(14.04.2021)
The PM suggests the millions of jabs given over the past few months was not key to the reduction in COVID levels.
Archiv: headshaker / laughing stocks
China Is Involved in a Sensitive Israeli Project. Israeli Government Claims It Didn’t Know
According to sources who spoke with Haaretz, the Prime Minister’s Office and the National Security Council did not know of the Chinese corporation’s involvement, and claimed that the matter is under the purview of the Defense Ministry.
Israel Election: Dan Ariely Explains Why Voters Are Irrational – ‚It’s Tempting to Vote for a Liar‘
“The fact that people even go out to vote is very disturbing to economists. After all, you won’t change the result of the election with your lone vote, and on the other hand it costs you time and money. If you do a cost-benefit analysis of it – clearly one shouldn’t vote. Classical economists are very disturbed by people who go out to vote and also by people who leave tips in restaurants that they don’t plan to visit again.”
What the AstraZeneca agreement actually says
(31.01.2021)
First, the parties.
The agreement is between the European Commission, acting on behalf of European Union member states, and AstraZeneca AB, incorporated in Sweden.
That this is the AstraZeneca entity that is party to the agreement may be significant, for (all other things being equal) only that entity will be bound by obligations on AstraZeneca in the agreement – and not any other AstraZeneca entity.
Boris Johnson vows ‘roadmap to freedom’ will NOT be delayed despite AstraZeneca jab supply fears
BORIS Johnson has reassured Brits that the AstraZeneca jab is safe and effective – as he calmed nerves about the country’s vaccine rollout.
‚We over-promised again‘: Matt Hancock faces Tory backlash as he FINALLY admits that India IS behind jabs delay with four million AstraZeneca doses held back by Delhi in ‚act of vaccine nationalism‘ – dealing serious blow to UK’s rollout
– Matt Hancock under fire for raising hopes of huge ramp up in vaccines only for supplies setback to emerge
– Serum Institute of India has been told it must hand jabs to its own citizens before exporting vaccine stocks
– One batch of five million doses of the AstraZeneca jab bound for the UK has been delayed by a month
. Confusingly Boris Johnson insisted Indian government has not blocked any exports, as he prepares to visit
Russia recalls its ambassador to the US after Biden says he thinks Putin is a killer
The move came after President Joe Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin would „pay a price“ for Moscow’s interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. In an interview with ABC News, Biden was also asked if he thought Putin is a killer.
„I do,“ Biden responded.
Why Israeli Parties Are Investing More Than Ever in Targeting the ‚Anglo‘ Vote
While immigrants from the former Soviet Union are often viewed as a valuable political bloc and targeted directly by election campaigns in Israel, olim from English-speaking countries are generally regarded as much more politically diverse and so receive significantly less attention.
In Germany, Rivlin says he trusts Europe will ‘stand by us’ against ICC probe
“We trust that our European friends will stand by us in the important fight on the misuse of the International Criminal Court against our soldiers and civilians,” he said.
IDF Chief of Staff Aviv Kohavi, who accompanied Rivlin on the trip, said Israeli soldiers “do everything” to avoid harming innocent civilians.
