Citizens of Cambodia living along the nations border with Thailand are battling to make ends satisfy as authorities close checkpoints in between both countries to stop the spread of the unique coronavirus (COVID-19), motivating require a federal government bailout.

Authorities in Thailand, where 322 individuals have actually been contaminated with the condition brought on by the virus (COVID-19) and also someone has actually passed away from the condition, lately revealed several checkpoint closures in coming days, which Cambodians living along the border claim has actually put a grip on profession.

Long Sokunthy, a citizen of Banteay Meanchey districts OChrov area, stated that the closure of the border with the areas largest economic climate had actually influenced her everyday earnings as a food supplier, both due to the fact that of an absence of Thai organisation, as well as a raised concern of acquiring the condition amongst Cambodians, that rather select to stay at home.

Some 60 percent of local citizens are currently exercising social distancing from their residences, she approximated, including that she currently makes regarding 400,000 riel (UNITED STATE $100) each day in sales, contrasted to 1 million riel (UNITED STATE $250) prior to the border shut.

Sitting here I always saw tons of people in the past, but now its very quiet, she informed RFAs Khmer Service, including that the local market was likewise near vacant on Friday.

Everyone is remaining at residence I am bothered with infection from COVID-19 yet I am unable to venture out of job regardless of the condition coming to be extra significant. My kids and also I will certainly have to quit working up until the Thai border is resumed.

In Banteay Meancheys Poipet neighborhood, near the border, a local citizen that decreased to be called, stated that while the checkpoint continues to be open to visitors, citizens can just go across the border unlawfully, indicating there has actually been a considerable decline in cross-border profession amidst a suppression by authorities.

The border closure has actually impacted regarding 60-70 percent of the local economic climate, such as rice noodle vendors that initially offered in between 30-40 kgs (66-88 extra pounds) of noodles [per day], and also currently just offer 5 kgs (11 extra pounds), so food suppliers have actually shed a whole lot of cash, the local stated.

Residents of border locations in Battambang and also Pailin districts likewise informed RFA their capacity to work had actually likewise been influenced by the closures and also the expanding concern of infection.

Sum Someath, a cab driver at the Lem border checkpoint in Battambang, stated his prices had actually gone down so considerably that he had to quit working.

I have actually quit driving the taxi for a number of days, due to the fact that the concern of the coronavirus has actually maintained individuals within, and also currently I have absolutely nothing to do [to earn an income], he stated.

Vorn Pov, head of state of Independent Democracy of Information Economy Association, stated motorcycle drivers, road suppliers, and also building employees have actually been some of the employees worst impacted by the break out, and also are having difficulty also managing everyday dishes.

I think the government should prepare a budget package to support the poor, he stated.

If they owe money to the bank, then the government should tell the bank to delay interest payments. The government should also prepare a budget package to buy food for the poor during the coronavirus outbreak.

Cambodia had actually revealed a minimum of 51 favorable COVID-19 clients as of Friday, consisting of a number of lately recognized Muslim Cambodians and also Malaysian nationals that went to an Islamic expedition in Malaysia last month.

The records of the current infections have actually led customers to stay clear of Muslim organisations, motivating Cambodian Muslims to get in touch with the general public to avoid discrimination as the country rallies with each other to battle the spread of the virus.

Food safety in Laos

Meanwhile, in bordering Laos, which has yet to report any type of validated instance of COVID-19, authorities lately released a notification caution stores to avoid rate gouging, amidst records of raised costs for items and also prevalent hoarding.

The Wednesday notification from authorities in the resources Vientiane stated that stores that increase costs amidst the wellness dilemma will certainly be warned, fined, and punished.

But regardless of the order, local citizens claim food is flying off of racks, while the expense of items specifically clinical products is increasing.

People began hoarding food, especially rice, canned fish, and instant noodles because theyre afraid that the borders will be shut down due to the threat of the coronavirus, a rice vendor at a market in Vientiane informed RFA Friday.

People are consistently acquiring 2 or 3 100- kilo (220- extra pound) bags of rice each time and also saving them for lasting usage, the rice vendor stated, talking on problem of privacy.

