Sunday, November 14th, 2021 

France reports a new strain of SARS-CoV-2, known as lineage B.1.X or B.1.640, which was first found on 15 October in a school in Bannalec in the north-western region of Brittany, where 24 people got infected; but it was only identified to be a separate strain until much later. The origin of the Bannalec outbreak seemed to be a man in Nantes who had come from abroad a few days before. No cases related to the strain were reported since October 26, but it remains under surveillance. (Jerusalem Post) 

Trump leads Biden in Iowa, poll says Former President Donald Trump leads President Biden in a hypothetical 2024 rematch in Iowa, according to a Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released Saturday. Fifty-one percent of likely Iowa voters polled said they would vote for Trump in 2024; 40 percent said they would vote for Biden, giving Trump an 11 percentage-point lead. Trump carried Iowa by about eight percentage points in 2020. In the poll, Trump won the backing of 91 percent of his fellow Republicans, while Biden had the support of 95 percent of Democrats. Trump led among independents by eight percentage points. The poll was conducted as Biden’s approval rating in Iowa hovers near its lowest point since he took office in January. Trump got higher ratings in a September Iowa poll than he did when he was in office. DES MOINES REGISTER 

Appeals court declines to lift stay on Biden vaccine mandate A federal appeals court on Friday affirmed its ruling blocking President Biden’s order that companies with 100 or more workers require COVID-19 vaccines or weekly tests. A three-member panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans rejected the Biden administration’s request to lift the stay, calling the mandate a “one-size-fits-all sledgehammer” that is “staggeringly broad.” The Biden administration had argued that blocking the Labor Department rule, which was scheduled to take effect in early January, could result in dozens if not hundreds of deaths from coronavirus infections. Supporters of vaccine mandates argue they are necessary to end the nearly two-year pandemic. Opponents say they violate constitutional guarantees of individual freedom. REUTERS 

Kaiser Permanente, unions reach deal to avert West Coast hospital strike Kaiser Permanente reached a tentative deal with unions to avoid a strike that had been scheduled to start Monday at 14 West Coast hospitals and hundreds of clinics and medical offices. The strike would have involved 32,000 nurses, physician assistants, pharmacists, and other health care professionals who are members under the Alliance of Health Care Unions. Further walkouts scheduled for the following week would have added another 40,000 strikers. Possible sympathy strikes by uninvolved unions could have taken another 60,000 workers off the job, which would have made it the nation’s biggest private sector strike since 2004. Union leaders said the tentative deal, which must be approved by members, includes the economic package they wanted, and hiring and staffing accommodations to improve working conditions and patient treatment. CNN 

Catholic bishops expected to discuss whether Biden should receive communion U.S. Roman Catholic Bishops gather Monday for a conference in Baltimore where they are expected to discuss whether President Biden should be denied communion because of his support for abortion rights. The bishops are scheduled to vote at the Nov. 15-18 meeting on a document clarifying the meaning of the sacrament. The committee that drafted the document debated whether it should include a position on disqualifying from receiving communion prominent Catholics whose political actions conflict with church teachings against abortion. Biden, the first Catholic president since John F. Kennedy, has said he opposes abortion but supports a woman’s right to choose. A Pew Research survey in April found that 55 percent of U.S. Catholics and 59 percent of the general population believe abortion should be broadly legal. REUTERS 

COP26 deal toughens emissions targets but falls short on warming Negotiators from nearly 200 nations reached a deal Saturday at the United Nations COP26 climate summit to strengthen targets for reducing carbon emissions and phasing out fossil fuels, although India forced a last-minute compromise watering down language on cutting coal use. The agreement calls on wealthy nations to follow through on a promise to help poorer nations adapt and pay for costly damage from global warming. The deal fell short of the summit’s goal of securing concrete commitments to keep global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels. “The difference between 1.5 and 2 degrees is a death sentence for us,” said Aminath Shauna, the Maldives’ environment and climate change minister. Organizers of the summit said the agreement “keeps 1.5 alive.” THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

At COP26, diplomats from countries around the world reach a major agreement aimed at intensifying global efforts to fight climate change by calling on governments to return next year with stronger plans to curb planet-warming emissions and urging wealthy nations to “at least double” their funding in order to protect poorer nations from the hazards of a warming planet. Some activists are critical of the agreement, as it leaves unresolved the question of how much and how quickly each nation should cut its carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, and it still leaves many developing countries short of the funds that they would need in order to cope with increasing weather disasters. However, the agreement makes reference to fossil fuels and their role in the climate crisis for the first time in the conference’s history. (CNN) 

India’s capital closes schools to protect children from smog surge Authorities in New Delhi said Saturday they would close schools for a week to protect children from a decline in air quality in the Indian capital. “For a week from Monday onwards, schools will be physically closed but will continue virtually so that children don’t have to breathe polluted air,” said New Delhi’s chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal. Construction sites will be shut down for four days, and city officials are discussing a possible complete lockdown. Thick smog has choked the area due to crop stubble and garbage burning, and emissions from vehicles and coal-fired plants outside the city. Air quality was rated very poor to severe in New Delhi early Sunday. Prolonged exposure to that level of pollution can cause respiratory illness. REUTERS 