Pfizer, BioNTech say Israeli data suggests vaccine greatly reduces asymptomatic infections
Findings not yet peer-reviewed, interaction of vaccine with B1351 variant unclear due to limited data
Shaping the post-Covid World: Moving towards wellbeing over the lifetime as the unit of analysis in policy
Professor Paul Dolan, Professor of Behavioural Science, LSE
Professor Lord Richard Layard, Emeritus Professor of Economics, LSE
Lord Gus O’Donnell, Chair of Frontier Economics and Visiting Professor, LSE
Professor Liam Delaney, Professor of Behavioural Science, LSE
Dr ChristianKrekel, Assistant professor of Behavioural Science, LSE
Dr Jet Sanders, Assistant Professorof Behavioural Science, LSE
Dr Celia Blanco-Jimenez. Fellow in Behavioural Science, LSE
Dr Kate Laffan, Fellow in Behavioural Science,University College Dublin
Dr Georgios Kavetsos,Associate Professor in Behavioural Science, QMC London
Dr Laura Kudrna, Fellow in Behavioural Science, University of Birmingh
(…)
4.5. The foregoing discussion highlighted the importance of processes as well as outcomes, and so a separate wellbeing commission should be established …
Israel’s COVID Infection Rates Are Rising – but It May Not Matter That Much Now
(02.03.2021)
Health experts say most at-risk Israelis are now vaccinated, and they expect the number of seriously ill coronavirus patients to drop
Oxford and Pfizer Covid vaccine has significant effect from one shot as hospital cases fall rapidly
(01.03.2021)
“In fact, the detailed data show that the protection that you get from catching Covid 35 days after a first jab is even slightly better for the Oxford jab than for Pfizer, albeit both results are clearly very strong.”
There was congressional notification prior to the US airstrike on #Syria, @PentagonPresSec tells reporters.
(26.02.2021)
„The Department of Defense briefed Congressional leadership before the action last night,“ confirms @PressSec
. „The administration has been briefing the Hill at the Member- and staff-level today. There will be a full classified briefing early next week at the latest.“
Biden administration to give Congress full classified briefing on Syria strikes by next week
(26.02.2021)
“The Department of Defense briefed Congressional leadership before the action last night. The Administration has been briefing the Hill at the Member- and staff-level today. There will be a full classified briefing early next week at the latest,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
Some Members of Congress Criticize Biden’s Syria Bombing
In the wake of President Biden’s bombing of eastern Syria, some members of Congress are speaking out and questioning the legality of the move,including Bidens Fellow Democrats
Democrats question Biden’s legal justification for Syria strike
But some Democrats said that Congress has not passed an authorization for the use of military force specifically in Syria, and previous resolutions passed in 2001 and 2002 were designed for attacking those responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks and to go into war with Iraq. Congress has not declared war since 1942.
„This makes President Biden the seventh consecutive US president to order strikes in the Middle East,“ said California Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna.
Biden orders US strikes on Iranian-backed militia facilities in Syria
“The operation sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel,” Kirby said. “At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq.”
The U.S. strike comes after three rocket attacks since last week targeted U.S. personnel and other interests in Iraq.
SolarWinds breach launched from within the United States
Neuberger notably said the attack, which compromised „9 federal agencies and about 100 private companies,“ was launched from inside the United States.
SolarWinds shares are down 1.4%. Two security names closely tied to the hack, FireEye (FEYE -3.2%) and CrowdStrike (CRWD -2.5%), are also in the red.
Biden administration says investigation into SolarWinds hack is likely to take „several months“
The US government’s probe into the devastating SolarWinds breach is likely to take „several months“ at least, according to the top White House cybersecurity official, speaking to reporters Wednesday in the Biden administration’s first public assessment of the gravity of the suspected Russian spying campaign.
But the Oxford/AstraZeneca team, which uses more traditional viral vector technology, says that while it can make a new formulation in days, it takes much longer to produce.
(09.02.2021)
It expects to have a vaccine designed to address the variant discovered in South Africa ready by autumn.
AstraZeneca expects updated COVID-19 vaccine by autumn
(14.02.2021)
The Anglo-Swedish company, which makes a vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, said it is working with the university’s scientists to adapt the shot to combat new variants.
Masks and social distancing could stay until AUTUMN at earliest – sources
(12.02.2021)
SAGE member Professor John Edmunds painted a darker picture and suggested the measures could last even longer.
He told ITV’s Peston face masks could be required „probably forever“ if COVID-19 becomes endemic in the UK.
New Covid vaccines could be made in 40 DAYS if they need updating to tackle mutated variants, taskforce chief says
Dr Dix added: ‚I think 40 days would be a real stretch but we would aim for something as good as that.
