US Soldiers Get Ready to Die for Israel

It is said that there are about 40,000 American troops scattered around at bases and on ships at any time around the Middle East region, including in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and United Arab Emirates. 

But as Donald Trump escalates the war in Iran, that number has reached more than 50,000, according to a US military official, as reported by The New York Times on March 29, 2026.

It doesn't matter how many soldiers are being deployed to fight Iran because there will be a bloodbath. For sure, the ruby tide will rise on Iranian soil, where the fallen Americans turn the ground beneath them crimson in their final moments.

Here's the truth about the US involvement in Iran:

I betcha Temu have already received a massive order of body bags from the US Department of War. 😆😆😆

Raging Mideast War is Escalating

Today is Day 13 of the US-Israel war on Iran! It has already outlasted the 12-day war initiated by Israel – as is this war, by the way – on June 13, 2025, with the US joining nine days later. 

In fact, US President Donald Trump affirmed on Monday the war against Iran will end “very soon” but not this week!

“We’ve wiped every single force in Iran out, very completely”, the Orange Man trumpeted the destruction of more than 50 Iranian naval ships, and decimation of its air force and anti-aircraft defenses. 

He also said that the war would be over when Iran no longer had the capacity to use weapons against the US, Israel and other allies for a long time, according to CNBC on March 09, 2026. 

In fact, Trump had blithely described the war on Iran as a “short-term excursion”, maintaining that the US is ahead of schedule and already achieved “tremendous success”, as per Al Jazeera on March 10.

But this time around, the conflict has engulfed neighboring Arab countries, entering an escalatory phase as Tehran unleashed its 37th wave of missile and drone attacks across the region. 

Oil, gas and fuel storage facilities in Israel’s Haifa were repeatedly targeted while Gulf states scrambled to intercept drones and missiles heading toward energy hubs. Sirens echoed from Bahrain and Kuwait to Dubai, UAE, as defenses raced to stop incoming threats. 

At the same time, Washington and Tel Aviv intensified airstrikes inside Iran, hitting key sites across the country. 

Already, oil production in Iraq has dropped by 70%, from 4.3 million bpd before the conflict to 1.3 million bpd. Saudi Arabia has lowered output by 2 million to 2.5 million bpd, while the UAE has cut 500,000–800,000 bpd, and Kuwait has cut 500,000 bpd.

On top of that, drone attacks have hammered key infrastructure, including the Ras Tanura refinery in Saudi Arabia and the Ras Laffan gas facility in Qatar, the latter responsible for 20% of global LNG supply. Already, QatarEnergy declared force majeure on LNG shipments yesterday.

Moreover, Iran has blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a global energy chokepoint, handling about a quarter of the world's seaborne oil and significant liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fertilizer.

Predictably, Trump threatened “death, fire and fury” if Iran keeps obstructing the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. Tehran hit back, vowing it won’t allow “one liter of oil” to leave the Middle East until US and Israeli attacks cease. A top Iranian official even warned Trump to be careful not to be “eliminated” himself. 

With oil and gas facilities now at the center of the battlefield, the conflict is rapidly turning into a wider energy war.

And more. Yesterday, Iran identified new targets, i.e., offices and infrastructure run by top US companies with Israeli links whose technology has been used for military applications. Al Jazeera confirms this, saying the companies include Google, Microsoft, Palantir, IBM, Nvidia and Oracle, and those companies offering cloud-based services that are located in multiple Israeli cities, as well as in some Gulf countries. 

And banks too. Yesterday, state-owned Bank Sepah in Tehran which were reportedly responsible for processing salary payments for Iran's military and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, got hit by enemy missile(s). This presents Iran with the option to target economic centers and banks belonging to the US and Israel within the region. It's damn serious because Iran's military command (Khatam al-Anbiya) are warning civilians to stay at least one kilometer away from these establishments in the region.

The raging war is escalating, that's for sure. Yet, just hours ago, Trump is telling Axios in a 5-minute interview that there's "practically nothing left" to target in Iran! 🤣🤣🤣

As of March 11, the death toll has reached over 1,300 in Iran and at least 11 in Israel, with additional casualties reported among US troops in the region. 