U.S. military covered up civilian deaths from 2019 airstrike The U.S. military covered up an airstrike against the Islamic State in Syria in March 2019 that killed about 70 civilians, The New York Times reported Saturday. The strike in the city of Baghuz was among the largest civilian casualty incidents in the fight against ISIS. A legal officer deemed the incident to be a possible war crime. That designation requires an investigation, but military leaders concealed what happened and downplayed the death toll, the Times reported. U.S.-led coalition forces bulldozed the site of the attack. The Defense Department’s independent inspector general started an investigation but the findings were glossed over. “Leadership just seemed so set on burying this,” said Gene Tate, an evaluator who worked on the case for the inspector general’s office. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Sudan forces target protesters with gunfire and tear gas, killing 5 Security forces in Sudan on Saturday used gunfire and tear gas against huge crowds protesting a military coup, Reuters reported, citing witnesses and medics. Five protesters died in the violence. The demonstrations in the capital, Khartoum, and other cities occurred two days after army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan announced a new ruling council with no representatives of the civilian coalition that had shared power with the military from 2019 until the Oct. 25 coup. Security forces fired tear gas at demonstrators as soon as they began gathering, instead of waiting until later in the day to disperse crowds, as they did in previous protests. Witnesses estimated that tens of thousands demonstrated in Khartoum. There were large crowds in other cities, too. “The revolutionaries have nothing but peacefulness and are calling for democracy and bringing back civilian rule which was taken away by Burhan,” said Mohamed Hamed, a protester in Khartoum. REUTERS 

Austrian chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announces a nationwide lockdown for those who are unvaccinated against COVID-19 aged above 12 that prohibits them from leaving their homes unless for essential reasons beginning at midnight, amid a record surge of COVID-19 cases. (AP) 

Bulgarians vote for 3rd time after 2 inconclusive elections Bulgarians vote Sunday to elect a new president and 240-member parliament. It is the Balkan nation’s third vote this year, after general elections in April and July proved inclusive. Turnout is expected to be low among the country’s 6.7 million eligible voters due to a surge of coronavirus infections. Analysts say a low turnout would benefit the ruling GERB party, which has seen its support drop but still has a core of loyal voters. Bulgaria, the European Union’s poorest member, has the lowest COVID vaccination rate in the E.U., with less than one-third of adults fully vaccinated. The country recently reported 334 coronavirus-related deaths in a single day, its highest daily toll of the pandemic. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Kuwait emir accepts government’s resignation, pardons dissidents Kuwait’s emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, on Sunday accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah’s cabinet, which was submitted a week ago to help end a feud with opposition lawmakers. The premier was granted immunity from questioning by parliament about the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic and corruption until 2022. The dispute with lawmakers who want to question him sooner has hindered efforts to confront the pandemic and boost the oil-rich country’s finances, which suffered last year when pandemic lockdowns weakened demand for fuel. The emir on Saturday issued two decrees pardoning and reducing sentences for dozens of political dissidents, meeting another key opposition demand. REUTERS 

68 inmates die in Ecuador prison-gang gunbattle  A gunfight between rival gangs in Ecuador’s largest prison left at least 68 inmates dead and 25 wounded on Saturday. The fighting started before daybreak inside the prison in coastal Guayaquil. Authorities said it was the latest in a series of clashes among gangs associated with international drug cartels. During eight hours of fighting, gang members “tried to dynamite a wall to get into Pavilion 2 to carry out a massacre. They also burned mattresses to try to drown (their rivals) in smoke,” said Pablo Arosemena, governor of Guayas province. “We are fighting against drug trafficking,” Arosemena said. “It is very hard.” About 700 police officers were sent to contain the chaos. President Guillermo Lasso in October declared a national state of emergency giving security forces the right to fight drug trafficking and other crimes. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Saturday, November 13th, 2021 

Bannon indicted for defying Jan. 6 committee subpoena A federal grand jury on Friday indicted former Trump strategist Steve Bannon for contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with a subpoena from the House select committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters. Bannon is the first person charged in connection with the panel’s investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection. The rioters, who were trying to prevent lawmakers from certifying Trump’s election loss to President Biden, echoed Trump’s false claim that the election was stolen through fraud. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Vice Chair Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) said they are considering contempt proceedings against former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who also failed to comply with a subpoena. CNBC 

Russian President Vladimir Putin says that the threat made by Belarus to cut their gas supply to Europe would be a breach of the contract with Russia and that such a threat may have been made in a fit of temper by Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko. (BBC News) 

A magnetic bomb attached to a minivan explodes in Dasht-e-Barachi, a predominantly Hazara district of Kabul, killing six people and injuring seven others. (Reuters) 

The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission publishes a report accusing the Tigray People’s Liberation Front of killing more than 150 civilians in the Amhara Region between July and August. The report states that they were killed for either supporting the federal government or sheltering soldiers. (Al Jazeera) 

Greece tightens its guidelines by requiring that no more than one person per nine square meters of floor space be allowed to enter into supermarkets. This new policy was implemented after a proposed policy that would require unvaccinated people to provide a mandatory rapid COVID-19 test in order to enter supermarkets was deemed too difficult to implement. (Ekathimerini) 

Sixty-eight inmates are killed and 25 others injured in a prison riot in Guayaquil, Ecuador. (BBC News) 

Thousands of protesters associated with the right-wing United Australia Party march in Melbourne in opposition to vaccine mandates and newly introduced laws in the Victoria State Government which would transfer many pandemic-specific powers from the Chief Health Officer to the Premier and Health Minister. (The Guardian) 

COP26 leaders release new draft agreement on climate change Negotiators on Saturday released a new draft of an agreement on stepping up the fight against climate change, as talks continued beyond a Friday deadline at the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. The latest proposal still calls on countries to speed up “efforts toward the phase-out of unabated coal power and inefficient fossil fuel subsidies,” but it adds recognition of “the need for support toward a just transition,” a response to calls from the fossil fuel industry for backing as it phases out jobs and businesses. Alok Sharma, the British COP26 president, said he hoped participants would “rise to the occasion” and sign an ambitious deal, but critics said the latest text did not go far enough to prevent catastrophic global warming. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Record number of Americans quit jobs in September Americans quit their jobs in unprecedented numbers in September, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. A record 4.4 million people voluntarily left their jobs during the month. The “quits rate” rose to 3 percent, also a record. The surge described in the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey came as the number of job openings hovered at 10.4 million. In October, 7.4 million Americans were unemployed. The figures added to a series of signs that the labor market is recovering as the economy rebounds from the damage of coronavirus pandemic lockdowns and business shutdowns. Economists say the numbers show that American workers are increasingly willing to leave their current jobs in search of better pay and greater satisfaction.  BROOKINGS 

