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Cases of COVID-19 are increasing daily in the Palestinian West Bank, with the city of Hebron emerging as the virus epicenter. The health and economic crisis have worsened after the Palestinian Authority cut off ties with Israel, in protest of Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank. The World Bank this week announced a $30- million grant for emergency aid to the West Bank and to create more jobs. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Jerusalem.Camera: Ricki Rosen   Produced by: Rob Raffaele
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U.S. officials say that Americans who are reporting receiving unsolicited packages containing seeds purportedly sent from China could be the victims of a fraudulent internet retail scheme known as a “brushing scam.”  Residents of about a dozen U.S. states have reported receiving mysterious packages containing dozens of seeds that appeared to have been mailed from China. The seeds are of unknown origin, and state agencies are warning recipients not to plant them if they are invasive species.     “At this time, we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a ‘brushing scam’ where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture wrote on its website, adding that the agency is investigating the packages from China.  Mystery seeds  In recent days, residents all over the country have been reporting on social media that they received mystery packages containing seeds that they did not order. With either white or yellow packaging, the packages appear to have been shipped via China’s state-run postal agency and contain Chinese characters on the outside. At least 30 states are urging its residents to report these unsolicited packages of seeds, warning they could be harmful.  “Anyone receiving seeds that they did not order should not open the packets or plant the seeds,” Michael Wallace, director of communications at Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told VOA.  “Residents should be cautious because planting seeds that are non-native to the United States could potentially be an invasive species that would be a detriment to the environment,” warned Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain.He told VOA the state is also concerned about the introduction of seed-borne pathogens into the environment.  USDA Urges Residents to Avoid Planting ‘China Seeds’ Seeds of unknown origin pose serious threats to agriculture and the environment, officials sayDavid Miller, a soybean farmer from Iowa, said farmers like him are taking this seriously.  “Well, if you ordered them, it’s one thing. If they came unsolicited, I think it’s concerning. You don’t know what these seeds are, and from whom, you don’t know if they contain or carry seed diseases, insect and all sorts of things can come in,” Miller told VOA.  Brushing scam?  Although investigators are still looking into the suspicious mailings, the USDA and Better Business Bureau said it appears to bear the hallmarks of an international “brushing scam.”  According to the BBB, a brushing scam starts with a company sending a consumer an unsolicited order or merchandise. The company then uses the consumer’s information and address to write a fake review for the company to boost its online reputation.   “A fake, positive review improves their products’ ratings, which means more sales for them. The payoff is highly profitable from their perspective,” the BBB wrote in a newsletter.  Most of the sellers involved are foreign third-party vendors on Amazon. According to Liz Johnson, an identity protection specialist and owner of Digital Bodyguard Co. LLC, brush scams are the new identity theft scam individuals should be on the lookout for.  “Once a package has been received, the sender gets a notification. This lets the criminal know that not only do you have an Amazon account but that I can easily locate, find and take over your Amazon account by doing a simple search to get your email address,” Johnson said.  She added that the worst part about brushing scams is that the individual receiving the merchandise has no idea or way to verify that they have not been tampered with. Even more so, individuals receiving these packages have no way to stop the services.   BBB says the fact that a scammer was able to send items to a person indicates they have some of that person’s Amazon account information, such as a name, address, and possibly a phone number or password.  According to the consumer protection agency, anyone who receives unsolicited packages should change their Amazon password and monitor their credit report and bank accounts.  Amazon did not respond to VOA’s request for comment.  In a previous statement regarding brushing scams, the internet giant said they investigate every report of customers receiving unsolicited packages and ban all vendors and reviewers who abuse the reviews system.  
 
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As in other countries, India’s hospitality industry is among the worst hit sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cautiously however some restaurants are reopening, prepped up to navigate a post-COVID-19 world with new norms. And although the Indian capital is one of the cities hit hard by the pandemic, four months on people are ready to step out, bringing some hope to an industry that has cost millions their jobs and where many are still shuttered.Temperature checks, menus and orders being placed on apps, waiters with face shields and masks — dining out is a whole new experience in the Indian capital.  As restaurants reopen, customers are arriving to savor a sense of normalcy as COVID-19 cases begin to climb down in a city that has been cloistered indoors.  Some have come for a celebration, others with their families.  “I know how I have survived for four months in lockdown so I am eagerly waiting for my food right now,” New Delhi resident Neha Yadav said. Restaurateurs are optimistic that in a world overtaken by screens, business will eventually bounce back.  “Restaurants are the last bastions of hope for offline social human engagement. Everything can go virtual in this world but restaurants and bars can never go virtual. People always want to meet each other; people want to celebrate,” Zorawar Kalra, Managing Director of Massive Restaurants, said.They are wooing back customers promising contactless dining, vacant tables to ensure social distancing and safe, sanitized kitchens. But it is still a long haul for an industry that has witnessed massive job losses among the seven million people it employed.  This restaurant is one of just two opened by Priyank Sukhija out of the 25 that he owns in India.  “Out of the 1,200 people I employ, each restaurant used to have about 70 to 80 people. Right now this restaurant is operational with 14 people and the second one has 12 people. So I am down to 28 people employing currently,” Sukhija said. In a city where dining out cornered the highest spending among entertainment options, people are supporting their fight for survival.  “We have to anyhow deal with it, we cannot just sit back at home and let the economy die” Yadav said.That is giving hope to the industry even as the pandemic remains a concern.  “They want to start living and accepting the virus as part of their life,” Sukhija said. 
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