Nach Anschlag von Nizza: Frankreichs Innenminister sieht „Krieg“ gegen den Islamismus

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Gérald Darmanin bezeichnet den Islamismus als „Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“. Nizzas Bürgermeister sagt, dieser „Krieg“ könne nicht mit „den Gesetzen des Friedens“ gewonnen werden.

Nach dem Anschlag von Nizza mit drei Toten sieht Frankreichs Innenminister Gérald Darmanin das Land im „Krieg gegen die islamistische Ideologie“. „Der Islamismus ist eine Form des Faschismus im 21. Jahrhundert“, sagte der 38 Jahre alte Minister am Freitag dem Sender RTL. Frankreich werde mit allen Mitteln des Rechtsstaats gegen die innere und äußere Bedrohung kämpfen.

Nach Darmanins Angaben war der 21 Jahre alte Tunesier, der als Täter festgenommen wurde, weder der Polizei in Frankreich noch in anderen europäischen Ländern bekannt. Der Innenminister sprach von einer möglichen Veränderung des Täterprofils: „Von den letzten 30 Terroristen, die auf unserem Boden gemordet haben, waren 22 Franzosen“, sagte er. Der mutmaßliche Täter von Nizza war erst im Oktober über Italien nach Frankreich gelangt. Seine Mutter äußerte sich am Freitag in einem Interview des Fernsehsenders Al-Arabija schockiert über die Ereignisse. » | Quelle: AFP/dpa | Freitag, 30. Oktober 2020

US Shatters Daily Coronavirus Record with Nearly 90,000 New Infections Thursday

THE GUARDIAN: Country approaches world-topping 9m cases as experts warn death rates could more than double by mid-January

The US has shattered the daily coronavirus record, with almost 90,000 new infections reported on Thursday and close to 1,000 deaths, as the US approached a world-topping 9m cases and experts warned of death rates more than doubling by mid-January.

The sobering data and scientific outlook show a pandemic veering further out of control in America even as the president and his son hammered a public message dismissing the grim realities.

According to figures from Johns Hopkins University, the US had a total of more than 8.9m cases on Friday, and was expected to soon cross the 9m mark. So far 228,677 people have died, the most in the world by a significant margin.

The US recorded its highest one-day total of new coronavirus infections of the pandemic, with 88,521 new cases reported on Thursday – a rise of 9,540 on the previous day. The death toll for the 24-hour period was 971. » | Miranda Bryant in New York | Friday, October 30, 2020

Why Europe Is Praying for Trump to Lose the US Election | DW Analysis

Almost four years of Donald Trump have left America's European allies in a state of shock. He's walked out of important treaties. He's lashed out against America's friends. He has cozied up to authoritarians. He's abandoned the most important international treaties of our time. And he has even threatened NATO — the bedrock of America's global power. It's diplomatic disruption on an unprecedented scale. But even for America's shell-shocked allies, it may not be all bad. So just how much has Trump disrupted transatlantic relations? DW's Chief International Editor Richard Walker explains why Europe is praying for a Joe Biden win in the 2020 US election.

I’m praying for Trump to lose the US election, too. I’m praying for him to lose and be TOTALLY HUMILIATED! – Mark

Anti-France Protests Draws [sic] Tens of Thousands across Muslim World

THE GUARDIAN: Demonstrations held in Pakistan, Lebanon, Palestinian territories and Afghanistan

Tens of thousands of Muslims in Pakistan, Lebanon, the Palestinian territories and elsewhere joined protests on Friday over the French president Emmanuel Macron’s vow to protect the right to caricature the prophet Muhammad.

Demonstrations in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, turned violent as 2,000 people who tried to march towards the French embassy were pushed back by police firing teargas and using batons. Crowds of Islamist activists hanged an effigy of Macron from an overpass after pounding it with their shoes.

