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Failed Coup in Venezuela

bian agents impounded a shipment of weapons headed for the soldiers, including hundreds of telescopic rifle scopes, night vision goggles, communications gear, and assault rifles.

When it became clear that the would-be coup was dead, the remaining troops fled the jungle to be with their loved ones during the coronavirus epidemic. Others were arrested by Columbian police and now face lengthy prison sentences.

N ow, many are asking why anyone ever thought that the plot had a chance at success. “You’re not going to take out Maduro with 300 hungry, untrained men,” former Navy SEAL Ephraim Mattos told the Associated Press. “There was no chance they were going to succeed without direct U.S. military intervention.”

A bizarre plot hatched by an exU.S. Special Forces commando attempted to oust Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro’s with only a few hundred volunteer troops.

First reported by the Associated Press last week, the would-be coup was the brainchild of former Green Beret Jordan Goudreau. A Bronze Star recipient who served multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Goudreau wanted to invade Venezuela from Colombia with the 300 volunteer troops he recruited.

The troops would have raided a slew of Venezuelan military bases using the commando tactics Goudreau honed during his military service. The attacks were supposed to spark a mass rebellion throughout Venezuela that would have toppled the Maduro regime.

According to the report, Goudreau spoke of his close ties to President Donald Trump and gave his soldiers the impression that they were being supported by the United States. Often, Goudreau regaled subordinates with stories of how he would lead an assault on Maduro’s palace using attack helicopters.

Joining Goudreau was Cliver Alcalá, a former Venezuelan military officer and suspected drug trafficker. Alcalá was tasked with recruiting disgruntled deserters from the Venezuelan army and with providing weapons and supplies.

The band of ragtag troops began training in three camps in Columbia in early 2020. Then, everything collapsed after one of the volunteer troops was nabbed by Venezuelan police while attempting to infiltrate the border. A short while later, Colum

Global Coronavirus Vaccine Conference

A pledging marathon was launched on Monday to raise at least $8 billion for research towards a vaccine and treatments for the coronavirus. The conference was organized by the European Union, Britain, Norway, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Canada. China was only represented by its ambassador to the European Union.

Noticeably absent from the event was the United States, with the list of speakers not including any U.S. officials. The United States has the world’s most confirmed cases of coronavirus and remains a major donor to the United Nations and U.N. bodies.

“We support this pledging effort by the EU. It is one of many pledging efforts that are going on and the United States is at the forefront,” said a senior U.S. administration official, who did not elaborate as to why the U.S. was not participating. President Donald Trump had said on April 15 that he would suspend funding to the World Health Organization (WHO), whose director general addressed the conference, over its handling of the

pandemic.

“It is a pity the U.S. is not a part of it. When you are in a crisis, you manage it and you do it jointly with others,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg in an interview with Reuters. She pledged $1 billion towards the distribution of any vaccine developed against coronavirus, as well as for vaccines against other diseases.

EU officials said pharmaceutical companies that will receive the funding should commit to making the new vaccine and treatments readily available and affordable. The Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, a U.N.-backed body focusing on health crises, estimated at least $3 billion towards development and manufacture of the vaccine, $2.25 billion to develop antiviral treatments, $750 million for testing kits, and $750 million to stockpile protective equipment including face masks.

The remaining $1.25 billion included in the initial funding goal would go to the World Health Organization (WHO) to support the most vulnerable countries.

“I believe the fourth of May will mark a turning point in our fight against coronavirus because today the world is coming together,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the European Commission, upon pledging 1 billion euros ($1.09 billion) at the start of the event.

B ritish Prime Minister Boris Johnson, himself having recovered from the coronavirus, said the search for a vaccine was “the most urgent shared endeavor of our lifetime.”

Canada Bans Assault Weapons

Following a deadly shooting in Nova Scotia last month, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled a sweeping new assault weapon ban outlawing more than 1,500 different firearm models in the country.

In a statement, Trudeau contended that “weapons of war” had no place on Canada’s streets.

“Because of gun violence, people are dying, families are grieving, and communities are suffering,” the Canadian leader said.

“It must end. Assault-style firearms designed for military use have no place in Canada. By removing them from our streets, we will limit the devastating effects of gun-related violence and help make our country safer.”

The ban forbids the “1,500 models and variants” from being purchased, sold, and imported. This includes the popular AR-15, a semiautomatic modeled after the military-grade M-16 and M-4. The ban will only take effect in 2022 as “to protect owners of newly prohibited firearms from criminal liability while they take steps to comply with these new rules.”

The new gun ban will not apply to certain Indian tribes that use them for hunting. Trudeau also said that he will attempt to pass legislation allowing a gun buyback program from those who possess the said firearms.

T he gun ban comes after Gabrial Wortman killed 22 people in a mass shooting spree in April that spanned six cities. The shooting was the worst in Canada’s history and shocked a nation already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic.

