Trump leaves hospital to drive by and wave at supporters outside Walter Reed  President Trump, who has been hospitalized with coronavirus at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Friday, got into a vehicle on Sunday evening, accompanied by Secret Service members, and drove around the facility, waving at supporters gathered outside. Trump sat in the back of the SUV, wearing a black cloth mask. There were at least two Secret Service agents sitting in front of him, and both donned N95 masks. It’s unclear if there was a partition in the vehicle, The New York Times reports, which would have added extra protection for the occupants inside not infected with the virus. White House spokesman Judd Deere said Trump’s decision to leave the hospital and drive around came at the “last minute,” and reporters on site confirmed that they were not briefed ahead of time. White House officials said after his jaunt, Trump returned to his hospital suite. Source: The New York Times

A group of 70 senior government officials, including governors,  senators, national security advisers, former military generals and  ambassadors from the Trump, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, Reagan, Nixon and Ford administrations, endorse President Trump for re-election. (Fox News)

Cineworld announces it is shutting down all its cinemas in the United Kingdom and United States, putting more than 5,500 jobs at risk, after reporting £1.3bn in losses since the COVID-19 lockdown. (BBC)

Egypt unveils 59 coffins of priests and clerks from the 26th dynasty nearly 2,500 years ago. (Reuters)

The perimeter confinement of Europe’s worst hot spot, in Madrid, ordered by the Ministry of Health, begins for two weeks. President of the Community of Madrid Isabel Díaz Ayuso takes legal action against the resolution. (ABC Australia)

AstraZeneca announces that they would resume vaccine trials in Japan. (Japan Today)

Scientists reveal the image of Beta Pictoris c (β Pic c), an exoplanet that is located 63 light years away. (ScienceAlert)

SpaceX announces that they aborted a launch of a GPS Block III satellite two seconds before taking off. (CNET)

The Supreme Court of Ireland rules that the bread used by American restaurant franchise Subway cannot be classified as bread, due to its high sugar content. The franchise henceforth will be required to pay a 13.5% value-added tax for their bread instead of being exempted as before. (BBC)

According to a study from researchers at the University of California, Riverside, Venus would be able to support life if Jupiter hadn’t altered its orbit around the Sun nearly 4 billion years ago. (Phys.org)

Large study finds kids of all ages contract, spread COVID-19 like adults  A study of 85,000 people with COVID-19 in India and 575,000 people they came in contact with found that children 17 and under contract and transmit the new coronavirus at rates similar to the rest of the population. Children age 5 to 17 passed the virus on to 18 percent of close contacts their same age, a team of U.S. and Indian researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Science. But that cohort’s death rate was lower than among older people. Previous research suggested children played a minor role in the pandemic. The new study also found that the vast majority of cases came from a small percentage of super-spreaders or super-spreader events. Source: Los Angeles Times

A new species of truffle, Hysterangium bonobo, is discovered in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Sci News) The United States Department of the Treasury reaches a deal with seven of the major U.S. airlines to allocate around $25 billion in loans from the $2.2 trillion budget approved under the CARES Act to assist in their financial recovery amid the pandemic. (AFP via Bangkok Post) Results from Phase I trials find that the vaccine candidate from Moderna works well with older adults. (USA Today)

The worldwide death toll from COVID-19 exceeds one million. The United States remains the largest contributor, accounting for 21% of the total deaths. (BBC)

French Minister of Ecology Barbara Pompili announces that mink farms and the use of wild animals in circuses will be phased out, and the breeding and importing of dolphins and killer whales at marine parks are banned effective immediately. (The Independent)

The United Arab Emirates announces the Emirates Lunar Mission to send a space exploration vehicle to the Moon in 2024. (The Hill)

Barrett meets with Republican senators ahead of confirmation hearing  Judge Amy Coney Barrett is meeting with several Republican senators on Tuesday for vetting as she is considered for the Supreme Court. President Trump nominated Barrett on Saturday, and Senate Judiciary Chair Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) announced the Judiciary Committee will begin her confirmation hearing on Oct. 12. The GOP is moving to quickly push through the nomination process for Barrett ahead of the November presidential election. Aside from Graham and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Barrett is meeting with Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Cory Gardner (Colo.), Rick Scott (Fla.) Ted Cruz (Tex.), John Thune (S.D.) and Mike Lee (Utah). Source: The Washington Post

Scientists in a paper published to Nature Astronomy confirm the existence of four underground saltwater lakes spread out over 75,000 square kilometres (29,000 sq mi) near Mars’ south pole. Depending on their salt content, these lakes could be potential holders of life. (Nature)

