The Coronavirus continues to cover the world. This week ended with 2,804,796 global confirmed cases and 193,710 confirmed deaths.
The most infected countries are the US with 899,281, Spain with 219,764, Italy with 195,351, Germany with 154,175 and the UK with 148,381.
Rumors about Kim Jong-Un’s death
At the end of the week, world media began to actively discuss the possible death of DPRK leader Kim Jong-un. The information was spread after rumors that a failed heart operation had left the young leader dead, after which journalists began to actively spread fake news.
The information was denied: an adviser to the South Korean president announced that Kim Jong-un was well. The DPRK’s Supreme Leader turned out to be resting in the resort town of Wonsan.
Misinformation about North Korea has become commonplace in Western countries which demonise the country at any convenient opportunity hoping to change power to introduce capitalism and globalist domination.
It is possible that the media have deliberately planted misinformation to distract the world’s attention from their own failures in the fight against the coronavirus and the economic downturn.
In addition, it proved an occasion to discuss potential successors to Kim, his sister Kim Yo-jong seen as the most likely candidate.
Libya
There’s been a new rise in tension and conflict within forces of Eastern Libya. On April 23, Aguila Saleh Issa, Chairman of the House of Representatives of Libya and Commander of the Libyan National Army General Khalifa Haftar, presented their proposals for the future of the country.
Aguila Saleh Issa called for the creation of a new presidential council with the support of the UN from the three regions of the country: Tripolitania, Cyrenaica and Fezzan, as well as the creation of a new government and the adoption of a new constitution. The project calls for a new government to replace the opposing UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and the Libyan Interim Government in Tobruk.
General Khalifa Haftar, for his part, also called for the establishment of new authorities, but the Libyan authorities under his control have organized in support of the transfer of full authority personally to Haftar. In doing so, Haftar has demonstrated that he intends to end the last remnants of democracy in Libya and establish a military regime, contradicting Aguila Saleh Issa’s position. Among the opponents of the NTC and Turkey there has been an obvious split given the prospects of the establishment of a military dictatorship. This could lead to a reduction in support for Haftar among Western countries.
Life in Italy begins to resume at last
Italy has announced the easing of quarantine measures starting May 4. Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said that retail stores and museums may be opened on May 18, and by June 1 bars and restaurants may be opened.
After strict quarantine measures, the infection rate and mortality in Italy has finally gone down. This shows that, despite criticism of “human rights abuses”, only strict measures and quality organization of joint work between government and doctors can curb the spread of the dangerous infection. This example was best shown by China, which has already resumed economic and social life. According to the latest data, the last Covid-19 patient was recently discharged from a hospital in Wuhan.
Trump’s immigration initiative
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed a decree suspending immigration to the United States during the coronavirus outbreak. He said he signed the document just before the briefing at which he made the announcement.
This initiative should likely have been put in place immediately after the pandemic was announced. As we wrote earlier, hesitation among policy makers about security and quarantine has had an exacerbating effect on the outbreak.
However, Washington’s hesitation continues to this day. In parallel with the correct measures to stop migration, America contradictorily prepares to reopen. Throughout this week, states have prepared for the easing of coronavirus restrictions on trade, despite warnings from experts in the field of health care about the danger, given that tests and TRS devices are not enough, especially in megacities.
Given the fact that the US is facing a new spike in unemployment (after months of record employment), these measures seem too risky. However, time will show if the US was effective in handling the situation.