Bombs, Missiles and Drones Cause Widespread Death and Destruction

Israel may have pulled the trigger first – but I blame US President Donald Trump! He, himself suggested on Tuesday that he may have “forced Israel’s hand” into a war with Iranian "lunatics" (The Times of Israel, March 03, 2026). 

It sure has been a very busy week so far for all parties involved. Yesterday, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth touted as evidence of America's global reach in its war on Iran when he confirmed a US fast attack submarine had sunk an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean – the Pentagon released footage of the strike. FYI, the IRIS Dena, had participated in a naval exercise in India just weeks ago. And according to Sri Lankan authorities, 32 sailors have been rescued, 61 are still missing and 87 bodies have so far been found. 

Iran's navy are already almost decimated, if you believe the Americans. Trump declared Monday that the US sank 10 Iranian battleships. But, on the same day, CENTCOM had stated that in two days, the Iranian regime had 11 ships in the Gulf of Oman and now they have none left. 

Whether 10 or 11, that hadn't stopped Trump from gloating: “They’re at the bottom of the sea”. 

Oil tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has plunged by 90 percent since the outbreak of the Middle East war, energy market intelligence firm Kpler said on X. Iranian forces, meanwhile, claimed "complete control" of the strait, a vital route for world oil and gas supplies, after Trump said Tuesday the US Navy were ready to escort oil tankers through the channel. 

The British are joining in. Their F-35s shot down Iranian drones over Jordan, marking the first time that one of the Royal Air Force's stealth fighter jets had destroyed a target in combat, the UK defense ministry shouted out on Tuesday.

The Israel Defense Forces said they dropped more than 4,000 bombs on Iranian targets in just four days and on Tuesday, even hit “Minzadehei”, a secret underground site on the outskirts of Tehran where Iran transferred much of its nuclear program after the 12-day war with Israel in June. 

The commander of CENTCOM – the forward headquarters of United States Central Command in Qatar – Admiral Brad Cooper claimed the US has struck more than 2,000 targets with more than 2,000 munitions and severely degraded Iran's air defences.

It's not all one-sided though. Three US fighter jets were downed over Kuwait. The Americans explained on Monday that the F-15s were "mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defences" and all six crew ejected safely. If you ask me, I don't believe this excuse of a "friendly fire incident".

A day earlier, Iran pounded a base housing US troops in Kuwait on Sunday, killing three service members. Since then, the death toll has risen to six, CENTCOM confirmed on Monday, an uptick that was forecasted by Trump and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine. 

Still, Iran maintained that more than 650 US military personnel were killed and wounded in the first two days of Operation True Promise 4, while its military say they fired over 700 drones and hundreds of ballistic missiles in 48 hours exceeding the total firepower of the June 2025 war. 

Also, on Monday, Saudi Arabia’s largest oil refinery at Ras Tanura halted operations after a drone strike in the area. Iran accused Israel of carrying out the attack, describing it as a “false flag” operation.

And on the same day too, a Shahed-type unmanned aerial vehicle struck a runway at a UK military base in Akrotiri, Cyprus. Consequently, Greece is sending two frigates and a pair of F-16 fighter jets to Aphrodite's Isle.

Amazon Web Services reported Monday that two data centers in the United Arab Emirates were “directly struck” and another facility in Bahrain was also damaged after a drone landed nearby. 

On Tuesday, two ballistic missiles were aimed at Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base. Air defenses intercepted one, while the second struck the base southwest of Doha without causing casualties. Al Udeid is the backbone of US military airpower in the Middle East, housing the Combined Air Operations Center that direct American and coalition missions across the region. The strike marks a direct hit on one of Washington’s most critical strategic assets there. 

There's been so many claims made by all sides; it's been difficult to establish the veracity of every claim. What is certain is the trail of death and destruction left behind! 

And then there's this widely-circulated story which according to Israeli journalist Nahum Barnea, Trump through Italy had sought an immediate ceasefire upon seeing that the Iranian government did not collapse after the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, along with senior figures in the country’s leadership – but Iran rejected it outright.

