<p>The 2020 editions of the Coachella music festival and its country music counterpart Stagecoach have been canceled due to concerns over a possible autumn resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Riverside County health office said late Wednesday.<br />
"I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall," said the County`s Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser, who signed the order canceling the festivals.<br />
<br />
Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in the world that brings half a million fans to an open-air site in Indio, east of Los Angeles, and Stagecoach were initially scheduled for April, but were re-scheduled for October.<br />
<br />
Entertainment news website Billboard had earlier reported that Coachella is unlikely to take place this year, adding that Anschutz Entertainment Group, the parent company of both the music festivals` organizer Goldenvoice, is laying off 15% of the workforce.<br />
<br />
Goldenvoice did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.</p>


The 2020 editions of the Coachella music festival and its country music counterpart Stagecoach have been canceled due to concerns over a possible autumn resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Riverside County health office said late Wednesday.

The 2020 editions of the Coachella music festival and its country music counterpart Stagecoach have been canceled due to concerns over a possible autumn resurgence of COVID-19 cases, Riverside County health office said late Wednesday. "I am concerned as indications grow that COVID-19 could worsen in the fall," said the County`s Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser, who signed the order canceling the festivals. Coachella, one of the biggest music festivals in the world that brings half a million fans to an open-air site in Indio, east of Los Angeles, and Stagecoach were initially scheduled for April, but were re-scheduled for October. Entertainment news website Billboard had earlier reported that Coachella is unlikely to take place this year, adding that Anschutz Entertainment Group, the parent company of both the music festivals` organizer Goldenvoice, is laying off 15% of the workforce. Goldenvoice did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.

Coachella, Stagecoach music festivals cancelled for 2020 on virus concerns

<p>After India's independence, Amrit Kaur became the first woman to hold Cabinet as the Minister of Health. While floating the idea of National Capital Region in 1956, she raised the issue of traffic jams and over-crowding in Delhi and also said that there is a need for a Regional Plan- a larger Delhi. &nbsp;She said if this idea becomes successful, it will be used as a prototype for the developing cities of our country and in Asia. The idea of greater Delhi was to create new alternatives and decentralisation within Delhi, decentralization to existing or new satellite towns, or even beyond into regional locations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>64 years down the line, greater Delhi or NCR is far from what was originally planned and the same is more evident during this pandemic. Delhi hospitals have now been made exclusive for the residents of Delhi only. Neighbouring districts like Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad and Gurugram had been imposing travel restriction with little coordination between them. The bleak line of inter-state jurisdiction in the NCR has become more visible to residents during the period. E-passes were issued to move around the area even during an emergency or for essential purpose. It is important to dig into history to understand why a uniform approach is required to govern the whole NCR. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Delhi, the salad bowl of India, has been experiencing phenomenal population growth since 1951. One of the main causes for this spurt is migration into the city not only from the adjacent states but also from other far-flung states. The growth of the population of Delhi has contributed to many problems including increasing congestion and shortages of civic amenities. As Delhi grows, its problems of land, housing, transportation and management of essential infrastructures like water supply and sewerage would become more acute. Being the capital and primed with opportunities, exodus into the city has resulted in overcrowding of the capital. Thus the idea of a greater Delhi with all-round development of the adjoining region with harmonised policies among neighbouring States was proposed. In line with the objective and in concurrence with the participating States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, National Capital Region Planning Board Act was passed in 1985 by the Union Parliament and NCR Planning Board was constituted.&nbsp;</p>

<p>National Capital Region (NCR) is a unique example of inter-state regional planning and development, covering the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi, thirteen districts of State of Haryana, eight districts of State of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of State of Rajasthan, with the Nation Capital as its core. The National Capital Region (NCR) in India was constituted with the key rationale to promote balanced and harmonized development of the Region, and to avoid any haphazard development. The idea was of a central region, regardless of different state governments involved, to focus on transport, telecommunications, power and water supply, waste and sewerage, education, health, environment and housing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But during the pandemic, the state governments in NCR region have been imposing restrictions detrimental for residents of NCR. Delhi government has made its COVID-19 health care, private or public, exclusive for a bonafide resident of Delhi only. The legality of this order has been challenged in the court of law, as it prima face seems discriminatory against all citizen of the country. However, NCR residents will bear the major brunt of this decision as for all practical purpose they consider themselves residents of Delhi per se. Many residents of NCR, do business and trade in Delhi and pay commercial taxes in Delhi but they will be denied the health facilities. The salaried classes living in NCR have empanelled hospitals in Delhi, but would be denied services of the hospitals. Also under Article 19(1) (e) of the Constitution of India, every citizen has fundamental right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2018 a similar order was passed by Delhi government which was challenged in Delhi High Court, where it was held that such classification of “similarly situated” class of patients on the basis of residents and non-residents is violative of Article 14. To some relief Lt Governor of Delhi has overruled the cabinet decision of Delhi government of “resident only” health care.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Supreme Court also came to rescue for the resident of NCR as it asked all the state government in the NCR to formulate coordinated and uniform approach regarding the movement of citizen in the region. The Court agreed that people are suffering due to contradictory of UP, Delhi and Haryana and one consolidated policy &nbsp;was need to govern movement across NCR. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Even though the government of India has issued guidelines that travel throughout country will be permitted during the pandemic; however, since the district authorities have been empowered to make the final call, the order passed by the Supreme Court has much significance. The continual experimentation by<br />
the authorities in NCR is not funny anymore! On days you find daily commuters part of huge traffic jams blocked either from entering or leaving Delhi as adjoining districts impose restrictions anytime without any notice.&nbsp;</p>

<p>To state bluntly, the ordinary citizen has little interest in a complex inter-state relationship. Hence, it is suggested efforts must be made to find out a uniform approach for whole NCR.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As once Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib remarked – ‘I asked my soul: What is Delhi? She replied: The world is the body and Delhi its life’. In 2020 it can be safely said that whole of the NCR is the life of Delhi.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(The article is co-authored by Tanvi Saran Srivastava. She is Law Officer in MSTC Ltd, CPSU.)</em></p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


After India's independence, Amrit Kaur became the first woman to hold Cabinet as the Minister of Health. While floating the idea of National Capital Region in 1956, she raised the issue of traffic jams and over-crowding in Delhi and also said that there is a need for a Regional Plan- a larger Delhi.

