Saturday, October 31, 2020

Belgium's Facing A Covid-19 Health Care Collapse

 


More than 300,000 of Belgium's 11 million people have COVID-19 right now. The president of Belgium's medical union tells DW how desperate and precarious the country's health system has become. 

On October 29, Belgium recorded its highest daily infection number on record: more than 20,000. The epicenter is Liege, where surrounding boroughs have seen more than 10% of the population infected. DW spoke with Philippe Devos, the president of Belgium's association of medical unions, who works as an intensivist in the critical care unit at the CHC Montlegia hospital (pictured).

Read more .... 

 More News On The Covid-19 Pandemic In Belgium 

U.K. To Enter A New Four-Week Coronavirus Lockdown

 


Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a second national lockdown for England to prevent a "medical and moral disaster" for the NHS. 

He said Christmas may be "very different" but he hoped taking action now would mean families can gather. Pubs, restaurants, gyms and non-essential shops will have to close for four weeks from Thursday, he said. But unlike the restrictions in spring, schools, colleges and universities can stay open.

After 2 December, the restrictions would be eased and regions would go back to the tiered system, he said. Mr Johnson said: "Christmas is going to be different this year, perhaps very different, but it's my sincere hope and belief that by taking tough action now we can allow families across the country to be together." 


 More News On the U.K. Entering A New Four-Week Lockdown 

U.S. Records A Record 99,321 New Covid-19 Coronavirus Infections

Daily Mail: US sees its SECOND consecutive day of record-high coronavirus cases as more than 99,000 new infections are reported in just 24 hours 

 * United States recorded 99,321 new COVID infections on Friday 
 * The number is the highest ever, and a significant increase on the 88,500 infections clocked on Thursday - which was the previous high 
 * More than 9 million Americans have now become infected with the virus, accounting for more than 20 percent of all confirmed cases worldwide 
 * The daily number of deaths is also creeping back up, with 1,003 citizens succumbing to the disease on Friday 
 * White House Coronavirus Task Force coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx has warned Governors that the situation could get even worse in the coming weeks 

The United States recorded 99,321 new COVID infections on Friday, smashing a single-day record set just 24 hours earlier. Friday's number is a significant increase on the 88,521 infections clocked on Thursday - the previous record - which suggest the coronavirus pandemic is rapidly worsening as the country heads into winter.

Prior to Thursday, the highest number of single-day infections was 83,718, recorded last Saturday. In total, 9,091,306 Americans have now become infected with the virus, accounting for more than 20 percent of all confirmed cases worldwide. 

Read more .... 

 More News On The U.S. Recording A Record 99,321 New Covid-19 Coronavirus Infections 

U.S. Citizen Rescued By SEAL Team 6 After Being Kidnapped In Niger

 


 * Philip Walton, 27, was taken from his farm in southern Niger early Tuesday morning by kidnappers armed with AK-47 assault rifles 
 * He was brought across the border to Nigeria where U.S. officials feared he could be taken or sold to a group of Islamist militants 
 * His captors demanded a ransom from his father who also lives in Niger 
 * SEAL Team 6 rescued Walton in a daring early-morning raid on Saturday 
 * All but one of his seven captors were killed in the dramatic operation 
 * 'They were all dead before they knew what happened,' an official said 

A U.S. citizen kidnapped at gunpoint in the West African nation of Niger this past week has been rescued in a dramatic U.S. military operation in neighboring Nigeria, the defense department confirmed. 

Philip Walton, 27, was taken from his farm in Massalata in southern Niger early Tuesday morning by kidnappers armed with AK-47 assault rifles who demanded a $1million ransom from the man's father. 

The Defense Department confirmed on Saturday that the successful operation was undertaken by elite commandos from SEAL Team 6 in a daring early-morning raid after they tracked the kidnappers phones. 