Kim’s Back

cause of prosperity.”

Kim praised the factory for helping the country advance its chemical industry and toured the site flanked by senior North Korean officials. Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jung, who is seen as his potential successor, was also present at the ceremony.

T he photos are the first time Kim has been seen in public for over three weeks, leading to speculation that he was incapacitated or dead after contracting the coronavirus. The rumors gained traction after Kim failed to show up at a birthday celebration for his grandfather and North Korean founder Kim Il-sung on April 15.

T he birthday dinner is seen as one of the country’s most important holidays, and this was the first time Kim has ever missed it. According to the Daily NK, a website run by disgruntled North Korean defectors, Kim has succumbed to the heart disease he had been fighting since this past summer. South Korea, which runs an extensive network of informers inside its main adversary, had downplayed the reports and said that there was no evidence that Kim had fallen ill. South Korea also downplayed reports that Kim recently underwent surgery despite claims that videos showed him limping slowly.

“ There were speculative reports that Chairman Kim underwent a surgery citing some difference to his walk,” a South Korean official told the Yonhap news site. “We have reasons to believe that there was no surgery, but cannot disclose such details.”

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Egypt Destroyed Thousands of Gaza Tunnels

Amidst swirling rumors that spoke of his hospitalization and death, new photos show North Korean leader Kim Jong-un looking alive and well.

In the images released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Saturday, Kim can be seen visiting a fertilizer plant in Suchon, only a few miles near the capital of Pyongyang. According to the press release, Kim cut the ribbon to integrate the new factory, leading attendees to “burst into thunderous cheers of ‘hurrah!’ for the Supreme Leader who is commanding the all-people general march for accomplishing the great

Egyptian Army Spokesperson Tamer Refai revealed that Egypt has destroyed over 3,000 tunnels on the Gaza border over the past five years.

Speaking with an Egyptian television channel this past week, Refai said that the military decided to de

stroy the thousands of illegal tunnels snaking under the border into Gaza after determining that they posed a security threat. According to the officer, radical Islamists in the Sinai Desert would utilize such tunnels to smuggle in weapons and other contraband that would later be turned against Egyptian troops.

“In 2015, the [Egyptian] government took a decision to establish a buffer zone along the border [with the Gaza Strip],” said Refrai. “These tunnels were used to threaten Egypt’s national security, including the infiltration of terrorists, smuggling of weapons, ammunition, goods, narcotic drugs and vehicles.”

Refai added that a recent counterinsurgency campaign by the Egyptian military resulted in 126 militants killed and 228 bunkers destroyed, as well as 116 jeeps. Another 266 suspects were detained.

A fter suffering heavy losses in their battle against ISIS in 2014, the Egyptian Army decided to establish a buffer zone with the Gaza Strip. Extending 14 kilometers from the Hamas-run territory and including a 500-meter trench, the measure aimed at stopping the flood of weapons and jihadists into the Sinai Desert.

E ver since, ISIS and Islamic Jihad have concentrated on tunneling under the length of the buffer zone in order to resupply militants with food and weapons. These efforts are frequently detonated by the Egyptian Army, which deploys special units tasked with uncovering them.

“ The [Egyptian] armed forces are working round the clock to combat terrorism and secure our borders,” said Refai. “We have scored many achievements on the ground, including the destruction of the terror infrastructure.”

Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s incoming prime minister, condemned the bloodshed.

“The operation carried out by the criminal terrorist groups represents a desperate attempt to exploit the situation of political rivalry that hinders the formation of the government to carry out its national duty of ensuring the security of citizens,” he said in a statement.

Backed by Iran, the largely Shi’ite PMU has been locked in a series of gun battles with the Sunni ISIS in recent weeks throughout Iraq. The violence comes despite Iraq declaring that it had liberated its territory from the terror group, which was thought to be on the verge of collapsing after U.S. troops killed its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi.

T he attack was the biggest battle between ISIS and the PMU since 2017 and is part of a recent wave of ISIS attacks. Since April, raids and bombings by ISIS have more than doubled compared to last year in what observers say is an attempt to regain momentum amid a U.S. troops withdrawal.

“ This was a well-organized attack; something of this scale hasn’t been seen at all for two years,” ISIS expert Sajad Jiyad told Al Jazeera. “It’s worrying for Iraq that so many of the Iraqi security forces, including PMF fighters, were killed. It is a reminder that Iraq needs constant counter-terrorism efforts and support from the coalition in terms of surveillance and logistical or air support.

“The existing protest movement and their preparation to revolt again following the COVID-19 pandemic gives ISIS an opportunity as the government will be facing two fronts: the protesters in the capital and southern provinces and ISIL around the western and northern fronts.”

Fatal Clashes with ISIS in Iraq

At least ten members of the Iranian backed Population Mobilization Units (PMU) were killed during a clash with the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq’s Salahuddin province.

