If like me, many of your meetings are migrating to Zoom, Google Hangouts, and What's App, beware: ‘Zoombombing:’ Internet trolls are hijacking video conferences hosted by Zoom, a platform that has soared in popularity amid the coronavirus outbreak. For instance, mischief makers are hopping on public Zoom calls and screen-sharing hardcore pornography to unwitting participants. (NYT)
Afghan officials say 25 killed in Kabul attack on Sikhs - Tameen Akhgar and Rahim Faiez (AP)
Danes Charge Man in Plot to Kill Iranian Opposition Member (AP-ABC News) A 40-year-old Norwegian citizen of Iranian descent has been charged with helping Iranian intelligence to carry out a plot on Danish soil to kill an Iranian opposition activist, Prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas said Wednesday. Nilas said it was "completely unacceptable that foreign intelligence services plan killings on Danish soil, and it is unacceptable that people help foreign intelligence services operate in Denmark."
Egyptian General Dies of Coronavirus (Jerusalem Post)
Israel’s Double Curse—Politics and the Pandemic - Neri Zilber (Foreign Policy) A Supreme Court decision threatens Netanyahu’s grip on power and augurs a constitutional crisis. SEE ALSO Former MK Dov Lipman Explains Israel’s Unprecedented Constitutional Crisis - Zina Rakhamilova (Honest Reporting video) Filmed before Yuli Edelstein announced his resignation as Knesset speaker
Unity Government Forming in Israel in Response to Coronavirus Crisis - Raoul Wootliff (Times of Israel)
Coronavirus Crisis Increases Israeli-Palestinian Cooperation - Amos Harel (Ha'aretz)
Europe Reaches Libya Breakthrough With Naval Mission Deal - Nikos Chrysoloras (Bloomberg) goal of the mission -- is to help end fighting between the government of Fayez al-Sarraj, Libya’s United Nations-backed prime minister, and his rival, General Khalifa Haftar
Three Palestinians Arrested for Torching Refugee Camp on Greek Island - Benjamin Weinthal (Jerusalem Post)
Most Palestinians Want to Work with Israel Against Coronavirus, though Nearly Half Think It Is Deliberately Spread - David Pollock (Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
Conflict in the Time of Coronavirus: Russia, Turkey, and the Battle for Syria (CEPA) video roundtable with experts
Note: The Syrian civil war is in it's 10th yr. 900,000 in Idlib and only 60 hospital beds. 4 million refugees in Turkey.
Meanwhile this is a US response to COVID-19 (bold is my emphasis): DOJ seeks new emergency powers amid coronavirus pandemic -Betsy Woodruff Swan (Politico) The Justice Department has reportedly asked Congress for the ability to ask chief judges to detain people indefinitely without trial during emergencies, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States surpassed 33,000 over the weekend. Documents detail the department’s requests to lawmakers on a host of topics, including the statute of limitations, asylum, and the way court hearings are conducted. Another proposal seeks the authority to extend deadlines on merger reviews and prosecutions. It would allow the DOJ and its sister agency, the Federal Trade Commission, to add 15 days onto merger timelines during emergencies, such as disease outbreaks, natural disasters, or government shutdowns. Norman Reimer, Executive Director of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, warned, “You could be arrested and never brought before a judge until they decide that the emergency or the civil disobedience is over. I find it absolutely terrifying.”
Americans Beware: Trump Could Emulate Netanyahu’s Coronavirus Coup - Chemi Shalev (Haaretz)