‚But certainly within 60 days and then, after that, we would start the manufacturing.‘
Manufacturing vaccines takes different amounts of time depending on the type of jab.
AstraZeneca is working on Covid vaccine booster ‚that will be ready by autumn‘ to beat South African strain after research showed its current version had ‚minimal‘ effect on stopping it
Professor Gilbert earlier told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that her team currently has ‚a version with the South African spike sequence in the works‘ with hopes it will be ready to administer by the autumn.
‚It’s not quite ready to vaccinate people with yet, but, as all of the developers are using platform technologies, these are ways of making a vaccine that are very quick to adapt,‘ she added.
Sec Blinken on NBC: „Based on public reports, the time that it would take Iran to produce enough fissile material for nuclear weapon is down to we think a few months.“
Rep. Stephen Lynch Contracts COVID After Two Pfizer Vaccine Doses
Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA) announced late Friday that he had tested positive for COVID-19 more than a week after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
‚Half-pregnant is not a concept‘: UK should decide who its allies are, says Macron
Asked about the cross-Channel blame game over not just vaccines, but Brexit and coronavirus controls, in which he is often personally named, Macron laughed off the personal attacks: “Whenever there’s a problem with the EU, the British just love to detest the French – and me – and say we are responsible.
“I have accepted this role. Sometimes when there are tensions, I ask ‘Why me?’ – perhaps making me out to be more important than I am!”
Covid-19 vaccine chaos as EU is forced into U-turn after blocking supplies to the North
A government source said the Taoiseach had not been given any advance warning of the EU decision to invoke the article in the protocol.
The source said the article may have been inadvertently triggered by “someone who did not understand the political implications” of the decision.
Some EU officials are understood to be livid about the move, which they see as ruining the work they’ve done since the Brexit vote in 2016.
Why has Germany advised against Oxford/AstraZeneca jab for over-65s?
Prof Andy Pollard, of the University of Oxford, said the lack of data is understandable. “In our trials, the older adults were recruited later and, because they were recruited later there has been less time for cases to occur, and, older adults are known to be more cautious in the pandemic, meaning the ‘attack rate’ is lower,” he said.
AstraZeneca has stressed that older adults were recruited later because the team wanted to be sure the vaccine was safe before administering it to older age groups.
Germany blocks Oxford jab for over-65s: Panel says data on older people is insufficient – but does not support ‚8% effectiveness‘ claim – amid EU row with Britain over AstraZeneca supplies
AstraZeneca’s vaccine has not been granted approval yet for general use in the European Union, but the bloc’s medicines regulator EMA is poised to authorise it on Friday.
The German panel, STIKO did not detail the data from clinical trials on the vaccine on older people, but two prominent German media outlets had reported that the efficacy on above-65s was below 10 per cent.
DAVOS 2021: AstraZeneca CEO criticises ‚me first‘ approach to COVID
(25.01.2021)
Pascal Soriot said world leaders “could and should have been better prepared for this pandemic” and criticised what he called the “me first” attitude many have adopted in tackling the crisis.
“Globally, it’s fair to say we could and should have been better prepared for this pandemic,” AstraZeneca boss Soriot said during an appearance on a virtual panel on Monday.
Vaccine passports supported by majority of public despite ‚dystopian‘ consequences
(24.01.2021)
Two polls conducted in April found that between 51 and 70 per cent of people were likely to support these passports.
Curfew effective in the Netherlands from Saturday, January 23
Why does the Netherlands need a curfew?
The weekly report from the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) suggested that the number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands was dropping, as they observed that the effects of the national lockdown announced on December 14 could finally be seen. However …
Pfizer chairman: We’re not sure if someone can transmit virus after vaccination
(DEc 3, 2020)
Pfizer chairman Albert Bourla told Dateline host Lester Holt that the pharmaceutical company was “not certain” if the vaccine prevented the coronavirus from being transmitted, saying, “This is something that needs to be examined.”
