World news

• Let it flow: Trump Administration eases showerhead rules

  12-08-2020 23:59
  
  The Trump Administration wants to change the definition of a showerhead to let more water flow, addressing a pet peeve of the president who complains he isn't getting wet enough.Publicly talking about the need to keep his hair “perfect,” President Donald Trump has made increasing water flow and dialing back long held appliance conservation standards — from light bulbs to toilets to dishwashers — a personal issue.Since 1992, federal lawhas dictated that new showerheads sho
  
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• US commander: Islamic State threat in west Syria growing

  12-08-2020 23:48
  
  Elements of the Islamic State group are working to rebuild in western Syria, where the U.S. has little visibility or presence, the top U.S. commander for the Middle East warned on Wednesday.In the region west of the Euphrates River where the Syrian regime is in control “conditions are as bad or worse” than they were leading up to the rise of the Islamic State, said Gen. Frank McKenzie.McKenzie said insurgents are operating with some degree of freedom, and he said the U.S. and its all
  
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• Crews Rush to Contain Oil Spill Off Mauritius Before Tanker Falls Apart

  12-08-2020 23:39
  
  Crews are racing to contain an oil spill from a tanker ship that ran aground off the island of Mauritius before the vessel breaks apart. The August 12 video shows a helicopter and personnel clearing the water off Pointe d’Esny.Mauritian prime minister Pravind Jugnauth said in a press conference on Wednesday that around 3,000 of the 4,000 tons of oil from the bulk carrier stranded on the reefs of Pointe d’Esny had been pumped out of the vessel’s fuel reservoirs, local media repo
  
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• PSG pull off last gasp comeback against Atalanta to reach Champions League semis

  12-08-2020 23:36
  
  Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the semi-final of the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday night after two late goals fired them to a 2-1 win over Atalanta.Trailing to Mario Pasalic’s 26th minute opener, PSG looked all but dead as Atalanta clung on to their lead at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon.But wave after wave of PSG attack eventually yielded fruit as defender Marquinhos bundled home Neymar’s pass from the left with the clock showing 90 minutes.Before Gian-Piero Gaspirini&
  
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• Mattingly: Marlins sidelined by virus are 'feeling great'

  12-08-2020 23:34
  
  The Miami Marlins sidelined by a coronavirus outbreak are all asymptomatic, and some have applied for reinstatement, manager Don Mattingly said Wednesday.The Marlins placed 17 players on the injured list last week following an outbreak in Philadelphia that forced seven games to be postponed.The infected players returned to Miami to be quarantined, and will likely need rehab workouts before rejoining the team.
  
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• Johnson to talk up UK unity on Northern Ireland visit

  12-08-2020 23:34
  
  Prime Minister Boris Johnson will visit Northern Ireland on Thursday to talk up the strength of union between Britain's constituent nations and promise a strong rebound from the coronavirus crisis.Johnson will also meet Ireland's new prime minister Micheál Martin for the first time since the formation of a new Irish coalition government in June.On his first visit to Northern Ireland since the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson wants to firm up ties badly strained by several years of acrimonious B
  
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• Joe Biden and Kamala Harris blast 'whining' Trump

  12-08-2020 23:34
  
  In her first appearance as Joe Biden's running mate, Kamala Harris savaged President Trump's record.
  
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• Kamala Harris and Joe Biden hit out at ‘whining’ Donald Trump in first joint campaign rally

  12-08-2020 23:31
  
  Joe Biden and his newly-chosen presidential running mate Kamala Harris have hit out at “whining” Donald trump as they campaigned together for the first time.The former rivals for the Democratic nomination accused the current US president of leaving the country “in tatters” as they launched their bid to make history.
  
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• How can Wall Street be so healthy when Main Street isn't?

  12-08-2020 23:31
  
  The stock market is not the economy.An amazing, monthslong rally means the S&P 500 is roughly back to where it was before the coronavirus slammed the U.S, even though millions of workers are still getting unemployment benefits and businesses continue to shutter across the country.The S&P 500, which is the benchmark index for stock funds at the heart of many 401(k) accounts, ended Wednesday at 3,380.35 after briefly topping its closing record of 3,386.15 set on Feb. 19.
  
