News Headlines - 11 October 2020
▽Honours list: ‘Unsung heroes’ of coronavirus lockdown recognised | The Times
Hundreds of people who helped the vulnerable and lifted the nation’s spirits at the height of the coronavirus pandemic have been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
A Glasgow restaurateur who fed NHS workers free of charge and a boy of 16 who made personal protective equipment on his 3D printer are among more than 400 “unsung heroes” recognised for their service.
They include a nurse who founded a national movement to make scrubs for frontline workers and a 100-year-old man who raised more than ￡400,000 while fasting during Ramadan.
▽Bloomberg Donates Millions for Felons' Voting Rights | Florida Political Review
Former Democratic presidential nominee Mike Bloomberg donated $16 million to pay the outstanding fees of nearly 32,000 Florida felons, thus restoring their right to vote in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
In 2018, Florida voters passed Amendment 4 to restore the voting rights of convicted felons who completed their sentence; the requirement to vote includes paying fines, fees and restitution. It is estimated that more than 775,000 felons are not eligible to vote due to outstanding fees.
Bloomberg’s donation went to the Fines and Fees Program at the grassroots organization Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. This program works to “break down barriers” to voting from financial obligations that arose from a felony conviction.
▽Kyrgyzstan election: PM quits as protesters take control in Kyrgyzstan - BBC News
The prime minister of Kyrgyzstan has quit after post-election protests plunged the ex-Soviet republic into political chaos.
Kubatbek Boronov has reportedly been replaced by Sadyr Japarov, who was freed from prison by protesters. The election results have been annulled.
Opposition groups had earlier seized control of parliament, saying Sunday's ballot had been rigged.
A calligraphy scroll by Mao Zedong said to be worth HK$2.3 billion - part of a haul stolen last month from the Hong Kong flat of a renowned collector - was torn into two pieces after being resold for a few hundred dollars to a man who thought it was a counterfeit, the Post has learned.
The buyer was one of three people arrested so far in connection with the massive heist, including one of the suspected burglars.
A police insider said the calligraphy piece was the most expensive item stolen in what was believed to be the biggest burglary in city history but it was sold for a mere HK$500 to a purchaser who - believing it a counterfeit - cut it into two pieces for storage purposes.
▽Japanese theme park unveils 'life-size' Godzilla attraction - BBC News
A Japanese theme park has unveiled what it believes is the world's first permanent "life-size" Godzilla statue.
The installation on Awaji Island, off the city of Kobe, measures 23m (75ft) and offers visitors the chance to ride a zip line right into Godzilla's mouth... Godzilla was originally 50m tall but shot to 120m in last year's movie Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