They should fear Khamenei as a martyr, more than Khamenei alive!

This ambitious American-Israeli project targeting Iran envisioned a massive bombing campaign to last only 4-5 days and expecting Iran to surrender thereafter. 

Today is Day 6! 

IRAN HAS NOT SURRENDERED! 😂😂😂😂😂😂

And on Tuesday, parents in Minab, Iran held a mass funeral for the 165 students – most of them girls aged between 7 and 12 – as well as staff killed in the attack on the Shajareh Tayyebeh all girls' school by the evil Israel-US axis. 

The IRNA news agency had cited a local prosecutor as saying that 96 people had been wounded in Saturday’s strike. 

Ali Farhadi, spokesperson for Iran’s Education Ministry, said Sunday that three attacks struck the school, which he said had 264 students. 

Some social media accounts linked to Israel claimed the site was “part of an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps base”. However, an analysis by Al Jazeera’s digital investigations unit of satellite imagery compiled over more than a decade, as well as recent video clips, published news reports and statements from official Iranian sources, tells a very different story. 

The findings reveal that the school had been clearly separate from an adjacent military site for at least 10 years. The investigation also shows that the strike pattern raises fundamental questions about the accuracy of intelligence information on which the bombing was based.

The Minab massacre is a war crime.

Iran's official IRNA news agency said Wednesday Israel and US had killed 1,045 military personnel and civilians since the start of the war. Elsewhere, Al Jazeera reported at least 11 dead in Israel as well as six US soldiers and eight civilians killed in the Gulf states. And the death toll from Israeli military action in Lebanon has risen to 72, with 437 injured since this front of the war ignited on Monday.

Iran Attacked Again

A return to armed conflict. Truth be told, there's just no way to avoid it. It's gonna happen, sooner or later!

And so, on February 28, Israel in cahoots with the US attacked Iran! 

US President Donald Trump himself confirmed "major combat operations" had been under way, and he openly called for regime change. 

The office of Iran's supreme leader, and the presidential office in Tehran, were targeted, as well as military sites across the country. Innocents too were sacrificed when children were cold-bloodedly murdered – initial kill numbers were said to be at least 57 – and scores more were injured. A missile had hit an all-girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran. 

Iran promptly launched retaliatory strikes on Israel. And it wasn't just confined to this illegitimate state. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan, which hosted US assets, all admitted they had intercepted missiles fired from Iran at US military bases on their territory. 

Of course, they wouldn't acknowledge it but they were left battered and bruised. 

Defence Security Asia affirmed that an Iranian Shahed drone took out a key US-operated $1.1 billion early warning radar system, the AN/FPS-132 stationed in Qatar. And the Guardian reported that the 5-star Fairmont The Palm hotel in Dubai was struck by an Iranian missile. Social media videos showed smoke rising from the building and four people were injured. And I'm sure there was destruction and devastation in other places too.

Then the claim by Trump in his Truth Social post that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been eliminated. 

Today, at 08:38 AM GMT+8, Reuters citing Iranian state media reported that Khamenei has indeed been killed, along with his daughter, grandchild, daughter-in-law and son-in-law in the Israeli-US strikes.

And Trump openly urged Iranians to "take over" the government, saying: "This will be probably your only chance for generations".

Naked aggression must not go unanswered. Iran is not Venezuela. Or Cuba. 

I expect Iran will not spare the Americans nor the Israelis and Netanyahu knows it. One report is claiming he has hightailed out of Israel. Another report says he has fled to Berlin, Germany.

I anticipate Iran to unleash its full military might and punish and crush Israel. Once and for all, I hope. 

And I pray that the citizens of the US vassal states in the Middle East will have the courage to rise up, overthrow their puppet leaders and set their country back on the right side of history. Only then, can they say their nations are truly sovereign.

I'm not a Shi'ite and I’m not neutral. I firmly stand with Iran. 

Long live Iran! Zendeh baad Iran! (زنده باد ایران)! 

Dubai is Flooded

Torrential rains began on the night of April 15, flooding the United Arab Emirates with more than half a foot (6.26 inches) of water in 24 hours, according to the Dubai Meteorological Office and cited by ABC News. That is more than two years' worth of rain in one day, the media outlet noted.

