News of the World

[kyonides]

White House dismisses idea of U.S. buying Nokia, Ericsson to challenge Huawei
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-c...SKBN2012A5
Well, I've got bad (or good?) news for you, guys. You won't own any telecom company after all.

Twitter should ban Iran's leaders from service or face U.S. sanctions, Cruz says
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/202...s-account/

They made the point that Twitter has said it will ban political ads from its platform, but is giving the repressive Iranian regime access.

Huh? O_o? So any of us could travel to Iran or Russia and keep posting extremist ideas but none of us could post political ads if living in USA or Europe or South America or even Costa Rica? Does that make any sense to you!?

[kyonides]

Tesla can get support for German factory: Economy Minister
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germa...SKBN2020TD
Come on! Tesla got a lot of money, it doesn't need to get financial support.

Coronavirus brings China's surveillance state out of the shadows
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china...SKBN2011HO
You gotta be a real fan of communism or extremely desperate (due to any virus) if you don't care about being watched by cameras 24/7 anywhere in China...

Iran says it is ready to mediate between Turkey and Syria
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria...SKBN2020HO
And this year's Oscar in the best hypocrite category goes to... Iran!

[kyonides]

Iran tried and failed for the fourth time in a row to put a satellite into orbit
https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-sat...row-2020-2
Should we be glad Iran failed to deploy its newest satellite!?

A man was arrested at the White House after he told a Secret Service agent he planned to kill Trump
https://www.businessinsider.com/man-arre...ump-2020-2
Yeah... Tell Secret Service or CIA or NSA or any foreign intelligence or security agency that you wanna murder a politician because pretty much NOBODY can stop you from committing such crime... =_=¡ Some people are just real idiots, don't you think?

A Chinese citizen journalist who went viral for his reporting on coronavirus from Wuhan has gone missing, and his family says he's been forcibly quarantined
https://www.businessinsider.com/chen-qiu...ine-2020-2
Err, should it amaze us that China doesn't wanna its own people (and the rest of the world) know anything about their actual plans!? O_o?

Where did they go? Millions left Wuhan before quarantine
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/202...uarantine/

“It’s definitely too late,” said Jin Dong-Yan, a molecular virologist at Hong Kong University’s School of Biomedical Sciences. “Five million out. That’s a big challenge. Many of them may not come back to Wuhan but hang around somewhere else. To control this outbreak, we have to deal with this.

So it's not very likely that China will control the coronavirus spread any time soon...

The top 10 global destinations for travelers from high-risk Chinese cities around Lunar New Year, according to their analysis, were Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Australia.

In Africa, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya topped the list.

Gladly they didn't mention Latin America at all. We're safe in Costa Rica! Unless the Chinese embassy has commanded the Costa Rican government not to report any cases of conoravirus infections...

Costa Rica: San Juan de Dios Hospital activates modern bronchopulmonary unit
http://www.elpais.cr/2020/02/05/costa-ri...opulmonar/
Yeah... six new isolated rooms for patients that suffer from respiratory issues... I wonder why Costa Rica suddenly went "ahead of the times" and build them when we're usually complaining about the lack of proper medical services for specific illnesses... =_=

[DerVVulfman]

Well, there's finally some good news to come out about the CoronaVirus:

http://komonews.com/news/local/doctors-s...successful

As of Friday, 21 people, including the Snohomish County man, have been tested for the virus in Washington state. Fourteen of those tested came back with negative results while six are still awaiting their results, according to the state Department of Health.

[kyonides]

Equifax: US charges four Chinese military officers over huge hack
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51449778
No, China doesn't steal your personal data or the other 149,999,999 people's data, the People's Army would never do that...

Coronavirus: Senior Chinese officials 'removed' as death toll hits 1,000
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51453848
If you thought a removal or dismissal was definitive, you might get surprised to know that in China things are different, as usual...

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51176409

Once you've had coronavirus, will you then be immune? Denise Mitchell, Bicester
When people recover from an infection their body is left with some memory of how to fight it should they encounter it again. This immunity is not always long-lasting or totally efficient, however, and can decrease over time. It is not known how long immunity might last after being infected.

Is a face mask useful against the virus and how often does it have to be replaced? Tom Lim, Bali, Indonesia
There is very little evidence that wearing face masks makes a difference. Experts say good hygiene - such as regularly washing your hands and certainly before putting them near your mouth - is vastly more effective.