 More News On The Rescue Of A U.S. Citizen By SEAL Team 6 In Niger 

Americans Have Bought A Record 17 Million Guns So Far This Year

Wikipedia 


Sales surged in the spring amid coronavirus fears and climbed higher during protests for racial justice

 Americans have bought nearly 17m guns so far in 2020, more than in any other single year, according to estimates from a firearms analytics company. 

Gun sales across the United States first jumped in the spring, driven by fears about the coronavirus pandemic, and spiked even higher in the summer, during massive racial justice protests across the country, prompted by police killings of black Americans. 

“By August, we had exceeded last year’s total. By September, we exceeded the highest total ever,” said Jurgen Brauer, the chief economist of Small Arms Analytics, which produces widely cited estimates of US gun sales. 

The estimated number of guns sold in the US through the end of September 2020 is “not only more than last year, it’s more than any full year in the last 20 years we have records for”, Brauer said. 


WNU Editor: If I was living in the U.S. I would be arming myself.

Is China Controlling The Coronavirus?

Tourists lined up to enter the Forbidden City in Beijing on Sunday.Credit...Andy Wong/Associated Press 


China’s approach to keep Covid-19 at bay has helped restore confidence and allowed businesses to reopen. But it is a strategy steeped in authoritarianism. 

The United States is hitting records in daily coronavirus cases. But China, the country first afflicted with the scourge, is having a different experience. 

Unlike the Trump administration, which has said it is prioritizing opening the economy while essentially giving up on controlling the pandemic, China moved aggressively to stop the virus. The result: China’s economy is growing and life there is returning to a semblance of normal, while the United States is struggling with a third wave of infections and the prospect of new restrictions. 

Economic growth in China has surged, hitting 4.9 percent in the latest quarter, and consumer spending has slowly started to recover. Residents are once again flocking into malls, bars, concert halls and hair salons, while schools, subways and offices are crowded. 

China has effectively sealed off its borders from the outside world and doubled down on efforts to eradicate the virus. When a crop of cases emerge, the government swiftly shuts down vast areas and quickly tests millions of people, to help keep local transmissions near zero. 

China’s authoritarian government has the ability to act in a way that democracies that must be accountable to the public cannot. But it has demonstrated that the way to open the economy is to first safeguard public health. 

While Mark Meadows, the White House chief of staff, has said the United States is “not going to control the pandemic” but will focus on getting vaccines and therapeutic treatments to combat the disease, China’s approach has helped to restore confidence and allow businesses to reopen. 


WNU Editor: The New York Times likes to believe that China is controlling the coronavirus. That what Beijing is saying is the truth. It is not. Everyone I know in China is telling me the same thing. Restrictions are the rule and not the exception. Outbreaks do occur regularly, and when they are spotted severe measures are imposed immediately. Everyone is on edge, and everyone is expecting another major wave. If not now, later. And no one has confidence that Beijing's strategy will work in the end.

Did China's Xi Jinping Blow A Golden Opportunity With US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping and their wives Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan at the Mar-a-Lago estate. (AFP) 


Hong Kong (CNN) At the first meeting between Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, held over chocolate cake and sorbet at the US President's vast Mar-a-Lago private club in Florida, the two leaders seemed on the brink of establishing an unlikely and potentially special relationship. 

Trump, less than three months into his first term, had spent his election campaign denouncing the Chinese government for undermining the United States, through a wide trade imbalance and cheap labor. "We can't continue to allow China to rape our country," Trump said in May 2016. 

But when Trump was standing alongside Xi at Mar-a-Lago the following April, his tone changed dramatically. The two leaders exchanged compliments during a news conference, with Trump describing their relationship as "outstanding." Pictures from the meeting showed the two men sitting side-by-side, smiling broadly, on a golden couch. 

"It was a great honor to have President Xi Jinping and Madame Peng Liyuan of China as our guests ... Tremendous goodwill and friendship was formed," Trump tweeted shortly after the visit. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The first indication for me that the U.S. - China relationship was going to go downhill was when President Xi broke the promise that he had made to President Trump at Mar-a-Lago to buy US goods to bring down the U.S.-China trade deficit. After that everything got worse. But what broke the "camel's back" was the pandemic. 