Biden, Xi to hold virtual meeting to discuss cooperation President Biden will meet virtually with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Monday, the White House said. The talks come as both countries seek ways to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies over trade, the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, and China’s growing nuclear arsenal and maritime expansion. “The two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition … as well as ways to work together where our interests align,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement. “President Biden will make clear U.S. intentions and priorities and be clear and candid about our concerns.” Beijing is believed to be seeking ways to avoid clashes ahead of a big year, when Beijing hosts the Winter Olympics and Xi pushes for an unprecedented third term at a key Communist Party Congress. REUTERS 

U.S. names Qatar as diplomatic proxy in Afghanistan The Biden administration has named Qatar as its diplomatic proxy to handle U.S. consular affairs in Afghanistan and protect the closed U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday. Qatar will help process visa applications for the thousands of people still seeking to leave the country to escape the rule of the Taliban, the Islamist extremist group that was driven from power by the 2001 U.S.-led invasion and reclaimed control as the last U.S. troops withdrew at the end of August. Qatar has served as a go-between in U.S.-Taliban contacts for years, hosting diplomatic negotiations on ending the war and receiving more than 60,000 Afghans since the Taliban returned to power.  THE NEW YORK TIMES 

Agent says Arbery killing defendant assumed Black jogger was a thief A Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent testified Friday that one of the three white men charged in the 2020 killing of 25-year-old Black jogger Ahmaud Arbery said he joined the chase of Arbery through his neighborhood because he had an “instinct” Arbery had done something wrong. The defendant, William “Roddie” Bryan Jr., told the agent, Jason Seacrist, that he “figured he stole something,” Seacrist testified. Bryan is charged along with father and son Gregory McMichael and Travis McMichael, who chased Arbery in their vehicles. Travis McMichael, carrying a shotgun, confronted Arbery in the street and fatally shot him. McMichaels’ lawyers say he fired in self-defense when Arbery lunged at him. CNN 

Louisiana prison board recommends posthumous Plessy pardon The Louisiana Board of Pardons on Friday unanimously voted to recommend a full posthumous pardon of Homer Plessy, whose landmark 19th century Plessy v. Ferguson case led to a Supreme Court ruling later cited to support Jim Crow segregation laws. Plessy, who was one-eighth Black, sat in a whites-only section on a Louisiana train on June 7, 1892. He was arrested after refusing to move to a rail car reserved for Black passengers. The Supreme Court ruled 7-1 in 1896 that a Louisiana law requiring separate but equal railroad cars for Black and white passengers was constitutional. Plessy then pleaded guilty in a lower court, and paid a $25 fine. Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) will review the recommendation and decide whether to grant the pardon. 

CNN 

Britney Spears freed from conservatorship after 13 years A Los Angeles judge on Friday terminated the conservatorship that had controlled pop star Britney Spears’ life for 13 years. The decision took effect immediately. The controversial arrangement was started when Spears was suffering a public breakdown. In June, she spoke out against the conservatorship in court, calling it “abusive” and asking to have it dissolved. “I just want my life back,” Spears said in her June virtual court appearance. “And it’s been 13 years. And it’s enough.” She argued that the arrangement was so controlling it prevented her from getting married and having children. Spears won her first legal victory in September when a judge suspended her father, Jamie Spears, from the conservatorship. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Passenger on Shatner’s space flight dies in plane crash Glen de Vries, who flew with Star Trek actor William Shatner on his recent space flight in a Blue Origin capsule, was killed in a plane crash, his employer and Blue Origin said Friday. The four-seat Cessna 172, a small plane used for training and recreational flights, went down in a wooded area in New Jersey. De Vries, 49, was vice chairman of life sciences and health care at the software company Dassault Systèmes. “He brought so much life and energy to the entire Blue Origin team and to his fellow crewmates,” Blue Origin said via Twitter. “His passion for aviation, his charitable work, and his dedication to his craft will long be revered and admired.” Dassault Systèmes praised de Vries’ “tireless energy, empathy, and pioneering spirit.” CNN 

 Friday,  November 12th, 2021 

Three people are killed and 15 others injured by a bombing during prayers at a mosque in Spin Ghar, Nangarhar Province. (Al Jazeera) 

A Cessna 172 crashes in Hampton Township, New Jersey, United States, killing two people, including businessman and space tourist Glen de Vries. (USA Today) 

Two Russian paratroopers are killed during military drills near the Polish border in western Belarus. The Ministry of Defence says their parachutes failed to deploy properly “due to a sudden strong gust of wind” during their jumps. (Euronews) 

Thailand delays the reopening of nightlife entertainment venues to January 15 due to concerns about ventilation and inefficient prevention measures in pubs, bars and karaoke venues. (The Independent) 

The government announces that they will obtain 1.6 million doses of Merck & Co.’s molnupiravir and have also increased hospital capacities for COVID-19 patients to 30% in order to prepare for a sixth wave of the pandemic. (Kyodo News) 

Denmark reintroduces its digital pass that must be used in nightclubs, cafés, indoor seating at restaurants, and at outdoor events with more than 2,000 people as it reclassifies COVID-19 as “a socially critical disease” amid an increase in new cases. (AP) 

Dutch caretaker prime minister Mark Rutte announces a three-week partial lockdown that requires bars, restaurants, and shops to close at certain times and reintroduces 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) social distancing measures beginning tomorrow. The Netherlands is the first country in Western Europe to impose a lockdown since the summer. (The Guardian) 

The U.S. Treasury Department imposes sanctions on the Eritrean Military and other Eritrea-based entities and individuals in an attempt to bring an end to the Tigray War. The sanctions also blacklist the Eritrean ruling party People’s Front for Democracy and Justice. (Reuters) 

Iraq restricts direct flights to Belarus amid the migrant crisis in at the Belarus–Poland border. (Kurdistan 24) 