After India's independence, Amrit Kaur became the first woman to hold Cabinet as the Minister of Health. While floating the idea of National Capital Region in 1956, she raised the issue of traffic jams and over-crowding in Delhi and also said that there is a need for a Regional Plan- a larger Delhi. She said if this idea becomes successful, it will be used as a prototype for the developing cities of our country and in Asia. The idea of greater Delhi was to create new alternatives and decentralisation within Delhi, decentralization to existing or new satellite towns, or even beyond into regional locations. 64 years down the line, greater Delhi or NCR is far from what was originally planned and the same is more evident during this pandemic. Delhi hospitals have now been made exclusive for the residents of Delhi only. Neighbouring districts like Gautam Buddh Nagar, Ghaziabad and Gurugram had been imposing travel restriction with little coordination between them. The bleak line of inter-state jurisdiction in the NCR has become more visible to residents during the period. E-passes were issued to move around the area even during an emergency or for essential purpose. It is important to dig into history to understand why a uniform approach is required to govern the whole NCR. Delhi, the salad bowl of India, has been experiencing phenomenal population growth since 1951. One of the main causes for this spurt is migration into the city not only from the adjacent states but also from other far-flung states. The growth of the population of Delhi has contributed to many problems including increasing congestion and shortages of civic amenities. As Delhi grows, its problems of land, housing, transportation and management of essential infrastructures like water supply and sewerage would become more acute. Being the capital and primed with opportunities, exodus into the city has resulted in overcrowding of the capital. Thus the idea of a greater Delhi with all-round development of the adjoining region with harmonised policies among neighbouring States was proposed. In line with the objective and in concurrence with the participating States of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, National Capital Region Planning Board Act was passed in 1985 by the Union Parliament and NCR Planning Board was constituted. National Capital Region (NCR) is a unique example of inter-state regional planning and development, covering the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi, thirteen districts of State of Haryana, eight districts of State of Uttar Pradesh and two districts of State of Rajasthan, with the Nation Capital as its core. The National Capital Region (NCR) in India was constituted with the key rationale to promote balanced and harmonized development of the Region, and to avoid any haphazard development. The idea was of a central region, regardless of different state governments involved, to focus on transport, telecommunications, power and water supply, waste and sewerage, education, health, environment and housing. But during the pandemic, the state governments in NCR region have been imposing restrictions detrimental for residents of NCR. Delhi government has made its COVID-19 health care, private or public, exclusive for a bonafide resident of Delhi only. The legality of this order has been challenged in the court of law, as it prima face seems discriminatory against all citizen of the country. However, NCR residents will bear the major brunt of this decision as for all practical purpose they consider themselves residents of Delhi per se. Many residents of NCR, do business and trade in Delhi and pay commercial taxes in Delhi but they will be denied the health facilities. The salaried classes living in NCR have empanelled hospitals in Delhi, but would be denied services of the hospitals. Also under Article 19(1) (e) of the Constitution of India, every citizen has fundamental right to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India. In 2018 a similar order was passed by Delhi government which was challenged in Delhi High Court, where it was held that such classification of “similarly situated” class of patients on the basis of residents and non-residents is violative of Article 14. To some relief Lt Governor of Delhi has overruled the cabinet decision of Delhi government of “resident only” health care. The Supreme Court also came to rescue for the resident of NCR as it asked all the state government in the NCR to formulate coordinated and uniform approach regarding the movement of citizen in the region. The Court agreed that people are suffering due to contradictory of UP, Delhi and Haryana and one consolidated policy was need to govern movement across NCR. Even though the government of India has issued guidelines that travel throughout country will be permitted during the pandemic; however, since the district authorities have been empowered to make the final call, the order passed by the Supreme Court has much significance. The continual experimentation by the authorities in NCR is not funny anymore! On days you find daily commuters part of huge traffic jams blocked either from entering or leaving Delhi as adjoining districts impose restrictions anytime without any notice. To state bluntly, the ordinary citizen has little interest in a complex inter-state relationship. Hence, it is suggested efforts must be made to find out a uniform approach for whole NCR. As once Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib remarked – ‘I asked my soul: What is Delhi? She replied: The world is the body and Delhi its life’. In 2020 it can be safely said that whole of the NCR is the life of Delhi. (The article is co-authored by Tanvi Saran Srivastava. She is Law Officer in MSTC Ltd, CPSU.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Coronavirus unlock strategy: Efforts must be made to find out a uniform approach for whole NCR

<p>Battered by decades of civil war, the global fight on terror and now the coronavirus pandemic, Afghanistan continues to face one crippling crisis after another.</p>

<p>To control the spread of the Wuhan virus, the Ashraf Ghani government wants Afghanistan to live under restrictions for another 3 months.</p>

<p>But in a country battered by decades of violence, people have no choice but to go out and earn their daily bread. The pandemic has severely impacted the livelihoods of communities across the country and thousands of people are out on the streets and not even half of them are sporting a mask.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistan-taliban-struggles-to-control-coronavirus-spread-despite-earlier-boast-303204">Also Read: Afghanistan: Taliban struggles to control coronavirus spread despite earlier boast</a></p>

<p>Facing economic distress, workers, migrants, small business owners and the poor say they have no choice, but to work. Afghan government now faces a tough choice - whether or not to enforce the restrictions with an iron fist.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-afghanistans-covid-19-battle-wion-ground-report-304652/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Afghanistan has officially reported over 21,400 cases and 384 deaths, but international observers and medics on the ground believe the real number of infections could be much higher.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/emergency-health-measures-including-school-closures-saved-millions-in-six-coronavirus-hit-countries-study-304384">Also Read: Emergency health measures saved millions in six coronavirus-hit countries: Study</a><br />
<br />
There are parts of the country that are under the control of the militant Taliban group where it is hard for the government to access data.</p>

<p>An overall shortage of testing kits, medical supplies and a dilapidated health system were compounding problems in tackling the spread.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from Reuters and AFP)</em></p>


Battered by decades of civil war, the global fight on terror and now the coronavirus pandemic, Afghanistan continues to face one crippling crisis after another. To control the spread of the Wuhan virus, the Ashraf Ghani government wants Afghanistan to live under restrictions for another 3 months.