The PMU fighters are said to have been killed during a firefight on Saturday with ISIS near the towns of Mekeeshfa and Balad. The PMU confirmed in a statement that it had “lost 10 members, while several others were wounded in clashes between the two sides.”

Was the Virus Manufactured in a Lab?

China’s state media vehemently rejected claims by the Trump administration that the coronavirus originated in a Wuhan bioweapons lab.

According to the Global Times, recent accusations by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were “groundless,” adding that he had “no evidence” to back up his claims.

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“Since Pompeo said his claims are supported by ‘enormous evidence,’ then he should present this so-called evidence to the world, and especially to the American public who he continually tries to fool,” wrote the newspaper. “The truth is that Pompeo does not have any evidence, and during Sunday’s interview, he was bluffing.”

Pompeo had alleged on Sunday that the coronavirus came from a laboratory rather than from a Chinese exotic food market as commonly thought.

“There’s enormous evidence that that’s where this began. We’ve said from the beginning that this was a virus that originated in Wuhan, China. We took a lot of grief for that from the outset. But I think the whole world can see now,” Pompeo told ABC News’ “This Week.”

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From NEGATIVE TALK to POSITIVE TALK

Pompeo’s comments were echoed by President Trump, who said in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that he had “no doubt” that China has misled the world about the origins of the coronavirus. “We’re going to be giving a very strong report as to exactly what we think happened. And I think it will be very conclusive,” Trump said. “My opinion is they made a mistake. They tried to cover it. They tried to put it out, just like a fire.”

Beijing and Washington have traded barbs in recent weeks regarding who is at fault for the global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands worldwide. Earlier this year, China accused U.S. troops of spreading the coronavirus, while Trump administration officials alleged that China covered up the pandemic after the first breakout in Wuhan.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang blasted “American politicians” for misleading the world about the truth regarding the pandemic. “ They have only one objective: to try to shirk responsibility for their own epidemic and prevention and control measures and divert public attention,” he said.

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Germany Bans Hezbollah Terror Group

Tehran blasted Germany after it recently classified the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia as a terror organization for the first time.

Berlin banned Hezbollah’s political and military wings last Friday following years of lobbying by the Israeli government. Reacting for the first time to the ban on Monday, Iran alleged that Germany was forced into doing so due to the “historic debt to the Zionists” it carries from the Holocaust.

“ We have a feeling that the Germans seem to have a historic debt to the Zionists, that they are paying it off, they do not realize that the whole world and the Muslims could react,” said Abbas Mousavi, spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Predicting that the ban on Hezbollah “will only cause problems,” Mousavi insisted that Hezbollah is “a powerful and legitimate party represented in the Lebanese government and parliament.” Noting that German police had raided several mosques that were affiliated with Hezbollah, Mousavi said that “it is not appropriate to attack all Muslims if they feel a group of them are doing something illegal, which we don’t see as such.”

While the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain designate Hezbollah as a terror group, Germany had classified only its military wing as such until last Friday. According to reports, the change came after Israel’s Mossad spy agency passed their German counterparts intelligence on Hezbollah’s vast operations across the country, including locations of weapons storehouses.

I mmediately after the decision became official, police swooped down on mosques and Islamic cultural centers all across Germany that were connected to Hezbollah and arrested dozens of activists.

“Hezbollah is a terrorist organization deemed responsible for numerous attacks and kidnappings worldwide,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said.

Russia and Pakistan See Spike in Pandemic

While many Western European nations have gradually begun to ease back on coronavirus lockdown restrictions, the pandemic is far from over. Last Saturday, both Russia and Pakistan experienced their biggest one-day spikes in new cases of infection.

R ussia alone witnessed a high of 9,633 new cases, bringing it to a total of over 124,000 cases; of those, there had been 15,013 recoveries and 1,222 fatalities. The actual number of infections is believed to be higher, due to a lack of testing as well as the belief that Russian tests are only about 70-80 percent accurate.

Both the prime minister and construction minister had reported contracting coronavirus, and the mayor of Moscow announced a plan to potentially establish temporary hospitals at sports complexes and shopping malls.

Pakistan, with a population of 220 million people, announced 1,297 new cases last Saturday, bringing its total to 18,114.

This increase coincides with greater testing; the government reported over 9,000 tests conducted in the previous 24 hours, with an ultimate goal of 20,000 tests per day. In a country with only 3,000 intensive care beds nationwide, a real fear remains of hospitals becoming overwhelmed.

In Africa, there have been over 40,000 reported cases and 1,600 deaths from the virus, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fatalities have been reported in every country on the continent with the exception of Lesotho.

There have been over 65,000 deaths in the United States. President Donald Trump said last week that he hopes the total number of U.S. deaths will remain below 100,000, which he acknowledged is a “horrible number.”