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announces that former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice for refusing to testify before the January 6 select committee investigating the Capitol riot and also refusing to provide documents requested by the committee. (NBC News) 

American singer Britney Spears is released from her 13-year conservatorship in accordance with a ruling by judge Brenda J. Penny of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, following allegations of abuse originating from fan speculation, media investigation, and public testimony. (AFP via Manila Bulletin) 

American journalist Danny Fenster is sentenced by a Myanmar military court to 11 years in prison, after being found guilty of three charges brought against him. (CNN) 

The European Commission announces its intention to bring the government of Portugal to the European Court of Justice over persistent violations of Directive 2008/50/EC, which limits the amount of certain emissions a country can produce in order to regulate air pollution. (Reuters) 

Paris Hilton ties the knot: ‘My forever begins today’ Paris Hilton said “I do” on Thursday, marrying venture capitalist Carter Reum in Los Angeles. Guests at the ceremony included famous friends like Kim Kardashian West, Emma Roberts, Paula Abdul, and Nicole Richie, with Demi Lovato performing. The happy couple, according to TMZ, has a weekend of festivities planned, including a “carnival-themed party” at the Santa Monica Pier on Friday. People reports it’s all being filmed for Hilton’s new Peacock show. Hilton and Reum have been together since 2019, and they got engaged in February. This is Hilton’s first marriage, though she has been engaged four times. She shared an Instagram photo of herself in her Oscar de la Renta weddng dress, writing, “My forever begins today.” TMZ 

Taylor Swift’s 10-minute ‘All Too Well’ has arrived Happy Red day to all who celebrate! Taylor Swift dropped her re-recorded 2012 album Friday, including a 10-minute version of “All Too Well.” Swifties quickly began analyzing the extended song, believed to be about actor Jake Gyllenhaal, pointing out new lines that may or may not shed light on their breakup. “You said if we had been closer in age maybe it would have been fine,” Swift sings. “And that made me want to die.” (Gyllenhaal is nine years older than Swift.) Asked on Late Night with Seth Meyers how the people she’s singing about might feel about this re-release, Swift responded, “I haven’t thought about their experience” — which Meyers noted was “the biggest burn” possible.  PAGE SIXE! ONLINE 

Ewan McGregor teases Darth Vader rematch in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Disney+ on Friday dropped a new sizzle reel for Obi-Wan Kenobi, which will feature Ewan McGregor’s highly anticipated return to Star Wars. The series takes place after Revenge of the Sith, and concept art teased a rematch between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. “[Having] another swing at each other might be quite satisfying for everybody,” McGregor said. Hayden Christensen is back as Vader, and McGregor said the “most beautiful” thing about the series is that it “brought me back together with Hayden.” This will be McGregor’s first time playing Obi-Wan since 2005, not counting his minor voice cameos in the sequel trilogy. No release date has been set, but he’ll say “hello there” to Star Wars fans in 2022.  THE WEEK 

Gene Simmons rips unvaccinated people: ‘You are an enemy’ Gene Simmons has had it with anti-vaxxers. The KISS founder blasted those who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 during a radio appearance, arguing they don’t have the right to spread the coronavirus the same way they don’t have the right “to go through a red light.” “If you’re willing to walk among us unvaccinated,” he charged, “you are an enemy.” Simmons also mocked those falsely blaming COVID-19 deaths on other causes. “No, b—h,” he said, “they died because they got COVID.” He seems to have had in mind one particular NFL star, who shall remain nameless, saying, “I don’t care if you play football or not. Stay away from evil people who don’t care about your health.”  VARIETY 

Dwayne Johnson: ‘I do pee in my water bottles’ Dwayne Johnson wants to “give context” to the fact that he pees in water bottles at the gym. In a 2017 Instagram video, The Rock accidentally showed viewers his “big bottle of pee” while working out, declaring, “I don’t have time to go to the bathroom! I find a bottle, I pee in it!” In a new Esquire interview, he swore he could explain, noting the gyms he works out in usually “don’t have a bathroom,” and since he stays quite hydrated, when he has go to, “I break out the bottle.” These aren’t bottles he’s “purchased solely for water,” he elaborated, but bottles “that I’m no longer using.” So there, now it’s not weird at all!  TMZ 

The End Sunday 

Friday,  November 12th, 2021 

Xi consolidates power in China with ‘historical resolution’ China’s ruling Communist Party on Thursday adopted a landmark “historical resolution” putting President Xi Jinping in the center of the story of modern China’s development, elevating him to the status of iconic past leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The resolution sets up Xi to serve a third term, and potentially rule for life. The party’s Central Committee called on the nation to “unite around the party with Xi at the core,” and realize the party’s goals through 2049 to achieve “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.” Pushing through the resolution helps Xi “to further consolidate his power and to define his historical legacy,” said Jinghan Zeng, a professor of China and international studies at Lancaster University in Britain. NBC NEWS 

Beijing imposes new restrictions on conferences and events, recommending that both be held remotely and also recommending that in-person conferences be managed as a “closed loop” after the city reported six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours. (Reuters) 

China reports the first case of COVID-19 among foreign athletes that will participate in the Winter Olympics in two luge athletes with same nationality. (Reuters) 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko says he “would recommend the leadership of Poland, Lithuanians and other empty-headed people to think before speaking,” suggesting Belarus would halt natural gas supplies into Europe, if the EU pushes more sanctions. EU member states are to decide some time next week on new sanctions for human trafficking which led to the crisis. (BBC) 

Belarus leader threatens to block Europe gas supplies Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday threatened to block gas supplies to Europe if Western leaders impose more sanctions against his government over an intensifying migrant crisis. The threat is real: One of Russia’s natural gas pipelines that Europe relies on crosses Belarus. The clash started when thousands of migrants, most of them from the Middle East, began gathering recently at Belarus’ Polish border. Polish and European Union leaders have accused Lukashenko’s government of luring the migrants with promises of passage to Western Europe in an effort to destabilize Poland and neighboring Latvia and Lithuania, and threatened to retaliate with new sanctions. THE WASHINGTON POST 