Another local of the resources stated the expense of encounter masks had actually trebled to 15,000 kip (UNITED STATE $1.50) from 5,000 kip (UNITED STATE $0.50) weeks earlier.

Reports of the panic acquiring in Laos comes as the federal government tightens up control of vacationers in and also out of the nation.

On Thursday, authorities in Laos shuttered all tiny checkpoints for Lao and also Thai nationals throughout their nations common border, put on hold issuance of e-visas and also vacationer visas, suggested that Laotians avoid any type of excessive traveling abroad, revealed an implemented 14- day quarantine for Lao nationals returning to the nation, outlawed huge celebrations, and also shut all amusement places.

The brand-new procedures began the exact same day authorities shut all institutions throughout the country up until April 21, pointing out coronavirus worries.

An image reveals a tiny grocery store in the Lao resources Vientiane, 2019. Credit: RFA

Mask scarcity in Myanmar

Also on Friday, clinical employees in Myanmar which likewise has yet to reveal a COVID-19 infection informed RFAs Myanmar Service that they are requesting for contributions amidst a lack of masks and also safety clothes, as well as devices such as ventilators and also defibrillators around the nation.

If there is an actual break out, doctor go to threat of infection due to the fact that we do not have sufficient safety devices now, stated Ye Ye Than, a physician from Thingangyun Hospital in Yangon that has actually requested contributions via his Facebook web page.

I have been asking for public donations to fill the gap. Ideally, a healthcare facility with 100 doctors needs at least 200 protective suits In every hospital in the country, there is a shortage of these protective tools for health workers.

She stated devices like ventilators and also defibrillators are as well costly for a lot of medical facilities in Myanmar and also, also if there are benefactors, expanding international need implies there will certainly be couple of readily available on the marketplace.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) lately revealed that it has actually developed a UNITED STATE $1.8 million reserve for Myanmar to battle the coronavirus, and also Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi stated previously today that the federal government is developing a public fund to battle spread of the virus, getting in touch with participants of the general public to contribute.

But regardless of these procedures and also a current standards released by authorities for terminating public occasions, Myanmars federal government has actually run the gauntlet for stopping working to safe sufficient clinical materials to efficiently consist of COVID-19

New instances in Vietnam

On Friday, Vietnam validated that it had actually recognized 6 brand-new infections, bringing the complete number of COVID-19 instances to91 Among the brand-new infections were the initial 2 registered nurses in the nation to agreement the condition, as well as a British pilot for Vietnam Airlines that lives in Ho Chi Minh City.

A day previously, the Ho Chi Minh City Ministry of Health validated that 49 Vietnamese nationals had actually gone to the exact same Muslim expedition in Malaysias resources Kuala Lumpur last month that had actually triggered a number of of Cambodias favorable instances. The Vietnamese explorers are still undertaking screening, they stated.

Vietnams main Ministry of Health revealed Friday that it will certainly broaden quarantine demands to all inbound vacationers from those initially in area for vacationers from the UNITED STATE, European Union, and also participant states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). International arrivals will certainly be housed in transformed army bases from March 21, authorities stated.

Meanwhile, institutions are shuttered throughout the nation, while authorities have actually bought all amusement places to close up until completion of March and also asked residents to avoid holding huge celebrations or heading out in public without safety face masks.

Reported by RFAs Khmer, Lao, and also Vietnamese Services, and also Waiyan Moe Myint for RFAs MyanmarService Translated by Pheap Aun, Max Avary, Ye Kaung Myint Maung, and also VietHa Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

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Local Economies Suffer in Cambodia as Thailand Closes Border to Stop Spread of Virus - The Union Journal

Take a walk, but remember to stay 6 feet away from the nearest person.

For about six million Californians 65 and up, life has gotten a lot harder.

Last weekend, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that seniors and people with chronic illnesses need to stay home to protect themselves from the novel coronavirus.

While public health experts agree that self-isolation and social distancing during this time is extremely important, they're also worried about the toll it can take on seniors' mental health and well-being.

Let's be honest: it's probably going to be tough. But here are some tips for surviving hopefully, even thriving while stuck at home.

GET DIGITALLY CONNECTED

Many seniors depend on activities at senior centers and volunteer work to keep them active and social.