Several demonstrators were wounded in clashes with police as authorities pushed to evict activists from the red zone, a security area that houses Pakistan’s diplomatic missions. As night fell, demonstrators staged a sit-in on a main road to protest against authorities’ use of force. » | Associated Press in Dubai | Friday, October 30, 2020

Starkes Erdbeben erschüttert türkische Tourismus-Provinz Izmir

Ein starkes Erdbeben hat am Freitag die türkische Provinz Izmir erschüttert. Mehrere Gebäude in der Küstenregion stürzten ein, teilten die Behörden mit. Das Epizentrum des Bebens lag nach Angaben der türkischen Katastrophenbehörde 17 Kilometer vor der Küste im Ägäischen Meer und hatte eine Stärke von 7,0. © REUTERS, DPA

How America Bungled the Plague | NYT Opinion

A year ago, the United States was regarded as the country best prepared for a pandemic. Our government had spent nearly two decades strategizing for a doomsday scenario. So what went wrong?

How is it that America, which wrote the global playbook for pandemic response, accounts for just 4 percent of the world’s population yet more than 20 percent of the world’s coronavirus deaths?

One of the most important functions of journalism is to provide accountability, so in the video above, Johnny Harris dives deep into an exploration of what went wrong and when, and who’s to blame and why.

'Darkest Part of the Pandemic' Is Approaching, Says Public Health Expert

As the coronavirus surges across much of the United States, infection rates are particularly high in some less-populated Western and Midwestern states, including Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota. Amna Nawaz talks to Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota about the crisis -- and how to address it.


United States Records Its Worst Week Yet for Virus Cases »

Turkey's Izmir Hit with Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake | DW News

Turkey has been struck by a powerful earthquake off its Aegean coast, causing buildings to collapse in the coastal city of Izmir. The quake's epicenter was north of the Greek island of Samos, with the US Geological Survey putting it at a magnitude of 7.0. Tremors were felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul. In Izmir, social media footage showed a collapsed building. There are no immediate reports of casualties.


Earthquake Rattles Western Turkey and Greece, Killing at Least 4 »

Democracy Now! Top US & World Headlines — October 30, 2020

France Knife Attack: Country in a Fierce Debate over Role of Islam

The attack in Nice comes as France grapples with the question of what role Islam should have in a traditionally secular society. The country has the largest Muslim community in Europe - but earlier this month some were made to feel unwelcome when President Emmanuel Macron declared a fight against what he called "Islamist separatism". Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports.

French President Macron Vows Defiance after 'Islamist' Attack in Nice | DW News

Police in France have arrested a second suspect in connection with the knife attack at the basilica in Nice that left three people dead. It was the third Islamist attack in France in two months. President Emmanuel Macron is holding an emergency cabinet meeting today and the terror alert level is now at its maximum.

Protests Erupt in Philadelphia after Police Fatally Shoot Black Man | DW News

The US city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has seen a second night of protest after the killing of a Black man by police on Monday. 27-year-old Walter Wallace Junior was shot by police after they said he refused to drop a knife. Wallace's family say they had called for an ambulance, not police, to get help with what they called a mental health crisis.

Three Killed in Knife Attack in French City of Nice

Three people have been killed in a knife attack at a church in the southern French city of Nice. Several others have been injured. The attacker was wounded by police and is in custody in hospital. Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports.

Drei Tote und mehrere Verletzte bei Messerattacke in Nizza

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Bei einer Messerattacke in Nizza hat es drei Tote und mehrere Verletzte gegeben. Eine Frau wurde enthauptet. Frankreich ruft die höchste Terrorwarnstufe aus.

Ein neuer schwerer Terroranschlag hat Frankreich getroffen. Ein Mann ist am Donnerstagvormittag kurz vor neun Uhr in die Kirche Notre-Dame de l’Assomption im Zentrum von Nizza eingedrungen und hat mehrere Menschen mit einem Messer angegriffen, wie die Polizei mitteilte. Zwei Frauen und ein Mann starben, mehrere wurde verletzt. Eine der Frauen wurde enthauptet. Der Attentäter, der mehrfach „Allahu Akbar“ (Allah ist groß) rief, wurde beim Einsatz der Sicherheitskräfte durch Schüsse schwer verletzt und in ein Krankenhaus gebracht.

Nach französischen Medienberichten wurden zudem in Avignon am Vormittag ein mit einem Messer bewaffneter Mann von der Polizei erschossen. Die Hintergründe der Tat sind noch unklar.