COVID-19: AstraZeneca to ‚cut COVID-19 vaccine delivery to EU by 60%‘
The company was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 EU countries by the end of March, an EU official told the agency.
However, it now expects that to be cut to 31 million doses due to „production problems“ at a vaccine factory in Belgium run by its partner Novasep.
To rebuild the economy, UK govt has set-up a Build Back Better Council. It is full of grandees from companies not paying the minimum wage, dodging taxes, engaged in illicit financial flows and anti-worker practices. No union reps. What could go wrong?
Derbyshire health chiefs warn that vaccines alone will not mean an end to restrictions
“We don’t know yet whether an individual can, although not becoming ill from the virus because they have been vaccinated, still catch it and spread it on to others.
Vaccinated Brits told not to hug kids amid fears millions will ignore Covid rules once they have jab
Asked whether people who had received the jab could hug their children, Janet Lord, director of Birmingham University’s Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, said: “I would certainly advise not to do that at the moment because as you probably know with the vaccines they take several weeks before they are maximally effective.“
The COVID Vaccine May Not Protect You From This One Thing, Experts Warn
(05.12.2020)
In order to halt the spread of coronavirus completely, a vaccine would need to produce antibodies that stop the virus from replicating. „To prevent asymptomatic infection and transmission, you need what’s called sterilizing immunity,“ Greg Poland, MD, director of the Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group, explained to USA Today. While it’s possible that one or more of the vaccines could produce sterilizing immunity, it currently remains unproven.
In these grim times we all need a saviour and right now it is Chris Whitty
(11.01.2021)
Cometh the hour, cometh the man. In these exceptionally grim times we’re all – Boris Johnson included – looking for a saviour to rise from these streets. And right now that salvation appears to be the England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty. Just about the only person left whom anyone can trust to tell the country the naked truth about coronavirus.
Coronavirus: Fishermen test positive despite spending 35 days at sea and testing negative before they left
(16.07.2020)
Ms Alfaro added that the outbreak may have been exacerbated by the fishermen’s hardiness and acclimatisation to rough conditions, in that they may have spent significant time in discomfort without recognising or acknowledging symptoms.
Those who have received Covid jab to be offered ‚vaccine passport‘ in new trial
The news comes depsite the Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, ruling out immunity passports back in December, a week after suggesting it was something ministers were considering, saying: “We are not looking at immunity passports at all.”
Matt Hancock also denied plans to implement passporting last week, telling the Spectator: „It’s not an area that we’re looking at.“
Even if you’ve had your #COVID19 vaccine, it’s important that you continue to follow national restrictions. We don’t yet know if the vaccine prevents transmission – you could potentially still carry and transmit the virus to other vulnerable people, even if you are protected
Thousands of Britons who have received their Covid jab ‚will be offered a vaccine passport‘ in trial taking place this month – as EU considers plan to bring them in for travel across Europe
– Thousands of Britons will be offered vaccine passes in trial starting this month
– Passport will be issued as a free app which show if people have had Covid jab
– Government agency Innovate UK has pumped £75,000 into project so far
– Vaccines tsar Nadhim Zahawi has flip-flopped over controversial policy
“My first thought was that the Iranians had followed through on their threat to strike the Capitol” -an actual US senator
‚I Was Wrong to Join Netanyahu‘: Gantz Calls for Broad Center-left Coalition
Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz called on leaders of center-left parties to unite ahead of Israel’s March 23 election in order to replace Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – his coalition partner over the past year.
People with common colds testing positive for Covid-19 may simply be asymptomatic cases, experts reveal
Trademark symptoms of seasonal flu could be mistaken for symptoms of Covid-19 if the individual tests positive for the virus, it is claimed.
More than eight in ten people who test positive for coronavirus show none of the main symptoms at the time they are tested, a major study by UCL previously revealed.
However, those who test positive when they have cold symptoms may mistake them as being a part of the virus – adding to fears that it is taking a new guise as fresh strains emerge.