Battered by decades of civil war, the global fight on terror and now the coronavirus pandemic, Afghanistan continues to face one crippling crisis after another. To control the spread of the Wuhan virus, the Ashraf Ghani government wants Afghanistan to live under restrictions for another 3 months. But in a country battered by decades of violence, people have no choice but to go out and earn their daily bread. The pandemic has severely impacted the livelihoods of communities across the country and thousands of people are out on the streets and not even half of them are sporting a mask. Also Read: Afghanistan: Taliban struggles to control coronavirus spread despite earlier boast Facing economic distress, workers, migrants, small business owners and the poor say they have no choice, but to work. Afghan government now faces a tough choice - whether or not to enforce the restrictions with an iron fist. Afghanistan has officially reported over 21,400 cases and 384 deaths, but international observers and medics on the ground believe the real number of infections could be much higher. Also Read: Emergency health measures saved millions in six coronavirus-hit countries: Study There are parts of the country that are under the control of the militant Taliban group where it is hard for the government to access data. An overall shortage of testing kits, medical supplies and a dilapidated health system were compounding problems in tackling the spread. (With inputs from Reuters and AFP)

Coronavirus pandemic a grim addition to woes of people in Afghanistan

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held India’s first virtual bilateral summit with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison. To watch the well-planned format of the conference was impressive, yet, at the same time, unnerving. Each leader spoke and then reacted. But it was certainly not what the public was used to viewing. As India prepares to enter a post-COVID-19 lockdown world, the summit gave people a clear indication of what the new ‘normal’ will be. Virtual conferences, summits and increased use of digital interaction is not going anywhere in the near future. And it will most certainly impact India’s foreign relations. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The first PM Modi government redefined India’s foreign relations in his first term both in content and panache. By 2019, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that India stood on the international stage as a nation that influenced international relations. To add to that, soft power features like yoga and Bollywood also elevated India’s status as in influencer versus being influenced. &nbsp;</p>

<p>At the beginning of his second term, PM Modi wasted absolutely no time. Literally. Immediately after taking his oath as at the swearing-in ceremony, PM Modi met world leaders to discuss the path ahead. Race ahead to the first year anniversary of the Modi 2.0 government. India made successful outreaches to India’s strategic maritime partners including Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India also strengthened extremely strategic ties with the United States in trade and defence. In the recent bilateral summit, Australian PM Morrison said that he missed the infamous ‘Modi hug.’ It just goes to show how positively PM Modi has engaged global leaders. &nbsp;</p>

<p>At present, there are trying circumstances for India’s foreign policy. An ongoing issue is bringing home stranded Indians via the Vande Bharat Mission. Article 370 met a lot of resistance from the Opposition. Misunderstandings about the Citizenship Amendment Bill broke into misinformed riots. The bill gives citizenship a dignified life for religiously persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Coming out of COVID-19, relations with China are already proving to be a challenge with recent skirmishes at the LAC.<br />
<br />
Terrorism from Pakistan also continues. To add to that, India’s economy will take some time to bounce back. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic brings the most uncertainty for foreign relations. As compared with other nations, India’s casualty rate remains low. However, the number of recent cases has shot up in the past few weeks. India may or may not see a peak in cases like the United States and Italy. What does this mean? Even as the lockdown is slowly phasing out in India, it is quite evident that coronavirus is not going away for a while. As citizens adjust to a new normal, Indian international relations also need to adjust to a new normal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Just a few weeks ago, PM Modi wrote a letter on LinkedIn to citizens. He encouraged young students and working professionals to find ways of rebuilding and reforming digitally. Like citizens digitizing at a micro-scale, PM Modi must also rebuild and reform government structure digitally. Going forward, international relations, including decision-making, will be based heavily on digital platforms and technological communication. &nbsp;</p>

<p>The Centre should use this time to digitize individual Ministries and help individual bodies of the government technologically get up to speed. Furthermore, there are several nations that have handled the COVID-19 pandemic comparatively better than others. Examples include Germany and Uruguay. These countries’ economies will recover faster as compared to those struggling with the pandemic. This will result in their economic and international influence increasing internationally. Before India sees its spike in coronavirus cases, PM Modi should look at the practicality of implementing some of these countries’ methodologies for COVID-19.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Economically, PM Modi has already reached out to national leaders on ways to diversify exports. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package aims to make India self-reliant. India should take one more step and ramp up domestic manufacturing capability. PM Modi should also find ways to encourage more FDI. One way to do this is to provide incentives and encourage multi-national corporations to set base in India. Japan is allegedly incentivizing home-based companies to not put up institutions in China. India should encourage such companies to set up in India. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the status quo, the nation(s) which officially come(s) up with the vaccine for COVID-19 will enjoy substantial soft power. If President Trump stays in power, the USA will always act in India’s favour over China economically, for defence and for trade. &nbsp;</p>

