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WORLD NEWS Friday 30 OctOber 2020
WHO: Europe now has more than 10 million COVID-19 cases

By MARIA CHENG track down a significant
AP Medical Writer percentage of the con-
LONDON (AP) — The World tacts of infected individu-
Health Organization's Eu- als. Many contacts also
rope director said Thursday have refused to quaran-
that the 53-country region tine.
has again reached a new Kluge also urged politicians
weekly record for con- to be led by scientific data
firmed cases, with more in their outbreak respons-
than 1.5 million confirmed es. The British government
last week and more than went against the advice
10 million since the start of of its scientific advisers to
the pandemic. implement a nationwide
During a meeting with Euro- lockdown in September,
pean health ministers, WHO instead pursuing a strat-
European regional director egy of localized restrictions
Dr. Hans Kluge said, "hospi- which so far have had little
talizations have risen to lev- impact on curbing the virus'
els unseen since the spring" resurgence.
and that deaths have risen British scientists estimated
by more than 30% in the Thursday that there are
last week. about 96,000 new infec-
"Europe is at the epicen- In this file photo dated Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020, World Health organization Director for Europe tions every day and that
Hans Kluge arrives for a press conference in Rome, Italy.
ter of this pandemic once Associated Press the epidemic is doubling in
again," Kluge said. "At the size every nine days.
risk of sounding alarmist, I Along with the usual Eu- called national lockdowns strengthen their health sys- In France, officials cut the
must express our very real ropean countries, WHO a "last resort option," cit- tems and contact tracing mandatory quarantine pe-
concern." includes includes Russia ing the considerable dam- programs to quickly identi- riod from 14 days to seven
Testing systems have been and some central Asian age the measures inflict fy and stamp out new clus- after reasoning that most
unable to keep up with countries like Tajikistan, Uz- on economies, people's ters. people were not comply-
widespread levels of trans- bekistan, Kazakhstan and mental health and the in- But numerous countries ing anyway, although there
mission, and "test positivity Turkmenistan in its Europe cidence of domestic vio- across Europe such as Brit- was no scientific basis for
levels have reached new region. lence. ain, failed to do so. Despite the change in guidance.
highs," with most European In the wake of France and He said lockdowns should the U.K.'s nationwide lock- Kluge said if countries de-
countries exceeding 5% Germany approving new give countries the chance down earlier this year, the cide to impose new lock-
and many cases spreading restrictions in hopes of re- to "recoup and scale up" country's contact tracing downs, schools should be
unchecked, he said. versing the trend, Kluge so they can theoretically system remains unable to largely exempt. q

U.S. allows Jerusalem-born citizens to put Israel on passports

By JOSEPH KRAUSS tain their missions. Israel late the Palestinians. He
Associated Press captured east Jerusalem released a plan to resolve
JERUSALEM (AP) — The in the 1967 Middle East war the Middle East conflict in
United States will allow along with the West Bank, January that overwhelm-
Americans born in disput- territories the Palestinians ingly favors Israel and was
ed Jerusalem to list Israel seek as part of their future immediately rejected by
as their place of birth on state. Israel considers the the Palestinians.
passports and other docu- entire city its "unified, eter- The administration has suc-
ments, according to a new nal" capital while the Pal- ceeded, however, in im-
policy announced Thurs- estinians want their own proving ties between Israel
day. The move came a capital in east Jerusalem. and other Arab nations. In
day after the United States Secretary of State Mike recent weeks the United
amended science ac- Pompeo said in a state- Arab Emirates, Bahrain
cords signed with Israel to ment that the new pass- and Sudan have agreed
apply to institutions in the port policy was in keeping to normalize relations with
occupied West Bank. The with the decision to recog- Israel, giving Trump a string An Israeli supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump wears a hat
changes, enacted days nize Jerusalem as Israel's of foreign policy achieve- in the colors of the American flag at a rally for his re-election,
at a promenade overlooking Jerusalem, Tuesday, Oct. 27,
before the U.S. election, capital. Jerusalem-born ments ahead of the vote. 2020.
appeared to be aimed at Americans will be able to In return, the United Arab Associated Press
shoring up the support of specify either "Israel" or Emirates hopes to pur-
evangelical Christians and "Jerusalem" as their place chase advanced U.S. advanced weapons to ed to "peace for peace"
other Israel backers. of birth on passports and weapons, including stealth the UAE after the Penta- and that arms deals were
President Donald Trump's official documents. F-35 fighter jets, and Sudan gon provided assurances not part of it. But Emirati
administration broke with Those who do not specify will be removed from the it would preserve Israel's officials have indicated
decades of U.S. policy by their place of birth will be U.S. list of state sponsors of military edge in the region. there were understand-
recognizing Jerusalem as listed as having been born terrorism, which will allow it Israeli Prime Minister Ben- ings on the matter, and
Israel's capital in 2017 and in Jerusalem. to receive much-needed jamin Netanyahu has President Donald Trump
later moving the embassy Trump has taken a series foreign aid. Israel said last repeatedly insisted the has said the U.S. was con-
there from Tel Aviv, where of unprecedented steps week that it dropped its agreement to establish sidering the Emirati request
most other countries main- to support Israel and iso- objections to the sale of ties with the UAE amount- for the planes.q