But public health experts like Dr. Anna Chodos, professor of medicine and geriatrics at UCSF, say there are many other ways to connect with people without being physically present.

She encourages seniors to call the Institute on Aging's Friendship Line. It's a hotline where older people can make a friend over the phone and have someone to talk to if they are lonely.

"It's a good resource to give people if they can't get in touch with their families," Dr. Chodos said.

She's also encouraging family members of isolated seniors to "please call them regularly." Also, if your older family member doesn't know how to use video functions like FaceTime, help them figure it out. (Here's Apple's handy guide. There's also Skype, Facebook video chat and Google Hangouts).

KEEP VOLUNTEERING AND EXERCISING, BUT CHANGE IT UP

If you're a senior who has a regular volunteer job that is now on hold, why not see if there's a way to help out online or over the phone?

Also, since going to the gym or a workout class is currently not an option, Dr. Lisa Gibbs, chief of geriatrics at UC Irvine School of Medicine, recommends finding a workout online or from streaming programs like Netflix. The National Institute on Aging has an exercise campaign called Go4Life that includes online video workouts. Here's a sample:

Or ... get outside! For now, local public health officials have not prohibited outdoor excercise. So take a walk. Just make sure you are six feet away from other people and avoid body fluids.

Gardening or excercising in your yard, if you have one, are also good options.

THAT EPIC NOVEL YOU'VE BEEN MEANING TO WRITE

It's a great time to pick up hobbies that have been on the backburner for a while, such as learning to play a musical instrument or taking an online class. Check out AARP's guide to online learning.

Jeannette, 68, from Fullerton told KPCC's AirTalk she's taking advantage of her free schedule to write a book.

TACKLING ANXIETY

There's isolation. And then there's being stuck in a small space with your whole family. Kenneth Wiatrak, 68, lives with his wife and two teenagers in a one-bedroom apartment in Studio City.

"How do you self isolate when there's no room to isolate?" he wondered.

Wiatrak is also the primary source of income for his family. He works as a photographer and a cameraman, and he's concerned about missing work and not being able to pay the bills.

"What's my chance of keeping working and not contracting the disease versus other ways to make ends meet?" Wiatrak asked.

Doctors are concerned that anxiety will affect seniors in the coming weeks. During this critical period, health experts are encouraging seniors to stay in touch with their health care provider.

Seniors shouldn't be afraid to tell their doctor that they are stressed out, Dr. Chodos said. She said there are a lot of mental health resources by phone that doctors can provide.

The news itself can be anxiety-inducing. Don't sit in front of the television watching news about COVID-19 all day, Dr. Gibbs said. She recommended choosing one trusted source and checking only once or twice a day for updates.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HELP?

If you're younger and in good health, there are many ways to help without compromising a senior's health (or your own):

Have more questions? Watch a Q&A about coronavirus and seniors with Kim McCoy Wade, director of the state Department of Aging, moderated by CalMatters reporters Ana Ibarra and Judy Lin:

SOME STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT COVID-19

We're all living through this extraordinary and frightening pandemic. The vast majority of our newsroom has been working from home (here's some advice on that) since March 11 to bring you calm, helpful reporting. We are answering your questions and taking more.

LAist is known for our events listings but now hopefully we'll be known for our non-event listings and tips for parents to try to keep you sane. And we're looking for your nominations for everyday heroes in this time of crisis. We're here to help. And if you can help support that effort financially, we'd be grateful.

See more here:

A Guide For Seniors On Coping In The Age Of Coronavirus - LAist

Italy registers a record 627 deaths in one day from Coronavirus. Italy has announced a further tightening ofrestrictions due to the Coronavirus emergency, in a bid to get people off the streets and remain at home, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The nationwidemeasures are in place from 21 March until 25 March, the end-date of the existing orderwhich in allprobablilitywill be extended.

The measures include a ban on outdoor play or recreation, however people may still take outdoor excercise, on their own, provided they stay in the area of their residence and maintain a distance of at least one metre from others.

Access to public parks,villas, gardens and playgrounds is prohibited.

On public holidays, and the days either side, all travel is forbidden to anywhere that is not your principal residence, including second homes.

