Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic -- Live Updates March 30 - 31, 2020

Daily Mail: Coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 700,000 people: World passes latest landmark with 3.4billion people now under lockdown

* New virus has infected at least 721,595 people in 183 countries and territories
* The US has the largest outbreak on the planet with 143,055 and 2,514 deaths
* Italy has the unwanted lead in deaths with a toll of 10,779 out of 97,689 cases

The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 700,000 people around the world, the latest figures revealed today.

There have been at least 721,595 cases including 33,881 fatalities in 183 countries and territories, according to official sources.

The United States has the largest outbreak in the world with 143,055 confirmed virus patients, of whom 2,514 have died.

Italy has the unwanted lead in deaths, recording a death toll of 10,779 people out of 97,689 confirmed cases.

Read more ....

Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic -- Live Updates March 30 - 31, 2020

Factbox: Latest on the spread of the coronavirus around the world -- Reuters
Coronavirus live news: number of global cases passes 750,000 with death toll over 36,000 -- The Guardian
Live: Italy extends lockdown to 12 April at least -- BBC
Coronavirus latest: More than 750,000 cases across the globe -- DW
Coronavirus update: Indian health workers spray migrants with disinfectant, Spanish cases surpass China -- ABC News Online
Coronavirus updates: Italy reports 812 deaths in one day -- Al Jazeera
France Reports Largest Single-Day Jump In Deaths, Virginia Issues 'Stay At Home' Order: Live Updates -- Zero Hedge
What you need to know today about the virus outbreak -- AP
Coronavirus: Which countries have confirmed cases? -- Al Jazeera

Pentagon Reports Over 1,000 Military-Linked Cases Of COVID-19 Coronavirus. Orders All Bases To Not Publicly Report Covid-19 Data Report

Just in: Pentagon now reports the DoD community has 1,087 cases of Coronavirus this AM, up from 600 on Friday
• 569 military cases
• 220 civilian cases
• 190 dependent cases
• 64 contractor cases

DoD plans to spend ~$85m to buy 8,000 ventilators, 1st deliveries in May

— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) March 30, 2020

Stars and Stripes: Pentagon orders installations to stop reporting coronavirus cases as military-linked infections eclipse 1,000

WASHINGTON — The Defense Department has ordered commanders at all of its installations worldwide to stop announcing publicly new coronavirus cases among their personnel, as the Pentagon said Monday that more than 1,000 U.S. military-linked people had been sickened by the virus.

The order issued by Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday is meant to protect operational security at the Defense Department’s global installations, Jonathan Hoffman, the Pentagon’s chief spokesman, said in a statement Monday. He said Defense Department leaders worried adversaries could exploit such information, especially if the data showed the outbreak impacted U.S. nuclear forces or other critical units.

"Unit level readiness data for key military forces is information that is classified as a risk to operational security and could jeopardize operations and/or deterrence,” Hoffman said in the statement. “If a commander believes that [the coronavirus] could affect the readiness of our strategic deterrent or strategic response forces, we understandably protect that information from public release and falling into the hands of our adversaries — as we expect they would do the same.”

Read more ....

More News On The Pentagon Reporting Over 1,000 Military-Linked Cases Of COVID-19 Coronavirus

Pentagon tells bases not to reveal coronavirus data so that it 'doesn't fall into the hands of our adversaries' as military-linked cases surpass 1,000 -- Daily Mail
Pentagon orders military bases to stop releasing specific COVID-19 numbers -- The Hill
Pentagon Has Over 1,000 Cases of COVID-19 Among Service Members, Civilians -- Sputnik
Pentagon Confirms Over 1,000 COVID-19 Cases Among Military, Orders Bases To Stop Public Reporting -- Zero Hedge
The number of troops hospitalized for COVID-19 doubled over the weekend -- Military Times

French Submarine Crews Are Probably Unaware Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

RFI: Submarine crews probably unaware of Covid-19 pandemic

As the world struggles with the coronavirus epidemic, there are still pockets of people who know nothing of the problem. Submarine crews are probably among them. Purposely shielded from worldly worries to ensure undivided focus on their mission of nuclear deterrence, they are unlikely to have been told how the disease is turning life upside down.

