Good morning,
Taiwan Warning
In 1949 China’s defeated nationalists fled to the Island of Taiwan from the Communist-controlled mainland. Despite de-facto independence for all that time, China increasingly is threatening to take Taiwan back by force.
Saturday commemorating 110 years since the overthrow of China’s last imperial dynasty, Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke of what he has called the inevitable “unification” of Taiwan with China. Those who want to see the island return to mainland control, Xi said, “stand on the right side of history.”
“Those who forget their heritage, betray their country and seek to break up their country will come to no good end,” he said.
At Taiwans National Day, President Tsai Ing-wen said her country would continue to beef up its armed forces“to ensure that nobody can force Taiwan to take the path China has laid out for us” which she said “offers neither a free and democratic way of life for Taiwan, nor sovereignty for our 23 million people.”
Over the last week China has flown more than 150 war planes over Taiwan with Taiwan aircraft scrambled each time to intercept.
Poland
There were mass demonstrations across Poland against a Polish Court ruling that key articles of EU law were "incompatible" with the constitution.
It sparked fears that Poland could leave the Europe Union, prompting calls for major demonstrations nationwide on Sunday.
Donald Tusk, former President of the European Council and now leader of the opposition party Civic Platform, called on people to "defend a European Poland" at the rally in the capital.
Right-wing populist governments in Poland and Hungary have found themselves increasingly at odds with the European Commission over issues ranging from LGBT rights to judicial independence.
Prince Andrew
Scotland Yard has now has said it is dropping its investigation into sexual assault allegations against Prince Andrew. It announced while its review is “complete”, it will continue to “liaise with other law enforcement agencies who lead the investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein”.
The lawsuit accuses Andrew of sexually abusing Giuffre at the home of the socialite Ghislaine Maxwell in London and at properties owned by Epstein, who died in prison in 2019 while facing charges of sex trafficking. Prince Andrew has largely been alienated from the Royal family over the scandal.
Facebook Damage Control
The former Deputy P.M. of Britain, Nick Clegg was doing the rounds of talk shows in the U.S. this weekend, trying as Facebook’s V.P. of Global Affairs to put out fires resulting from the testimony last week of a whistle blower inside Facebook.
He outlined steps he said the company was taking to “reduce and mitigate the bad and amplify the good”, including new tools to direct users, especially teenagers, away from harmful content on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp.
And Clegg opened up the possibility of the outside review of Facebook saying the algorithms “should be held to account, if necessary by regulation so that people can match what our systems say they’re supposed to do from what actually happens,” Clegg said on CNN’s “State of the Union”.
Please take a minute to listen to our Back Story podcast, and what can be done to stop the company from profiting from the spread of hatred which is said to make more people engage for more hours on the platform.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/9328712
Covid-Flu concerns
The combination of flu and covid could bring a much higher number of deaths this winter say officials. In the UK, more than 40 million people are being offered a flu jab this year.
For the first time this includes all secondary school children up to the age of 16.
The over-50s and younger adults with health conditions are also being offered a Covid booster jab this autumn and winter.
Odierno
Tough, dependable, smart, retired four-star General 67 yr old Ray Odierno has received many tributes, after news he passed away Friday from cancer. Odierno commanded U.S. forces in Iraq and his 4th infantry division soldiers were responsible for hunting down and capturing Saddam Hussein.
"He was in the bottom of a hole with no way to fight back," Odierno stated at the time,"He was caught like a rat."
Have a good Monday everyone. It is Thanksgiving in Canada today, but of course most people celebrate the harvest holiday with a big Turkey dinner on Saturday or Sunday night. Far away in London, had a spectacular dinner at home last night with Turkey, and stuffing, and mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes with lots of gravy, as is the tradition in Canada. The only thing missing was pumpkin pie, which we usually buy bit couldn’t find this weekend. Adapt ! Apple pie worked almost as well.
Dana
https://edition.cnn.com/2021/10/09/politics/army-gen-ray-odierno-dead/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2021/oct/10/facebook-nick-clegg-frances-haugen-us-capitol-attack
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-58836218
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/oct/11/poland-demonstrate-support-eu-membership-polexit
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/taiwan-wont-be-forced-bow-china-president-says-2021-10-10/