Milan has called in soldiers to patrol its streets while Rome is stepping up its controls on motorists and pedestrians still in circulation.

Italy's death toll from the Coronavirus pandemic has reached 4,032, according to the latest figures released on 20 March by the country's civil protection agency, and reported by ANSA.

The number offatalities is up 627 since the day before, the highest one-day death count anywhere in the world, including China, since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

The overall number of those whohave contracted Coronavirus in Italy - including the deceased and the 5,129 people who haverecovered - now stands at 47,021.

Photo LaPresse

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Coronavirus: Italy tightens restrictions as death toll tops 4,000 - Wanted in Rome

KATHMANDU, March 21: Announcing a slew of measures to contain the possible spread of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister KP Oli in an address to the nation on Friday urged people not to be panicked by the current situation but to take necessary precautions to stay safe.

Prime Minister Oli announced the closure of all public and private services, except essential services, for two weeks. The government has been taking stringent measures to prevent a possible spread of COVID-19 in the country.

The prime minister announced the closure of all international flights to and from Nepal from Sunday until March 31. But the government has decided not to close the borders.

Giving priority to the health and security of passengers coming through the border entry points, arrivals will be processed after mandatory health checkups. Necessary coordination will be made with neighboring countries in this regard, said Oli.

The government has decided to close down the operation of long-route public buses from Monday until further notice but domestic flights will operate, he said.

All services to be delivered from public, community and private institutions at the federal, provincial and local levels are closed from March 22 till April 3, except for essential services listed in the Nepal Gazette, he further said.

The Nepal Gazette updated six months ago lists as essential services 17 services related to transportation and the distribution of essential foods, drinking water, petroleum, health services and internal security. Posts and telecommunications, press and publications, military equipment and garbage management, banking, insurance and electricity wont be affected by the government closure decision.

The government had already decided to close down educational institutions including schools and colleges, cinemas, clubs, party venues and other crowded places for a month. More steps can be taken with your (peoples) cooperation, depending on the situation of the pandemic, said Oli in his address.

The prime minister has also appealed to the public to maintain proper sanitization and avoid crowds and commutes outside unless necessary.

Keeping in view the possible shortage of essential goods in the market, Prime Minister Oli also urged people not to stock up on essentials more than their need.

Dont be swayed by rumors and follow the advice of experts, doctors or technicians, be patient, excercise endurance and caution, and dont panic, Oli urged.

See the original post:

PM tells nation not to panic over virus - myRepublica

Issued on: 18/03/2020 - 18:54Modified: 18/03/2020 - 18:54

On Tuesday evening, people across France gathered at their balconies and windows to clap for the countrys health workers battling the coronavirus pandemic as the country went into lockdown.

The applause was triggered by calls across social media throughout Tuesday, as the country headed towards its first night under a government enforced lockdown that has seen people prevented from leaving their homes other than to work, excercise, shop for food or get medical treatment.

Using the hashtags#OnApplaudit (We Applaud) and #TousAlaFentre (All at the Window), French people were asked to start applauding en masse at either 7pm or 8pm and to continue doing so at the same time every night.

It is an initiative that first started in Italy and Spain, both under lockdown amid the coronavirus outbreak, and has since spread to other countries including Greece, Portugal and Switzerland.

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#WeApplaud: French pay tribute to health workers from their balconies - FRANCE 24 English

General News of Thursday, 19 March 2020

Source: http://www.ghanaweb.com

Stories making headlines on the front pages in the major newspapers

Daily Graphic

NACOB makes largest cannabis haul

EC submits instrument on voter registration to Parliament

31 foreign nationals denied entry, 9 quarantined

AG seeks legal backing to COVID-19 directives

Ghanaian Times

COVID-19 update: Ghana's economy faces meltdown

GMA calls for suspension of mass registration excercise in E/R

29 foreigners refused entry into Ghana over COVID-19

3 Ghanaians confirmed dead in Europe from COVID-19

Daily Guide

COVID-19 kills 3 Ghanaians in Italy, Denmark

Imposition Restrictions Bill laid

Public resort to Akpeteshie to fight COVID-19

EC seeks legal backing for new register

Ofosu Ampofo witness in quarantine

Emirates, KLM suspend flights

B&FT

CORONANOMICS: BoG takes swift action to keep economy on foot

Tourism Authority pushes tax reliefs for industry players

COVID-19: World Bank Group increases response to $14bn to help sustain economics, protect jobs

More here:

Today at the news stands - GhanaWeb

Mowing the lawn, playing football with your dog, turning on the TV... footballers around Europe are struggling to fill the big void created by the coronavirus shutdown.

