic realignment against Iran. The shift has enraged the Palestinians who have demanded statehood before any such regional rapprochement. Although White House officials have said more countries are considering normalising ties with Israel, further developments appear unlikely before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden takes office and establishes his administration’s policy on Iran. Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen, speaking on Army Radio, said a commitment towards a tough policy on Iran by the next administration in Washington would determine whether other countries would opt for normalisation deals with Israel.

Israel and Bahrain to open embassies in each others territories, says Abdellatif al-Zayani

The World Health Organization has recorded 65 instances of the Covid among staff based at its central command, including five individuals who took a shot at the premises and were in contact with each other,&nbsp;a leaked internal email shows.

The UN wellbeing organization said it is researching how and where the five individuals got tainted — and that it has not decided if transmission occurred at its workplaces. WHO's affirmation Monday of the figures in the email got by The Associated Press was the first occasion when it has openly given such a check.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-vaccine-news-encouraging-but-no-time-for-complacency-who-chief-343570" hreflang="en">Covid-19 vaccine news 'encouraging', but no time for 'complacency': WHO chief</a>

"As far as anyone is concerned, the bunch being examined is the main proof of possible transmission on the site of WHO," Dr Michael Ryan, the office's head of crises, told a public interview at the WHO on Monday.

The revelation comes amid a surge of cases in Europe, host country Switzerland, and the city of Geneva, in particular, and the email said about half of the infections were in people who had been working from home.

But 32 were in staff who had been working on-premises at the headquarters building, indicating that the health agency's strict hygiene, screening, and other prevention measures were not sufficient to spare it from the pandemic.

Raul Thomas, who heads business operations at WHO, emailed staff on Friday noting that five people,&nbsp;four on the same team and one who had contact with them? had tested positive for COVID-19. While the email did not use the term ''cluster,''&nbsp;one is generally defined as two or more cases in the same area and the five cases indicate basic infection control and social distancing procedures were likely being broken.

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A previous email he sent on October 16 indicated that no clusters had been found at the site.

''As per standard protocols, these colleagues are receiving the necessary medical attention and are recovering at home,''&nbsp;the email Friday said.

''These last five cases bring the total reported number of affected members of the Geneva based workforce to 65 since the beginning of the pandemic.''&nbsp;Farah Dakhlallah, a WHO spokeswoman, confirmed the accuracy of the information about the case count in an email to the AP.

Thomas' email did not specify who was infected, but a WHO staffer with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the press said the cluster included a member of the WHO director-general's leadership team who is also an infection control specialist.

The senior manager reportedly held several in-person meetings at WHO in early November before testing positive last week. 
The person, contacted by the AP, referred all comments to the WHO media office.

According to the email, 49 of the overall cases had occurred in the last eight weeks, thus very much in line with the situation being reported in Geneva and the surrounding areas.&nbsp;He added that ''a higher number of cases among those who telework might have gone unreported.''

Enhanced measures to ''reduce our risk profile''&nbsp;were being considered, the email said.

''Finally, members of the workforce are reminded that physical meetings, including gatherings in common areas or in the cafeteria, are strongly discouraged and should only take place where absolutely necessary,''&nbsp;it added.

Elsewhere in Geneva, restaurants are among many public venues that have been closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 
Last month, Thomas told WHO staffers the agency was restricting access to its Geneva headquarters to critical staffers, including senior directors, their assistants and management officers.

''All members for the workforce are reminded to always keep proper hand hygiene, respect physical distancing standards (at least one meter) and wear masks, when distancing is not possible,''&nbsp;he wrote.&nbsp;

The World Health Organization has recorded 65 instances of the Covid among staff based at its central command, including five individuals who took a shot at the premises and were in contact with each other, a leaked internal email shows.

The World Health Organization has recorded 65 instances of the Covid among staff based at its central command, including five individuals who took a shot at the premises and were in contact with each other, a leaked internal email shows. The UN wellbeing organization said it is researching how and where the five individuals got tainted — and that it has not decided if transmission occurred at its workplaces. WHO's affirmation Monday of the figures in the email got by The Associated Press was the first occasion when it has openly given such a check. Also read: Covid-19 vaccine news 'encouraging', but no time for 'complacency': WHO chief "As far as anyone is concerned, the bunch being examined is the main proof of possible transmission on the site of WHO," Dr Michael Ryan, the office's head of crises, told a public interview at the WHO on Monday. The revelation comes amid a surge of cases in Europe, host country Switzerland, and the city of Geneva, in particular, and the email said about half of the infections were in people who had been working from home. But 32 were in staff who had been working on-premises at the headquarters building, indicating that the health agency's strict hygiene, screening, and other prevention measures were not sufficient to spare it from the pandemic. Raul Thomas, who heads business operations at WHO, emailed staff on Friday noting that five people, four on the same team and one who had contact with them? had tested positive for COVID-19. While the email did not use the term ''cluster,'' one is generally defined as two or more cases in the same area and the five cases indicate basic infection control and social distancing procedures were likely being broken. × A previous email he sent on October 16 indicated that no clusters had been found at the site. ''As per standard protocols, these colleagues are receiving the necessary medical attention and are recovering at home,'' the email Friday said. ''These last five cases bring the total reported number of affected members of the Geneva based workforce to 65 since the beginning of the pandemic.'' Farah Dakhlallah, a WHO spokeswoman, confirmed the accuracy of the information about the case count in an email to the AP. Thomas' email did not specify who was infected, but a WHO staffer with direct knowledge of the situation who spoke on condition of anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the press said the cluster included a member of the WHO director-general's leadership team who is also an infection control specialist. The senior manager reportedly held several in-person meetings at WHO in early November before testing positive last week. The person, contacted by the AP, referred all comments to the WHO media office. According to the email, 49 of the overall cases had occurred in the last eight weeks, thus very much in line with the situation being reported in Geneva and the surrounding areas. He added that ''a higher number of cases among those who telework might have gone unreported.'' Enhanced measures to ''reduce our risk profile'' were being considered, the email said. ''Finally, members of the workforce are reminded that physical meetings, including gatherings in common areas or in the cafeteria, are strongly discouraged and should only take place where absolutely necessary,'' it added. Elsewhere in Geneva, restaurants are among many public venues that have been closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Last month, Thomas told WHO staffers the agency was restricting access to its Geneva headquarters to critical staffers, including senior directors, their assistants and management officers. ''All members for the workforce are reminded to always keep proper hand hygiene, respect physical distancing standards (at least one meter) and wear masks, when distancing is not possible,'' he wrote.

COVID-19 'cluster' found at World Health Organization's headquarter

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