Chuck Schumer compares today to Pearl Harbor
(07.01.2021)
House Homeland Security Committee Chair Calls for Capitol Rioters to Be Put on No-Fly List
The chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security has called for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the FBI to ban those involved in Wednesday’s insurrection that breached the U.S. Capitol building from flying on airplanes.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) issued a statement Thursday urging the agencies to add the „violent perpetrators involved in the domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol“ to the no-fly list.
Biden Says Rioters Who Stormed Capitol Were Domestic Terrorists
President-elect says Trump supporters who attacked legislative complex were insurrectionists, not protesters.
Coronavirus: MPs back in Parliament for England lockdown vote
However, with Labour saying it will support the measures, the law enforcing them is likely to be approved.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is updating the Commons now, telling MPs – many of whom are participating remotely – that says the vaccine programme provides a „means of escape“ from the current lockdown, with 1.3 million people in UK already vaccinated.
.@AOC unveils 30-year timeframe to get Medicare for all. „If I want to have a child, I would want my child – or my nieces or nephews – to have guaranteed health care by the time they’re my age.”
‘No hard evidence on curfew’ admits Gov adviser Vallance
(09 Dec 2020)
Vallance and chief medical officer Chris Whitty were asked if there was something that could be done in the structure in scientific advice that could be a bit more forensic about those restrictions on the sector that have a very big impact on certain people. The scientific advisers said they are trying very hard to get data but can´t give specific data on it, and nor can anyone else across the world.
Matt Hancock blames Covid spread on public as government under pressure for new lockdown
Health secretary Matt Hancock has said that Boris Johnson’s tier system is “no longer strong enough” to deal with the new more virulent variant of coronavirus.
Gantz’s Party Agrees to Delay Budget Deadline to Give More Time for Deal With Netanyahu
Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Kahol Lavan party said Sunday that it has agreed to postpone the Tuesday deadline to pass Israel’s 2020 state budget by one week, in a move that could give it more time to negotiate a deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud to avoid what would be a fourth election cycle in two years.
Gantz Agrees to Curb Justice Minister’s Powers in Deal With Netanyahu to Stave Off Election
Alternate Prime Minister Benny Gantz has agreed to curb Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn’s powers, sources said, in bid to stave off election.
In return, Gantz hopes to cement the rotation agreement for the premiership with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is upheld.
Three Days to Stave Off Election: Gantz Met With Netanyahu Rival Sa’ar
Defense Minister and Kahol Lavan chairman Benny Gantz met on Saturday with breakaway Likud lawmaker Gideon Sa‘ar, three days before the Knesset is expected to disband.
Congress barrels toward veto clash with Trump
Trump’s threat to veto the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) could scramble Congress’s year-end schedule; lawmakers had been hoping to leave town once they pass a forthcoming deal to fund the government and provide year-end coronavirus relief.
But leaders are warning that if Trump vetoes the bill they are prepared to return to Washington to vote on trying to override.
After government hack, media mum on ex-cybersecurity chief highlighted for contradicting Trump’s fraud claims
„As I said in a news briefing, Election Day was ‘just another Tuesday on the Internet,’“ he wrote. „Normal sorts of scanning and probing were happening, but we did not see any successful attacks or damaging disruptions.“
Yet hackers were arms deep in a slew of federal agencies. The infiltration, believed to have been conducted by the Russians, appears to have compromised the Departments of Energy, State, Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury and Commerce. His name did not appear in CNN’s story about CISA and the hack published Thursday.
FBI, CISA officially confirm US govt hacks after SolarWinds breach
(17.12.2020)
The compromise of multiple US federal networks following the SolarWinds breach was officially confirmed for the first time in a joint statement released earlier today by the FBI, DHS-CISA, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).