Japan Chooses Mitsubishi To Lead The Development Of A New Stealth Fighter Jet

The logo of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is seen at the company's Sagamihara plant in Sagamihara, Japan, July 4, 2016. REUTERS/Maki Shiraki/File Photo 


Japan on Friday said it had picked Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 7011.T (MHI) to lead the development of a new stealth fighter jet that Japan wants operational by the mid-2030s to counter advanced Chinese aircraft. 

“We awarded the prime contract to Mitsubishi Heavy,” a ministry of defence spokesman said. The fighter jet project, which is expected to cost about $40 billion, comes at an opportune time for MHI, as the company is pulling back from plans to build its SpaceJet regional passenger aircraft as coronavirus travel curbs leave airlines with little cash to buy new planes. 

The decision was expected because MHI is Japan’s only jet fighter manufacturer, and no other company bid for the contract. Other suppliers and partners will most likely be identified by the end of the year. 

Read more .... 


WNU Editor: Japan wants to support its military industrial base. This is putting money where its mouth is.

James Bond Is Dead

 
  

 * James Bond actor Sir Sean Connery died aged 90 at his home in the Bahamas 
 * Sir Sean is known for playing British fictional spy James Bond between 1962-71 
 * Sir Sean, who celebrated his 90th in August, was knighted by the Queen in 2000 James Bond actor 

Sir Sean Connery has died aged 90. 

Sir Sean died last night in his sleep at his home in the Bahamas. 

He was unwell for some time, the BBC reported. Sir Sean, whose acting career spans decades, is best known for his portrayal of British fictional spy James Bond who he played between 1962–1971. 

He also starred in The Hunt for Red October, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and The Rock. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: What can anyone say. Loved his films.

Tweets For Today

Picture Of The Day

A view shows a crater following recent shelling in the town of Shushi (Shusha), October 29. Azerbaijan and Armenia accuse each other of killing civilians by shelling cities in and around Nagorno-Karabakh, in an escalation of a month-long conflict over the mountain enclave. Vahram Baghdasaryan/Photolure 

WNU Editor: The above picture is from this photo-gallery .... Civilians in crossfire as Nagorno-Karabakh conflict deepens (Reuters).

Friday, October 30, 2020

US Tops More Than Nine Million Covid-19 Coronavirus Cases

The US surpassed nine million cases on Friday just hours after reporting a record-high of more than 88,500 new coronavirus cases on Thursday
Daily deaths are low compared to figures seen in the early days of the pandemic, with 971 recorded on Thursday, but are creeping back up towards 1,000 per day 


 * On Friday, the US topped more than nine million coronavirus cases, making up 20% of the world's total 
 * It comes just hours after the country set a record-high of more than 88,500 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, breaking the previous single-day record of around 83,700 on Saturday 
 * The seven-day rolling average number of new daily cases also hit a new high of 76,541, according to data from Johns Hopkins University 
 * Texas leads the country with more than 900,000 total infections, followed by California, Florida and New York and Illinois 
 * States such as Illinois and North Dakota reported all-time highs of around 6,400 infections and more than 1,200 infections, respectively 
 * More than 229,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and 971 of those fatalities were recorded on Thursday 
 * Although daily fatalities are trending back up towards 1,000, one New York City hospital system found that the death rate among the most severely ill has fallen by 70% 

The number of coronavirus cases in the US has topped nine million - more than 20 percent of the world's total - as the Midwest and Mountain States report surges in infections. 

It comes just hours after the country set a record number of coronavirus cases with more than 88,500 new infections reported in a single day on Thursday, breaking the previous record set on Saturday of 83,757. 

This means America's total case count has risen by one million in just 14 days as the nation faces a third wave just ahead of the November 3 presidential election. 