Crew aboard ballistic submarines are habitually spared bad news while underwater. This is to avoid undermining their morale, according to current and former officers who served aboard France's nuclear-armed subs. So those who left port before the virus spread around the globe are likely to have been kept in the dark about the extent of the crisis by their commanders, they say.

Read more ....

More News On French Submarine Crews Probably Not Being Aware Of The Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic

Blissful ignorance? Submariners likely unaware of pandemic -- AP
Submariners at sea likely shielded from knowledge of coronavirus pandemic -- FOX News
Former French submarine commander: Crews likely unaware of coronavirus pandemic -- Washington Examiner

Is The Global Food Chain At Risk?

Ashutosh Pandey, DW: Will coronavirus spark a wave of food nationalism?

A handful of countries are hoarding food items to ensure supplies for their population as the virus crisis deepens. The export curbs could prove especially harmful for poorer nations that survive on imports.

As COVID-19 continues to disrupt trade flows and keeps more than 2.5 billion people under lockdowns, some grain exporters, including Russia and Kazakhstan, are taking a nationalist turn by restricting or planning to restrict exports to ensure enough supplies for their own populations.

The export curbs take place against the backdrop of panic buying that has left supermarkets with aisles of empty shelves. The scarcity is not due to a shortage of supplies but to logistical hurdles created by measures to contain the pandemic.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: For countries like the U.K. that import half of its food supply, this could be a problem .... How are food supply networks coping with coronavirus? (Jonty Bloom, BBC).

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 30, 2020

An oil worker walks towards a drill rig in Loving County in Texas, US, in November last year. Texas regulators are considering whether the US should curtail crude oil production for the first time in decades. Photo: Reuters

Donald Gasper, SCMP: As oil industry nears collapse, Saudi Arabia may have no option but to blink first in its price war with Russia

* Given coronavirus-weakened demand, and with Russia in a better financial position to ride out the price rout, a heavily indebted Saudi Arabia simply cannot afford to sell at such low prices for much longer, unless it wishes to take the oil industry down with it

A black swan is an unpredictable event, beyond what is normally expected of a situation and with potentially severe consequences. Such events are characterised by their extreme rarity and severe impact. The term was popularised by the 2007 book, The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by former options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

As if the coronavirus crisis was not enough, this month, another black swan hit “black gold” – a reference which reflects the high value of petroleum – as a sharp fall in global oil prices took the world’s markets by surprise and sent the oil industry reeling.

Read more ....

Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- March 30, 2020

Saudis gambling on game of oil-price chicken -- Larry Elliott, The Guardian

Russians Grapple With Oil Price War at a Time of Pandemic -- Margarita Assenova, Jamestown Foundation

Goldman: The Oil Industry Will Never Be The Same After Coronavirus -- Tsvetana Paraskova, OilPrice.com

A US-Saudi Oil Alliance? Here’s Why That’s Insane -- Jim Krane and Mark Finley, Forbes

U.S. Military Leaves Iraqi Bases Amidst Coronavirus and Iranian Threats -- Matthew Petti, National Interest

Coronavirus cease-fire offers pause in Yemen war -- Amberin Zaman, Al-Monitor

Economic Policies to Combat COVID-19 in Africa -- Célestin Monga, Project Syndicate

Africa Is Changing Too Fast to Ignore -- The Economist

In the coronavirus fog, tussling over Taiwan goes under the radar -- Lawrence Chung, SCMP

Why Taiwan has become a problem for WHO -- BBC

China's economic recovery from coronavirus could be ugly — and that's bad news for the rest of the world -- Bill Birtles, ABC News Online

Beware of China’s Coronavirus Propaganda -- Frida Ghitis, WPR

Make Beijing Pay for Lives and Billions Lost -- Sen. Josh Hawley, FOX News

How Will the Poorest Country in Europe Deal with the Coronavirus? -- Melinda Haring & Doug Klain, National Interest

How many deaths can we afford? -- Henrik Böhme, DW

Beijing Think Tank Says U.S. Military Operations In South China Sea Increase Risk Of Confrontation

The plan for a new-look US Marine Corps has been developed to address scenarios of possible conflicts with the Chinese navy in the Pacific. Photo: Reuters

SCMP: US military operations in South China Sea increase risk of confrontation, think tank says

* American forces conducted eight freedom of navigation operations in disputed waters in 2019, three more than in the previous year
* Beijing says its air force and navy held a joint exercise in the South China Sea on March 10 to simulate face-to-face encounters with invading aircraft and warships

The United States intensified its military activity in the South China Sea
last year, raising the risk of a confrontation with China in the strategically important waters, according to a Beijing-based think tank.