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• Pupils in Scotland return to school

  12-08-2020 23:29
  
  Pupils in Scotland's major cities return to school as the devolved United Kingdom nation starts to resume classes after nearly five months of coronavirus lockdown.
  
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• Morning mail: airline price hikes investigated, Covid commission 'hijacked', the Muslim Game of Thrones

  12-08-2020 23:23
  
  Morning mail: airline price hikes investigated, Covid commission 'hijacked', the Muslim Game of Thrones. Thursday: Consumer watchdog examines claims that carriers are bumping passengers to sell first-class tickets. Plus, James Colley’s 10 funniest things
  
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• Saudi Arabian King Salman arrives in NEOM for rest and relaxation - state news agency

  12-08-2020 23:22
  
  Saudi Arabian King Salman bin Abdulaziz arrived in the NEOMeconomic zone on Wednesday for a period of rest and relaxation, according to state news agency SPA.The 84-year-old king had been released from hospital on July 30 after undergoing surgery to remove his gall bladder.In videos posted by Saudi state television and the kingdom's Ministry of Foreign Affairs of King Salman's arrival in NEOM, he can be seen standing on an escalator carrying him from a plane to a waiting car, and walking into a
  
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• 'It was a wake up call': Biden honours third anniversary of Charlottesville rally while slamming Trump's 'very fine people' comment

  12-08-2020 23:22 via independent.co.uk
  
  Presumptive Democratic candidate Joe Biden took time during his first joint event with running mate Kamala Harris to acknowledge the third anniversary of Charlottesville.
  
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• Rites of fall: Losing college football stings across America

  12-08-2020 23:21
  
  No one at Ole Miss knows for sure if partying fans will be belting out a well-lubricated "Hotty Toddy” in The Grove.From Ann Arbor to Los Angeles to Oxford, that most American of pursuits — college football — has either given up hope of getting in a traditional season or is flinging what amounts to a Hail Mary pass in a desperate attempt to hang on in the age of Covid-19.While every aspect of society has been jarred by a worldwide pandemic that has claimed more than 160,000 Ame
  
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• Air Force Pilot Injured After Military Helicopter Shot At Over Virginia: FBI

  12-08-2020 23:20
  
  An investigation into the shooting, which left a pilot with a minor injury, is now underway, authorities said.
  
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• Transfer news LIVE: Sancho to Man United latest; Arsenal target Quincy Promes and Diawara; Havertz to Chelsea

  12-08-2020 23:19
  
  Welcome to the Evening Standard‘s rolling transfer news and rumours live blog as the summer transfer speculation increases.The window officially opened last month after the completion of the delayed 2019-2020 Premier League season. Premier League clubs will now be busy tweaking their squads ahead of the new campaign, with the window scheduled to close on October 5.
  
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• PSG beat Atalanta 2-1 to reach Champions League last 4

  12-08-2020 23:10
  
  PSG staged a remarkable comeback in the last few minutes of the one-leg Champions League quarter-final against Italians Atalanta, sending them through to their first semi-finals in Europe's top competition in 25 years.Paris Saint-Germain produced a stunning late comeback to beat Atalanta 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final in Lisbon on Wednesday with substitute Eric Choupo-Moting scoring the winner in the third minute of injury time.Bergamo-based Atalanta were on the brink of extending t
  
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• Celtics sign coach Brad Stevens to contract extension

  12-08-2020 23:09
  
  The Celtics have signed coach Brad Stevens to a contract extension, the team announced Wednesday.The Celtics signed Stevens to a six-year deal when they hired him in 2013.Stevens, 43, has a 318-245 record in seven seasons in Boston.
  
