President Trump on Friday said he was sending Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to Qatar Saturday to sign a US-Taliban peace deal that he predicted could mean the end of the 19-year-old war and that American troops could come home.
“At my direction, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will witness the signing of an agreement with representatives of the Taliban, while Secretary of Defense Mark Esper will issue a joint declaration with the government of Afghanistan,”
Blast originated from a super-massive black hole in a cluster of galaxies 390 million light-years away
The Associated Press · Posted: Feb 27, 2020 4:56 PM ET | Last Updated: February 28
Astronomers have discovered the biggest explosion seen in the universe, originating from a super-massive black hole.
Scientists reported Thursday that the blast came from a black hole in a cluster of galaxies 390 million light-years away.
Here’s a dangerous idea: what if it turns out that an authoritarian regime is better-equipped to handle the coronavirus emergency than liberal democracies?
What if the Chinese Communist Party teaches us all a lesson?
It isn’t supposed to be that way. Labelled secretive and paranoid by the West, China is meant to be panic-stricken about the mystery killer virus spiralling out of control and turning into an existential crisis.
It should be China’s Chernobyl moment: harkening back to the nuclear disaster in 1986, that is now widely accepted as the tipping point that helped usher in the end to the Soviet Union.
President Xi Jinping spoke with US President Donald Trump on the phone on the morning of 7 February.
President Xi highlighted the all-out efforts made by the Chinese government and people to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak. Featuring nationwide mobilization, across-the-board arrangements and rapid response, it is a people’s war against the epidemic with the most comprehensive and rigorous measures. Such efforts are producing results. China has full confidence and capability to prevail over the epidemic. The long-term upward trajectory of the Chinese economy remains unchanged.
Xi affirmed China’s commitment to protecting the lives and health of not only its own people but also other people around the world. With openness, transparency and a sense of responsibility, China has kept WHO, the United States and other countries and regions updated, and has invited WHO and other experts to conduct field visits in Wuhan. As the first line of defence against the epidemic, China has taken timely, decisive and forceful measures, which have been fully recognized and highly appreciated by WHO and many countries.
Xi noted the continuing communication over the epidemic between China and the US. He expressed appreciation for President Trump’s positive comments on China’s efforts on different occasions, and thanked the various communities in the US for their donations. It takes joint efforts from all countries to contain epidemics. The fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak has come to a crucial stage. WHO has repeatedly given its professional advice and called on all countries to avoid overreaction. China hopes that the US will evaluate the situation calmly and develop and adjust its response in line with the actual situation. China and the US should maintain communication and strengthen coordination to jointly control the epidemic.
President Trump expressed full support for China’s efforts to control the epidemic and readiness to send experts to China and provide other forms of assistance. The fact that China has finished building special hospitals for the patients in a matter of days is impressive. It fully demonstrates China’s exceptional ability of organization and response.
Trump expressed confidence that the Chinese people, under the leadership of President Xi, will win the battle against the outbreak. He said that the US has confidence in China’s economic growth. The US will be very calm in its response to the epidemic and continue communication and cooperation with China through bilateral and WHO channels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoshihiro_Kawaoka?fbclid=IwAR2D_PNSFkDxKvrEjy3NyWfvIfg90BXZaiIrew4MJmFxkvMOtsm9uflqd48 Yoshihiro Kawaoka (河岡 義裕, Kawaoka Yoshihiro, born November 14, 1955) is a virologist specializing in the study of the influenza and Ebola viruses.
Subject: 黃霑先生之遠見
已故的黃霑先生2002年曾去信保安局，看回此信函確是準確預測了23條立法不成，香港今天的亂局！
致 保安局助理秘書長 :
本人是中國香港特區永久居民，也是曾從事跨傳媒工作達四十餘年的傳媒人，
現在謹以此身份，表明我對香港實施基本法第二十三條的個人意見。我贊成並支持香港特別行政區實施基本法第二十三條。任何國家，都以保護國土，維護國民整體安全為第一要務，
因此，一切危害國家安全，分裂國家主權的行為，明文列為罪行。香港特區，因為實行「一國兩制」，特別不在香港，將我國保護全國安全的法律實施， 而容許香港自行立法。
依我看，這基本法第二十三條的規定，實在已賦予香港人史無例的特有權力。如果我們香港人不珍惜這項權利，不明大局，胡亂接受別有居心人士誤導和唆擺，而反對基本法第二十三條實施，必會終於害己害人，把香港推至非常危險的境地。因為，祖國絕不可能容許或容忍香港特區成為威脅國家的基地。基本法第二十三條一日不立法，香港特區被人利用來反中國的機會就極大了。要知道，我國日漸強大，在一些意圖霸佔世界的巳得利益勢力集團眼中， 恰是十分不願見到的事。
香港特區，絕不能讓這些勢力利用。我們港人，千萬要提高警惕，清楚認明局勢，絕不能著了這些人的道兒。此時此地，很多聲音，其中不少是有意為香港製造麻煩，把我們推進陷阱的， 他們利用這陣子香港經濟低迷，人心不安的機會，努力製造不少表面堂正， 骨子裏居心莫測的言論，左右我們的思考。
我們必須知道，想香港享有高度自治，必須落實基本法。當前要務，是廿三條儘快立法定案。諮詢期已十分充裕，不必延長。也無須再攪白皮書，在立法會中充份辯論就足夠。
最近，更有外國人七咀八舌，議論紛紛，儼然港人福祉，全賴他們代議執言， 此類行為，十分荒謬，身為港人，反感之至，請秘書長無須理會，不必分心。
祝 一切好
黃霑 鞠躬
二○○二年十二月二日
Gonggong has a reddish hue and might be able to sustain some sort of stinky, methane atmosphere.
Hopefully this celestial object doesn’t take on the characteristics of its namesake, who’s known for causing much suffering and destruction in the form of floods and even knocking the Earth’s axis off center. Perhaps if we’re lucky, the influence of Xiangliu will keep those tendencies in check.
Supercapacitors can charge almost instantly, and discharge enormous amounts of power if needed. They could completely erase the Achilles heel of electric vehicles – their slow charging times – if they could hold more energy. And now Chinese and British scientists say they’ve figured out a way to store 10 times more energy per volume than previous supercapacitors.
A team split between University College London and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has released a study and proof of concept of a new supercapacitor design using graphene laminate films and concentrating on the spacing between the layers, the researchers discovering that they could radically boost energy density when they tailored the sizes of pores in the membranes precisely to the size of electrolyte ions.
Using this design, the team says it’s achieved a massive increase in volumetric energy density. Where “similar fast-charging commercial technology” tends to offer around 5-8 watt-hours per liter, this new design has been tested at a record 88.1 Wh/l. The team claims it’s “the highest ever reported energy density for carbon-based supercapacitors.”
Health officials in China have published the first details of more than 44,000 cases of Covid-19, in the biggest study since the outbreak began.
Data from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDC) finds that more than 80% of the cases have been mild, with the sick and elderly most at risk.
The research also points to the high risk to medical staff.
