News of the World

[kyonides]

Head of WHO believes Pandemic might last 2 years
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-53870798
Well, we can't know that for sure. If there's a vaccine at the end of this year, this might be over by March or July depending on where you live and how many shots your country might purchase to inoculate its population.
Plus I can't believe a man accused of covering about 3 cholera epidemics in Ethiopia. He always denied their existence but people kept dying.

Russian doctors let Navalny leave their hospital

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-53865811
Germany had been trying to transport him to their country after Putin's opponent got poisoned "out of the blue". At first it seemed to be impossible but they managed to convince them to let him go and take the flight... so to say.

Former King Juan Carlos of Spain moves to the Emirates
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-53749630
His former lover, Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, thought his million euros gift was a token of his appreciation because he deeply loved her. Oh right, even an elephant and some broken hips are involved in this nonsensical story full of corruption, unrequited love, cheating, money laundering, spies,  threats and  trials.

US Postmaster states ballots will arrive in time
https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2020-53828151
I dunno how's the USPS supposed to do it for they'd need to handle over 300 million ballots starting this September but let's see what happens next.


Brexit Negotiations
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-53866813

Michel Barnier cut a despondent figure ("disappointed, concerned and surprised" to use his words) at his conference once he'd finished his working breakfast.
What he couldn't fathom though was the UK's insistence on cherry-picking access to the single market without wanting to play by EU rules.
He cited the British demand for wide-ranging access for UK lorries travelling across Europe but the refusal to agree to EU rules on, for example, drivers' rest times.

Meanwhile David Frost dislikes how the European Union insist on forcing UK to apply EU rules on state aid and fisheries. He even claims France and Germany don't abide by their rules but UK always did.

Israel blames Hamas, Hamas blames its neighbor
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-53833280
It seems everything can be and will be used as an excuse to attack each other.
Egypt and Israel are keeping a blockade around Gaza Strip since Hamas took control of it and ousted its local opponents.


Tropical Storms expected to hit the coast this Sunday
https://www.foxnews.com/weather/two-pote...-of-mexico
They even fear they might become a powerful combo if they get too close to each other.

[qoute=Fox News]Tropical Depression 13 strengthened into Tropical Storm Laura by Friday morning, projected to hit Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Tropical Depression 14 was located off the coast of Honduras on Friday, with warnings in effect for parts of the Caribbean and the Yucatan Peninsula throughout the weekend.[/quote]
Yeah, don't remind me of the #14. For us it's like the #25 this year alone. I can't go outside to buy my beloved popcorn because I'd get soaked in no time.
But I hope you can deal with it, Mexicans and Texans for we all need some rain right?  
Nope, I don't want you to suffer. I just hope you'd just get a visit from a mild storm at most.

California fires: Six killed as thousands are forced to flee
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53828150
If I remember clearly, a helicopter pilot passed away while trying to fight the fires...

US special forces veteran arrested for passing secrets to Russia
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53869484
You might need to know his mother is Russian and he married a Russian girl as well. Plus he knew some GRU members as well...

Seattle mayor to veto City Council’s cuts to police, budget
https://apnews.com/9c6416fdec28d762aba34b23e1f6d483

Only council member Kshama Sawant voted against the budget package, saying it did not decrease the police budget enough.

Even the mayor disagreed with the council and Sawant shows up only to tell the council that they should have decreased it even more than they did? So $4 millions weren't a recipe for a total disaster already?

Ethiopian Dam: Egyptian Farmers worried sick
https://apnews.com/fc117ce69bfd9d4f5bcdc700c04cc73c
The Egyptians already claimed the water is dwindling and they might not let them grow their crops.

Now 55, Abu Kassem looks out what’s left of his shriveling farm, surrounded by barren wasteland that was once his neighbors’ farmland — victims of dwindling irrigation in recent years.
But years of mismanagement, corruption and increasing population led to the loss of at least 75% of farmland in the village and the surrounding areas, according to Abdel-Fattah el-Aweidi, head of Gazaer Qouta Agriculture Association, overseeing the area.

And Ethiopia has not finished building the dam according to AP News...

It is estimated that a permanent drop of 5 billion cubic meters of Nile water to Egypt would cause the loss of 1 million acres of farmland, or 12% of the country’s total, he said.

The curious side note here is that Sudan might also get affected by the Renaissance Dam but they might purchase inexpensive electricity...