Die Anti-Terror-Staatsanwaltschaft übernahm am Donnerstagvormittag die Ermittlungen zum Fall in Nizza. Dabei gehe es unter anderem um den Vorwurf des Mords in Verbindung mit einem terroristischen Vorhaben, bestätigte die Staatsanwaltschaft der Deutschen Presse-Agentur. Frankreich rief die höchste Terror-Warnstufe aus. Sie gilt landesweit, wie Regierungschef Jean Castex am Donnerstag in Paris mitteilte. Castex verurteilte die „ebenso feige wie barbarische Tat, die das ganze Land in Trauer versetzt“. » | Quelle: FAZ.NET | Donnerstag, 29. Oktober 2020

Deadly Knife Attack in Nice Is Terrorism, French Officials Say

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The assault at a church in the south of France left at least three people dead. Local officials said it bore similarities to the killing of a schoolteacher that has shaken the country.

PARIS — Less than two weeks after the beheading of a French schoolteacher, an assailant carrying a knife entered the towering neo-Gothic basilica in the southern city of Nice early Thursday and killed three people, further inflaming tensions in a country already on edge and leading the authorities to increase the terrorism threat level.

Officials in Nice described the attack as Islamist terrorism, and it was quickly followed by two similar events — including a knife-wielding assailant outside a French Consulate in Saudi Arabia — though it was not immediately clear whether the events were coordinated.

The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, told reporters on Thursday that a suspect, who has not been identified, was arrested after being shot and wounded by the police. The suspect “kept repeating Allahu akbar in front of us even though he was sedated,” Mr. Estrosi said, adding this left “no doubt” about the motivation behind the attack. » | Constant Méheut and Aurelien Breeden | Thursday, October 29, 2020

France on Urgent Alert Following Nice 'Terror' Attack

A man wielding a knife on Thursday killed three people in an attack at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice in southern France. A suspect has been arrested in the attack, which Nice’s mayor has described as an act of terrorism.

Two People Are Beheaded and Several Others Wounded in Terrorist Knife Rampage at a Church in Nice before Attacker Is Shot and Arrested

MAIL ONLINE: Three killed - two of them beheaded - and several more stabbed in a terror attack at a cathedral in Nice / Attack began around 9am before police swarmed the area, where they shot and arrested the attacker / Mass had just begun inside cathedral - largest Roman Catholic church in France - when attack started / Comes fortnight after teacher was beheaded near Paris; a month after stabbings near Charlie Hebdo offices

At least three people have been killed - two of them beheaded - and several others stabbed in a terrorist knife attack at a cathedral in Nice.

The attack began around 9am, according to local reports, before police swarmed the area where they shot and arrested the attacker.

The city's mayor, Christian Estrosi, tweeted: 'I am on site with the [police] who arrested the perpetrator of the attack.

'I confirm that everything suggests a terrorist attack in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Nice.' » | Chris Pleasance for Mail Online and Peter Allen in Paris for Mail Online | Thursday, October 29, 2020

President Donald Trump: The 60 Minutes – 2020 Election Interview

In an interview that's made headlines this week, Lesley Stahl presses President Trump on once-again rising coronavirus cases and what his priorities would be if re-elected. Stahl also speaks with Mr. Trump's running mate, Vice President Mike Pence.

Streit um Mohammed-Karikaturen: Erdogan spricht von Kreuzzügen des Westens

TAGES ANZEIGER: Der türkische Präsident wirft bestimmten Staaten vor, den Islam zu attackieren. Vor allem Frankreichs Regierung ist ihm ein Dorn im Auge.

Im Streit mit Frankreich über Mohammed-Karikaturen und Meinungsfreiheit wirft der türkische Präsident Recep Tayyip Erdogan bestimmten Ländern eine «Neuauflage der Kreuzzüge» vor. Diese würden von westlichen Staaten geplant, die den Islam attackierten, sagte Erdogan am Mittwoch in einer Rede vor Abgeordneten seiner Partei AKP. Sich gegen Angriffe auf den Propheten Mohammed zu stemmen, sei «eine Frage der Ehre». » | REUTERS/SDA/fal | Mittwoch, 28. Oktober 2020

Von der Leyen: „Dieses Weihnachten wird sehr anders“

EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen stimmt die Bürger der Gemeinschaft angesichts der Corona-Pandemie auf ein „sehr anderes Weihnachten“ ein. Europa stecke mitten in der zweiten Corona-Welle und der Ausgang der Krise hänge von jedem einzelnen ab, sagte von der Leyen. © AFP, AP

Keilar Calls Out Trump's 'Tone- deaf' Plea to Suburban Women

President Donald Trump offered his latest appeal to suburban women, promising to get their husbands "back to work" if he's reelected. CNN's Brianna Keilar calls out Trump's history of sexist and outdated comments.