Many are writing about the unfamiliar experience on social media. Some have already come to the conclusion that there is nothing to do.

Real Madrid players, forced into quarantine by a case of coronavirus in the clubs basketball squad, have been training at home, where most of them already had facilities and equipment.

Captain Sergio Ramos posted a video on Instagram showing him sprinting on a treadmill.

Marco Asensio, who suffered a knee injury last summer, posted a video showing that he was continuing his recovery programme in his garden.

But even for sportsmen used to working out, there is a limit.

Im here, in my garden, theres nothing to do, French striker Karim Benzema said in a video on social media where he appeared alongside his dog, earning him a comparison with Will Smith in the post-apocalyptic film I am legend.

Fabien Causeur, a Real Madrid basketball guard, has launched a live video channel to show his quarantine challenge.

He has been taking on athletes and celebrities in three-minute simultaneous excercise including Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, and NBA star and former Real Madrid teammate Luka Doncic.

At Barcelona, players are following a specific and personalised programme set by the club which is monitoring their efforts remotely using biometric tags.

Luis Suarez had been a step ahead of Ramos, posting a video of himself trudging on a treadmill last week.

In Italy, Juventus midfielder Douglas Costa filmed himself practising his dribbling in his back garden with his dog struggling to fill the role of defender.

Alexis Sanchez, on loan to Inter Milan, has two golden retrievers and a much bigger garden but he comfortably outplayed them in a video he put up online. He also posted photos of himself topless, gathering chopped wood.

Jessica Melena, the wife of Ciro Immobile posted a cookery video on Instagram, showing the Lazio striker waving a spatula and mixing a cake while she coached him.

Immobile posted his own video in which he juggled furry toys with his feet.

Napolis Belgian forward Dries Mertens posted pictures of a work out with a huge bottle of red wine.

In France, Strasbourg midfielder Adrien Thomasson, was looking ahead to another empty week.

Well have nothing to do, in the middle of the season, its never happened before. Our habits have been turned upside down, he said.

Thomasson is a ski fan but as other sports are also at a standstill that leaves a big void for this ski lover.

Im going to watch series, movies, its going to be really limited.

Television is also the refuge for James Lea Siliki, a Rennes midfielder, who tweeted the times of a couple of French quiz shows. Later he admitted a passion for a French TV karaoke show adding Ill spare you my voice.

Romain Thomas, a defender at Angers, said his daily routine involved jogging, gardening and watching French reality TV.

He said he has talked to team-mates.

We said to each other: Look, its a beautiful day, its time to mow. So I mowed the lawn in the garden, it gives me time to think about something else.

Independent journalism costs money. Support Times of Malta for the price of a coffee.

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Watch: Deprived of football, players try to fill the 'big void' - Times of Malta

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, surrounded by members of his government, family and supporters, celebrates Hannukah at the Dan Panorama hotel, Tel Aviv, December 2019. Tomer Appelbaum

The leaders of the anyone but Bibi party are negotiating with the only Bibi party about establishing an emergency unity government. In short, what was once treyf is now kosher.

The main argument, to borrow a phrase variously attributed to George Bernard Shaw, Churchill and others, is over the price that will be paid to the Kahol Lavan partys council of sages in exchange for this legitimization. The party is demanding that its chairman, Benny Gantz, serve as prime minister first. He is the right man at this fateful hour.

Will Israel's cyber spies let Bibi use coronavirus to kill democracy?Haaretz

>> FollowHaaretz's live coverageas Israel deals with the coronavirus pandemic in a time of political uncertainty

If this is truly the moment when all the creatures of the world will be judged, the man most appropriate to manage it and theres no comparison is Benjamin Netanyahu. In their heart of hearts, even Kahol Lavans leaders think so.

