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World review: Internet balloon causes alarm in DRC, Trump wants Biden drug tested

The balloon was assigned to the Kenyan operation of #ProjectLoon.

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by susan muhindi

News27 August 2020 - 05:10
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In Summary


  • • Congolese authorities detained two people after an unidentified object, which turned out to be a balloon providing an internet connection, fell down in the middle of the jungle.
  • • Mr Trump told the Washington Examiner he had noticed a sudden improvement in Mr Biden's performance in the Democratic TV debates.
The balloon belonging to #ProjectLoon was launched in April 23, 2020 from Puerto Rico and remained in flight for 123 days.

Congolese authorities detained two people after an unidentified object, which turned out to be a balloon providing an internet connection, fell down in the middle of the jungle, officials say.

Images of the large silver-coloured contraption were shared on social media.

The contraption fell in the dense forest in Bas-Uele province in the northern DR Congo around 13:00 local time (11:00GMT) on Monday.

Bas-Uele governor Valentin Senga told Reuters news agency that neither the intelligence services nor the local aviation authorities had any information about the mystery object.

He said that a Pakistani national and a Congolese national, who were in the area looking for the balloon, had been detained.

It wasn't until Tuesday afternoon that the mystery was solved, when the company responsible, Alphabet, said it was one of its balloons - and that it had coordinated the landing with the local air traffic control and civil aviation authority.

During the 123 days of operation it travelled 129.146 kilometres mainly around the African continent.

US President Donald Trump has called for himself and Democratic challenger Joe Biden to submit to drug tests before their first debate next month.

Mr Trump told the Washington Examiner he had noticed a sudden improvement in Mr Biden's performance in the Democratic TV debates.

The president offered no evidence his rival might be on drugs other than to say: "I'm pretty good at this stuff."

Mr Biden and Mr Trump will have three debates before the 3 November election.

Back in 2016, Mr Trump suggested his then-Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, had been "getting pumped up" before their debates and challenged her to take a drug test ahead of their final live TV encounter. The Clinton camp brushed aside his challenge.

On Wednesday, the president - who is set to deliver his keynote address to the ongoing Republican party convention on Thursday - made a similar claim, arguing that Mr Biden's debating ability had improved markedly in the final debate.

Mr Trump said the former US vice-president "wasn't even coherent" during some of the 11 live TV debates he competed in against a crowded field of contenders during the Democratic primary season.

Greek justice threw the book at Harry Maguire, and fast.

His international football career was put on hold after a court gave him a suspended jail term, for repeated bodily harm, attempted bribery, violence against public employees and insult after arrest on Mykonos.

He has now appealed, and is now presumed innocent unless the appeal court finds him guilty.

Why was it so quick to get a conviction?

Partly because, in the eyes of Greek justice, he was "caught red-handed".

"In Greek criminal procedure there is a process known as "in flagrante delicto" and it applies to people caught in the act of committing an offence," says Athens lawyer Konstantinos Starantzis. In other words, in this sort of case it's totally normal.

For up to 48 hours from the time of an alleged offence - until midnight the next day - police can arrest someone without a warrant.

Then, after a preliminary investigation, the suspect must be brought before a public prosecutor, who will decide whether to indict or not. If there's an indictment, a trial must take place either the same day or the day after.

DIY beauty trends popular on TikTok could be dangerous and harmful, healthcare groups have warned.

Examples include applying bleach to whiten teeth, removing moles at home, and using eyelash glue to make lips appear larger, BBC News has discovered.

When these videos went viral, they encouraged others to copy the so-called "beauty hacks", which could cause permanent harm, the groups warned.

TikTok told BBC News the videos did not violate its community guidelines.

However, the British Association of Dermatologists, the British Dental Association and the British Skin Foundation - who viewed the videos - have today issued warnings about copying these treatments on social media.

"It is important to remind people that social media should not be used as a primary source for dermatology issues," the British Association of Dermatologists said.

"When it comes to skin, it can lead to unnecessary fear or panic where it is not needed, wasting of resources such as money on products unable to treat medical problems, potential delay in treatment, as well as potentially worsening one's psychological health.

A government spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said it was "concerned by reports of dangerous and misleading cosmetic beauty 'hacks' circulating on social media."

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