 

 Sunday, Oct. 4th, 2020 

The Artsakh capital Stepanakert is struck with MLRS missiles resulting in heavy casualties and leaving the city without power. Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan warns major cities in Azerbaijan are now “legitimate targets of the defence army” following the strikes on Stepanakert.  (BBC)

Azerbaijani troops reportedly seize control of the city of Cəbrayil (Jabrayil) from Artsakh forces. Armenia denies the city has fallen. (Ahval News)

Azerbaijan says medium-range missiles have hit its Khizi and Absheron districts, as well as the city of Mingachevir. (APA)

Russia reports 10,499 new cases in the past 24 hours, setting a record for the highest number of daily new cases since May 15, when the outbreak was at its peak and lockdowns were in place in parts of the country. This is also the first time that daily new infections surpassed 10,000 since May. (Daily Sabah)

The United Kingdom surpasses 500,000 cases of COVID-19 after a backlog of infections left out of Public Health England’s daily figures between September 25 and October 2 led to a record 22,961 cases reported in 24 hours. The glitch led to 15,841 cases not being passed on to data dashboards used for contact tracing. (The Guardian)

Health Minister Harsh Vardhan says that he hopes the country will receive 500 million COVID-19 vaccine doses by July 2021 to vaccinate around 250 million people. (Reuters)

Doctor hopes Trump could discharged ‘as early as’ Monday Dr. Brian Garibaldi of Johns Hopkins University said Trump “feels well” and has been moving around Sunday morning. That’s raised hopes, he said, that “we can plan for a discharge as early as” Monday, so the president can continue his treatment at the White House, though there’s no guarantee that will happen. Meanwhile, President Trump’s physician Dr. Sean Conley addressed the confusion sparked by his earlier comments about Trump’s health, which clashed with a more concerning description from White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. Conley acknowledged that Trump did, as Meadows said, require supplemental oxygen on Friday, but said he previously refrained from providing specific details to “reflect” Trump’s “upbeat attitude,” which he admitted came across as if “we were trying to hide something.” He added that he “didn’t want to give any information that might steer the course of illness in another direction.” Source: Axios

 

Saturday,  Oct. 3rd, 2020 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev criticizes international mediators calling for a ceasefire, saying the war won’t end until Armenian forces withdraw from the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh. (Daily Sabah)

Azerbaijan says its troops have captured Suqovuşan (Madaghis), Talış,  Mehdili, Aşağı Maralyan, Şəybəy, Quycaq and Aşağı Əbdürrəhmanlı following clashes with Armenian and Artsakh forces. President Ilham Aliyev tweets “Madagiz is ours. Karabakh is Azerbaijan!”. (APA)

Iran says ten shells have fallen inside Iranian territory as fighting rages between Armenia and Azerbaijan in Nagorno-Karabakh. More than 35 stray mortar shells have hit Iran since the recent fighting began, causing damage to housing units and the injury of a child. (Almasdar News)

São Paulo State governor João Doria asks health regulator Anvisa for approval to use COVID-19 vaccine CoronaVac, a major step in what could be one of the first vaccination programs in the Americas. In late July, São Paulo was one of the first sites of Phase III clinical trials for Sinovac. Doria plans to begin inoculating the population of São Paulo by mid-December, which is one of the world’s most ambitious schedules. (Reuters

India surpasses 100,000 COVID-19 deaths, becoming the third country to reach that milestone behind the United States and Brazil. (France 24)

Conway, Stepien, Tillis test positive for coronavirus  Former White House adviser Kellyanne Conway, President Trump’s campaign manager Bill Stepien, and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have all tested positive for the coronavirus since the president announced his own positive test earlier this week. Conway and Tillis tweeted the news of their diagnoses Friday evening. Conway said she feels fine and is experiencing a light cough, while Tillis said he has no symptoms. The Trump re-election campaign confirmed Stepien’s positive test Friday night, and he reportedly has mild symptoms. While it’s still not clear exactly when and where Conway, Tillis, and Stepien contracted the virus, Conway and Tillis both attended Judge Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination at the White House last Saturday. Trump, first lady Melania Trump, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), and University of Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins, who were all at the ceremony, also tested positive. Source: The Wall Street Journal