The US conducted eight so-called freedom of navigation operations in the year – three more than in 2018 – during which its vessels sailed within 12 nautical miles of land claimed or occupied by China, according to the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative’s annual report.

American forces also engaged in at least 50 joint and multiple exercises with countries from Southeast Asia and elsewhere in the region, it said.

Read more ....

Update: Plans for trimmer, faster US Marines in Pacific ‘a threat’ to China (SCMP)

WNU Editor: The question that should be asked is the following .... Are Chinese Military Operations In The South China Sea Increasing The Risk Of Confrontation? Sadly it is not going to be asked. In the meantime this is what China is really hinting at .... Beijing may step up drills in South China Sea amid rising tensions with US military, analysts say (SCMP).

Update: I do not blame the Taiwanese. I would not let my guard down .... Taiwan military is prepared for any Chinese attack, says defence minister (SCMP).

Presidents Trump And Putin Hold Talks On Plunging Oil Prices And The Pandemic

France 24: Putin and Trump hold talks on coronavirus and plunging oil prices

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday discussed closer cooperation on the coronavirus with US President Donald Trump, with the two agreeing on "consultations" about oil prices, the Kremlin said.

"The heads of state expressed serious concern regarding the scope of the spread of the coronavirus in the world," the Kremlin said in a statement.

They "discussed closer cooperation between the two countries" on the coronavirus response, it said, without giving details.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: They both understand that during this time it is important that they talk to each other on a regular basis. And I am willing to bet that every major world leader is doing the same right now.

More News On Presidents Trump And Putin Holding Talks On Plunging Oil Prices And The Pandemic

Trump, Putin agree to 'work closely' through G20 to defeat coronavirus outbreak -- FOX News
Putin, Trump order their energy ministers to discuss oil - Kremlin -- Reuters
Putin, Trump discussed pandemic, oil prices -- TASS
Putin, Trump Discuss Coronavirus, Global Oil Market in Phone Conversation -- Sputnik
Kremlin spokesman says Putin did not ask Trump to remove sanctions -- TASS

World News Briefs -- March 30, 2020

Daily Mail/AFP: Coronavirus pandemic has infected more than 700,000 people: World passes latest landmark with 3.4billion people now under lockdown

* New virus has infected at least 721,595 people in 183 countries and territories
* The US has the largest outbreak on the planet with 143,055 and 2,514 deaths
* Italy has the unwanted lead in deaths with a toll of 10,779 out of 97,689 cases

The coronavirus pandemic has now infected more than 700,000 people around the world, the latest figures revealed today.

There have been at least 721,595 cases including 33,881 fatalities in 183 countries and territories, according to official sources.

The United States has the largest outbreak in the world with 143,055 confirmed virus patients, of whom 2,514 have died.

Italy has the unwanted lead in deaths, recording a death toll of 10,779 people out of 97,689 confirmed cases.

Read more ....

MIDDLE EAST

EU calls for ceasefire in Syria amid coronavirus threat.

Devastated by war, Syria's Idlib braces for coronavirus.

U.S. expected to renew sanctions waivers allowing Iran nonproliferation work: sources.

Killing of Iranian dissident fuels tensions between Turkey, Iran.

Arab coalition strikes Houthi military bases in Sanaa.

Israel unemployment rate surges to 22% due to counter-virus measures.

Israeli Arabs mark Land Day protests from home.

UN praises ‘excellent’ Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in fight against pandemic.

ASIA

At least 18 Afghan government forces killed in Taliban attacks.

‘Responsible and necessary’: China defends temporary travel ban on foreigners during pandemic.

Coronavirus: China economy set to get worse before better, official warns, as export hit looms.

India's coronavirus measures prompt beatings and forced push-ups. Travellers say they're scared to leave hotel rooms.

Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics: New dates confirmed for 2021.

Thousands of tourists stranded in Nepal after lockdown.

N Korea confirms 'successful' missile tests; fourth in a month.

North Korea slams Pompeo and says will 'walk our way'.