Therefore, until the storm passes, they must set aside all his sins, weaknesses and lies, unite behind him and help him lead us from darkness to light. Only after we have overcome this disaster, may it happen soon, will it be possible to return to the ordinary agenda.

Its a pity that even at this time, when he is leading the struggle for national salvation with notable success, Netanyahu hasnt changed his style. The perpetual, repulsive bragging the essence of which is I ordered, I initiated, Thanks to my ties with world leaders hasnt departed from his grimacing face or his eloquent tongue.

Nevertheless, this boastfulness seems to imbue a sizable portion of the public with confidence. We have a leader, one can hear them saying a leader who knows how to deal with a global disaster skillfully and authoritatively.

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His opponents accuse him of being hesitant and not knowing how to make decisions? The opposite is true. Look at the balanced, life-saving decisions he is making every day and every hour. Others would have collapsed under the strain and the weight of the responsibility. Yes, he is surprising us.

In the absence of grounds for genuine, substantive criticism of his performance in these days of anxiety, the anyone but Bibi camp has undergone a transformation: It is now focusing on a fear-mongering campaign about the end of democracy. The people who share this fear ought to explain something: You denounce the ultra-Orthodox, who are continuing to study in yeshivas. Yet you rule out digital tracking of people who have come into contact with coronavirus patients.

And in so doing, just like the ultra-Orthodox, you are endangering many lives. Isnt this sheer hatred of the ultra-Orthodox? Isnt it a violation of thou shalt not take the name of democracy in vain?

Who would cooperate with Netanyahu in a coup that would end democracy? The head of the Shin Bet security service, who comes from one of the kibbutz movements? The armys chief of staff, who is poles apart from him politically? The Armored Corps in their tanks? The pilots in their fighter planes? Hatred is driving you out of your minds.

Jephthah the Gileadite was ostracized by most of his generation. As the Bible says, he surrounded himself with hollow people. Yet at a moment of supreme danger, he was called upon, despite his weaknesses and his misdeeds, to save Israel from the Ammonites. The rabbis of the Talmud subsequently compared him to one of the Bibles greatest prophets and political leaders: Jephthah in his generation was like Samuel in his generation.

A pandemic is no less dangerous than a war. And just as we know how to unite in wartime, we must also unite now, when the coronavirus may well threaten us more than any war we have ever known. When the danger passes, the nation will settle accounts with anyone who continues to behave like it was still last year.

Who is a national poet? Someone whose poems imbue the people with faith and hope in times of trouble and survive (and remain relevant) for generations.

In his monumental poem To the Volunteers among the People, written between 1889 and 1900, Haim Nahman Bialik wrote, To the aid of the people! To the aid of the people! / With what? Dont ask with whatever comes to hand! / With whom? Dont investigate with anyone whose heart moves him to volunteer! / Anyone whose heart is touched by the nations woes ... The camp will muster / Let us not separate ourselves / Every victim will serve / Every gift is trustworthy: / You dont investigate at a time of danger.

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Netanyahu rises to the challenges posed by the coronavirus. But you're still not satisfied - Haaretz

File photo shows Mary Haney as Mrs. Stevenson in the Shaw Festival's 'Sorry, Wrong Number', originally published Aug. 26, 1997.

David Cooper/Handout

The twinkle in the eye. The taste for mischief. The signature greeting: Hi, monkey! No actor had a better sense that a play is play than Mary Haney. But the merry woman who could puncture pomposity in a rehearsal hall with a jab of her sharp wit was also the serious one who could dig deep into the complexities of Bernard Shaws St. Joan or Sean OCaseys Juno Boyle.

As one of the pillars of the celebrated acting ensemble at Canadas Shaw Festival, Ms. Haney shone both in classic leading roles (Joan, Juno, the eponymous entrepreneur of Mrs. Warrens Profession) and, more often, in the kind of supporting ones that, in her hands, elicited strings of superlatives from the critics.

Ms. Haney, who died on Feb. 24 of cancer at 65, spent 33 seasons at the festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., appearing in more than 60 productions. Her time there encompassed the tenures of two long-serving artistic directors, both of whom marvelled at her abilities.