Grand jury audio in Breonna Taylor case released  In a rare move Friday, a court released 15 hours of recorded grand jury proceedings in the case of the killing of Breonna Taylor. An unidentified grand juror requested the release of the audio and permission to speak publicly about the proceedings, accusing Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron of “using grand jurors as a shield to deflect accountability and responsibility” for the decision not to charge any Louisville Police officers for Taylor’s death. The recording features testimony and evidence that was presented to the jurors, including at least two interviews with Detective Myles Cosgrove, whose gun FBI forensics labs identified as the weapon that likely killed Taylor after police entered her apartment on a no-knock warrant while she was sleeping and returned fire at her boyfriend, who said he thought the officers were intruders. Cameron said he is “confident” the audio will back up his decision. Source: NPR

 

Friday,  Oct.  2nd, 2020

 President Donald Trump announces that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19 and are in quarantine. (BBC)

On the advice of his physician and “out of an abundance of caution”, Trump is flown to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. (BBC)

Azerbaijani forces shell the Artsakh capital of Stepanakert, wounding ten civilians and partially destroying several buildings, including the Artsakh Rescue Service headquarters, according to Armenian officials.  (Sputnik)

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern finalise plans for a trans-Tasman “travel bubble”. Australia will permit the entry of travellers from New Zealand into New South Wales and the Northern Territory if they have stayed in New Zealand for at least two weeks effective October 16. New Zealand, however, has not reciprocated any lifting of travel restrictions for Australian travellers. (The Guardian)

The European Council agrees on sanctions against Belarus. Opposition by Cyprus is lifted by also agreeing on a warning to Turkey. (Reuters)

Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodríguez announces that the country will receive shipments of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. (Reuters)

 

 

Thursday, Oct. 1st, 2020

  President Donald Trump confirms that top aide Hope Hicks has tested positive for coronavirus and says he and first lady Melania Trump will begin their “quarantine process” while waiting for their own test results. (CNN)

Trump widely criticized for declining to condemn white supremacists  President Trump is facing bipartisan criticism for declining to clearly condemn white supremacists during Tuesday night’s presidential debate. When asked if he would be willing to condemn white supremacists and tell them to “stand down,” Trump said he’s “willing to do” so, but instead told the far-right extremist group Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by.” Democrats like Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) condemned Trump’s comments, and so did Republican Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), who said he believes Trump “misspoke” but called on him to clarify. Other Republicans like former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and former Republican Sen. Rick Santorum also criticized Trump’s answer. On Wednesday, Trump said he doesn’t know who the Proud Boys are, but added that they should “stand down” and let law enforcement do its work. Source: The Week

The Tokyo Stock Exchange halts all trading for the day after it suffered one of the worst technical glitches in its history. It is undecided if it will reopen on Friday. The Nikkei 225 and TOPIX were also impacted, as they rely on the same system. (DW)

Former President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, expresses concern over the escalation of the situation. He also calls for Baku and Yerevan to launch negotiations. (News AM)

Turkey issues a statement dismissing the demands for a ceasefire from the United States, France, and Russia. (BBC)

The Armenian ambassador to the United States, Varuzhan Nersesyan, says, “Right now, what is necessary is an intervention of the highest levels, together with other mediators, Russia and France, to stop the violence.” (Newsweek)

The state-run National News Agency says that Lebanon’s state prosecution has asked Interpol to detain two Russian citizens, the captain and owner of the MV Rhosus, a ship that carried thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate to Beirut in 2013. (Reuters via U.S. News)

The Spanish government orders a partial lockdown in Madrid and surrounding areas badly affected by COVID-19 after a rise in cases. Under the new restrictions, residents will not be allowed to leave the area unless they have to make an essential journey. However, Madrid’s regional government says that the lockdown is not legally valid. (BBC)

Italy reports 2,548 new cases in the past 24 hours, partly due to higher swab tests that were conducted. It is the biggest daily jump of cases in five months and the first time the country has reported more than 2,000 cases since April. (Anadolu Agency)

Trump signs short-term spending bill, averting government shutdown  President Trump early Thursday signed a stopgap funding bill, effectively avoiding a government shutdown at midnight. The Senate had passed the bill, 84-10, on Wednesday evening. It will keep the government funded through Dec. 11. The stopgap bill passed by a wide margin in the House last week, after several disputes between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on spending items. Mnuchin and Pelosi are now trying to reach agreement on a long-stalled COVID-19 stimulus bill. Source: CNN

 

 

Wednesday,  Sept. 30th, 2020 

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan reject proposals of peace talks citing each other’s attempts at obstructing negotiations. (AP)

Sali Berisha, former President of Albania, calls for the international community to engage the conflict with greater seriousness. (Trend AZ)

Israel’s Knesset passes a law that bans mass protesting during the country’s lockdown in a move the opponents claim to criminalize demonstrations calling for Benjamin Netanyahu to resign as prime minister. It allows the government to restrict people from traveling more than 1 kilometer from their homes to demonstrate, and outdoor gatherings of more than 20 people are banned. (The Guardian)