Can the coronavirus be transferred through items bought from Wuhan and posted to UK? - Stefan
There is no evidence this is a risk.
...
Cold viruses tend to survive less than 24 hours outside the human body...

So only you live in a country located relatively close to China, you shouldn't worry about contracting the novel coronavirus.
Even so I dunno how much you can trust a Chinese online store, especially after the Equifax calamity.

Native burial sites blown up for US border wall
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51449739
It seems they forgot everything about ancient graveyards and aquifers when drawing the map that included the location of miles of steel and cement wall.

EU fishing rules: Did the UK throw away a million tonnes of fish?
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51415240
So has the UK (and the EU) wasted a million ton of fish or not!? O_o? I wonder what Bangladesh would think about such terrible policy that ruled the fishing industry in Europe for a couple of decades.

Oscars 2020: Number of TV viewers falls to all-time low
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-51451904
Were the movies they picked that bad as not to catch people's attention anymore!? O_O

[kyonides]

Swiss machines 'used to spy on governments for decades'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-51467536

There are whimpers of anguish across Switzerland.
'Our reputation is in tatters,' sighs one political journalist. 'Our neutrality is a hypocrisy,' writes another.
...
It reminds the Swiss of an image they have been trying hard to rid themselves of; that they will do anything for the right price.

And it was true, Swiss companies would do pretty much anything for money. =_=

Tech giants face probe into deals going back a decade
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51468600
So it took them up to a decade to suspect some large companies / corporations might have absorbed their smaller competitors. =_=¡

Japan cruise ship coronavirus cases climb to 175, including quarantine officer
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china...06019?il=0
Well, wearing a mask and gloves won't keep you safe from contracting the coronavirus now known as covid-19.

Airbus unveils 'blended wing body' plane design after secret flight tests
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-singa...SKBN20509H

Atlantia readies proposal to end standoff with Italy's government: sources
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-italy...SKBN2052P1

Autostrade, whose minority investors are German insurer Allianz (ALVG.DE) and Chinese sovereign fund Silk Road, generates nearly one-third of Atlantia’s core earnings thanks to the motorway concession.

Seriously, China gotta be obsessed with its ancient Silk Road as to keep investing in Europe, Middle East, India, and even places that didn't seem to be obvious like Africa and Latin America. O_O

Huawei Can Covertly Access Telecom Networks
https://www.linuxexperten.com/news/huawe...m-networks
Well, now you know it. Huawei is unsafe for Americans, Europeans and even Latin Americans!

[kyonides]

Coronavirus Section

According to Worldometers 65,247 cases of coronavirus have been reported till Friday 14th at 1:49 AM GMT / UTC. It also reports 1,491 deceases and 7,092 people have recovered. Online newspapers mainly sport articles based on what has been reported by Chinese authorities many hours ago plus a few other cases and an additional decease...

https://edition.cnn.com/asia/live-news/c...index.html

I will include some of the headings you may find in the article above because I find them of public interest.

Death toll from coronavirus rises to 1,486 globally

This brings the total number of deaths in mainland China to at least 1,483. The global death toll is at least 1,486, with one death in Hong Kong, one death in the Philippines and one death in Japan.

US health expert expects coronavirus to be around "beyond this season, beyond this year"

This virus is probably with us beyond this season, beyond this year, and I think eventually the virus will find a foothold and we will get community-based transmission. You can start to think of it in the sense like seasonal flu.
The containment phase is really to give us more time.

It means we gotta think it might just stay alive for a year or even more so the health authorities should not only focus on the containment of the virus but also on improving its current treatment and finally developing a vaccine. It's not a call for alarm but just an announcement of what we should expect from the coronavirus. Even so we better keep washing our hands!

https://www.voanews.com/science-health/c...cases-ship
A woman in her 80's had passed away in the Kanagawa prefecture near Tokyo, Japan. The trigger was the covid-19... She was a mother in law of a taxi driver that has contracted the virus as well.

Be careful, Metal Fox!

Coronaviruses can remain on surfaces for up to 9 days, study finds

https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/qu...finds.html

Coronaviruses can persist on inanimate surfaces and remain infectious at room temperature for up to nine days, according to a study published Feb. 6 in the Journal of Hospital Infection.