Plane explodes on take-off in Philippines, killing all aboard including US, Canadian nationals.

AFRICA

In Sudan the death of the defence minister amid the coronavirus pandemic increases social and political tensions.

Somali governor killed in al-Shabab suicide bomb attack. Suicide attack kills former governor in Somalia.

Libya frees more than 450 prisoners to stem spread of coronavirus.

Egypt releases political prisoners amid coronavirus outbreak.

Congo security forces kill 31 attackers in Lubumbashi.

DR Congo locks down mining area, workers sent home over coronavirus.

COVID-19 stalls peacekeeping troop rotation in South Sudan.

EUROPE

Europe pandemic crisis: Coronavirus death toll surges.

Coronavirus could mark the end of the EU 'European project' if the countries do not agree to share rescue package debt, the bloc's economics commissioner warns.

Putin and Trump hold talks on coronavirus and plunging oil prices.

Cyprus pushes Syrian refugees back at sea due to coronavirus.

Hungary passes law allowing Viktor Orban to rule by decree.

Economic advisers: Coronavirus may see German GDP dip by over 5%.

Extend Brexit transition by years over coronavirus, UK told.

Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum during coronavirus lockdown.

AMERICAS

Trump extends 'social distancing' guidelines until April 30.

New York welcomes hospital ship as coronavirus accelerates.

US ambassador to Mexico urges US citizens in Mexico to 'think long and hard' about returning to US.

Colombian rebel group ELN calls cease-fire due to coronavirus. Colombia's ELN rebels call ceasefire over coronavirus.

Colombian government is set to release almost 11,000 prisoners and place them under house arrest in bid to control spread of coronavirus one week after riot left 23 inmates dead.

Venezuela's only telecoms satellite is lost in space.

Coronavirus: US senator probed for alleged insider trading - reports.

TERRORISM/THE LONG WAR

Somali military claims killing 142 militants.

Islamic State militants escape, clash with police at Syria prison.

How the coronavirus is reshaping terrorists' attack plans.

ECONOMY/FINANCE/BUSINESS

Wall St. gains as investors weigh stimulus against shutdown.

Back poor countries fighting Covid-19 with trillions or face disaster, G20 told.

Coronavirus: Oil price collapses to lowest level for 18 years.

Saudi Arabia to raise oil exports to record high.

Coronavirus: Amazon workers threaten strikes over virus protection.

Coronavirus: Why are planes still flying?

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 30, 2020

NORAD

Daily Mail: U.S. military command teams in charge of protecting homeland security are being isolated in the infamous Cheyenne mountain bunker where they will remain 'sealed off' until the coronavirus pandemic passes

* Military teams that monitor foreign missile and warplane threats to the United States are isolated at a number of military sites, including Cheyenne Mountain
* The Cold War-era bunker is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado
* The command took such steps to ensure personnel can monitor the COVID-19 pandemic around the clock as the disease spreads around the world
* The military are not immune from the disease and such is the nervousness, those working at the bunker have prepared to seal themselves off for months
* Should the staff working at the bunker become ill, there is a third team of high-ranking military officials working another 'secret' location
* The Navy revealed they saw several cases appear among the crew of its Nimitz-class aircraft carriers based in the Pacific

Part of the U.S. Army's Northern Command in charge of homeland security is isolating at the Cheyenne Mountain bunker in Colorado as the coronavirus spreads across the country.

The bunker is a command and control site which was built inside the mountain of the same name, located near Colorado Springs.

'To ensure that we can defend the homeland despite this pandemic, our command and control watch teams here in the headquarters split into multiple shifts and portions of our watch team began working from Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, creating a third team at an alternate location as well,' Air Force General Terrence O'Shaughnessy, head of U.S. Northern Command and NORAD, said during a Facebook Live town hall with those under his command.

Read more ....

