Attendee at political summit featuring Trump has coronavirus
Washington: A person who attended a gathering of top US political conservatives including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is one of the country's largest annual gatherings of political conservatives, attracting thousands, and in addition to Trump and Pence the February 26-29 event near Washington also featured several cabinet members and top White House officials.
"The exposure occurred previous to the conference. A New Jersey hospital tested the person, and CDC confirmed the positive result," the event's organizer American Conservative Union tweeted on Saturday, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The individual is quarantined and under medical care in New Jersey.
"This attendee had no interaction with the President or the Vice President and never attended the events in the main hall," the statement added.
ACU chairman Matt Schlapp however told The Washington Post that he interacted with the infected person at the event -- and while the timeline is unclear, Schlapp shook Trump's hand on the stage on the last day of the conference.
Trump, at least publicly, was putting up a brave front. "I'm not concerned at all," he said when asked about the coronavirus getting closer to the White House.
Trump added that his re-election campaign rallies would continue even as the new coronavirus spreads.
COVID-19 is spread via small droplets from the nose and mouth of an infected person, and is thought to be able to survive on surfaces for a few hours up to several days, the World Health Organization says
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Moscow court slaps Google with $20 decillion fine over Russian channel block on YouTube
Moscow: A Moscow court has issued an unprecedented $20 decillion fine against Google, following its block on Russian state-affiliated channels like Tsargrad TV on platforms including YouTube. The amount, a figure surpassing the global GDP, has drawn worldwide attention as it highlights ongoing tensions over content censorship.
This legal dispute began when Google blocked Tsargrad TV, a pro-government channel, four years ago, later extending restrictions to other Russian state-linked media. Russia’s invocation of Article 13.41 of its Administrative Offences Code, which prohibits unauthorised restrictions on legal content, led to the court-imposed penalty of 100,000 roubles per day, doubling every 24 hours that Google did not comply. The fine eventually ballooned to 2 undecillion roubles, equivalent to $20 decillion.
In response, Google halted operations in Russia, declaring bankruptcy amid unmanageable legal demands. Following this, Russian authorities seized $100 million in assets from the company, reportedly allocating the funds to military support.