   

 More News On The Covid-10 Coronavirus Pandemic In The U.S. 

CIA Says Drug Cartels Control More Than 20% Of Mexico

Pictured above are members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, an organization that was formed under Joaquín 'El Chapo' Guzmán's Sinaloa Cartel in 2010 and which today has a stronghold on 24 of Mexico's 32 states 


 * Classified 2018 CIA report found that drug cartels controlled almost over 20% of the Mexican territory, sources told the Washington Post 
 * The National Institute for Statistics and Geography data shows the continuous spike in murders over the last 30 years 
 * Mexico reported a record-high 36,685 murders in 2018, dipping slightly to 36,476 in 2019 
 * The Secretariat of Security and Civilian Protection reported 26,431 murders from January 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 

More than 20% of Mexico's territory - as many as 151,689 square miles - is under the control of the country's powerful drug cartels, according to a classified CIA report from 2018. 

The revelation comes as homicides in the country have surged to their highest levels for decades, amid bloody turf wars between rival crime groups that smuggle narcotics across the southern United States border for distribution in American cities. 

The secret study by the Central Intelligence Agency was compiled before current Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador entered office in December 2018, and has not been made public. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Only 20%? 

Hunter Biden And Associates Are Under “Active Criminal Investigation” By FBI

 


WASHINGTON (SBG) - A justice department official has confirmed to Sinclair Broadcast Group that the FBI opened up a criminal investigation into Hunter Biden and his associates back in 2019, focused on allegations of money-laundering and that the probe remains active. 

Sinclair investigative reporter James Rosen has also spoken with a central witness in these allegations, which suggests that former vice president Joe Biden knew more than he has acknowledged about his son's overseas dealings. 

Read more .... 


WNU Editor: With the exception of the New York Post and a few small outlets, no one in the main stream media is covering this story. You would think this story would be on every major network. That the son of someone who may be elected President next week is under an FPB criminal investigation.

Here Is The Article On Joe Biden And His Son That Forced The Resignation Of Glenn Greenwald From the Publication That He Cofounded

 


 An attempt to assess the importance of the known evidence, and a critique of media lies to protect their favored candidate, could not be published at The Intercept 

TITLE: THE REAL SCANDAL: U.S. MEDIA USES FALSEHOODS TO DEFEND JOE BIDEN FROM HUNTER’S EMAILS 

 Publication by the New York Post two weeks ago of emails from Hunter Biden's laptop, relating to Vice President Joe Biden's work in Ukraine, and subsequent articles from other outlets concerning the Biden family's pursuit of business opportunities in China, provoked extraordinary efforts by a de facto union of media outlets, Silicon Valley giants and the intelligence community to suppress these stories. 

One outcome is that the Biden campaign concluded, rationally, that there is no need for the front-running presidential candidate to address even the most basic and relevant questions raised by these materials. Rather than condemn Biden for ignoring these questions -- the natural instinct of a healthy press when it comes to a presidential election -- journalists have instead led the way in concocting excuses to justify his silence. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: It is a long post, but it is the best analysis and breakdown on how Joe Biden used his son to enrich the family. It is also a story that the main stream media continues to not over.

Update
: Glenn Greenwald posts Biden article The Intercept refused to publish where he tears into 'biased' journalists for 'making excuses' for Joe - and shares his editors' demands to 'narrow down' his corruption claims (Daily Mail). 

Update #2: Here is an easy prediction. Glenn Greenwald's resignation and the revelation that the Intercept is biased on how it reports political stories is a serious blow towards its journalistic credibility. I will be surprised if it is still around in a year.