<p>It is unclear how overall global relations will be post-COVID-19. This means that India must take time now to both build and redefine international relations. As international interactions will be via digital means for the foreseeable future, costs are lower. to enhance relationships. Normally, relations are boosted through tours and foreign visits. As small as this amount of money is, it can be used very effectively by the Centre to digitize itself completely. The Government of India should simultaneously increase domestic manufacturing capability and with that diversify exports. Dependency on China will decrease for good as well if India can achieve this. As a result, India will easily be positioned as a post-pandemic global leader. Even better, a leader with strong, positive international relations that can only be strengthened in new ‘normal’ times.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em></p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held India’s first virtual bilateral summit with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison. To watch the well-planned format of the conference was impressive, yet, at the same time, unnerving.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held India’s first virtual bilateral summit with Australian counterpart Scott Morrison. To watch the well-planned format of the conference was impressive, yet, at the same time, unnerving. Each leader spoke and then reacted. But it was certainly not what the public was used to viewing. As India prepares to enter a post-COVID-19 lockdown world, the summit gave people a clear indication of what the new ‘normal’ will be. Virtual conferences, summits and increased use of digital interaction is not going anywhere in the near future. And it will most certainly impact India’s foreign relations. The first PM Modi government redefined India’s foreign relations in his first term both in content and panache. By 2019, there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that India stood on the international stage as a nation that influenced international relations. To add to that, soft power features like yoga and Bollywood also elevated India’s status as in influencer versus being influenced. At the beginning of his second term, PM Modi wasted absolutely no time. Literally. Immediately after taking his oath as at the swearing-in ceremony, PM Modi met world leaders to discuss the path ahead. Race ahead to the first year anniversary of the Modi 2.0 government. India made successful outreaches to India’s strategic maritime partners including Sri Lanka and the Maldives. India also strengthened extremely strategic ties with the United States in trade and defence. In the recent bilateral summit, Australian PM Morrison said that he missed the infamous ‘Modi hug.’ It just goes to show how positively PM Modi has engaged global leaders. At present, there are trying circumstances for India’s foreign policy. An ongoing issue is bringing home stranded Indians via the Vande Bharat Mission. Article 370 met a lot of resistance from the Opposition. Misunderstandings about the Citizenship Amendment Bill broke into misinformed riots. The bill gives citizenship a dignified life for religiously persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Coming out of COVID-19, relations with China are already proving to be a challenge with recent skirmishes at the LAC. Terrorism from Pakistan also continues. To add to that, India’s economy will take some time to bounce back. The COVID-19 pandemic brings the most uncertainty for foreign relations. As compared with other nations, India’s casualty rate remains low. However, the number of recent cases has shot up in the past few weeks. India may or may not see a peak in cases like the United States and Italy. What does this mean? Even as the lockdown is slowly phasing out in India, it is quite evident that coronavirus is not going away for a while. As citizens adjust to a new normal, Indian international relations also need to adjust to a new normal. Just a few weeks ago, PM Modi wrote a letter on LinkedIn to citizens. He encouraged young students and working professionals to find ways of rebuilding and reforming digitally. Like citizens digitizing at a micro-scale, PM Modi must also rebuild and reform government structure digitally. Going forward, international relations, including decision-making, will be based heavily on digital platforms and technological communication. The Centre should use this time to digitize individual Ministries and help individual bodies of the government technologically get up to speed. Furthermore, there are several nations that have handled the COVID-19 pandemic comparatively better than others. Examples include Germany and Uruguay. These countries’ economies will recover faster as compared to those struggling with the pandemic. This will result in their economic and international influence increasing internationally. Before India sees its spike in coronavirus cases, PM Modi should look at the practicality of implementing some of these countries’ methodologies for COVID-19. Economically, PM Modi has already reached out to national leaders on ways to diversify exports. The Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan stimulus package aims to make India self-reliant. India should take one more step and ramp up domestic manufacturing capability. PM Modi should also find ways to encourage more FDI. One way to do this is to provide incentives and encourage multi-national corporations to set base in India. Japan is allegedly incentivizing home-based companies to not put up institutions in China. India should encourage such companies to set up in India. In the status quo, the nation(s) which officially come(s) up with the vaccine for COVID-19 will enjoy substantial soft power. If President Trump stays in power, the USA will always act in India’s favour over China economically, for defence and for trade. It is unclear how overall global relations will be post-COVID-19. This means that India must take time now to both build and redefine international relations. As international interactions will be via digital means for the foreseeable future, costs are lower. to enhance relationships. Normally, relations are boosted through tours and foreign visits. As small as this amount of money is, it can be used very effectively by the Centre to digitize itself completely. The Government of India should simultaneously increase domestic manufacturing capability and with that diversify exports. Dependency on China will decrease for good as well if India can achieve this. As a result, India will easily be positioned as a post-pandemic global leader. Even better, a leader with strong, positive international relations that can only be strengthened in new ‘normal’ times. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Steps India must take for strong foreign relations post COVID-19 

<p>Kim Jong Un&nbsp;gathered the Politburo of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to talk about the economy and living conditions, state media said on Monday.</p>

<p>Neither Kim nor any of the other officials were wearing masks, and the coronavirus pandemic was not mentioned in the state media's report about the meeting.</p>

<p>Kim emphasised the importance of the country's chemical industry, including the production of fertiliser. For North Korea, it is a vital commodity due to the country's struggle to grow food at farms on limited land which has been exhausted of natural nutrients.</p>

<p>Food scientists in Pyongyang have even attempted to make 'functional vegetables' so that people can consume less and yet stay healthy. But, even this kind of biotech driven farming needs fertiliser.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-koreas-kim-jong-un-calls-for-developing-a-self-sufficient-economy-304143">Also Read:&nbsp;North Korea's Kim Jong Un calls for developing a 'self-sufficient economy'</a></p>

<p>For many years, North Korea relied on imports of chemical fertiliser, but those have long dried up.</p>

<p>During the meeting, Kim also highlighted a part of the chemical industry which has the potential for harnessing raw materials to make fuel.&nbsp;Fertiliser has been a particular focus of North Korea's media this year. Kim's first public appearance this year was at a fertiliser factory.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-balloon-propaganda-against-kim-jong-un-304371/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The two-day politburo meeting comes at a time of economic uncertainty amid the global COVID-19 pandemic that is putting additional pressure on the North’s economy.</p>