The US Electoral System Is a Shambles. They Could Learn a Lot from Australia

THE GUARDIAN: Systemic voter suppression and rules still being set for an election within days – this is American exceptionalism

On Monday night the US supreme court voted five to three against allowing more days for counting absentee ballots in Wisconsin. Given difficulties in the postal service, Democrats wanted to see ballots that are cast before close of voting on 3 November received and counted for another six days. This decision, only a week before election day, follows a supreme court decision on 19 October, by four votes to four, to decline a bid by state Republican legislators to stop the count in Pennsylvania extending three days. But following Monday’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, this could be revisited.

Astonishingly, the US is still settling rules for an election due within days. And a national election is being conducted with a patchwork of state laws and regulations. Further, elected state officials – Republican or Democrat office holders – are making decisions about who goes on the roll, how many voting machines go where and how long postal votes will be counted.

And all subject to appeal to an acutely partisan court.

This is American exceptionalism. It confirms the proposition that the US is simply not a democracy, not in the sense western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada are democracies. The point is already made by the electoral college, which in two of the past five presidential elections transmuted Democratic majorities – half a million for Al Gore, 3m for Hillary Clinton – into Republican wins. » | Bob Carr | Thursday, October 29, 2020

Coronavirus: Macron Declares Second National Lockdown in France

BBC: French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a second national lockdown for at least until the end of November.

Mr Macron said that under the new measures, starting on Friday, people would only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons.

Non-essential businesses, such as restaurants and bars, will close, but schools and factories will remain open.

Covid daily deaths in France are at the highest level since April. On Tuesday, 33,000 new cases were confirmed.

Mr Macron said the country risked being "overwhelmed by a second wave that no doubt will be harder than the first". » | Wednesday, October 28, 2020

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Address | Harvard Commencement 2019

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's address at the annual meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association at the 368th Harvard Commencement on May 30, 2019.

Erdogan-Karikatur: Türkischer Präsident tobt über Charlie Hebdo

Im Streit zwischen der Türkei und Frankreich um Meinungsfreiheit und den Islam streut „Charlie Hebdo“ Salz in die Wunden: Das französische Satireblatt druckt auf der Titelseite eine Karikatur von Recep Tayyip Erdogan ab. Der türkische Präsident schäumt. © AFP, DPA

Erdogans Boykottaufruf findet Rückhalt in Muslimischer Welt | DW Nachrichten

Weltweit empören sich Muslime über die islamkritischen Äußerungen von Frankreichs Präsident Emmanuel Macron. An die Spitze der Proteste gegen Frankreich hat sich der türkische Präsident Tayyip Recep Erdogan gestellt. Er fordert den Boykott französischer Produkte und griff Macron mit persönlichen Beleidigungen an.

Muslim Countries Denounce French Response to Killing of Teacher, Urge Boycott

THE NEW YORK TIMES: While the government’s moves against extremism have public support, they have opened France to criticism that its relationship with its Muslim citizens has taken an ugly turn.

BRUSSELS — Since a young Muslim beheaded a French schoolteacher who had shown caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad in a class, France has conducted dozens of raids against suspected Islamic extremists, closed a major mosque and shut down some Muslim aid groups.

In France, a nation still traumatized by some 36 Islamic State-inspired terrorist attacks in the last eight years, including two that together killed more than 200 people, those broad measures have found widespread support. President Emmanuel Macron, a fierce defender of French secularism and the right to free speech, went as far as to suggest that Islam was in need of an Enlightenment, and his interior minister spoke of a “civil war.”

