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Piers Morgan Cleared for Criticizing Meghan After Oprah Interview

LONDON – British television personality Piers Morgan was acquitted on Wednesday by the UK regulator of criticizing Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, following her bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Mr Morgan has been investigated by Ofcom, which received a record number of complaints in March after criticizing Meghan.

In a 97-page judgment setting out the decision, Ofcom said that “Mr. Morgan had the right to say that he did not believe the claims of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and held and expressed strong views that rigorously challenged their portrayals.

In an interview aired in March, Meghan – a biracial former actress from the United States, famous for her role in the legal drama “Suits” and her marriage to Prince Harry in 2018 – told Ms. Winfrey this when she was with her first child was pregnant, an unnamed member of the royal household voiced concerns about how dark the baby’s skin would be. Meghan also said palace officials turned down her requests for mental health treatment when she said she was suicidal.

In response to ITV’s “Good Morning Britain” on Meghan’s claims, Mr. Morgan, who previously hosted the daytime show, said he did not believe the Duchess. More than 50,000 complaints about his criticism have been filed with the UK media regulator, including one from Meghan herself.

Mr. Morgan stormed off the set of the show and later resigned after his co-host Alex Beresford admonished him for his persistent criticism of Meghan. Ofcom announced the next day that it had opened an investigation into Mr. Morgan’s comments under its “Damage and Libel Rules”.

On Wednesday, Mr Morgan expressed his delight on Twitter at the decision to acquit him, saying it was a “resounding victory for freedom of expression and a resounding defeat for Princess Pinocchios”.

In an opinion piece he wrote in response to Ofcom’s decision to work for The Daily Mail, Mr Morgan wrote: “Make no mistake, this is a turning point in the fight for freedom of expression. If Ofcom had decided against me, it would have signaled the end of any British television journalist’s right to air any honest opinion lest it anger Meghan Markle.

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Health

U.S. joins 13 different nations in criticizing WHO’s China Covid report

This photo taken on Feb. 17, 2020 shows medical workers working at an exhibition center that has been converted into a hospital in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province.

STR | AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON – The United States on Tuesday signed a joint statement with 13 other nations criticizing the World Health Organization’s long-awaited report on the origins of Covid-19.

In a joint statement, the governments of Australia, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Israel, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, South Korea, Slovenia, the United Kingdom and the United States wrote that the report “has been significantly delayed and there was no access to complete original data and samples. “

“In the event of a major outbreak of an unknown pandemic pathogen, rapid, independent, expert-led and unhindered origin assessment is critical to better prepare our employees, our public health facilities, our industries and our governments for a successful response to it Outbreak and prevent future pandemics, “the joint statement said.

“In the future, WHO and all Member States must reassign themselves to access, transparency and timeliness,” the group added.

The WHO’s 120-page report, published Tuesday and produced by a team of international scientists, helped improve the scientific community’s understanding of the deadly virus that was conquering the globe, but it fell short of a full assessment back.

“We have not yet found the source of the virus and we must continue to follow science and leave no stone unturned,” said WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus during a press conference on Tuesday.

“Finding the source of a virus takes time and we owe it to the world to find the source so we can take action together to reduce the risk of its recurrence. No single research trip can provide all the answers,” he added .

At the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the Biden administration is still examining the WHO report, adding that the results are “partial and incomplete”.

“The report lacks critical data, information and access. It presents a partial and incomplete picture,” said Psaki. “There is a second phase in this process that we believe should be led by international and independent experts. They should have full access to data,” she added.

Psaki criticized Beijing’s lack of transparency when asked about China’s participation in the WHO report, which was attended by at least 17 experts.

“Well, they weren’t transparent. They didn’t provide any underlying data. That is certainly not a cooperation,” she said.

Categories
Politics

Trump Cupboard officers condemn Capitol riots, however keep away from criticizing the president

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Vice President Mike Pence listen as President Donald Trump speaks about the government shutdown on January 25, 2019 in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC. – Trump says he will sign a government reopening bill by February 15.

Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images

WASHINGTON – Members of President Donald Trump’s 23-member cabinet on Wednesday issued sharp reprimands against violence in the nation’s Capitol, forcing lawmakers to halt the process of declaring Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election.

However, officials stopped criticizing the president, who urged his supporters to take action.

Trump had encouraged thousands of supporters during a rally outside the White House to march to the Capitol to protest the historically ceremonial procedures. Trump returned to the White House after his speech and later said in a tweet video to supporters, “You have to go home now.”

“This was a fraudulent choice … but you have to go home,” Trump said, telling the protesters, “We love you. You are very special” before finishing his remarks.

In a series of tweets on Wednesday evening, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the storming of the US Capitol as “unacceptable”.

“Lawlessness and unrest – here or around the world – are always unacceptable,” wrote the nation’s top diplomat.

“Let us quickly bring justice to the criminals involved in this unrest,” wrote Pompeo, adding, “America is better than what we saw today.”

Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen wrote in a statement: “The violence against our nation’s Capitol is an intolerable attack on a fundamental institution of our democracy.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the Justice Department had dispatched hundreds of law enforcement officers and agents from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the US Marshals Service to quell protests.

Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia called the unrest “a low point in the history of American democracy”.

Acting Secretary of the Homeland Security Department, Chad Wolf, also condemned the violent pamphlet that “no one has the right to attack a federal institution regardless of their motivation.”

He added that those involved in the riot should be held accountable for their actions.

The Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, also participated in calls for an end to violence in Washington.

“End this violence now. Violence is never an appropriate response, regardless of legitimate concern. Please remember, if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand,” Carson wrote.

Minister of Health and Human Services Alex Azar wrote that he was “disgusted” by the violence in the US Capitol.

“Physical violence and the desecration of this sacred symbol of our democracy must come to an end,” added Azar.

“Most importantly, you are all safe. Please take care of yourself and your loved ones,” wrote Azar in a subsequent tweet.

In a tweet on Wednesday evening, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wrote: “Violence is always unacceptable. We must respect our constitution and our democratic process.”

Similarly, Trade Secretary Wilbur Ross wrote on Twitter that “violence is never the right solution”.

“The eyes of American children and students – the emerging generation who will inherit the republic we are leaving – are watching what goes on in Washington today,” wrote Elisabeth DeVos, Trump’s Secretary of Education, adding, “we need to give them a better one.” Give an example. “

“The disruption and violence must end, the law must be obeyed, and the work of the people must continue,” wrote DeVos.