<p>North Korea had already been suffering economically due to the international sanctions against the country’s nuclear programmes. And the country is currently in a spat with its neighbour, South Korea, over the matter of defectors.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-threatens-to-halt-military-agreement-with-the-south-over-anti-kim-leaflets-303122">Also Read:&nbsp;North Korea threatens to halt military agreement with the South over anti-Kim leaflets</a></p>

<p>Nearly 500,000 leaflets have been dumped along the border. The leaflets were carried across the border through balloons over Kim's&nbsp;nuclear ambitions and dismal human rights</p>

<p>South Korean activists have been trying to send censored materials across the border&nbsp;to democratise North Korea and put an end to Kim's regime. North Korea considers the leaflets an attack on its government and has long demanded that South Korea ban activists from sending them.</p>

<p>In her statement released through state media, Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong called those defectors "human scum" and "mongrel dogs" who betrayed their homeland and said that it was "time to bring their owners to account," referring to the government in Seoul.</p>

<p>North Korea is threatening to pull out of the inter-Korean military agreement which was signed in 2018 as a major step towards ensuring peace along the Korean demilitarised zone.</p>

<p>It is planning to snap all channels of communication with South Korea and close an inter-Korean liaison office if the South does not stop defectors from sending leaflets and other material into the North.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Kim Jong Un gathered the Politburo of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to talk about the economy and living conditions, state media said on Monday. Neither Kim nor any of the other officials were wearing masks, and the coronavirus pandemic was not mentioned in the state media's report about the meeting.

Kim Jong Un gathered the Politburo of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party to talk about the economy and living conditions, state media said on Monday. Neither Kim nor any of the other officials were wearing masks, and the coronavirus pandemic was not mentioned in the state media's report about the meeting. Kim emphasised the importance of the country's chemical industry, including the production of fertiliser. For North Korea, it is a vital commodity due to the country's struggle to grow food at farms on limited land which has been exhausted of natural nutrients. Food scientists in Pyongyang have even attempted to make 'functional vegetables' so that people can consume less and yet stay healthy. But, even this kind of biotech driven farming needs fertiliser. Also Read: North Korea's Kim Jong Un calls for developing a 'self-sufficient economy' For many years, North Korea relied on imports of chemical fertiliser, but those have long dried up. During the meeting, Kim also highlighted a part of the chemical industry which has the potential for harnessing raw materials to make fuel. Fertiliser has been a particular focus of North Korea's media this year. Kim's first public appearance this year was at a fertiliser factory. The two-day politburo meeting comes at a time of economic uncertainty amid the global COVID-19 pandemic that is putting additional pressure on the North’s economy. North Korea had already been suffering economically due to the international sanctions against the country’s nuclear programmes. And the country is currently in a spat with its neighbour, South Korea, over the matter of defectors. Also Read: North Korea threatens to halt military agreement with the South over anti-Kim leaflets Nearly 500,000 leaflets have been dumped along the border. The leaflets were carried across the border through balloons over Kim's nuclear ambitions and dismal human rights South Korean activists have been trying to send censored materials across the border to democratise North Korea and put an end to Kim's regime. North Korea considers the leaflets an attack on its government and has long demanded that South Korea ban activists from sending them. In her statement released through state media, Kim's sister Kim Yo Jong called those defectors "human scum" and "mongrel dogs" who betrayed their homeland and said that it was "time to bring their owners to account," referring to the government in Seoul. North Korea is threatening to pull out of the inter-Korean military agreement which was signed in 2018 as a major step towards ensuring peace along the Korean demilitarised zone. It is planning to snap all channels of communication with South Korea and close an inter-Korean liaison office if the South does not stop defectors from sending leaflets and other material into the North. (With inputs from agencies)

Inter-Korean relations further deteriorate

British scientists halted a major drug trial on Friday after it found that the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine, touted by U.S. President Donald Trump as a potential "game changer" in the pandemic, was "useless" at treating COVID-19 patients.

UK halts trial of hydroxychloroquine as 'useless' for coronavirus patients

<p>California will allow film, television and music production to resume from June 12 if conditions permit after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the governor's office said Friday.<br />
<br />
Film and television productions in the Golden State have been shuttered since mid-March.<br />
<br />
The reopening will be subject to approval by local health officers, the California Public Health Office said.<br />
<br />
"To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers," it said.<br />
<br />
However, it is not clear if major Hollywood studios will be able to resume operations from next week because Los Angeles County is one of the main coronavirus epicenters in California, recording about half the infections and deaths in the state.</p>

<p>To date, more than 125,000 cases and 4,500 deaths have been confirmed in California.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


California will allow film, television and music production to resume from June 12 if conditions permit after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the governor's office said Friday.

California will allow film, television and music production to resume from June 12 if conditions permit after months of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, the governor's office said Friday. Film and television productions in the Golden State have been shuttered since mid-March. The reopening will be subject to approval by local health officers, the California Public Health Office said. "To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, productions, cast, crew and other industry workers should abide by safety protocols agreed by labor and management, which may be further enhanced by county public health officers," it said. However, it is not clear if major Hollywood studios will be able to resume operations from next week because Los Angeles County is one of the main coronavirus epicenters in California, recording about half the infections and deaths in the state. To date, more than 125,000 cases and 4,500 deaths have been confirmed in California.