Twitter Folds And Unlocks New York Post's Account

Daily Mail: Twitter FOLDS and unlocks New York Post's main account following two-week free speech stalemate over Hunter Biden articles after the big tech Goliath censored them 

 * Twitter on Friday relented and unlocked the main account of the New York Post 
 * Account had been locked since October 14 over Hunter Biden articles 
 * Twitter lifted a ban on the articles, but had insisted Post delete original tweets 
 * Now Twitter is reversing its policy of not retroactively reversing enforcement 
 * It comes after Senator Ted Cruz blasted Twitter CEO Jack Dorey in a hearing 

Twitter has backed down and unlocked the main account of the New York Post following a two-week stalemate over the newspaper's articles about Hunter Biden's foreign business dealings. 

The social media company on Friday said it would reverse its prior demand that the Post delete tweets linking to the Biden articles, after CEO Jack Dorsey faced excoriation in a Senate hearing this week. 

Twitter had already reversed its initial ban on tweeting links to the Post articles, but said it would not retroactively change its decision to lock the newspaper's account, insisting the original tweets be deleted. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The New York Post is celebrating .... How tweet it is: Twitter backs down, unlocks Post’s account (New York Post). As for Twitter. They had no choice. Everyday they were blocking the New York Post account was damaging their brand. They showed their political bias and they have now jeopardized the many legal protections that they have from not being sued. Investors are also taking note .... Twitter’s stock price plunged more than 21 percent Friday, to $41.36 a share, down $11.09. (NYPost).

Do China And The US Risk Accidental War Over Taiwan?

Taiwanese F-16 fighter jet in foreground flies on the flank of a Chinese H-6 bomber on Feb. 10: Chinese acts of military intimidation will have to seem bigger and more dangerous. © Taiwan Ministry of National Defense/AP 

Minxin Pei, Nikkei Asian Review: China and the US risk accidental war over Taiwan 

Need for both sides to show resolve could lead to a conflict nobody really wants 

When 18 Chinese warplanes breached Taiwan's air defense identification zone last month, it was a further sign of rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait. 

The latest in a series of large-scale military exercises aimed at intimidating Taiwan, official Chinese media warned the self-governing island's leaders -- and the U.S., which has stepped up its military and diplomatic support for Taipei -- of dire consequences if unspecified Chinese red lines are crossed. 

All of which has raised fears that China is preparing to launch a military assault on Taiwan. 

While no one should dismiss Chinese military threats and activities as mere posturing, a careful examination of Beijing's strategic calculations brings a clearer understanding of the real dynamics driving its intentions toward Taiwan. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Minxin Pei believes China does not favor using the military option to assert its claims over Taiwan. That this is just a bluff on the part of China to warn Taiwan and the US to keep their military buildup and relations to a minimum. I disagree. I have been a witness to Chinese threats against Taiwan for the past 35 years. In the past it was all talk with the little to show on the ground that China was prepared to invade Taiwan. No more now. The military assets are in place. The political/military indoctrination has shifted in the past few years that now openly advocates the seizure of Taiwan. President Xi himself has said on more than one occasion that the country must be prepared to go to war.  These are unprecedented measures taken by a country that is not hiding its intentions or goals. Minxin Pei talks about how China and the US risk accidental war over Taiwan. Sorry Minxin Pei .... accidental wars do not happen. Wars happen because leaders want it. If there is a war between the US and China over Taiwan, it is because China decided to start it.

Editor's Note

Feeling under the weather. Blogging will be light today and tomorrow. Want to be sharp starting Sunday. Next week is going to be a big week for everyone who follows the news.

Is Russian Attacks Against Turkey's Allies In Syria A Warning To Ankara To Back-Off Their Support Of Azerbaijan In Their War Against Armenia

Strategic-Culture: Russian Blitz in Syria Warns Turkey to Back Off in Caucasus 

In an unprecedented show of strength, Russian warplanes this week reportedly launched devastating attacks on a Turkish-backed militant stronghold in northern Syria, killing up to 100 fighters. It was a stunning blow to Ankara’s proxy military assets in the Arab country. 