Military And Intelligence News Briefs -- March 30, 2020

The number of US troops with the coronavirus more than quadrupled in a week -- Business Insider

Navy hospital ship arrives in New York -- The Hill

USNS Mercy arrives in Los Angeles to support Covid-19 response -- Navy times

Sailors on warships like USS Theodore Roosevelt vulnerable as coronavirus spreads -- SCMP

COVID-19: F-35 Testing Suspended; Edwards AFB Flight Tests Halted -- Breaking Defense

Here’s how COVID-19 is impacting the US Air Force’s most important weapons programs -- Defense News

This is what the Space Force is doing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 -- Defense News

More than 9,000 responded to the Army’s call for medical personnel -- Army Times

Trump orders US troops back to active duty for coronavirus response -- The Hill

How Advanced Military Medical Technology Could Help in the Fight Against COVID-19 -- Rebecca Lee and Jeremy Pamplin, War On The Rocks

Lockheed Martin Shores Up Supply Chain, Continuing Hiring Amid Coronavirus -- Forbes

Short On Pilots, Marines Debate Size Of F-35 Fleet -- Breaking Defense

Raytheon nabs $2.1B for work on Standard Missile-3 Block IB rounds -- UPI

Raytheon awarded $641.3M for work on Tomahawks for Navy -- UPI

US Army finds funds for future attack recon aircraft after FY20 budget cut -- Defense News

US Army Suspends Transition to New Combat Fitness Test Amid Gym Closures -- Military.com

Amphibious transport dock ship USS Fort Lauderdale launched -- UPI

Pentagon seeks to classify future year defense spending plans -- Defense News

US-led forces pull out of third Iraqi base this month -- Al Jazeera

US quits base that took it to brink with Iran -- The Australian/AP

IDF, US Military Hold Joint Drills Using F-35 Jets in Southern Israel Amid COVID-19 Outbreak - Photo -- Sputnik

America’s adversaries keep investing in weapons to take out satellites -- C4ISRNet

Italy and Spain trigger emergency Nato plan to boost medical kit -- Evening Standard

Military Exercise Defender Europe-20 is Cancelled: What Does It Mean for the Baltic States? -- Foreign Policy Research Institute

North Macedonia joins NATO, adopts alliance's COVID-19 response tool -- UPI

Not Ready for Bioweapons? Certain NATO Countries' Troops Failed to Prevent Coronavirus Infections -- Sputnik

Inside the French flying military hospital that’s treating COVID-19 patients -- Popular Science

France pulls military out of Iraq amid virus concerns -- Military Times/AP

Britain's Spymaster: What Do We Know About MI5’s New Director General Ken McCallum -- Sputnik

Advanced T-90M Tank Deliveries to Russian Army Expected Later This Year -- Sputnik

Putin signs decree on conscription for military service from April 1 -- TASS

North Korea Fires Two Short-Range 'Ballistic Missiles' into Sea -- Military.com/AFP

North Korea says it tested 'super-large' rocket launcher -- UPI

COVID-19: The Vietnamese military will serve the nation and the people, no matter what hardship -- Vietnam News

The 'war' on COVID-19 doesn't mean military lockdown -- Ryan P. Burke, The Hill

The US military would be superb at fighting coronavirus. Let's use it -- Ann Lee and Sean Penn, The Guardian

US Navy must stay at sea and stay vigilant to defeat coronavirus -- James R. Holmes, The Hill

Acting U.S. Navy Secretary Says Sailors Aboard First-In-Class Aircraft Carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Have Not But Praise For The Ship

A tugboat directs the Ford-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford as it leaves the pier in Newport News, Virginia, October 25, 2019. US Navy/Mass Comm Specialist Seaman Cory J. Daut

Business Insider: US Navy's top official says its new, first-in-class carrier is improving and sailors don't want to get off

* The new, first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford is decked out with new technology, but work on the ship has been waylaid by cost overruns and delays.
* Those issues have been a sore spot between lawmakers, the Navy, and the shipbuilder, but the last six months have seen marked progress, according to the service's top civilian official.

The US Navy's newest carrier, the first-in-class USS Gerald R. Ford, finished 2019 as the subject of a war of words between Congress, the Navy's top civilian official, and the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries.

In October, after criticism from lawmakers over the new carrier, then-Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said confidence in the company's senior leadership was "very, very low" and that it had "no idea" what it was doing.

The Ford has a suite of new technology, and its development has been plagued by cost overruns and delays — its delivery to the Navy in May 2017 was two years late — though work on it is progressing.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:No mention about the plumbing problem .... It Costs $400,000 For Each 'Flush' To Clear The Plumbing Systems On America's Newest Aircraft Carriers (March 25, 2020).