California says film, TV production can resume June 12

<p>Norwegian and British vaccine scientists have published <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/DBBC0FA6E3763B0067CAAD8F3363E527/S2633289220000083a.pdf/biovacc19_a_candidate_vaccine_for_covid19_sarscov2_developed_from_analysis_of_its_general_method_of_action_for_infectivity.pdf">unequivocal evidence</a> that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is man-made.</p>

<p>The authors state two conclusions: (1) the mutations that would normally be seen in the course of animal to human transmission have not occurred in SARS-CoV-2, indicating that it was fully “pre-adapted” for human infection and (2) SARS-CoV-2 has insertions in its protein sequence that have never been detected in nature and contribute to its infectivity and pathogenicity.</p>

<p>That is, SARS-CoV-2 has a receptor binding domain specifically designed for the human angiotensin converting enzyme-2 receptor (ACE2) found in lungs, kidneys, intestines and blood vessels.</p>

<p>In addition, SARS-CoV-2 has a furin polybasic cleavage site not found in any closely-related bat coronaviruses as well as other artificially inserted charged amino acids that enhance the virus’ ability to bind to and enter human cells by forming “salt bridges” between the virus and the cell surface.</p>

<p>Those modifications are key to understanding the unique transmissibility and potency of SARS-CoV-2.</p>

<p>The authors explain that the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing neurological, haematological and immunological pathogenicity, which cannot be explained by infectivity via the ACE2 receptor alone.</p>

<p>There have been wide-ranging clinical observations such as a loss of taste and smell, sore throat, dry cough, headache and severe gastrointestinal pain with diarrhoea.</p>

<p>SARS-CoV-2 binding to the bitter/sweet receptors in the upper respiratory tract provides a perfect location for transmission by coughing.</p>

<p>According to the authors, oral and upper respiratory infection can lead to transmission to the lower respiratory tract, gastrointestinal effects and a cascade of inflammation-producing immunological responses.</p>

<p>The wide-spread systemic release of the virus, due to its co-receptor enhancement, &nbsp;could explain the multiple clinical findings on the <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamacardiology/fullarticle/2763846">cardiovascular system</a>, <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/05/21/coronavirus-hijacks-cells-in-unique-ways/">immunological T-cells</a>, cells associated with <a href="https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2020/covid-19-brain-symptoms.html">neuropathological </a>conditions and, finally, the severe hypoxia seen in advanced cases of the disease.</p>

<p>As the authors correctly note, the development of an effective vaccine cannot be accomplished without an objective analysis of the structure of SARS-CoV-2, its mode of action and its origin.</p>

<p>That effort has been hampered by China’s refusal to fully disclose the information it possesses, in conjunction with a politically-motivated scientific misinformation campaign by Beijing to avoid responsibility, by some Western scientists with a vested interest in the outcome and by an uninformed and servile media.</p>

<p>That includes the editorial decisions of scientific and medical journals, which seem to favour, overwhelmingly, the narrative that the COVID-19 pandemic is just another naturally-occurring outbreak, even to the extent of censoring opposing views.</p>

<p>Until now, the cover-up of the true origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has been successful.</p>

<p>No less than the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the United States has blindly accepted the scientific “conventional wisdom” promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, issuing the following April 30, 2020 statement:</p>

<p>“The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified.”</p>

<p>Remarkedly, there has never been conclusive scientific evidence to support that claim, yet many appear content endorsing the naturally-occurring narrative, mostly out of ignorance or an unwillingness to accept the ugly truth.</p>

<p>That ugly truth is - China manufactured SARS-CoV-2 and, through a combination of hubris, incompetence and recklessness, unleashed it on the world.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


Norwegian and British vaccine scientists have published unequivocal evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is man-made.

Norwegian and British vaccine scientists have published unequivocal evidence that SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, is man-made. The authors state two conclusions: (1) the mutations that would normally be seen in the course of animal to human transmission have not occurred in SARS-CoV-2, indicating that it was fully “pre-adapted” for human infection and (2) SARS-CoV-2 has insertions in its protein sequence that have never been detected in nature and contribute to its infectivity and pathogenicity. That is, SARS-CoV-2 has a receptor binding domain specifically designed for the human angiotensin converting enzyme-2 receptor (ACE2) found in lungs, kidneys, intestines and blood vessels. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 has a furin polybasic cleavage site not found in any closely-related bat coronaviruses as well as other artificially inserted charged amino acids that enhance the virus’ ability to bind to and enter human cells by forming “salt bridges” between the virus and the cell surface. Those modifications are key to understanding the unique transmissibility and potency of SARS-CoV-2. The authors explain that the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing neurological, haematological and immunological pathogenicity, which cannot be explained by infectivity via the ACE2 receptor alone. There have been wide-ranging clinical observations such as a loss of taste and smell, sore throat, dry cough, headache and severe gastrointestinal pain with diarrhoea. SARS-CoV-2 binding to the bitter/sweet receptors in the upper respiratory tract provides a perfect location for transmission by coughing. According to the authors, oral and upper respiratory infection can lead to transmission to the lower respiratory tract, gastrointestinal effects and a cascade of inflammation-producing immunological responses. The wide-spread systemic release of the virus, due to its co-receptor enhancement, could explain the multiple clinical findings on the cardiovascular system, immunological T-cells, cells associated with neuropathological conditions and, finally, the severe hypoxia seen in advanced cases of the disease. As the authors correctly note, the development of an effective vaccine cannot be accomplished without an objective analysis of the structure of SARS-CoV-2, its mode of action and its origin. That effort has been hampered by China’s refusal to fully disclose the information it possesses, in conjunction with a politically-motivated scientific misinformation campaign by Beijing to avoid responsibility, by some Western scientists with a vested interest in the outcome and by an uninformed and servile media. That includes the editorial decisions of scientific and medical journals, which seem to favour, overwhelmingly, the narrative that the COVID-19 pandemic is just another naturally-occurring outbreak, even to the extent of censoring opposing views. Until now, the cover-up of the true origin of the COVID-19 pandemic has been successful. No less than the Office of the Director of National Intelligence in the United States has blindly accepted the scientific “conventional wisdom” promoted by the Chinese Communist Party, issuing the following April 30, 2020 statement: “The Intelligence Community also concurs with the wide scientific consensus that the COVID-19 virus was not manmade or genetically modified.” Remarkedly, there has never been conclusive scientific evidence to support that claim, yet many appear content endorsing the naturally-occurring narrative, mostly out of ignorance or an unwillingness to accept the ugly truth. That ugly truth is - China manufactured SARS-CoV-2 and, through a combination of hubris, incompetence and recklessness, unleashed it on the world. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

COVID-19 virus has properties that have never been found in nature before

The US Justice Department sued a Chinese company for selling nearly a half million fake and substandard N95 respirator to US buyers in April as the Covid-19 pandemic swept the country.