„Over the course of the past several days, the FBI, CISA, and ODNI have become aware of a significant and ongoing cybersecurity campaign,“ the US intelligence agencies said …
How the assassination of an Iranian scientist could affect nuclear negotiations with Iran
Fakhrizadeh’s death potentially complicates a path back to a nuclear deal and follow-up agreements.
Mossad expert, ex-spies outline planning, challenges of targeted killings
The report consisted of interviews with three people with knowledge of the Mossad — journalist Ronen Bergman and agency veterans Victor Ostrovsky and Ram Ben-Barak. Channel 12 noted the report was approved by Israel’s military censor.
Challenges in Assessing the Efficacy of COVID-19 Vaccines
Determining whether a vaccine can protect against severe disease and death from COVID-19 may not be possible in phase 3 clinical trials and will often require long-term, ongoing studies after widespread deployment of a vaccine.
To ensure ongoing evaluation of vaccine safety, well-supported pharmacovigilance studies after licensure will be necessary.
Pfizer chairman: We’re not sure if someone can transmit virus after vaccination
Pfizer chairman Albert Bourla told Dateline host Lester Holt that the pharmaceutical company was “not certain” if the vaccine prevented the coronavirus from being transmitted, saying, “This is something that needs to be examined.”
„Shameful and Concerning He Is Even Being Considered,“ Says AOC as Rahm Emanuel Floated for Role in Biden Cabinet
But no matter the source of the rumors and media reports, progressives are using their growing numbers in Congress to attempt to exert influence over Biden’s cabinet picks and establish that they will not quietly fall in line for nominees who are hostile to their popular policy agenda.
‚SAGE was put on a pedestal… but their models clearly didn’t reflect reality‘: Tory MP slams scientific advisers as damning documentary reveals they relied on WIKIPEDIA data and wrongly predicted virus would peak in June
– SAGE admitted early virus modelling based on figures from online encyclopedia
– Committee of scientists advising PM also had no expert on human coronavirus
‚This is all going to end in tears for Boris‘: Tory MPs and ex-aides say ’nightmare to work with‘ Carrie Symonds should be more like Philip May and ‚keep a lower profile‘ – as PM’s allies warn his future in No10 depends on the success of his ‚reset‘
‚Once you step up to the mark you become a target, which isn’t going to help anyone,‘ one MP told MailOnline.
A former Tory adviser – who is no fan of Mr Cummings – described the events of the past week as ‚unreal‘, saying Ms Symonds had been an ‚absolute nightmare‘ to work with in the past.
Dominic Cummings exits Number 10 with parting shot at Boris Johnson
Taxi for Cummings: The No 10 lieutenant waited with a box of his belongings on the street after exiting No 10
„Mr Johnson showed the aides text messages that had been forwarded to Ms Symonds, who opposed Mr Cain’s appointment as chief of staff, to show they had briefed against her. He told them to get out and never return.“
How ‚Princess Nut Nuts‘ gave coup de grace to Cummings: PM’s adviser is booted out of No 10 for good ‚following showdown with Boris where PM confronted him with less than flattering texts that fell into hands of fiancée Carrie Symonds‘
Dominic Cummings arrived home with bottles of alcohol last night after he was kicked out of Number 10 for good – following a dramatic was confrontation with Boris Johnson who showed him texts allegedly proving he briefed against his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.
In a tense 45-minute meeting, the Prime Minister is said to have ordered his most senior adviser to leave having shown incriminating text messages which had been forwarded to his partner. The explosive claims were denied by No10.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani calls on President-elect Joe Biden to return the U.S. to Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, a state-run news agency reports.
One of President Trump’s signature foreign policy moves was withdrawing from the pact.
County Will Continue Process Of Scanning Mail-In Ballots Wednesday
According to a press release from the county Tuesday night, about half of the ballots received by mail had been counted by 8 p.m. but the process was going more slowly than anticipated due to mechanical issues with the ballot scanner.
After the high speed scanner had been operating all day, a technician was called into the Election Bureau to allow the scanning to continue until 11:30 p.m. before picking back up again around 8:30 a.m. A second scanner is also expected to be available on Wednesday.