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• Trump plans campaign swing next week as counter to Democrats' convention

  12-08-2020 23:06
  
  President Donald Trump is planning to visit four election battleground states next week as the Republican competes for attention with Democrats who will formally nominate Joe Biden as their presidential candidate.A source familiar with the planning said Trump plans stops in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Arizona and Pennsylvania, all of them states that may prove crucial to determining the winner of the Nov. 3 election.Democrats are holding their mostly virtual convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, next we
  
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• Trump called Kamala Harris 'nasty' – is it because she grills powerful men?

  12-08-2020 23:06
  
  Trump called Kamala Harris 'nasty' – is it because she grills powerful men?. Harris has subjected Trump’s allies – and even her running mate – to thorough cross-examination. We choose her best moments
  
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• PSG super-sub Choupo-Moting’s simple message after Champions League comeback: 'We can't go home like that'

  12-08-2020 23:01
  
  Eric Choupo-Moting has revealed how he motivated himself to score the winning goal to send Paris Saint-Germain into the Champions League semi-finals with a dramatic 2-1 win over Atalanta.The Serie A outfit had taken the lead through Mario Pasalic's fine strike in the first half, and looked to be on course for the semi-finals heading into the final minute of normal time in Libson.
  
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• Premiership rugby union will restart with three teams taking a knee

  12-08-2020 23:00
  
  Premiership rugby union will restart with three teams taking a knee
  
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• Lose a Stone in 21 Days review – a diet show that's hard to stomach

  12-08-2020 23:00
  
  Lose a Stone in 21 Days review – a diet show that's hard to stomach. In a tired and questionable format, Michael Mosley tries to get participants to change their eating habits and lifestyles – because how hard can it be?
  
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• Rep. Green on Kamala Harris as Biden's VP: It's a special day for people like me

  12-08-2020 22:49
  
  Texas Democratic Rep. Al Green shares his thoughts on Biden choosing Harris as his running mate.
  
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• Baseball Hall of Fame opens Inductees Exhibit

  12-08-2020 22:49
  
  The Baseball Hall of Fame's class of 2020 has to wait a year to get inducted because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the careers of Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons, Larry Walker, and Marvin Miller are already being celebrated at the shrine.It features one artifact for each honoree and includes: the Yankees helmet Jeter wore when he recorded his 3,000th career hit on July 9, 2011; Simmons’ AL championship ring won with the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers; a Rockies jersey worn by Walker in 1998 when he le
  
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• Sen. Kennedy: Kamala is smart, personable, and liberal

  12-08-2020 22:48
  
  Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy reacts to Kamala Harris becoming Joe Biden's vice presidential pick.
  
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• Russia to roll out world's first coronavirus vaccine ‘by end of August’ but Germany says it can't be trusted

  12-08-2020 22:48
  
  Russia has announced plans to roll out the world’s first coronavirus vaccine within two weeks as authorities dismissed safety concerns as “groundless”.The candidate has yet to complete its final trials and scientists have expressed fears that Moscow may be putting national prestige before health.
  
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• Sarathy Korwar, Flying Lotus and FKA twigs among 2020 AIM awards winners

  12-08-2020 22:45
  
  Sarathy Korwar, Flying Lotus and FKA twigs among 2020 AIM awards winners. Independent Music awards for artists outside major label system also honour Moses Boyd, Arlo Parks, Yaeji and AJ Tracey
  
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• Harris VP choice signals tougher stance on pollution under Biden

  12-08-2020 22:40
  
  By bringing U.S. Senator Kamala Harris onto the ticket, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has signaled support for the enforcement of U.S. anti-pollution laws and for suing companies that pollute, environmental groups said.Biden emphasized Harris’ environmental credentials when he announced the senator from California as his choice for vice president on Tuesday, noting lawsuits she had launched both as San Francisco’s district attorney from 2004 to 2011 and then as the stat
  
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• Pompeo says he warned Lavrov against offering bounties for U.S. soldiers

  12-08-2020 22:37
  
  U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said he warned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that there would be "an enormous price to pay" if Moscow is offering bounties to kill U.S. soldiers or other Western troops in Afghanistan.The New York Times in June reported that a Russian military intelligence unit secretly offered bounties to Taliban-linked militants for killing coalition forces in Afghanistan — including American troops, citing U.S. intelligence officials.President Don
  
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• Anderson, Robert lead White Sox past Tigers 7-5

  12-08-2020 22:37
  
  Tim Anderson had four hits and finished a double shy of the cycle, and Luis Robert hit a bases-clearing double to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 7-5 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday.Jonathan Schoop and Willi Castro homered for the Tigers, who scored four unearned runs in the fourth before Matthew Boyd (0-2) gave the lead right back.
  