In the Muslim world, these actions, and the tone coming from top French officials, have opened France to criticism that the nation’s complicated, post-colonial relationship with its six million Muslim citizens has taken an ugly turn. Leading the condemnation has been President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, who called Mr. Macron mentally damaged in a speech over the weekend. “Macron needs mental treatment,” he said. “What is the problem of this person Macron with Muslims and Islam?” » | Steven Erlanger | Published Oct. 27, 2020; Updated Oct. 28, 2020

Anger towards Emmanuel Macron Grows in Muslim World

THE GUARDIAN: Protests take place in several countries against French president in aftermath of crackdown

On the front page of a hardline Iranian newspaper, he was the “Demon of Paris”. In the streets of Dhaka he was decried as a leader who “worships Satan”. Outside Baghdad’s French embassy, a likeness of Emmanuel Macron was burned along with France’s flag.

Rage is growing across the Muslim world at the French president and his perceived attacks on Islam and the prophet Muhammad, leading to calls for boycotts of the French products and security warnings for France’s citizens in majority-Muslim states.

The backlash has cut across an extraordinarily diverse Muslim world with a myriad of cultures, sects, political systems and levels of economic development. It has stoked historical and present-day grievances from the markets of Herat in Afghanistan to the upmarket neighbourhoods of Amman and the universities of Islamabad. » | Michael Safi in Beirut, Redwan Ahmed in Dhaka, Akhtar Mohammad Makoii in Herat and Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad | Wednesday, October 28, 2020

The Guardian View on the 2020 US Elections: It’s Time to Dump Trump. America’s Only Hope Is Joe Biden

THE GUARDIAN: Four years of deranged and unpredictable behaviour is proof that the current US president is uniquely unsuited to the job

Donald Trump’s presidency has been a horror show that is ending with a pandemic that is out of control, an economic recession and deepening political polarisation. Mr Trump is the author of this disastrous denouement. He is also the political leader least equipped to deal with it. Democracy in the United States has been damaged by Mr Trump’s first term. It may not survive four more years.

If the Guardian had a vote, it would be cast to elect Joe Biden as president next Tuesday. Mr Biden has what it takes to lead the United States. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden cares about his nation’s history, its people, its constitutional principles and its place in the world. Mr Trump does not. Mr Biden wants to unite a divided country. Mr Trump stokes an anger that is wearing it down.

The Republican presidential nominee is not, and has never been, a fit and proper person for the presidency. He has been credibly accused of rape. He displays a brazen disregard for legal norms. In office, he has propagated lies and ignorance. It is astonishing that his financial interests appear to sway his outlook on the national interest. His government is cruel and mean. It effectively sanctioned the kidnapping and orphaning of migrant children by detaining them and deporting their parents. He has vilified whistleblowers and venerated war criminals.

Mr Trump trades in racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia. Telling the Proud Boys, a far-right group that has endorsed violence, to “stand back and stand by” was, in the words of Mr Biden, “a dog whistle about as big as a foghorn”. From the Muslim ban to building a wall on the Mexican border, the president is grounding his base in white supremacy. With an agenda of corporate deregulation and tax giveaways for the rich, Mr Trump is filling the swamp, not draining it. » | Guardian view | Tuesday, October 27, 2020

Fairytale

In 8 days, we’ll make sure this story has a happy ending.

"Infantilized"

America, you deserve an adult for president. Not a baby.

Anger Spreads in Islamic World after Macron's Backing for Muhammad Cartoons

THE GUARDIAN: Calls for boycott of French goods after president’s remarks at tribute to murdered teacher Samuel Paty

France has appealed for foreign governments to stamp out calls by what it calls a “radical minority” for a boycott of French products after Emmanuel Macron’s public backing of the Muhammad caricatures.

The appeal came as anger escalated across the Islamic world over the president’s remarks at a national tribute to the murdered high-school teacher Samuel Paty last week, with Turkish leader, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, calling on Monday for a complete boycott of French products in Turkey.

Paty, 47, was killed after he showed his class drawings of the prophet during a debate on free speech.

After Macron promised France would not “renounce the caricatures”, a furious riposte that emerged on Friday on social media under Arabic hashtags gained momentum over the weekend. » | Kim Willsher in Paris | Monday, October 26, 2020

The World This Week: France Teacher Attack, Trump-Biden Debate, Thailand & Nigeria Protests, EU 'Veggie' Burger Row

Samuel Paty was beheaded by an 18-year old who had to pay pupils to identify his victim, this after a row over a civics class on free speech that included cartoons of the prophet spiraled into a social media campaign against the teacher. How does Emmanuel Macron plan to protect other "faces of the Republic"? To the US next, where the last presidential looked like the calm before the storm... We take a look at youth-driven protests in Nigeria and Thailand. Also, the European Parliament has sided with vegetarians and environmentalists against the beef industry.