US sues Chinese firm for selling 'fake' N95 face masks

Watch today in 'WION In Focus': Some stories related to coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

WION In Focus: Some stories related to coronavirus pandemic | COVID-19 | Coronavirus News

President Jair Bolsonaro threatened on Friday to pull Brazil out of the World Health Organization after the U.N. agency warned Latin American governments about the risk of lifting lockdowns before slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus throughout the region.

Bolsonaro threatens to sever ties with WHO as COVID-19 kills 'a Brazilian per minute'

WION In Focus: Some stories related to coronavirus pandemic

In Nevada, the casino coronavirus closure has ended. Cards are being dealt, dice are rolling and slot machines flash and jingle for the customers who started gambling again early Thursday in Las Vegas and throughout the state.

Las Vegas reopens casinos after COVID-19 closure

Danish researchers have developed a fully automated robot that can take coronavirus swabs so that health care professionals are not exposed to the risk of infection.

Could this throat-swabbing robot speed up COVID-19 testing?

A city in northeast China has started testing all of its residents for COVID-19, the second city in the country that launched such mass testing following the hardest-hit Wuhan.

Mass test for COVID-19 in northeastern city of China

A handful of rubber floats tumbled down the giant slide at South Korea's largest waterpark Caribbean Bay on Friday (June 5), its first day back in business since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Testing the waters: South Korea's largest waterpark opens under new anti-virus measures

An art gallery in Paris has turned to 'winged' headware inspired by an ancient Chinese dynasty to ensure its visitors respect coronavirus social distancing rules as they peruse the displays.

Winged hats introduced at Paris gallery for social distancing

A zoo in northwest England is in a battle for survival as the COVID-19 crisis threatens to wipeout its summer season. Chester Zoo has been closed to visitors since Britain went into lockdown in March - meaning zero income from admissions or retail.

Tough times ahead for UK zoo forced to stay shut due to COVID-19

11 participants take part in a three-day intermediate course near Ku-ring-gai National Park, Ingleside, north of Sydney. While the Bushcraft Survival Australia course teaches basic survival skills, it also offers wisdom and insight into traditional indigenous cultures.

Pandemic drives Australians into the bush to study survivalist skills

On Wednesday, men piled up dozens of newly made, plastic-lined coffins in the outskirts of Lima. Geserela Llanos, owner of the coffin factory "Eternal Life", said those were the models introduced to fulfill the increased demand of the recent months since deaths by COVID-19 have risen in Peru.

Coffin factory in Lima doubles production with virus deaths

In the bustling kitchen of one of Bogota's trendiest restaurants, a team of chefs that usually caters to the Colombian capital's well-heeled citizens is preparing meals for a community of people cut off from work and housing during the Andean country's coronavirus quarantine.

For Colombia's quarantined poor, lunch is served - by trendy restaurants

<p><em>Sewa bhav</em> or service remains an important and respected component of India's public life. It has always been acknowledged and reciprocated by the Indian electorate.</p>

<p>Institutions or political parties which regularly uphold<em>&nbsp;sewa</em>&nbsp;<em>bhav</em> end up being more organically connected with the people at large.</p>

<p>It is this element of service which enables political parties to have a special relationship with civil society actors. The biggest reason behind&nbsp;BJP’s success or survival of RSS despite being banned on a number of occasions is the element of service, independent of political action.</p>

<p>RSS, on multiple occasions, has deployed thousands of its workers to help poor people and civil society during national crisis like floods, war, drought or dislocation of the population. Today, RSS is not limited to relief action as its organisational infrastructure includes thousands of people in various institutions involved with schools, forests, tribals, backward communities, students, trade union workers, farmers and multiple study groups.</p>

<p>Congress, perhaps for the first time in the last 40 years, has been able to connect with the civil society during the migrant crisis in India. Congress cadres and leaders, throughout the crisis, organised food camps and helped people to move from one part of the country to another. There was intense politicisation of the event, but the fact is that social action of the Congress was loaded with political message enabling the party to truly behave like an opposition party.</p>

<p>It is through this social action, Congress was able to create a debate on social media in whose absence the coverage of lockdown and pandemic would have remained one-sided and extremely pro-government. Raising the issues on social media would have been one thing, but letting cadres be on the ground to help those who suffered pulled the party out of deep slumber.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It will be too presumptuous to say that the act of working on the ground has revitalised the party, but it has indeed granted a diminished party the national voice.</p>

<p>For long, political parties in India have ignored the importance of social action in politics. Congress, during the independence struggle, was not dedicated solely to political rights. It worked on other fronts as well. The party helped workers, farmers get better benefits and attain dignity in society. Champaran is the case in point, wherein Mahatma Gandhi led the protests to organise better compensation for farmers. It was social action which consolidated the political legitimacy of both Congress and Gandhi.</p>

<p>During the drought in Gujarat, Sardar Pate,l on multiple occasions, organised money and help for the farmers. In post-independent India during 1984, RSS saved many Sikh lives by letting workers go out and help them.</p>

<p>Almost all political parties simply turned into electoral machines after independence. The <em>sewa bhav</em> was reduced to lip service. Help today only means a subsidy from the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Congress after decades has walked the path it had pioneered during Indian independence. Congress must continue to engage with civil society and marginal communities on the ground on real issues and in real-time, irrespective of electoral mathematics. <em>Sewa bhav </em>can turn the fortune of the party around as it would&nbsp;reinforce the message that the only party on the ground during the migrant crisis was Congress.<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


Sewa bhav or service remains an important and respected component of India's public life. It has always been acknowledged and reciprocated by the Indian electorate.