A blast during prayers at a mosque in Spin Ghar, Nangarhar Province, kills at least three people and injures scores of others. (Al Jazeera) 

Denmark reintroduces its digital pass that must be used at nightclubs, cafés, seating indoor at restaurants, and outdoor events more than 2,000 people as it reclassified COVID-19 as “a socially critical disease” amid an increase in cases. (AP) 

The Japanese government decides to secure 1.6 million doses of molnupiravir that was already agreed with Merck & Co. and increase the hospital capacity for COVID-19 patients to 30% in order to prepare the sixth wave of the pandemic. (Kyodo News) 

American journalist Danny Fenster is sentenced by Myanmar military court to 11 years in prison, after being found guilty of three charges brought against him. (CNN) 

The Saeima votes 62-7 with two absentions and 29 absent lawmakers to ban MPs who refused to be vaccinated against COVID-19 from voting and participating in the parliament, both in-person and remote meetings. The restrictions will be in effect from November 15 until July 1, 2022. (ABC News) 

The National Assembly begins to discuss Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele’s proposal to regulate criticism to the government by civil organizations and media critic of the government, in an attempt to quell dissent supportive of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega; a Bukele’s foe. (El País) 

J&J announces plan to split drug and consumer units into 2 companies Johnson & Johnson plans to split into two companies, separating its lucrative but risky prescription-drug and medical-devices businesses from its slower-growing consumer division, which sells Band-Aid bandages, Tylenol medicines, and Johnson’s Baby Powder, The Wall Street Journal reported early Friday. J&J plans to spin off the $15-billion-a-year consumer business into a separate publicly-traded company within two years, CEO Alex Gorsky said. He added that the company decided to make the change after considering how much their customers and markets had diverged in recent years, including during the coronavirus pandemic. Rival drugmakers Pfizer and Merck also have decided to spin off their consumer businesses to focus on faster-growing pharmaceuticals. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Toshiba announces plan to break into 3 companies Toshiba Corp. said Friday that it plans to split into three independent companies in response to a call from activist shareholders for radical restructuring. In a move similar to General Electric’s recently announced breakup plan, Toshiba said it would spin off its energy and infrastructure divisions into one company, its device and storage businesses into another, and its flash-memory assets into a third. The plan came out of a five-month strategic review conducted in response to a damaging corporate governance scandal. Some shareholders had called for taking Toshiba private, and the Japanese company’s Frankfurt-listed shares fell by 4 percent early Friday in a sign of investor disappointment with the breakup plan. REUTERS 

Kellogg accuses picketers of blocking cereal plant entrance The Kellogg Co. has filed a lawsuit asking a judge to order its local union in Omaha to stop striking workers from blocking entrances to its cereal plant. The company said members of the Omaha chapter of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers, and Grain Millers International Union are interfering with its business, and union members picketing the plant are intimidating replacement workers as they enter the plant. Workers in Omaha and at Kellogg’s three other U.S. cereal plants went on strike Oct. 5 after contract talks collapsed. “We respect the right of employees to lawfully communicate their position in this matter. We sought a temporary restraining order to help ensure the safety of all … including the picketers themselves,” company spokesperson Kris Bahner said Thursday. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Appeals court delays Jan. 6 committee access to Trump documents An appeals court temporarily blocked the National Archives from releasing Trump White House documents to the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol attack pending former President Donald Trump’s appeal. The court will hear arguments in the case Nov. 30. Trump claims executive privilege gives him the right to withhold the documents, which include call logs and handwritten memos from then-chief of staff Mark Meadows. A lower court judge, Tanya Chutkan, twice rejected Trump’s attempt to keep them secret, saying President Biden was within his rights when he waived executive privilege and said the committee should get the material. The appeals court’s decision to put the release on hold came just before a Friday deadline for the National Archives to hand them over. CNN 

Myanmar military junta sentences U.S. journalist to 11 years A Myanmar court on Friday sentenced American journalist Danny Fenster to 11 years in prison after a secret trial in Yangon’s notorious Insein Prison, according to his lawyer and employer, Frontier Myanmar magazine. Fenster, 37, was detained while waiting to board a U.S.-bound flight in May. He’s the first foreign journalist sentenced since Myanmar’s military seized control of the country in a February coup. Fenster was convicted on three charges, including breaches of immigration laws and incitement for allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information. Earlier this week, a separate court in Yangon filed more serious sedition and terrorism charges against Fenster, which carry sentences of up to life in prison. Thomas Kean, Frontier Myanmar‘s editor-in-chief, said there was “absolutely no basis” to convict Fenster. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Judge approves $626 million Flint water crisis settlement A federal judge on Thursday approved a $626 million settlement in the Flint, Michigan, water crisis. District Judge Judith Levy’s decision marked a milestone in the years of lawsuits and investigations into the scandal, in which children and other residents of the predominantly Black city of 95,000 were exposed to lead-contaminated drinking water. The state of Michigan will pay most of the settlement, which is one of the largest in state history. “The settlement reached here is a remarkable achievement for many reasons, not the least of which is that it sets forth a comprehensive compensation program and timeline that is consistent for every qualifying participant,” Levy said in the decision. CBS NEWS 

Biden calls service members ‘the spine of America’ President Biden on Thursday called people who have served in the military “the spine of America” as he observed his first Veterans Day as president. “There’s nothing low risk or low cost about war for the women and men who fight it,” said Biden, who participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Biden illustrated the point by suggesting that the brain cancer that killed his son Beau, who served in Iraq, might have been linked to pits where military waste was burned. Biden also honored three influential veterans who died recently: Colin Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of State; Gen. Ray Odierno, a top general in Iraq; and ex-Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.). THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Belarus leader threatens to block Europe gas supplies Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday threatened to block gas supplies to Europe if Western leaders impose more sanctions against his government over an intensifying migrant crisis. The threat is real: One of Russia’s natural gas pipelines that Europe relies on crosses Belarus. The clash started when thousands of migrants, most of them from the Middle East, began gathering recently at Belarus’ Polish border. Polish and European Union leaders have accused Lukashenko’s government of luring the migrants with promises of passage to Western Europe in an effort to destabilize Poland and neighboring Latvia and Lithuania, and threatened to retaliate with new sanctions. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Ukraine deploys a further 8,500 soldiers and police officers, as well as 15 helicopters, to the border with Belarus to prevent possible attempts by stranded migrants to cross into the country in order to reach the European Union. (Voice of America) 

U.S. warns Europe that Russia might invade Ukraine  The United States has warned European Union allies that Russia might be building up military forces near the Ukrainian border in preparation for an invasion, Bloomberg reported Thursday, citing multiple people familiar with the matter. The deployment comes as tensions between the E.U. and Russia are already high due to clashes over migrants and energy supplies. Moscow denies any aggressive intentions. One person close to the Kremlin said Russia isn’t invading but needs to show it’s willing to use force. CIA Director Bill Burns reportedly discussed the troop movements this month with Russian President Vladimir Putin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Putin on Wednesday to help defuse tensions with Russian ally Belarus over Middle Eastern migrants seeking to enter the E.U. through Poland. BLOOMBERG 

U.S. calls on Houthis to release embassy employees detained in Yemen Iran-backed Houthi rebels breached the compound in Sanaa, Yemen, that houses the closed U.S. Embassy, and detained several Yemeni employees on Thursday. A “majority” have since been released, a spokesperson for the State Department said, and the United States is engaged in “unceasing” diplomatic efforts to free the rest. The U.S. is also calling on the Houthis to “immediately” vacate the compound and “return all seized property.” A State Department official told The Washington Post the detained Yemeni employees work security and were guarding the exterior of the compound. Because of Yemen’s civil war, the United States transferred its embassy operations in 2015 to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The Saudis oppose the Houthi rebels, and launched a military intervention in Yemen in an attempt to push them back and keep Iran from expanding its influence in the region. THE WASHINGTON POST 

F.W. de Klerk, who shared Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela, dies at 85 F.W. de Klerk, the former South African president who handed over power to Nelson Mandela to end apartheid rule, has died at age 85, a spokesman for the F.W. de Klerk Foundation confirmed Thursday. De Klerk was diagnosed last year with cancer. De Klerk and Mandela shared a Nobel Peace Prize for ushering their country into a new era. But he was controversial at home, where some blamed him for violence against Black South Africans while some white citizens felt betrayed by his push to end white minority rule. De Klerk had only been in office five months when he announced in February 1990 that Mandela would be released after 27 years in prison and that the ban on the African National Congress and other anti-apartheid political groups would be lifted. BBC NEWS 

Demi Lovato is ready to date an alien: ‘I am so tired of humans!’ Demi Lovato is ready to have some close encounters. When the singer and UFO investigator was asked on Face to Face with Becky G if they “would date an ET,” their response was an enthusiastic yes. “I am so tired of humans!” Lovato proclaimed. “I am so tired of humans and their human bulls—. I am so over it! Bring me an alien!” Lovato launched a show this year focused on investigating the existence of aliens — a term they have insisted is “derogatory” — and claims to have “made contact” already “by meditating and looking up and seeing things in the sky that weren’t there when I started meditating.” And that, kids, is how I met your alien father.  ROLLING STONE 

Christopher Walken destroyed real Banksy art for a show Some Banksy artwork was harmed in the making of a new Christopher Walken show. A scene from the BBC series The Outlaws, which was filmed in Banksy’s hometown, sees Walken’s character paint over the legendary street artist’s work — and it turns out Walken legitimately painted over real Banksy art during filming. “We can confirm that the artwork at the end of The Outlaws was an original Banksy, and that Christopher Walken painted over that artwork during the filming of this scene, ultimately destroying it,” a spokesperson said. Before you get too upset, though, set designers apparently had Banksy’s permission to paint over the art — unless … could Banksy be Walken himself? Hmm. THE NEW YORK POST 

Adele says Jennifer Lawrence and Nicole Richie ‘humanized me’ After years of avoiding it, Adele said hello to some celebrity friends, and she has no regrets. A new Rolling Stone profile describes when the singer “finally caved” and made friends with some fellow famous people after intentionally trying not to do so for years. She specifically opened up about the fact that friendships with her neighbors Nicole Richie and Jennifer Lawrence “humanized” her, recalling, “I had avoided talking to anyone that was ever famous in any capacity, because I was like, ‘Well, I’m not famous.’ I’m very British like that.” What she appreciated most, she added, is that when they were together, ” we never spoke about work,” which, considering that’s usually all anyone wants to talk about, “was amazing.” ROLLING STONE 

Will Smith’s mom caught him and his girlfriend in a…compromising position Now this is a story … you might wish Will Smith hadn’t shared. In his book, the actor recalls his mom once walked in on him and his girlfriend “deep in throes of reckless lovemaking” on the kitchen floor. His girlfriend at the time was apparently staying with him and his parents, and his mom walked in on them at 4:00 in the morning while just trying to get coffee. “As a teenager, outside of physical injury, you cannot feel worse than having your mother catch you and your girlfriend doggy-style on her kitchen floor,” Smith writes, adding of all the stories in the memoir, “this is the individual moment of personal behavior that makes the least sense to me.”   INSIDER 

Aaron Sorkin defends casting Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball Aaron, you’ve got some ‘splainin to do! Aaron Sorkin, director of Being the Ricardos, responded to critics confused by his decision to cast Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball. Some have complained Kidman doesn’t look a whole lot like the iconic comedian, suggesting Debra Messing should have gotten the role instead. But Sorkin told The Hollywood Reporter, “finding an actress who looked like Lucille Ball wasn’t important to me” and that he wasn’t “looking for a physical or vocal impersonation.” Sorkin also defended “having an actor who was born in Spain playing a character who was born in Cuba” by casting Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz, saying that despite the criticism, “I’m very comfortable with it.”  THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 

 

Houthi forces storm the United States embassy in Sanaa, Yemen, taking several staffers hostage and removing “large quantities of equipment and materials” from the diplomatic facility. (National Review via Yahoo! News) 

As many as 57,000 care home workers are fired or resign as the government’s new “no jab, no job” mandate enters into force in England, which requires care home workers in England, including cleaners and receptionists, to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. (The Guardian) 

The European Medicines Agency approves the two antibody cocktails named Ronapreve made by Roche and Regeneron, and Regkirona made by Celltrion to treat severe COVID-19 patients. (Medical Xpress) 

Thursday, November 11th, 2021  – Armistice Day

Arlington commemorates 100th year of Tomb of the Unknowns Arlington National Cemetery on Thursday will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the day when the remains of an anonymous American infantryman were laid to rest at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The soldier’s body was carried to the U.S. from France aboard the USS Olympia three years after the end of World War I, and arrived at the tomb on Nov. 11, 1921. The Thursday ceremony marking the event will include a public procession through the cemetery with honor guards, the U.S. Army Band, and military flyovers. President Biden will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns, and mark Veterans Day with remarks at the cemetery’s Memorial Amphitheater. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Prince Harry slams Megxit as a ‘misogynistic term’ Prince Harry slammed the term “Megxit” during an appearance at the RE:WIRED conference, calling it “misogynistic.” The word, referencing Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s step back as senior royals, “was or is a misogynistic term, and it was created by a troll, amplified by royal correspondents, and it grew and grew and grew,” the Duke of Sussex said. Harry blasted British journalists who amplify the “hate and the lies” about Meghan, saying he finds it “troubling” that they “regurgitate these lies as truth.” Harry also claimed he warned Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey “his platform was allowing a coup to be staged” just one day before the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. “I haven’t heard from him since,” Harry said.  E! ONLINE REUTERS 

Beijing imposes a new restrictions of conferences and events that recommends both to be held remotely and offline conferences should be managed at “closed loop” after the city’s authorities reporting six new locally transmitted COVID-19 cases. (Reuters) 

U.S., China pledge to work together against climate change The United States and China on Wednesday made a surprise pledge at the COP26 climate summit to work together to fight rising global temperatures. Both countries said they would do more this decade to cut carbon emissions, and China for the first time made a commitment to reduce the release of methane, although it didn’t join the Global Methane Pledge led by the U.S. and the European Union. “There is more agreement between the U.S. and China than divergence, making it an area of huge potential for cooperation,” China climate envoy Xie Zhenhua said at a news conference. “The release of this joint statement shows again that cooperation is the only choice for both China and the United States.” U.S. Special Climate Envoy John Kerry said he was “pleased” with the joint pledge. CNN 

At the COP26 Conference, twenty-four nations and a number of leading car manufacturers, including Ford, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo, agree to phase out new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and end sale of fossil fuel vehicles by 2040. (The Guardian) 

COP26 draft agreement warns current pledges aren’t enough Organizers of the United Nations’ COP26 climate summit in Scotland released a preliminary draft of an agreement on fighting global warming, warning that current pledges won’t be enough to prevent catastrophe. The text urges countries to phase out coal-burning power plants and fossil fuel subsidies. Neither goal was mentioned in the landmark 2015 Paris climate accord. The draft also reaffirmed the target of keeping warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels. The document also calls for developed countries to increase aid to lower-income nations by doubling funding to help them to adapt and address damage from climate change. THE WASHINGTON POST 

Israel begins the world’s first nationwide COVID-19 drill named “Omega Drill” consisting of three sessions aimed to test the country’s preparation for the possible outbreak of a new and more lethal variant of the virus. (Bloomberg) 

Israel’s pandemic advisory board approves the usage of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. (The Times of Israel) 

The Robert Koch Institute reports a record 50,196 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours for the second day a row. (CNBC) 

The Standing Committee on Vaccination recommends that people under the age of 30 should only receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine due to a higher risk of heart inflammation with the Moderna vaccine among younger people. (DW) 

Following several record-breaking daily increases in new cases, including a record 16,364 new cases in the past 24 hours, the government deliberates on potential partial lockdown scenarios, which if enacted would be the first partial lockdown(s) in Western Europe since the summer. (AFP via Barron’s) 

The European Medicines Agency approves the two antibody cocktails named Ronapreve made by Roche and Regeneron, and Regkirona made by Celltrion to treat the severe COVID-19 patients. (MedicalXpress) 

Malian Foreign Affairs minister Abdoulaye Diop says in Moscow that Mali “may ask Russia for help” due to its security situation, with Diop saying that “the very existence of the Malian state is under threat”. (Reuters) 

Tuvaluan Justice, Communication and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Kofe announces that the island nation will push to retain international recognition of its statehood and maritime borders in the event that climate change completely submerges the country. (The Guardian) 

Musk sells $5 billion worth of Tesla shares Tesla CEO Elon Musk sold nearly $5 billion worth of shares in the electric car company after a majority of Twitter poll respondents said he should unload 10 percent of his stake in the company. Musk exercised options on 2.1 million shares Monday, then sold nearly half for about $1.1 billion, according to a filing with securities regulators. He sold more on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising another $3.8 billion. The sale was “solely to satisfy [Musk’s] tax withholding obligations related to the exercise of stock options,” the filing on the first sale said. Investors had known Musk would have to sell stock to cover his $15 billion tax bill, but the company’s stock fell after the Twitter poll because 10 percent was more than many expected. CNN 

Biden to sign infrastructure bill on Monday President Biden will sign the more than $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Monday, the White House announced Wednesday. The legislation amounts to the biggest federal investment in upgrading the nation’s roads, bridges, ports, and other infrastructure in “generations,” the White House said. Members of Congress who crafted the bill will join Biden for the signing ceremony. “The President will highlight how he is following through on his commitment to rebuild the middle class and the historic benefits the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will deliver for American families,” with the plan providing “millions of good-paying, union jobs for working people” and strengthening supply chains, the White House said in a press release. CNBC 

Rivian shares soar after huge IPO Shares of electric-truck startup Rivian soared in its market debut Wednesday. Rivian set its initial public offering price at $78. The stock opened at $106.75, and later traded as high as $112, an increase of 43 percent over the IPO price. The startup’s surge gave it a market value of more than $100 billion on a fully diluted basis, vaulting it past Ford, General Motors, and other established automakers. Rivian has attracted investors like Ford and Amazon with its plan to help push EVs into the mainstream with an electric pickup, an SUV, and a delivery van. “The IPO represents an opportunity to accelerate how quickly we can go,” said Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe. “We have to go build a lot of vehicles.” THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Inflation accelerates to fastest pace in 31 years Inflation jumped to a 6.2 annual rate in October, the highest in the United States since 1990, the Labor Department reported Wednesday. On a monthly basis, prices rose by 0.9 percent, up from a 0.4 percent increase in September. The October acceleration in the consumer price index came as the pandemic continued to cause supply disruptions and demand remained strong. It was the fifth straight month with the annual pace rising by 5 percent or more. The core price index, which leaves out volatile food and energy costs, rose by 4.6 percent in October compared to a year earlier, the biggest increase since 1991. That was up from a 4 percent annual rise in September. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 

Judge overrules Texas governor’s ban on school mask mandates A federal judge in Austin ruled Wednesday that Texas school districts can require face coverings, overruling Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban on mask mandates in state schools. U.S. District Court Judge Lee Yeakel said Abbott’s order violated a federal law protecting disabled students’ access to public education. Days after Abbott, a Republican, imposed the ban, nonprofit advocacy group Disabled Rights Texas filed a lawsuit arguing Abbott’s order prohibited accommodations for disabled children who are highly vulnerable to severe effects of COVID-19. “No student should be forced to make the choice of forfeiting their education or risking their health, and now they won’t have to,” said Kym Davis Rogers, a litigation attorney at Disability Rights Texas, in a statement on the group’s website. NPR 

Rittenhouse breaks down on witness stand, claims self-defense Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager facing homicide charges for fatally shooting two people at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, broke down sobbing while testifying in his own defense on Wednesday. Rittenhouse doesn’t dispute that he shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27. But he said Rosenbaum had threatened him earlier and chased him. “I defended myself,” he said. Rittenhouse has said he was in Kenosha carrying a semiautomatic, assault-style rifle to protect property during the racial-justice protests. His lawyers requested a mistrial after a prosecutor asked him questions the judge had said were out of bounds. USA TODAY 

Jan. 6 rioter sentenced to 41 months for assaulting officer A member of the mob of former President Donald Trump’s supporters that attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6 was sentenced to 41 months in prison on Wednesday for assaulting a police officer and obstructing an official proceeding. The man, New Jersey gym owner and former MMA fighter Scott Fairlamb, was the first rioter sentenced for violently attacking police during the insurgency. “It’s such a serious offense … an affront to society and to the law, to have the Capitol overrun and the function of government stopped,” said Judge Royce Lamberth. Fairlamb, who pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors, said he had “nothing but remorse.” Lamberth said other violent rioters will get stiffer sentences if they go to trial. CNN 

Germany accuses Belarus of ‘trafficking’ migrants  Germany on Wednesday accused Belarus of “state-run smuggling” and human “trafficking” by luring desperate migrants to the Polish border in hopes of getting to Western Europe. Between 3,000 and 4,000 migrants are estimated to be stuck in freezing weather at makeshift border camps. A European Union leader said that the bloc was considering funding a wall or other barrier on its eastern border. Critics accuse Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of pushing Middle East migrants toward Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia to retaliate against the E.U. for sanctions imposed over his crackdown on internal dissent. “This is not a migration crisis, it is a political crisis triggered with the special purpose of destabilizing the situation in the European Union,” said Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 

Benedict Cumberbatch got nicotine poisoning shooting a movie Benedict Cumberbatch revealed in an interview with Esquire he smoked so many cigarettes while working on his new movie The Power of the Dog, he gave himself nicotine poisoning multiple times. “That was really hard,” the actor recalled. “Filterless rollies, just take after take after take. I gave myself nicotine poisoning three times. When you have to smoke a lot, it genuinely is horrible.” Cumberbatch, who’s been earning Academy Awards buzz for his performance in the Western, recounted how far he went to get into character — even going days without washing. “I wanted that layer of stink on me,” he said. “I wanted people in the room to know what I smelt like.” The things they do for Oscars. ESQUIRE 

Alec Baldwin sued by ‘Rust’ gaffer after shooting The key gaffer on Alec Baldwin’s movie Rust is suing the actor following last month’s fatal shooting, TMZ reports. Serge Svetnoy is reportedly suing Baldwin, Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, assistant director Dave Halls, and others, accusing them of negligence and of causing him emotional distress. Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed in a tragic accident on the film’s set after Baldwin discharged a prop gun, and Svetnoy claims the bullet almost hit him, too. He also says Baldwin had a “duty” to double check the gun to make sure it didn’t have live ammunition and accuses him of negligence as a producer, as well, alleging the film production tried to “save money by hiring an insufficient number of crew members.”  TMZ 

Germany reports a record 39,676 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours. (AP) 

U.S. President Joe Biden signs a bill into law, targeting sanctions “on the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, to restrict multilateral bank lending, and to target regime corruption”. (Al Jazeera) 

The European Commission rejects an appeal from Alphabet Inc., parent company of Google, regarding a €2.4 billion ($2.8 billion) fine charged against the corporation in 2017 for unfairly directing users to its own shopping services. (ABC News) 

The End

https://theweek.com/politics/1006990/the-most-underrated-part-of-the-electric-revolution