The airstrikes marked the end of a seven-month ceasefire which Russia had negotiated with Turkey to maintain a de-escalation zone in Syria’s northwestern Idlib province. The Russian-brokered truce was seen as a brake on an offensive by the Syrian army to rout retreating militants in the border region with Turkey whom Ankara has sponsored during the nearly decade-long war in Syria.

In the attacks this week, it was reportedly a joint operation between Syrian armed forces and their Russian ally. That suggests that Moscow is giving Damascus a green light to resume its offensive to reclaim all its territory from Turkish-backed rebels. The gloves are coming off again, it seems. 


WNU Editor: Its working. Erdogan is calling Putin .... Putin, Erdogan discuss Syria, Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh — Kremlin (TASS).

Is The Pentagon Hoping For A Decisive 2020 Election Win

DC National Guard military police officers look on as demonstrators rally near the White House against the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 1, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo 


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Politics aside, there is one outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election that could bring some relief to Pentagon planners: a clear-cut victory. By either candidate. 

In the months preceding the election on Tuesday, U.S. military officials have been forced to contemplate the possible fallout from a contested election, including protests like those in June over racial injustice that brought the National Guard to the streets. 

A contested vote could stir the kind of wild speculation that forced America’s top general to assure lawmakers the military would have no role in settling any election dispute between Republican President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden. 


WNU Editor: The Pentagon should not worry. When this is all over there will be a President.

U.S. Seizes Iranian Missiles And Sanctions 11 Firms Over Iran Oil Dealings

On February 9, 2020, U.S. authorities seized: three type “358” surface-to-air missiles. (Department of Justice) 


Washington (CNN)The US announced Thursday that it has sold petroleum from its largest-ever seizure of Iranian fuel for more than $40 million and will direct most of the proceeds to a fund for the victims of state-sponsored terrorism. 

Officials from the State Department and Department of Justice also said that the US had conducted its largest ever seizure of Iranian weapons in late 2019 and early 2020. "These actions represent the government's largest-ever civil seizures of fuel and weapons from Iran," said John Demers, the assistant attorney general for national security. "Iran continues to be a leading state sponsor of terrorism and a worldwide destabilizing force." 

Read more .... 

 More News On The US Seizing Iranian Sanctions And Sanctioning Firms Over Oil Dealings 

News 

Top US Infectious Doctor Says US Might Not See Life Get "Back To Normal" Until 2022

Zero Hedge: US Might Not See Life Get "Back To Normal" Until 2022, Dr. Fauci Warns 

With Larry Kudlow back in front of the cameras on Thursday talking up Thursday's record-breaking GDP report and promising - with a newsman's confidence - that the American economy will have made a "full recovery" by the Spring of next year. 

Though he acknowledged that his take was "optimistic", he reiterated that the president doesn't want to shut down the economy again, adding that he doesn't think shutdowns are "helpful". 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I see it the same way. We will not be back to normal until 2022, and the priority will the economy.

Tweets For Today

This Democrat Supporter Says Do Not Believe The Polls Showing Biden Ahead Of Trump

 


The presidential election, especially in swing states, is probably much closer than polls predict, according to the liberal film maker

Liberal filmmaker Michael Moore is sounding the alarm five days before Election Day, strongly suggesting that polls showing Joe Biden in a comfortable lead against President Trump are not accurate.

During his appearance on The Hill TV's "Rising," Moore began by calling it "awful news" that Biden was ahead of Trump by seven points in his home state of Michigan and explained how Trump managed to cut Biden's lead "in half," citing another poll that had the Democratic nominee "16 points" ahead of the president. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I have always found Michael Moore an oddball. But he is right that Trump's voters are always under-counted. And as for the enthusiasm factor, he is also right that Trump voters are far more enthusiastic than the Biden voter. But Michael Moore should not underestimate the Biden voter. They despise Trump, and that will be more than enough motivation for tens of millions to vote for Biden next week.