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• Belarus confirms protester's death amid violent crackdown on unrest

  12-08-2020 22:36
  
  Belarus on Wednesday confirmed the death of a jailed protester after police violently cracked down on demonstrations over disputed presidential polls.The riot police have arrested thousands in street clashes across the country after long-serving leader Alexander Lukashenko claimed a landslide victory in Sunday polls.The strongman's opponents accuse him of rigging the election where his main rival was a massively popular opposition candidate, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.The Belarusian Investigative Co
  
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• Jets' motivated Bell out to prove he's now better than ever

  12-08-2020 22:34
  
  Le'Veon Bell refuses to make excuses or blame anyone else.The New York Jets star running back acknowledges he wasn't nearly as good as he expected he'd be in his first season with his new team.“This is the best I’ve felt, and I’m ready to show it,” Bell said Wednesday during a video call.
  
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• Man City vs Lyon: Bernardo Silva using memory of Tottenham exit as Champions League motivation

  12-08-2020 22:30
  
  Bernardo Silva claims the memory of Tottenham is keeping Manchester City focused in the Champions League.Mauricio Pochettino stunned Pep Guardiola in last season’s quarter-finals, going through on away goals after a thrilling second leg at the Etihad.
  
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• Kent council 'days away' from reaching care capacity for migrant children

  12-08-2020 22:29
  
  Kent County Council fears it is just “days away” from being unable to look after more asylum seeking children arriving on its shores.Council leader Roger Gough said 420 unaccompanied migrant children had arrived in Kent this year, with more than 70 arriving so far this month.
  
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• German prosecutors appeal for public help in tracing Wirecard boss

  12-08-2020 22:28
  
  German prosecutors appealed on television on Wednesday for help in tracking down Jan Marsalek, a former boss of collapsed payments company Wirecard, and issued a wanted notice for a manager they suspect of embezzling billions of euros.Charges were first brought against Marsalek in June 22, and his status as a suspect was widely known, but under Germany's extremely strict privacy laws, formally announcing he is a suspect and soliciting public help is a major step.Prosecutors said they believed he
  
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• Champions League fixture dates and results: PSG into semi-finals; Barcelona vs Bayern and Man City to follow

  12-08-2020 22:28
  
  The 2019/20 Champions League tournament is approaching its finale, with Lisbon hosting the finals of the competition.The quarters and semis are all one-legged ties with Uefa shortening the tournament due to the coronavirus pandemic leading to postponed fixtures earlier in the season.
  
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• Kamala Harris news - Senator pays tribute to Beau after Joe Biden gives rousing speech taking aim at Trump

  12-08-2020 22:26 via independent.co.uk
  
  The veepstakes have come to an end: on Tuesday Joe Biden selected California senator and former state attorney general Kamala Harris as his running mate, the first black woman to run as vice president on a major political party's ticket.
  
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• Kamala Harris news - live: Senator pays tribute to Beau after Joe Biden gives rousing speech taking aim at Trump

  12-08-2020 22:26 via independent.co.uk
  
  Follow the latest updates
  
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• Chinese driver jumps out of truck to escape after the vehicle crashes into central reservation and catches fire

  12-08-2020 22:26
  
  A driver jumped out of a truck to escape after it crashed into the central reservation and caught fire in eastern China.The terrifying CCTV video, filmed in the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang Province, shows a ball of fire suddenly bursting out of the crumpled truck.The driver is then seen jumping out of the cabin through the window to escape the inferno.According to reports, the driver named Zhang did not take a rest when transporting around 30-tons of rice to Jinhua City.When Zhang spotted another
  