 

Highways and malls have been flooded, schools have been closed, and flights disrupted at one of the world’s busiest airports after the country experienced what the government described as their largest amount of rainfall in 75 years. 

 

Heavy rains also drenched Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Russia, China and India Ditch USD in 95% of Trade

Ninety-five percent of Russia's trade with China and India were conducted in national currencies last year, Tatiana Monaghan, Secretary General of the Russian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce – World Business Organization, revealed on Monday. 

 

According to ICC Russia's Monaghan (right), the share of the US Dollar and euro in Russia's export settlements has dropped dramatically, from 85.6% in January-December 2021 to 34.1% over January-May of last year. The use of the Russian ruble in cross-border transactions surged to 39.1% over the same period and settlements in currencies of so-called "friendly" countries rose to 26.9%, the data showed. 

 

Russia and its trade partners began to switch to the national currencies in mutual trade after US-led sanctions effectively cut Moscow off from the Western financial system. 

 

It serves the US right!

 

Malaysia national football team, Harimau Malaya’s early exit in the group stage of the recently concluded 2023 Asian Cup in Doha, saw the nation’s ranking slip two spots, from No. 130 to No. 132, in the latest FIFA world rankings. 

 

In the Asian Cup competition, Harimau Malaya opened their campaign with a 0-4 defeat to Jordan, followed by a 0-1 defeat to Bahrain but managed a 3-3 draw against South Korea in the final group match. The one point earned against the Taeguk Warriors was not sufficient to lift the team past the group stage. 

 

Still, Malaysia’s position among Asian countries remains unchanged at the 23rd spot. And Malaysia holds out as the third best ASEAN team behind No. 101 Thailand and No. 105 Vietnam.

Ferdinand Marcos Jr Takes Presidential Chopper to Coldplay Concert

Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos Jr received fierce backlash for using a presidential chopper to attend a musical performance north of the capital Manila, bypassing the area’s notorious traffic jams.

 

Marcos Jr  and wife (left) had arrived at the British rock band Coldplay's concert at the Philippine Arena, Ciudad de Victoria in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, about 30 kilometers north of Manila on Friday.

 

On social media, many accused the president of wasting taxpayers’ money, and pointed out that the public has to endure Metro Manila’s infamous traffic daily while commuting. 

 

The Presidential Security Group said the Philippine Arena had “experienced an unprecedented influx of 40,000 individuals eagerly attending a concert, resulting in unforeseen traffic complications along the route”. The traffic situation posed “a potential threat to the security of our president”, they claimed.

 

In a column for the Philippine Star, Ana Marie T Pamintuan wrote: “Perhaps the horrendous traffic that forced the first couple to take a helicopter will end the state of denial in the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority about the Philippine capital region having the worst traffic congestion among ‘metros’ in the world”.

 

For the older generations, the incident had revived memories of Marcos’ parents, Pamintuan wrote. The late dictator Marcos Sr ruled the Philippines for two decades, and the family, known for their extravagance, were accused of plundering billions of dollars.

 

Harimau Malaya lost 1-0 to Bahrain in Saturday's Asian Cup Group E match. 

 

"Nothing went wrong. This is the level we are at", said a frustrated Pan Gon. "Maybe I'm the wrong coach? Maybe I placed too much expectations and gave too much hope to the public and the players. But, these are my problems and not those of the players, the FA of Malaysia, or the public. These are all my problems".

 

The 55-year-old said Malaysia failed to control and dominate the game. 

 

Oh well, back to the drawing board. And don't expect a miracle on Thursday when Harimau Malaya face South Korea.

Harimau Malaya Ready to Roar

Malaysia's national football coach Kim Pan Gon believes that Malaysia has what it takes to mount a strong campaign in the AFC Asian Cup (24 qualified teams, drawn into six groups of four) starting on Friday in Doha, Qatar. 

Pan Gon was pleased with his men's performance – world No. 130 Malaysia held higher-ranked world No. 91 Syria to a 2-2 draw in a friendly on Monday. This is a boost to the Malaysians' confidence as they prepare to face two Arab teams – Jordan and Bahrain – who are of similar strength in Group E in the Asian Cup. [FYI, South Korea is the fourth team].