Official in Michigan’s Wayne County can’t predict when vote counting will finish
County clerk Cathy M. Garrett declined to give a specific time frame on when we can expect it to be completed.
“Because of how large our county is, I don’t want to be boxed in with that. But just know that we’re not in a competition.“
Is the NHS actually QUIETER than usual? Leaked document claims hospitals are 84% full (but last autumn the figure was 92%)
– Beds have never been less than 85% full for a three-month period since 2010
– Spring this year was the first time, because patients were turfed out for Covid-19
– And occupancy remains below average levels despite second wave, stat shows
How Vallance’s secret blood-curdling press briefing on looming lockdown – an hour BEFORE Boris agreed to it – lit the fuse on Nov 5th shutdown that could blow up our economy
– Boris Johnson announced England-wide lockdown after weeks insisting he would stick to his local ‚Tiers‘
– The PM summoned a dramatic press conference Saturday night after details of the U-turn idea were leaked
– Sir Patrick Vallance gave blood-curdling briefing about the situation on Friday before ministers made decision
– More details were then leaked overnight before the wider Cabinet had been gathered, forcing the PM’s hand
Mr Johnson is set to use a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon to say there is ’no alternative‘
Apocalyptic forecast of 4,000 coronavirus deaths a day could be FIVE TIMES too high and had already been proved wrong when government revealed it at weekend
– Sir Patrick Vallance presented worst-case scenario in Saturday’s briefing when lockdown was confirmed
– But it has emerged it was based on forecasts made weeks ago and since updated to give lower estimates
– Oxford’s Carl Heneghan said he was ‚concerned‘ at officials‘ choice to use old data which could be misleading
– Tory MPs accused SAGE, of which Vallance is chair, of ‚cherry-picking‘ figures and not giving full picture
– England will be thrust into a second lockdown from Thursday, pending a vote in Parliament on Wednesday
Expand the court.
Trump rallies supporters in N.H.; Biden holds virtual ‘I Will Vote’ concert
(25.10.2020)
Former vice president Joe Biden, meanwhile, is hosting a virtual “I Will Vote” concert, and his running mate, Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.), is spending the day in Michigan. Harris participated in a drive-in church service and canvass kickoff event outside Detroit;
Obama’s car rally for Biden in Philadelphia. Walmart has more cars on a Wednesday afternoon.
WATCH LIVE: Obama holds drive-in rally for Biden in Philadelphia
Israel gets top marks for combating international bribery
For the second successive year, Transparency International ranks Israel in its highest category for enforcement against bribery of foreign officials.
Nancy Pelosi slams Wolf for the high crime of asking the most basic question Americans want to know: Why not take the 1.8 Trillion Dollars? You’d think she’d be prepared to answer this fair and obvious question without damn near having an aneurysm on live tv. #StimulusNow
Nancy Pelosi’s ridiculously over-the-top response to questions about the coronavirus stimulus
Asked if she had spoken to President Donald Trump about the possibility of a coronavirus stimulus deal, Pelosi said she doesn’t „speak to the President.“ Pressed on why not — given the suffering of people in desperate need of a stimulus deal to keep their business open or pay their bills — Pelosi responded this way: „What makes me amused if it weren’t so sad, is how you all think that you know more about the suffering of the American people than those of us who are elected by them to represent them at that table.“
Uh, OK.
Israel FM meets with UAE counterpart in Berlin for ‚historic‘ summit
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said it was a ‚great honor‘ to host the high-level summit
Computing issue responsible for sharp Covid-19 case rise, says Johnson
The official dashboard said on Saturday that due to a technical issue, which has now been resolved, there was a delay in publishing a number of cases.
This means that the total reported over the coming days will include some additional cases from the period between September 24 and October 1.