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• France to bolster Mediterranean military presence over Turkish prospecting - Macron

  12-08-2020 22:18
  
  France will increase its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, calling on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has heightened tensions with Greece.The French leader voiced concern over "unilateral" exploration by Turkey in a call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron's office said in a statement.The standoff deepened this week with the arrival of Turkish seismic research vessel Oruc Reis in a dispute
  
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• France to bolster Mediterranean military presence over Turkish prospecting

  12-08-2020 22:18
  
  France will increase its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday, calling on Turkey to halt oil and gas exploration in disputed waters that has heightened tensions with Greece.The French leader voiced concern over "unilateral" exploration by Turkey in a call with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Macron's office said in a statement, adding the prospecting should "cease in order to allow a peaceful dialogue" between the neighbouring NATO
  
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• Democrats, Mnuchin at odds after 'overture' for virus talks

  12-08-2020 22:18
  
  The White House's top negotiator tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday over coronavirus aid, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the “overture,” saying the Trump administration is still refusing to meet them halfway.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reached out to the Democratic leaders as it becomes increasingly unlikely there will not be any new relief for Americans until Congress resumes in September.“The White House is not b
  
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• 'Overture' for more virus talks rejected as standoff deepens

  12-08-2020 22:18
  
  The White House's top negotiator tried to revive stalled talks Wednesday over coronavirus aid, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the “overture,” saying the Trump administration is still refusing to meet them halfway.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reached out to the Democratic leaders as it becomes increasingly unlikely there will not be any new relief for Americans until Congress resumes in September.“The White House is not b
  
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• Coronavirus: Scientists find 'unambiguous evidence' that Covid-19 can remain airborne

  12-08-2020 22:11 via independent.co.uk
  
  'For aerosol-based transmission, measures such as physical distancing by six feet would not be helpful in an indoor setting'
  
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• Coronavirus: Scientists find 'unambiguous evidence' that Covid-19 can remain airborne

  12-08-2020 22:11
  
  Following months of speculation and disagreement in the health community, a team of researchers has found that Covid-19 is airborne and that current social distancing guidelines could lead to more exposures and outbreaks.Confirmation of aerosol transmission, at distances of 6.5 and 15.7 feet (2 and 4.8 metres), was made by University of Florida experts in virology and aerosol science, according to a research paper published on the preprint server medRxiv.
  
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• Lyft maintains end-2021 profitability goal even as COVID-19 guts demand

  12-08-2020 22:10
  
  Quarterly revenue fell to $339.3 million (260.13 million pounds), as the coronavirus pandemic crushed demand for ride-hailing services in North America.Lyft said the number of active drivers dropped by 60% to 8.69 million in the three months ended June, from a year earlier.Lyft in April announced pay cuts and laid off nearly 1,000 employees, or 17% of its workforce, in an effort to reduce costs.
  
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• Infectious disease expert on challenges of reopening schools in areas with high COVID transmission rates

  12-08-2020 22:07
  
  Dr. Peter Hotez, infectious disease expert at Baylor College of Medicine, joins Bill Hemmer with insight on 'Bill Hemmer Reports.'
  
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• Boris Johnson: Fatal train derailment must never happen again

  12-08-2020 22:07
  
  Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the fatal train derailment in Aberdeenshire must “never happen again” as he paid tribute to the victims.Three people have died in the train derailment in Aberdeenshire with six people also injured.
  
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• Chinese toddler miraculously survives after being run over by car

  12-08-2020 22:06
  
  A two-year-old boy miraculously survived after being run over by a car in southern China.The terrifying moment, filmed in the city of Kaili in Guizhou Province, shows a toddler squatting on the ground in front of a car wash.However, an SUV suddenly turns towards the toddler and runs him over.A woman with a baby in her arms witnesses the incident and runs to stop the driver immediately, followed by a man who was washing a car nearby.The toddler is then seen climbing out from the bottom of the SUV
  
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