Picture Of The Day

Smoke rises from a burning car after attacks on the town of Barda, Azerbaijan. [Arif Hüdaverdi Yaman/Anadolu] 

WNU Editor: The above picture came form this photo-gallery .... In Pictures: Civilians killed in attack near Nagorno-Karabakh (Sputnik).

This Pollster Thinks President Trump Will Win

Robert Cahaly, chief pollster of the Trafalgar Group, on Fox News, Oct. 25. PHOTO: FOX NEWS


Robert Cahaly foresaw the outcome in 2016. Will ‘social acceptability bias’ deliver another surprise?

Joe Biden leads Donald Trump by an average of 7 or 8 points in national surveys, more narrowly in battleground states. Everybody remembers the shock of 2016, but can the polls be wrong again? 

Ask the question in a different way: Are poll respondents telling the truth? Robert Cahaly, head of the Trafalgar Group, thinks a lot of people aren’t. Trafalgar polls accurately foresaw the outcome in 2016, calling Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan for Mr. Trump. In 2020 the Atlanta-based consulting firm has generally shown Mr. Trump to be in a stronger position than the conventional wisdom would suggest. 

In an interview over a catfish supper at the OK Cafe diner, Mr. Cahaly won’t reveal much about his methods, but he says his polls mitigate what social scientists call “social desirability bias.” The mainstream media and other authority figures have openly and aggressively contended that Mr. Trump is a white supremacist, a would-be dictator, a cretinous buffoon and an inveterate liar. In such an environment, poll respondents who sympathize with the president, or who believe his administration has on balance done more good than harm, may be forgiven for not saying so to a stranger over the phone. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Robert Cahaly's Twitter feed is here .... The Trafalgar Group (Twitter feed). A tracking poll that I like to follow and has been proven accurate in the past is Rasmussen .... Daily Presidential Tracking Poll (Rasmussen).

Thursday, October 29, 2020

Global Coronavirus Cases Rose By More Than 500,000 For The First Time

Reuters: Global coronavirus cases rise by single-day record of half a million 

(Reuters) - Global coronavirus cases rose by more than 500,000 for the first time on Wednesday, a record one-day increase as countries across the Northern Hemisphere reported daily spikes.  

Global daily COVID-19 cases have risen by nearly 25% in less than two weeks as the world witnessed 400,000 daily reported cases for the first time last Friday. 

Most western countries and parts of Latin America have reported their highest single-day surges in the past few weeks. Many governments, with the notable exception of the United States, have started taking stronger measures to bring the spread of the virus under control. 

The global coronavirus tally stands at 44.7 million cases and about 1.17 million deaths. Europe, North America and Latin America account for over 66% of global cases and over 76% of global deaths. 


WNU Editor: And it is not even winter yet.

Chinese And U.S. Military Chiefs Hold Talks On Crisis Communication

US Navy conducts exercises with Royal Australian Navy in South China Sea (FILE PHOTO) © Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Huynh/U.S. Navy/Handout via REUTERS 


BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese and U.S. military chiefs held talks on crisis communication this week, amid heightened tensions between the two military superpowers this year in the South China Sea, with the United States denying a report on a possible drone attack. 

The exchange, days ahead of the U.S. elections, came as U.S. Defence Secretary Mark Esper toured Asia with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo where they had urged countries to cooperate with the United States to confront the security threats posed by China, a position China has criticised as a Cold War mentality and zero-sum mindset. 

The Chinese and U.S. militaries held a video conference meeting about crisis communication on Oct. 28-29, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said on Thursday. 

Read more .... 


WNU Editor: Apparently these talks did not go well. China is miffed that the US is urging an alliance of Asian nations to face China.

U.S. Moves Forward With The Sale Of Up To 50 F-35s To The UAE

A U.S. Air Force F-35A assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron prepares to taxi and take off from Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, on April 24, 2019. (Staff Sgt. Chris Drzazgowski/U.S. Air Force) 


WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is backing the sale of as many as 50 F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates in an arms deal worth an estimated $10.4 billion, according to multiple reports. 