Against Syria, Malaysia took the lead through Arif Aiman Hanapi (39) but the Qasioun Eagles hit back with a brace in the 70th and 74th minutes. Brazilian-born midfielder Paulo Josue ensured Malaysia would troop off the field on level terms with Syria by netting the equaliser in the 78th minute.

It was the second time Syria were held to a deadlock by the Malaysians. 

Previously, the Arab side, coached by La Liga legend Hector Cuper, were held 2-2 by Pan Gon's men in a friendly in Chengdu, China, last September. 

Pan Gon (right) said the result and performance against Syria augur well for their Asian Cup Group E opener against No. 87 Jordan on January 15.

After the Jordan match, Malaysia will take on No. 86 Bahrain on January 20 and No. 23 South Korea on January 25. 

Only the champions and runners-up of each group, along with the four best third-placed teams, will qualify for the last 16.

A 3rd Round of Dumping of Nuke-contaminated Water

Japan started its third round of dumping of nuclear-contaminated water on Thursday – with plans to pump about 460 tons per day through November 20, Japanese media outlet Kyodo News reported. 

This came days after a scandal that saw five workers get doused with radioactive water at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, which once again triggered a backlash at home and abroad concerning the chaotic management and unconvincing safety of disposal of the degraded water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you can recall Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tetsuro Nomura had, on August 31, referred to the Fukushima nuke wastewater released into the ocean as "contaminated water" instead of the term "treated water" insisted by the Japanese government. 

His choice of wording angered Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who demanded an apology and immediate withdrawal of the said words, according to local media outlets.

I agree with China that the so-called safe and transparent dumping claimed by Japan is fundamentally unconvincing and involves concealment and deception.

 

Following Thursday's post "Bolivia Severs Ties with Israel; Colombia, Chile and Jordan Recall Envoys",  Bahrain  announced yesterday it has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel and suspended economic relations with Tel Aviv amid the fierce Israeli military offensive on Palestine's Gaza Strip.

McDonald’s Franchises on Opposing Sides

Pulitzer Prize-winning commentator Thomas Friedman in the late 1990s famously claimed that two countries with McDonald’s outlets had never gone to war. 

 

But as fighting rages between Israel and Hamas, the iconic American fast food chain are at war with themselves.

 

McDonald’s franchises in the Middle East have weighed in on opposing sides of the conflict, with branches in Muslim countries disavowing a decision by McDonald’s Israel to provide free meals to the Israeli military. 

 

Franchises in Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and United Arab Emirates have distanced themselves from their Israeli counterparts and collectively pledged more than $3 million to support Palestinians under bombardment in Gaza. 

 

“Let us all combine our efforts and support the community in Gaza with everything we can”, McDonald’s Oman, which pledged $100,000 towards humanitarian relief efforts in Gaza, posted on X (formerly Twitter) last Sunday. “We ask God Almighty to protect our beloved country and all Arab and Muslim countries from all the evil and hate”.

 

Since announcing their support for the Israeli army, McDonald’s Israel have changed their Instagram account to “private” following a backlash from consumers in Arab and Muslim countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While McDonald’s rank among the most iconic American brands, most of their restaurants worldwide are locally owned and operated. The case of McDonald’s highlights the tricky geopolitical dynamics that globe-spanning brands must navigate in an era where businesses are often expected to weigh in on hot-button social and political issues.

 

Having different franchises of McDonald’s end up on different (rhetorical) sides is an example of how politics permeates everything.

It is a known fact the United States is driven by a lust for wars!

 

 

Fact: CO2 Drives Climate Change

The COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland is in session. Since Sunday.

One subject that is bound to be hotly debated is carbon dioxide emissions. 

And I wasn't aware that Malaysia's CO2 emissions are pretty high! Malaysiakini had reported yesterday that at 7.2 tonnes per person, Malaysia's carbon emission per capita is greater than China(!) but thankfully, a lot less than the United States. 