---

The Rest of the News

Canada's CN rail system shut over blockade
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51497143
Well, British Columbia has become a problematic place for trains.

The stoppage will also affect passenger trains nationwide, which use CN [Rail] tracks.

Coronavirus: Why have two reporters in Wuhan disappeared?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-51486106

Fang alleges that police barged into his home on that same night and interrogated him about his videos. He was taken away, warned, but eventually released.
But on 9 February, he posted a 13-second video with the words "all people revolt - hand the power of the government back to the people".
After that, the account went silent.

It seems it'll be impossible to hear anything else from him ever again...  

Huawei: US issues new charges of racketeering and theft
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-51497460

the US accuses Huawei of racketeering and trade secret theft, and gives more detail about the firm's efforts to evade US rules on doing business with Iran and North Korea.
Prosecutors also said Huawei offered bonuses to staff who obtained "confidential information" from its competitors.

BBC seems to doubt the Trump administration's motives are legit.

[kyonides]

Twitter says Olympics, IOC accounts hacked
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitt...SKBN2090SA
First Facebook, then the International Olympics Committee and FC Barcelona... This is a strange trend, don't you think? O_o?

Redcar cyber-attack: Council using pen and paper
https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-51504482

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's website and all computers at the authority were attacked on Saturday.

What kind of cyberattack was it? O_o? The council refused to tell but some cybersecurity expert thinks it might have been just another case of the dreadful ransomware attack. Who could tell the United Kingdom wasn't ready for this kind of attacks... O_O

Treat us like something between a telco and a newspaper, says Facebook's Zuckerberg
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germa...SKBN2090MA
So Zuckerberg now wants his company to be seen as a telecom-newspaper mix? O_o?

If you call somebody, you're responsible for what you tell the other guy over phone. If you publish some add on a newspaper, you're accountable for whatever it says. Even so how's he expecting that Facebook can be treated like a newspaper? Usually newspaper ignore mails unless they include something fishy that worries them or make them think it should hit the first page. Of course, some of them include some sort of mails from the audience section like on page 75 or so.

Facebook is dynamic, commentaries aren't closed after n amount of time like on newspapers' articles on the web. So all incumbent parties gotta get held responsible for their contents, don't you agree?

Rebuffed by UK, U.S. pitches 'big tent' for Huawei rivals in Europe
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germa...SKBN2090HP
And Washington keeps telling the world Huawei is a threat to any network's security. Will European allies buy their story? Or will Huawei win and get access to more European markets? Will Huawei show its "true colors" and start making mistakes that would confirm US accusations? O_o?

[DerVVulfman]

Rebuffed by UK, U.S. pitches 'big tent' for Huawei rivals in Europe
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germa...SKBN2090HP
And Washington keeps telling the world Huawei is a threat to any network's security. Will European allies buy their story? Or will Huawei win and get access to more European markets? Will Huawei show its "true colors" and start making mistakes that would confirm US accusations? O_o?

Well, let's think... You just posted earlier this week "US charges four Chinese military officers over huge hack" on Equifax. And I've mentioned to you months ago in IRC that China passed a law years ago requiring any corporation to comply with National Intelligence:

China's National Intelligence Law from 2017 requires organizations and citizens to “support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work.” A government spokesperson said that intelligence work should be done “according to the law” and urged people to “not take anything out of context.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/05/huawei-w...perts.html

[kyonides]

US Prepares for Second Wave of Flu as Coronavirus Fears Rise
https://www.voanews.com/science-health/u...fears-rise

The CDC estimates that 26 million Americans have gotten sick with flu this season and around people 14,000 have died.

Well, it seems your friendly neighbor the flu is more deadly than coronavirus Covid-19... O_O

Bulgarian Journalists Facing 'Disgraceful Attacks' By Top Officials
https://www.voanews.com/europe/bulgarian...-officials

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is calling on the Bulgarian authorities to stop trying to intimidate journalists, who the watchdog says are subjected to "personal and offensive" verbal attacks and threats by very senior officials.

Well, if you're a reporter just don't buy a ticket to Bulgaria. Fine, don't listen to me now but who knows if you will ever sleep at night without keeping an eye open.

Costa Rica makes biggest ever cocaine haul
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51520615
Did you see this, Trump and EU? We're not helping drug dealers get richer, we're catching them!