The news came as the Trump administration informally briefed Congress on its plan to sell the advanced F-35 fighter to the United Arab Emirates Thursday. It follows weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes debates about how to structure an F-35 deal with the UAE without cutting into Israel’s qualitative military edge. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: So much for lawmakers trying to slow down this sale .... Lawmakers take steps to slow down sale of F-35s to UAE (Defense News). 

 More News On The U.S. Moving Forward With The Sale Of Up To 50 F-35s To The UAE 

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Says Muslims Have Right To ‘Kill Millions Of French People’

 


 * Malaysia's ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad launched an extraordinary outburst after the attack in Nice 
 * The 95-year-old politician said in a now-removed tweet Muslims have a right 'to kill millions of French people' 
 * He said freedom of speech does not include 'insulting other people' amid row over cartoons of the Prophet 

Malaysia's former prime minister said that Muslims have the right 'to kill millions of French people', shortly after a knife-wielding Islamist killed three people in a deadly terror attack in Nice. 

Mahathir Mohamad, who lost power in February this year, said freedom of expression does not include 'insulting other people' as fury over satirical cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed sweeps the Islamic world. 

The 95-year-old politician said he did not approve of the beheading of a French school teacher for sharing caricatures of the Prophet, but said: 'Irrespective of the religion professed, angry people kill'.

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Twitter has suspended the former Malaysian Prime Minister's account .... Twitter takes action as Ex-Malaysian PM’s claimed that Muslims have right 'to kill millions of French people' (FOX News). 

 More News On Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad Saying Muslims Have Right To ‘Kill Millions Of French People’ 

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 29, 2020

Police officers stand near Notre Dame church, where a knife attack took place, in Nice, France October 29, 2020. © REUTERS - Eric Gaillard/Pool 


France’s Prime Minister Jean Castex announced the country was going on emergency alert after three people were killed in the southern city of Nice on Thursday. 

This is not the first terrorist attack that has coincided with a major religious or national holiday in the French Riviera city. Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said on Twitter the knife attack had happened at the city's Notre Dame church and that police had detained the attacker. 

A police source said three people had been confirmed dead, including a woman who was decapitated in the attack. One of the people killed inside the church was believed to be the church warden, Estrosi said. 

Read more .... 

 Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- October 29, 2020 





How does Erdogan get away with it all? -- Cengiz Candar, Al-Monitor 

The Wonder of the Abraham Accords -- Meir Soloveichik, Commentary 

Is There a Peace Plan for Karabakh? -- Ivan Preobrazhensky, Riddle 

Europe Prepares for a Bleak Winter -- Colm Quinn, Foreign Policy 

‘Difficult winter’: Europe divided on lockdowns; cases soar -- Lorne Cook, Samuel Petrequin, and Franck Jordans, AP 






World War III Has Already Begun -- Peter D. Zimmerman, Military.com

World News Briefs -- October 29, 2020 (Evening Edition)

 


LONDON (AP) — The World Health Organization’s Europe director said Thursday that the 53-country region has again reached a new weekly record for confirmed cases, with more than 1.5 million confirmed last week and more than 10 million since the start of the pandemic. 

During a meeting with European health ministers, WHO European regional director Dr. Hans Kluge said, “hospitalizations have risen to levels unseen since the spring” and that deaths have risen by more than 30% in the last week. “Europe is at the epicenter of this pandemic once again,” Kluge said. “At the risk of sounding alarmist, I must express our very real concern.” 

Read more .... 

 MIDDLE EAST 






Lebanon justice minister ‘waiting’ to judge blast probe. 


 ASIA 









 AFRICA 





Justice and accountability key to Libya peace: Human Rights Watch. 





 EUROPE 




Sweden hits highest daily COVID-19 spread as chief epidemiologist says herd immunity not 'ethically justifiable'. 



European Central Bank readies to release more stimulus. 



 AMERICAS 










TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR 




 ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS