News of the World

[kyonides]

Backlash after Trump signals US exit from WHO
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52862588

The EU urged him to reconsider the decision, while Germany's health minister called it a "disappointing setback for international health".
The head of the US Senate's health committee, a Republican like Mr Trump, said now was not the time to leave.
Mr Trump said the WHO had failed to hold China to account over coronavirus.

So not all of the Republicans agreed with Trump on exiting WHO probably next year.
Of course, BBC didn't waste its time and included China's view as well. They called US government's response incompetent.

Belgian Prince Joachim tests positive after lockdown party
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52864072

Prince Joachim, 28, travelled from Belgium to Spain for an internship on 26 May, the palace said.
Two days later, he went to a party in the southern city of Córdoba, before testing positive for Covid-19.

Yeah, he had made a very responsible decision...

Nasa astronauts begin historic mission on private spaceship
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-52855029
Now you can really say space has become private! You don't believe me!? Then read this!

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken are not only trialling a new capsule system, they are also initiating a new business model for Nasa.
The agency will no longer own the vehicles it uses but merely purchase the "taxi" service offered by SpaceX.
The new capability the CEO is offering will end the reliance of Nasa on Russian rockets and capsules to get its people to the International Space Station (ISS).

Now you can't deny it. Plus, I dunno what Obama was thinking, USA should have NEVER depended on Russia to send stuff to space.

By the way, the ship's name is Endeavour.


Italy's Tower of Pisa reopens after three months shut
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52861617

Tourists have to wear face masks and an electronic device which sends out signals and sounds if anyone gets within a metre of anyone else.

If you wanna visit the tower now you can, but it won't be as delightful as before.  

Trump targets China over Hong Kong security law
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52856876
They had been fiddling with the idea, now they no longer care about Hong Kong. So why should US government treat Hong Kong as a separate entity anymore? Especially if China said the West should not interfere.

This week, Britain said that if China went forward with the law, it could offer British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong a path to UK citizenship.
On Friday, the UK Home Office confirmed that up to three million people with BNO status could acquire citizenship in this way - as long as they applied for and were granted a passport.

You see, that might be a smart move. If millionaires and billionaires and CEO's like the idea and get that passport, United Kingdom might get a badly needed increase in investments and the like. Why? Because people know Hong Kong is considered a global financial center.

Trump also said sanctions would be imposed on Chinese and Hong Kong officials who were believed by Washington to be involved in eroding the territory's autonomy. He did not outline what form these sanctions would take.

That would be another reason why companies and corporations might wanna leave Hong Kong and start exploring other Asian countries for future investments.

Honestly, I dunno why the US has allowed so many Chinese students and professionals study and work in the US. During World War II, they noticed that Japanese students wanted to build submarines and they changed the contents of their courses to make sure they would fail. How did you expect China not to steal stuff? Chinese people had been pirating DVD's from decades! They were far behind US, Australia and Europe. That's not the case anymore thanks to Western countries that never realized those students were spies or army officers on a quest to steal data and recruit foreign and (half) Chinese scientists.

Obama's administration was too naive as not to notice that China was a real threat.

The Kashmir Row
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52852509
Now India is criticizing its neighbor China for invading the Kashmir region. Some people already foresee a war to control it might erupt at any time if they don't start any negotiations.

The reports say that in early May, Chinese forces put up tents, dug trenches and moved heavy equipment several kilometres inside what had been regarded by India as its territory. The move came after India built a road several hundred kilometres long connecting to a high-altitude forward air base which it reactivated in 2008.
The message from China appears clear to observers in Delhi - this is not a routine incursion.
"The situation is serious. The Chinese have come into territory which they themselves accepted as part of India. It has completely changed the status quo," says Ajai Shukla, an Indian military expert who served as a colonel in the army.

Even Nepal claimed India wants to annex Nepali territory to build a road to China. Meanwhile, China says the Galwan Valley is Chinese not Indian. Besides India stated Ladakh includes Aksai Chin region, but China controls it.

Keep in mind that India and Pakistan were not separate countries in the past. Under British rule, India was much larger than nowadays. Its territory included Pakistan and Bangladesh for instance. Now Pakistan lends its Gwadar port to the Chinese, letting the latter get access to the Arabian Sea.

Microsoft 'to replace journalists with robots'
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52860247
Did you think MS cares about people? You better think it twice now.
 

"It's demoralising to think machines can replace us but there you go," one of those facing redundancy told the paper.
Some sacked journalists warned that artificial intelligence may not be fully familiar with strict editorial guidelines, and could end up letting through inappropriate stories.

Yeah, that's a risk they seem to accept no matter what.