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Mary Haney (right) and Hugh Webster star in Toronto Free Theatre's production of 'Translations', in this file photo originally published Jan. 7, 1983.

ANDREW OXENHAM/Handout

There was a sensitivity to her playing that was quite remarkable, Christopher Newton, who ran the festival from 1980 to 2002, said. As a person, she was very straightforward, and yet onstage it was so complex, what she could do. She was a constant surprise.

Jackie Maxwell, who succeeded Mr. Newton from 2003 to 2016, described Ms. Haneys acting as funny and fierce on the surface, but with a gift for letting a characters vulnerabilities slowly, poignantly seep through. And her ribald offstage personality a stranger once described her as that little lady who curses like a truck driver was the colourful front for a dedicated artist. She came up with such original takes on characters, Ms. Maxwell said. In rehearsal she kept our feet to the fire. Wed all have to work as hard as she did.

Ms. Haneys love of play would seem to be a family trait. After all, her big brothers, John and Chris, were the developers of the massively popular Trivial Pursuit board game. She played a part in its invention. Back in the early eighties, when we were writing questions for the game, wed bounce them off Mary, John Haney recalled. If Mary got the answer, wed say, Weve got to throw that one out, its too easy! It became a joke. In the end, though, she contributed trivia to the games entertainment category and was one of its early investors.

Mary Haney plays Juliana Tesman and Patrick McManus is George Tesman in 'Hedda Gabler' at the Shaw Festival, 2012.

Emily Cooper

Ms. Haneys acting talent was also in her blood. Her vivacious mother, Sheila Haney, was a British-born actor who also performed at the Shaw and Stratford festivals. As Sheila Woollatt, shed studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before meeting and marrying Canadian soldier Jack Haney during the Second World War. She immigrated to Canada in 1946, where Jack worked as a news director for radio stations in small-town Ontario and New Brunswick, Sheila acted in community theatre and the couple raised a family.

Mary Beverley Elizabeth Haney, their third and youngest child, was born on Dec. 16, 1954, in Welland, Ont. John Haney said his little sister always had a penchant for acting, and Mom sort of pushed her in that direction. By the time Mary was a teenager, Sheila Haney had left behind amateur groups for a professional career at Shaw and Stratford. Mary spent her summers at the festivals, getting her first theatre job as a dresser backstage at Stratford.

In the winter of 1972, she accompanied her mother out west, where Sheila was playing the Nurse in a Theatre Calgary production of Romeo and Juliet. (The shows Romeo was a young, unknown Christopher Walken.) Thats when she got serious about acting. There were a lot of youngish people in that show, who had been to a school called the National Theatre School, she recalled in a 2010 interview. They said, Why dont you think about trying out for it? She did, got in and loved it.

Ms. Haney went on to join the Shaw company in 1978 and, a season later, performed alongside her mother in a production of the Emlyn Williams classic The Corn is Green. In 1981, she left Niagara-on-the-Lake to be part of artistic director John Hirschs first season at Stratford and remained there through his five-year tenure. The remounting of a Stratford show at Toronto Free Theatre Brian Friels Translations earned her a Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination in 1983. Over the years, she would continue to act at theatres across Canada and in the U.S. during the winter season.

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In 1986, Mr. Newton invited her back to the Shaw, where she firmly planted herself for the next 30 years. He claimed she had left the festival originally because he wouldnt cast her in the title role of Saint Joan, but when she returned, she finally got her shot at it. Her beautifully wrought performance in director Neil Munros bold 1993 modern-dress version turned out to be not just a career pinnacle, but one that is still talked about more than two decades later. During Joan of Arcs trial, when Ms. Haneys anguished face was captured in close-up by video monitors, Macleans theatre critic John Bemrose wrote that she touch[ed] the sublime.

Later, Ms. Haney would also win plaudits in major dramatic roles under Ms. Maxwells reign, playing the shrewd English mother in Mrs. Warrens Profession (2008) and the heroic Irish one in Juno and the Paycock (2014). When she delivered Juno Boyles famous third-act speech, wrote Globe and Mail critic J. Kelly Nestruck, she broke the fourth wall and every heart in the audience.

