Here’s Why Russian Bombers Are in Venezuela. And Why the U.S. Is So Angry About It (Source Time)

When two of Russia’s most modern, nuclear-capable bombers landed in Venezuela earlier this week, American officials quickly took note. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted out a statement calling the move “two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer.” The angry reaction may well have been the intended purpose, according to experts on Russia and Venezuela. The arrival of the Tu-160 “White Swan” strategic bombers in Caracas on Monday serves to remind the United States that Russia can still project military might into the Western hemisphere, says Miriam Lanskoy, the Senior Director for Russia and Eurasia at the National Endowment for Democracy, a non-profit. “I don’t know that this constitutes some kind of military threat, but it is a communication about Russia’s overall global reach.”

The Tu-160 bombers were manufactured at the end of the Cold War and are among the most advanced strategic bombers in the world. They are capable of flying at twice the speed of sound and carrying both conventional and nuclear-armed cruise missiles that have a range of more than 3,400 miles. It’s not known whether the Russian bombers were carrying any kind of armament on their visit to Venezuela.

The White House told The Hill that the bombers — along with a Russian An-124 cargo plane and an Il-62 passenger jet — would leave on Friday. Russia and Venezuela have had close military ties for decades. During boom times, oil-rich Venezuela has been a major buyer of Russian military hardware — with contracts for fighter jets, tanks, small arms and other equipment totaling more than $12 billion, according to Americas Quarterly. More recently, Russia has helped Venezuela develop a cryptocurrency intended to help it evade U.S. sanctions.

Blood pressure drugs recalled over cancer concern (Source usatoday.com) A generic drug company has recalled three commonly prescribed blood pressure medications over concerns they could include small amounts of a cancer-causing impurity. The recalled drugs all include the blood-pressure medication valsartan, the subject of a series of recalls by several drug companies since July.

The generic drug company Mylan Pharmaceuticals recalled 104 lots of three medications: valsartan tablets, combination tablets with the drugs valsartan and amlodipine, and combination tablets with valsartan and hydrochlorothiazide.

Testing revealed that valsartan contained trace amounts of N-nitrosodiethylamine, or NDEA, a possible human carcinogen, the company said.

Amlodipine and hydrochlorothiazide in standalone form are not subject to the recall.

Infant ibuprofen recall: Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar lots impacted (Source usatoday.com)

Infant ibuprofen destined to be sold at several national retailers might contain a higher concentration of ibuprofen, leading to potential risks in infants, according to a Wednesday voluntary recall notice.

New Jersey-based Tris Pharma, Inc. said lots sold under Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar brands are impacted by the recall. The products were labeled to contain 50 mg of Ibuprofen per 1.25 mL.

The company said there is a “remote possibility” the increased amount of ibuprofen could lead to permanent kidney injury in infants. Other adverse effects could include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, along with tinnitus, headaches or possible stomach bleeding.

To date, the company says it has not received any reports of adverse events related to the recall.

More than 5 million pounds of beef recalled (Source supermarketnews.com) JBS Tolleson Inc. is recalling more than 5.1 million pounds of raw beef products that may be tainted with salmonella, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

This marks the third time since October that the meat producer has expanded its beef recall, bringing the total to more than 12 million pounds.

The affected products were produced and packaged at an Arizona facility owned by JBS Tolleson from July 26 through Sept. 7 and shipped to retailers nationwide under many brand names. Those included in the recall are Kroger, Cedar River Farms Natural Beef, Comnor Perfect Choice, Gourmet Burger, Grass Run Farms Natural Beef, JBS Generic, Showcase and Showcase/Walmart.

So far, nearly 250 people in 25 states have been sickened by salmonella linked to the meat. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, no deaths have been reported by 56 people have been hospitalized.

According to the recall notice, “The scope of this recall expansion now includes an additional 5,156,076 pounds of raw beef products, which were produced and packed from July 26, 2018, to Sept. 7, 2018. FSIS is concerned that some product may be frozen and in consumers’ freezers. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase.

“The products subject to recall bear establishment number ‘EST. 267’ inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped to retail locations and institutions nationwide.”

The FSIS has posted and is updating product lists and lists of specific retailers that received the recalled beef.