Sewa bhav or service remains an important and respected component of India's public life. It has always been acknowledged and reciprocated by the Indian electorate. Institutions or political parties which regularly uphold sewa bhav end up being more organically connected with the people at large. It is this element of service which enables political parties to have a special relationship with civil society actors. The biggest reason behind BJP’s success or survival of RSS despite being banned on a number of occasions is the element of service, independent of political action. RSS, on multiple occasions, has deployed thousands of its workers to help poor people and civil society during national crisis like floods, war, drought or dislocation of the population. Today, RSS is not limited to relief action as its organisational infrastructure includes thousands of people in various institutions involved with schools, forests, tribals, backward communities, students, trade union workers, farmers and multiple study groups. Congress, perhaps for the first time in the last 40 years, has been able to connect with the civil society during the migrant crisis in India. Congress cadres and leaders, throughout the crisis, organised food camps and helped people to move from one part of the country to another. There was intense politicisation of the event, but the fact is that social action of the Congress was loaded with political message enabling the party to truly behave like an opposition party. It is through this social action, Congress was able to create a debate on social media in whose absence the coverage of lockdown and pandemic would have remained one-sided and extremely pro-government. Raising the issues on social media would have been one thing, but letting cadres be on the ground to help those who suffered pulled the party out of deep slumber. It will be too presumptuous to say that the act of working on the ground has revitalised the party, but it has indeed granted a diminished party the national voice. For long, political parties in India have ignored the importance of social action in politics. Congress, during the independence struggle, was not dedicated solely to political rights. It worked on other fronts as well. The party helped workers, farmers get better benefits and attain dignity in society. Champaran is the case in point, wherein Mahatma Gandhi led the protests to organise better compensation for farmers. It was social action which consolidated the political legitimacy of both Congress and Gandhi. During the drought in Gujarat, Sardar Pate,l on multiple occasions, organised money and help for the farmers. In post-independent India during 1984, RSS saved many Sikh lives by letting workers go out and help them. Almost all political parties simply turned into electoral machines after independence. The sewa bhav was reduced to lip service. Help today only means a subsidy from the state. Congress after decades has walked the path it had pioneered during Indian independence. Congress must continue to engage with civil society and marginal communities on the ground on real issues and in real-time, irrespective of electoral mathematics. Sewa bhav can turn the fortune of the party around as it would reinforce the message that the only party on the ground during the migrant crisis was Congress. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Congress must continue to engage with migrant workers in a time of crisis like COVID-19

<p>To raise relief funds for COVID-19, actor Jennifer Aniston would be auctioning off her 25-year-old nude portrait, photographed by Mark Seliger in November 1995.<br />
<br />
The `Friends` actor posted a video of the picture processing on Instagram, along with coronavirus fundraising details in the caption.<br />
<br />
"My dear friend @markseliger teamed up with @radvocacy and @christiesinc to auction 25 of his portraits - including mine - for COVID-19 relief," Aniston wrote in the caption. "100% of sales proceeds of this portrait will go to @NAFClinics, an organization which provides free coronavirus testing and care nationwide to the medically underserved," she added.</p>

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<p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA0Rm5eD4m8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">My dear friend @markseliger teamed up with @radvocacy and @christiesinc to auction 25 of his portraits - including mine ☺️- for COVID-19 relief... 100% of sales proceeds of this portrait will go to @NAFClinics, an organization which provides free coronavirus testing and care nationwide to the medically underserved. Link in my bio to learn more about the auction. Thank you again to Mark for allowing me to be part of this ❤️🙏🏼 #radart4aid</a></p>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jenniferaniston/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Jennifer Aniston</a> (@jenniferaniston) on <time datetime="2020-05-30T15:19:50+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">May 30, 2020 at 8:19am PDT</time></p>
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<p>The monochrome picture features the 51-year-old actor seated with her legs crossed in front and her hands resting on her knees.<br />
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Besides the `The Morning Show` actor, 25 more celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Oprah Winfrey will be auctioned off their portraits.</p>


To raise relief funds for COVID-19, actor Jennifer Aniston would be auctioning off her 25-year-old nude portrait, photographed by Mark Seliger in November 1995. The `Friends` actor posted a video of the picture processing on Instagram, along with coronavirus fundraising details in the caption.

To raise relief funds for COVID-19, actor Jennifer Aniston would be auctioning off her 25-year-old nude portrait, photographed by Mark Seliger in November 1995. The `Friends` actor posted a video of the picture processing on Instagram, along with coronavirus fundraising details in the caption. "My dear friend @markseliger teamed up with @radvocacy and @christiesinc to auction 25 of his portraits - including mine - for COVID-19 relief," Aniston wrote in the caption. "100% of sales proceeds of this portrait will go to @NAFClinics, an organization which provides free coronavirus testing and care nationwide to the medically underserved," she added. View this post on Instagram My dear friend @markseliger teamed up with @radvocacy and @christiesinc to auction 25 of his portraits - including mine ☺️- for COVID-19 relief... 100% of sales proceeds of this portrait will go to @NAFClinics, an organization which provides free coronavirus testing and care nationwide to the medically underserved. Link in my bio to learn more about the auction. Thank you again to Mark for allowing me to be part of this ❤️🙏🏼 #radart4aid A post shared by Jennifer Aniston (@jenniferaniston) on May 30, 2020 at 8:19am PDT × The monochrome picture features the 51-year-old actor seated with her legs crossed in front and her hands resting on her knees. Besides the `The Morning Show` actor, 25 more celebrities including Leonardo DiCaprio and Oprah Winfrey will be auctioned off their portraits.

Jennifer Aniston auctions off her nude portrait to raise COVID-19 funds

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Jennifer Aniston auctions off her nude portrait to raise COVID-19 funds