A United States court approves an $800 million settlement for the victims and relatives of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. (AFP via The Times of India)

A court rules that the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company are responsible for the damages caused during a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Furthermore, the operator of the plant is required to pay $9.5 million in damages to survivors. (ABC News)

 

 

 

Tuesday,  Sept. 29th, 2020 

The Armenian Defense Ministry says that an Armenian Su-25 fighter jet was shot down by a Turkish F-16 fighter jet, killing its pilot. Turkey says it is untrue. (BBC)

Five more Azerbaijani civilians are killed during Armenian fire in the country, bringing the death toll among Azeri civilians to 12. At least 35 others are wounded. (Reuters)

The Netherlands reports 3,011 new cases in the past 24 hours, a daily record since the beginning of the pandemic, as the country imposes new measures to combat a second wave of infections, according to data published by the National Institute for Health (RIVM). (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

7,143 new cases are reported in the United Kingdom in the last 24 hours, the highest single day of reported cases ever since the beginning of the outbreak. Meanwhile, 71 COVID-19-related deaths are reported at the same time, the highest level since July 1. (Sky News)

A 19-year-old Dalit woman died in Delhi after she was allegedly gang raped in Uttar Pradesh by four upper-caste men, sparking outrage in India from opposition parties. The woman was admitted to a hospital in Delhi two weeks ago with several serious injuries. (CNN)

The World Health Organization announces it will launch an investigation into the allegations regarding its officials committing acts of sexual exploitation and abuse while on mission to control the Kivu Ebola outbreak in the Équateur Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (AFP via Manila Bulletin)

Amnesty International says it has been forced to halt its Indian operations due to “reprisal” from the government. Amnesty said its bank accounts were frozen and it was forced to lay off staff, and suspend all its campaign and research work. (BBC)

Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah dies at the age of 91. Crown Prince Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is named his successor. (BBC)

 

Monday,  Sept. 28th, 2020 

A missile hits a house in Baghdad, close to the airport. The attack leaves at least five people dead, including three children; two children are injured. (National Iraqi News Agency)

Seventy-one more Artsakh servicemen are killed during the fight, bringing the death toll among the fighters to 87. Two more Azerbaijani civilians are also killed. A passenger bus in Armenia was hit by an Azerbaijani missile, but no casualties are reported. Authorities in Nagorno reports at least 400 Azerbaijani soldiers dead, but the country has not confirmed. (BBC)

Kioxia, the Japanese computer memory manufacturer spun off from Toshiba, postpones its initial public offering on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, citing the volatility of the semiconductor industry caused by both the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing trade war between China and the United States. Its initial public offering, which would have launched on October 6, was projected to be Japan’s largest for this year. (The Japan Times)

India surpasses six million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country after the United States to reach that milestone. Meanwhile, 82.5% or more than five million people have recovered.(AP)

The government introduces new nationwide restrictions aimed at tackling the swift spread sweeping across the country, including disallowing fans in professional sports matches and ordering bars and restaurants to close at 22:00 (10:00 p.m.) CEST for the next three weeks. Prime Minister Mark Rutte also advises people to wear face masks when shopping in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and The Hague, the three cities with the highest rates of infections. (CTV News)

Trump calls report on taxes ‘totally fake news’  President Trump on Sunday said The New York Times‘ report on his tax returns is “totally fake news.” The Times obtained tax return data extending for more than two decades, which shows Trump has largely avoided paying taxes because he reported losing substantially more than he made. Trump was asked about the Times‘ report during a press conference, and he responded, “Actually, I pay taxes. You’ll see that as soon as my tax returns, they’re under audit, they’ve been under audit for a long time.” He went on to accuse the Internal Revenue Service of treating him “very, very badly,” adding that he will be “proud to show” his returns once they are no longer being audited. The IRS audits every sitting president’s returns, and has said individuals are allowed to make their tax returns public while an audit is being conducted. Source: Bloomberg

The New York Times reports that it has obtained more than two decades of tax-return data for Donald Trump and his business enterprises, including The Trump Organization. The documents show that Trump paid no federal income tax in 11 of the last 15 years, and paid just $750 in income taxes in 2016, and $750 in 2017. (BBC)

Fifteen more Nagorno-Karabakh servicemen are killed during the fight, bringing the death toll among the fighters to 32. (Al Jazeera English)

A mass shooting in Jaral del Progreso, Guanajuato, Mexico, leaves at least 11 people dead and one injured. (Reuters)

The End