Ivanka Trump Could Be Facing Major Investigations If Daddy Loses the Election

Ethics watchdogs are warning that Ivanka Trump could be facing some very serious investigations if her dad loses the upcoming election. Ivanka has had multiple different complaints filed against her over the years while she's been in the White House, but without the protection of her father, she won't be able to continue to dodge all of the complaints and questions headed her way. Ring of Fire's Farron Cousins explains what's happening.

Coronavirus: How My Mum Became a Conspiracy Theory Influencer

Read the article here »

Democrats Hold Senate Floor Overnight to Protest Amy Coney Barrett Confirmation

The US Senate on Saturday and Sunday will debate Donald Trump's supreme court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. Democrats are expressing outrage at the vacancy being filled so close to the election, but with a 53-47 majority, Republicans have the votes they need to approve her

A Joe Biden White House Will Have Little Time and Less Love for ‘Britain’s Trump’

THE GUARDIAN: If he becomes the next US president, who will be Mr Biden’s ‘special friend’ in Europe? Certainly not Boris Johnson

When the long race for the White House ends, another begins: the sprint to be the first European leader to be granted an audience by the new US president. In 2016, Theresa May was distraught to have got a wooden spoon in the competition to put in an early congratulatory telephone call to Trump Tower. That made her even more neuralgic about beating a path to Washington ahead of her European rivals. Mrs May had to throw in the promise of a Trump state visit to the UK – I rather rudely called it “pimping out the Queen” – to ensure that she got to the White House first.

This desperation can make British prime ministers look pathetically needy, but there is a reason why they set so much store by displays of proximity with the Oval Office. How important a prime minister is to the United States, the planet’s largest economy and most potent military force, sends a message about how much influence the UK wields in the world. So it is telling that Number 10 is resigned to the prospect that Boris Johnson will not be the first name on Joe Biden’s call sheet if he becomes the 46th president. Nor is there any expectation that Mr Johnson will be first in line when they hand out invitations to the White House. He has already quit a race UK prime ministers are usually pretty good at winning. » | Andrew Rawnsley | Sunday, October 25, 2020

France Urges Arab Nations to Prevent Boycotts over Macron's Cartoons Defence

BBC: France has urged Middle Eastern countries to prevent any boycott of its goods in protest at President Emmanuel Macron's defence of the right to show cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.

The French foreign ministry said the "baseless" calls for a boycott were being "pushed by a radical minority".

French products have been removed from some shops in Kuwait, Jordan and Qatar.

Meanwhile, protests have been seen in Libya, Syria and the Gaza Strip.

The backlash stems from comments made by Mr Macron after the gruesome murder of a French teacher who showed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in class.

The president said the teacher, Samuel Paty, "was killed because Islamists want our future", but France would "not give up our cartoons". » | Sunday, October 25, 2020

Trump's America | DW Documentary

The US in the 2020 election year is a country deep in crisis. It’s been torn apart by the debate on racism, and millions have been infected with the coronavirus. On top of that, its president is pouring oil on the flames with his Twitter tirades.

At the beginning of the year, things were looking good for Donald Trump: the economy was doing well, unemployment figures were at a 50-year low, his job approval rating was rising, and the Democrats were preoccupied with themselves. But then came the coronavirus, a hazard that the president initially made light of, saying it would miraculously disappear. Instead of a miracle, the crisis hit the United States harder than any other country. The economy is in the doldrums. And COVID-19 is making the shortcomings of the health care system glaringly obvious.

Black Americans have been hit harder by the coronavirus than most. A higher proportion of them work in low-wage jobs that offer little protection against the virus, and they are less likely to have health insurance. The rage expressed in demonstrations against racism is being fuelled by the corona crisis and the mass unemployment it has triggered across the US.

It is hard to imagine that the economy will recover quickly - despite the trillions of dollars Trump is giving to companies. It is also hard to imagine that the millions of unemployed will have jobs again by the time the election is held.