China embarks on a historic mission to land on the far side of the Moon (Source theverge.com)

Early Saturday morning in China, a rocket will launch, carrying a lander and a rover bound for the Moon. It will mark the beginning of China’s ambitious lunar mission known as Chang’e-4, which will attempt to land spacecraft on the Moon’s far side — the region that always faces away from Earth. No other nation has ever attempted such a feat — which means the mission could catapult China into spaceflight history. So far, China is among an elite group of three countries that have landed a spacecraft softly on the surface of the Moon. Apart from America’s notable Apollo missions, the former Soviet Union also landed robotic spacecraft on the lunar surface, with the last mission occurring in 1976. In 2013, China entered the fray, putting a lander and a rover on the Moon. That mission, known as Chang’e-3, was part of a decades-long campaign that China devised to study the Moon with robotic spacecraft. Prior to Chang’e-3, the country had put a spacecraft in lunar orbit and had also crashed a vehicle into the lunar dirt. Now, the next step is to visit a part of the Moon that’s never been fully explored. It’s a significant step because landing on the far side of the Moon is an incredibly challenging task. The Moon is tidally locked with Earth, meaning it rotates around its axis at about the same time it takes to complete one full orbit around our planet. The result: we only see one half of the Moon at all times. This near side of the Moon is the only region that we’ve landed on gently, because there’s a direct line of sight with Earth, enabling easier communication with ground control. To land on the far side of the Moon, you must have multiple spacecraft working in tandem. In addition to the lander itself, you need some kind of probe near the Moon that can relay communications from your lander to Earth.

World War Three fears SURGE as Chinese WARSHIPS gather off US-backed ‘rebel’ Taiwan (Source express.co.uk)

FEARS armed conflict could breakout between superpowers China and the US have dramatically increased after the Chinese navy significantly boosted patrols around Taiwan, in an apparent response to American naval activity in the area. The Taiwanese defence ministry warned it has seen an increase in patrols by Chinese warships around the island. Beijing claims ownership of Taiwan as part of its ‘One China’ policy. The US supports Taiwanese independence, and frequently sends naval forces into the area. Taiwan claims “irregular” patrols by Chinese naval vessels in the Taiwan Strait, which separates Taiwan from mainland China, are so common they are now “routine”. The defence ministry claimed it has “effectively monitored the situations and movements around the Taiwan Strait by means of air and naval mechanisms to ensure national security”. Chinese warships have been moving closer to Taiwan, sailing near the middle of the 112-mile strait which separates the two states. Increased activity by the Chinese navy appears to at least partly be a response to US military activity in the area.

Germany—A New King Is Imminent (Source thetrumpet.com)

The end of Merkel could be a turning point not just for Germany, but the whole world. Every reader should closely watch Germany. This nation is experiencing changes that will reshape the country and the whole of Europe. Yet, remarkably, most of the world is asleep to these dramatic developments.

On October 29, German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced her plans to retire from German politics. In December, she stepped down as the leader of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union. However, she wants to remain chancellor of Germany until the next election, scheduled for 2021.

Many are skeptical of her plan. To be chancellor, but not party leader of the main governing party, is very unusual. There are several ways Merkel could be forced out of office well before 2021. Until then, she is a lame duck leader. Germany’s chancellor now lacks the full support of even her own party, and her term in office has a clear expiration date.

Merkel’s political position, in both Germany and Europe, has been getting weaker for some time. Germany today is crying out for a stronger leader, and the European Union wants stronger leadership and direction from Germany. Now that Merkel is on her way out, Germany and Europe are more lost than ever. Already, many are wondering if Merkel’s decline portends unstable, dangerous times for Europe. The New York Times wrote that her announcement “created a degree of panic at the core of the European Union” (Oct. 30, 2018). Former German Foreign Minister Joshcka Fischer wrote on October 30, “It is no exaggeration to say that 2019 will be the year that makes or breaks the European Union.”

Even hotter than the real star: China creates nuclear-powered artificial sun that bests original (Source rt.com)

Chinese researchers pushing to find a major clean energy source have created an incredible artificial sun that can reach temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius – a heat so intense it makes the real sun seem merely lukewarm.

The earth-based solar simulator has reached mind-bending temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius, the research team announced Tuesday. Now, that’s hot. For comparison, the real sun’s core is about 15 million degrees Celsius.

The Institute of Plasma Physics, affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said it has been testing an “artificial sun,” known as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). The sci-fi-sounding contraption has been designed to replicate the way in which the star at the center of our solar system generates its colossal energy. EAST is a large, donut-shaped machine set inside a round box. Located on Science Island in Eastern China’s Anhui Province, the project is using nuclear fusion to create immense heat; it costs a massive $15,000 a day just to turn on the machine.

The goal of the EAST is to understand nuclear fusion and to one day use it as an alternative source of power on Earth. This could pave the way for using clean energy – currently, nuclear energy created through fission leaves a long-lasting toxic waste.

311 days, 307 mass shootings in the U.S. (Source usatoday.com) When the thunder of gunfire broke through a country music dance hall packed with young people kicking back on “college night,” Thousand Oaks, California, added its name to a dark roster: the site of the 307th mass shooting. It took place on the 311th day of the year. A mass shooting is defined as four or more people shot. At Borderline Bar and Grill, 12 people were killed late Wednesday by a tall, hooded man dressed in black and covering his face with a bandana. Among those killed was Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus, 54, who “died a hero” after he entered the bar and exchanged gunfire with the suspect.