He is asked why there has been a sudden spike overnight in testing numbers. There was a problem with counting, he says. ‘It was a computing issue.’ WHAT COMPUTING ISSUE
Boris Johnson blames ‚failure in counting system‘ for daily Covid infections DOUBLING to a record 12,872 – but dodges giving fuller explanation as he hints there WERE delays tracing contacts of thousands who tested positive
But appearing on the BBC’s Andrew Marr show this morning, Mr Johnson suggested that the issue might have gone deeper and affected crucial efforts to track down contacts of those who tested positive.
‚The reason for that is there was a failure in the testing system… It was a computing issue,‘ he said.
תקיפת המפגינים הערב ובימים האחרונים בלתי מתקבלת על הדעת. ההפגנות המתקיימות לפי ההנחיות הן דבר לגיטימי וחיוני בדמוקרטיה. אני קורא למשטרה לשים את ידה על התוקפים ולמצות עימם את הדין.
Crazy: President Trump, “I would say almost everything I see is from the left wing, not the right wing…stand back and stand by, but someone’s got to do something about Antifa and the left.” #Debates2020
*System Rebooting, please wait*
Joe Biden just said 200 million people could die from the coronavirus by the time he finishes his speech. That’s almost two-thirds of the United States’ population.
In Earth’s early history, a day was 23.5 hours and a year lasted 372 days
(13.03.2020)
We’ve long known that an Earth day lasts 24 hours, and that remains constant because Earth’s trip around the sun doesn’t vary.
However, the number of days that make an Earth year have shifted and shortened because days have grown longer. That is thanks to the moon’s gravity, which draws on ocean’s tides and slows Earth’s rate of rotation.
Brexit: Blair and Major urge MPs to reject Internal Market Bill
The former leaders, both vehement opponents of Brexit, said that respecting treaty obligations was „just as important“ as domestic law, and called for MPs to reject the legislation.
„As the world looks on aghast at the UK – the word of which was once accepted as inviolable – this government’s action is shaming itself and embarrassing our nation,“ they added.
Imagine if these imbeciles directed this energy at someone with actual political power rather than some random lady. Like… what the fuck are they thinking?
Can Biden’s Center Hold?
After a career built on incremental progress, Joe Biden is promising a Presidency of transformational change. The election will test whether his campaign can bring together a divided Party and a beleaguered country.
Bush endorsing Biden? Don’t hold your breath
Behind the scenes, some Biden allies have been reaching out through backchannels to friends in the Bush universe to see if an endorsement would ever happen — or if it’s just a pipe dream.
“We tried a little unofficially to see if there was a way to make it happen but we couldn’t get there,” said one Biden ally. “And I do think it would make a difference because we’ve learned every vote counts.”
The moment Trump won re-election
3 VERY IMPORTANT THINGS about this photo of Joe Biden calling Kamala to offer her VP spot: 1. Biden has to read from a script that is clearly visible 2. Biden does not know how to hold an iPhone (it’s upside down) 3. The cartoon on Biden’s desk is a man screaming “WHY ME?!”
Poll: 62% of Americans Say They Have Political Views They’re Afraid to Share
(22.06.2020)
A new Cato national survey finds that self‐censorship is on the rise in the United States. Nearly two-thirds—62%—of Americans say the political climate these days prevents them from saying things they believe because others might find them offensive. The share of Americans who self‐censor has risen several points since 2017 when 58% of Americans agreed with this statement.
Yair Netanyahu: I show my father videos of ‚aliens‘ from protests
The original tweet, which was later deleted from the Galey Israel account, read: „My dad is a strong man, he sees what we all see, these aliens at the protests, it’s funny to him, it’s like entertainment.“
Later, Yair Netanyahu attempted to clarify his words in another tweet.
‚Everyone is panicking‘: British tourists scramble to get home from Spain – and straight into quarantine – after bombshell overnight axing of ‚air bridge‘
Are you in Spain and worried about having to quarantine on your return and will it have an impact on your job? Contact me: james.robinson@mailonline.co.uk