Filmmakers Claudia Buckenmaier and Marion Schmickler traveled through the swing states of Arizona, Wisconsin and Michigan and asked people how the economic and health crisis is affecting them. What hopes do voters have going into November’s election? The bitter dispute between Republicans and Democrats and Donald Trump’s divisive style of government has brought democracy in the US to brink of the abyss. The distrust is so great that the Democrats even expect that Trump will reject the election result if he loses. Unimaginable? The Democrats seem to be preparing for exactly this scenario.

When Five Cambridge University Students Became Soviet Spies | Secrets Of War | Timeline

They were five disillusioned young men studying at Cambridge University in the 1930's when they were secretly recruited by Soviet agents. They went on to become the most successful spies of the 20th century, penetrating both American and British governments at the highest levels.

We French Love Our History Teachers – Samuel Paty Made Us Remember Why

THE GUARDIAN: Religion struck another blow against freedom of thought with the vicious murder of a man whose mission was to civilise

Since that fateful morning of 7 January 2015, and the Charlie Hebdo massacre, it sometimes feels as if we French are living our lives between terrorist assaults, each as vile as the previous but each more poignant in its viciousness and symbolism. When we think this can’t get any worse, a new attack proves us wrong.

In the past five years, Islamists in France have targeted and murdered journalists, cartoonists, policemen and women, soldiers, Jews, young people at a concert, football fans, families at a Bastille Day fireworks show, an 86-year-old priest celebrating mass in his little Normandy church, tourists at a Christmas market... the list goes on.

Last week, a history teacher was beheaded while walking back home from his school, in the quiet town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, halfway between Paris and Giverny. The speed with which we learned the facts sharpened the blow, deepened our emotions and focused our minds. » | Agnès Poirier * | Sunday, October 25, 2020

• Agnès Poirier is a Paris-based political commentator, writer and critic

France Recalls Ambassador from Turkey after 'Unacceptable' Erdogan Comments

France on Saturday said it was recalling its envoy to Turkey for consultations after comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggesting French counterpart Emmanuel Macron needed a mental health check-up that Paris condemned as unacceptable.

France recalls ambassador to Turkey after Erdoğan questions Macron's mental state »

Spanish Flu: A Warning from History (November 2018)

100 years ago, celebrations marking the end of the First World War were cut short by the onslaught of a devastating disease - the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Its early origins and initial geographical starting point still remain a mystery, but in the summer of 1918, there was a second wave of a far more virulent form of the influenza virus than anyone could have anticipated. Soon dubbed ‘Spanish Flu’ after its effects were reported in the country’s newspapers, the virus rapidly spread across much of the globe to become one of the worst natural disasters in human history. To mark the centenary and to highlight vital scientific research, the University of Cambridge has made a new film exploring what we have learnt about Spanish Flu, the urgent threat posed by influenza today, and how scientists are preparing for future pandemics.

Cooper: Trump's Accountability Had Lifespan of Fruit Fly

CNN's Anderson Cooper discusses how President Trump's coronavirus response has failed as the country is looking towards hundreds of thousands of more deaths in the coming months if nothing changes.

Coronavirus: European Leaders Tighten Measures as WHO Warns of Pandemic Juncture

The World Health Organization has warned of a 'critical juncture' of the pandemic, particularly in the northern hemisphere and urged heads of state to take action to reduce the spread of Covid-19. European leaders have increased restrictions as cases have continued rising. Wales has started a two-week 'firebreak' lockdown and Portugal's parliament has passed a law making it mandatory to wear face masks in many outdoor situations Coronavirus live news: Wales 'firebreak' lockdown begins; Spanish PM says cases closer to 3m

"A Barrett Confirmation Is a Catastrophe": What Democrats Can Do to Block Trump's Supreme Court Pick

Fordham law professor Zephyr Teachout says Senate Democrats can still block the confirmation of President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, if they use every possible procedural method available to them to slow and frustrate the process. "A Barrett confirmation is a catastrophe," Teachout says. "A 6-3 majority on the court is basically a bomb coming at what is left of our protections against corruption in politics, against corporate money, against what is left of the Voting Rights Act."

Trump and Biden Face-off in Final Presidential Debate in Nashville – in Full

US President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden have faced-off in the final presidential debate ahead of the Presidential election on November 3.