In fact, the carbon emission per capita for China is 7 tonnes, while the United States emits 15 tonnes per capita. 

I decided to find out more and so, I'm sharing what I found out here. 

Malaysia’s carbon dioxide emissions per capita for the 1960-2018 period, according to theglobaleconomy.com showed an average value of 3.67 metric tonnes with a minimum of 0.44 metric tonnes in 1960 and a maximum of 7.76 metric tonnes in 2014. 

The latest value from 2018 is 7.6 metric tonnes. For comparison, the world average based on 186 countries is 4.24 metric tonnes. 

Compare this to China with 7.4 metric tonnes and the US with 15.2 metric tonnes (World Bank). 

And from knoema.com, CO2 emissions per capita for Malaysia in 2020 was 7.98 tonnes of CO2 per capita. 

If you must know, in 2020, Palau was the #1 country for CO2 emissions per capita at 55.29 tonnes of CO2 per capita. The other countries to make the Top 5 were Qatar, Trinidad and Tobago, Bahrain, and Kuwait.

Per-capita emissions are highest for oil-producing countries and some island nations, reflecting the huge energy costs the oil business has on the global environment – even before those fossil fuels are burned. 

CO2 emissions per capita in selected countries and regions, 2000-2020 (last updated Oct 28, 2021: 

Source: International Energy Agency

FYI, carbon dioxide is a key greenhouse gas that drives global climate change. 

Atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide are at the highest levels ever recorded. Greenhouse gas levels are so high primarily because humans have released them into the air by burning fossil fuels. The gases absorb solar energy and keep heat close to Earth's surface, rather than letting it escape into space. That trapping of heat is known as the greenhouse effect. 

Today, climate change is the term scientists use to describe the complex shifts, driven by greenhouse gas concentrations, that are now affecting our planet’s weather and climate systems. Climate change encompasses not only the rising average temperatures we refer to as global warming but also extreme weather events, shifting wildlife populations and habitats, rising seas, and a range of other devastating impacts.

There is widespread belief that world leaders at COP26 will likely have their last chance to curtail the deadliest consequences of human-induced planetary warming. 

Time is of the essence for unified global action as studies suggest as little as 9 years remain before the most catastrophic effects of climate change take hold and are impossible to stop. 

But I'm not putting much hope in COP26 anyway.  

72 Million Cases and the Big, Old, Slow Turtle

Gosh, it is now 72 million cases! 

And the number of nations that has recorded more than 100,000 coronavirus cases stands at 71 – with Bosnia and Herzegovina the latest country to make the list. Collectively, these countries account for 96.7% and 97.4% of global cases and deaths respectively.

 

As the world gets caught in a massive deluge of infections, some countries have become wildly desperate. The United States is a case in point.

The Washington Post reported that White House chief of staff, Mark Meadows (left), had told the head of the US Food and Drug Administration to authorize Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine on Friday or be prepared to resign. 

Meadows leaned on Stephen Hahn during a phone conversation on Friday – it came after Donald Trump tweeted that the FDA was “a big, old, slow turtle”, and told the FDA commissioner to “get the dam vaccines out NOW”. 

Of course, FDA's Hahn (right) capitulated – and that cleared the way for Americans to begin receiving the vaccine within days. 

The FDA authorization means the United States becomes the sixth country – in addition to UK, Canada, Mexico, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – to give the vaccine the go-ahead.

Six Million Coronavirus Cases

The pace at which Covid-19 infects the world is frantically swift. 

I had blogged only eight days ago that as at May 20, the tally worldwide had surpassed 5 million cases and five days later, the count expanded to 5.5 million cases. 

Yesterday, in a span of a mere four days, the score had ballooned to 6 million cases! 

And the numbers indicate that even as the world attempts to ease up and let their coronavirus-choked economies breathe – cases are still increasing in many parts of the world. 

India's coronavirus case and death tolls have galloped past China's – on May 15 and 28 respectively. Of course, needless to say, the US is No. 1.

In the meantime, Qatar and Bahrain reached 50,000 and 10,000 cases respectively on Thursday. 

Singapore continued to see an increase in infections, registering 33,000 cases, also on Thursday.