But Ms. Haney was perhaps best known as an ace comic actor who could steal a scene without saying a word as she did in Mr. Newtons 2007 production of The Cassilis Engagement, when her cockney character slowly, hilariously fell asleep from sheer boredom while listening to a dreary classical recital. She had absolutely elegant timing, Mr. Newton said.

Ms. Haney led a sometimes-tempestuous life in her earlier years. There was a marriage that failed although she remained good pals with her ex-husband and wild escapades that she later turned into entertaining anecdotes. She was completely unapologetic and open about her past, said long-time friend Dorothy Chamberlain.

Although she enjoyed being naughty and outrageous the perennial scorekeeper for the traditional Stratford-Shaw cricket match, she once boasted that shed been intimate with members of both teams the tomfoolery hid a gentle, even fragile soul.

There was a lot to life outside of the theatre that made dear Mary a little nervous, said fellow actor Marla McLean, who co-starred with her in Juno and Michel Tremblays Albertine in Five Times. And yet there was not a time that I was onstage with her when she wasnt absolutely fearless. The stage was her home.

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Ms. McLean was part of the younger generation of Shaw actors who looked up to Ms. Haney as a mentor, although Ms. Haney resisted that term. She liked to tease them, riff with them, invite them over to watch Toronto Blue Jays games and eat ice cream. Mary was an ice cream fiend, said actor Jennifer Dzialoszynski, who came to regard her as a mother figure. Ms. Haney, unable to pronounce her last name, fondly called her Ducks and gave her advice on playing Shavian roles that she herself had done in her younger days. She really understood how to get the most out of [Shaws] language.

Ms. Haney owned a house in Stratford and rented a cottage in Niagara-on-the-Lake, both with back gardens that she delighted in. She loved gardening, Ms. McLean said. It was one of the places where she went for peace and calm.

Diagnosed with lung cancer in the fall of 2019, the much-loved Ms. Haney spent her final days at her Stratford home, engulfed by a steady flow of friends and flowers. Predeceased by her brother Chris, who died in 2010, she leaves John, the familys eldest sibling, and seven nieces and nephews.

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Shaw Festival veteran Mary Haney was 'funny and fierce' - The Globe and Mail

Gingold Theatrical Group today announced the cancellation of the upcoming Shaw Songs @ The Players.

"Our primary focus is the health and safety of our guests, families, performers, partners, volunteers, community, and team. We are looking to reschedule and will be working on potential dates. We apologize for the inconvenience, and we will update you over the next few weeks with more details about our future date," said David Staller, Artistic Director.

Shaw Songs @ The Players, a special treat, was to be an evening of music that Shaw enjoyed, including popular music of his time, works by Gilbert & Sullivan, and more, at the original home of Project Shaw, the beautiful Players Club at 16 Gramercy Park South. Directed by John Gary La Rosa with musical direction by Georgia Stitt, scheduled to appear were Matt Bogart, Robert Cuccioli, Darius deHaas, Karen Mason, Christine Pedi, and Karen Ziemba.

Project Shaw is a special series of evenings of plays that embrace human rights and free speech. All of GTG's programming, inspired by the works of George Bernard Shaw, are designed to provoke peaceful discussion and activism. This series is presented monthly at Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre (2537 Broadway at 95th Street).

The 15th season will continue with Shaw's Saint Joan, directed by Vivienne Benesch on May 18th, He and She by Rachel Crothers on June 22nd, Shaw's The Apple Cart on July 20th, directed by Meredith McDonough, A Scintillating Shaw Talk on October 26th, The Torch Bearers by George Kelly directed by Charlotte Moore on November 2nd, and Shaw's Androcles and the Lion directed by Pamela Hunt ending the 2020 season on December 14th.

All the plays in this series will be presented in a concert-reading format at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street. Tickets are $40 and are available by calling 212-864-5400 or online at http://www.symphonyspace.org. Special reserved VIP seating available for $55 by contacting the Gingold office 212-355-7823 or info@gingoldgroup.org. Symphony Space's Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre space is completely accessible. Infra-red hearing devices are also available.

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Gingold Theatrical Group Cancels Previously Announced SHAW SONGS @ THE PLAYERS - Broadway World