NEWS SUMMARY AT THIS HOUR-MONDAY 9/10/18
(UPDATES, EDITING, EXPANSION THROUGH 730AM)
Good Morning, we will have details on what appears to be deteriorating situation in Syria later...
But first we go to Sweden where the anti-European Union, anti-mass immigration Sweden Democrats made gains in yesterday's election, holding the balance of power between the "Left" and "Right" coalitions in Swedish politics.
Sweden Democrats picked up 17.6 percent of the vote, up from 12.9 percent in 2014.
Their leader Jimmie Akesson, speaking at an election night rally, says the party will gain huge influence in the weeks, months and years ahead.
The "Left" bloc finished at 40.6 percent and the "Right" block at 40.3 percent in a proportional electoral system that leaves each group without a majority in the 349 seat Riksdag, Sweden's parliament.
The leaders of the two blocs are already disputing who should lead the next government. Ulf Kristersson of the Moderate Party, leading the "Right", says incumbent Prime Minister Stefan Lofven of the Social Democrats, leading the "Left", should resign. But Lofven says he will not step down.
A big issue in the Swedish election was the crime wave resulting from the massive influx of foreign nationals into the country.
Last night in Paris seven people were injured in a knife attack, four seriously, with an Afghan man arrested by police. Two of the injured were British tourists. The authorities are not calling the attack a terrorist attack.
In Germany, protesters on the streets again after a German is dead following a fight with foreign born nationals. Two Afghans were arrested after a German man sustained head injuries in a fight in the town of Kothen. The man later died of a heart attack.
Russia says that 2 US F-15 aircraft bombed a Syrian village with phosphorous bombs on Saturday.
The attack ignited fires in Hadjin in the province of Deir al-Zor in southern Syria.
There's a report that US coalition forces and their allied militias are planning to attack ISIS in southern Syria, but there are also reports that there is a Russian threat to the US base at Al-Tanf as well.
Meanwhile, ISIS fighters, Saudi backed Al-Qaeda fighters and other opposition forces are facing an impending ground attack by the Syrian government with Iranian ground support and Russian air support.
The offensive is opposed by the United States and other nations on "humanitarian grounds". Officials of the US, UK and other nations have suggested chemical weapons will be used by Syria and military action is being threatened if that happens.
Russia and Syria contend a false flag chemical attack is coming coordinated by Al-Qaeda jihadists and British intelligence. The foreign government funded "White Helmets" group has released video in recent days showing Syrians making makeshift gas masks in the area about to come under ground attack. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another foreign government funded group, is reporting that hospitals have been attacked in recent days in the north of Syria.
Shelling and air attacks have been reported in Idlib and Hama provinces over the weekend in operations that are believed to be preparations for the ground assault.
And the later breaking news is that there are reports in mainstream media and elsewhere online in recent hours saying Syria's President Bashar Assad has approved the use of chlorine gas according to US government officials.
Also, there is a "Wall Street Journal" story saying that US military action in retaliation for a "chemical attack" would involve decision making on hitting Russian and or Iranian forces as well in Syria.
The fight is on in the UK ahead of the Conservative Party's conference later this month. Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrote in the "Mail On Sunday" newspaper that Theresa May's plan for Brexit is a "suicide vest" for Britain with the European Union holding the detonator.
Johnson is expected to challenge May for Conservative Party leadership and the Prime Minister's post at the conference.
The National Hurricane Center says that Hurricane Florence will become a major hurricane as it moves westwards towards the southeastern coast of the United States. Landfall is expected by Friday somewhere in the Carolinas. At 5 am Eastern time Florence had maximum sustained winds of 105 miles per hour and was 625 miles southeast of Bermuda.
Also, Hurricane Issac has formed out in the mid-Atlantic and is expected to cross the Lesser Antillies into the Caribbean Sea Wednesday night or Thursday. Issac had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour as of 5 am Eastern 1230 miles east of the Windward Islands.
In the Pacific Ocean Hurricane Olivia is reported strengthening some 700 miles east of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds of 85 miles per hour. Its moving west and a Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from Oahu through Maui and the other islands southward to the big island of Hawaii. Tropical storm conditions are expected in some parts of the islands by tomorrow.
CBS Chairman Les Moonves suddenly resigned Sunday night amid new sexual misconduct allegations involving six women. Moonves had already been under independent investigation over other sexual misconduct allegations. He called the latest allegations "appalling".
But along with announcement is word that Moonves and CBS intend to contribute 20 million dollars to groups supporting the #MeToo Movement. His resignation under his contract entitles him to 100 million dollars in severance compensation but CBS says that won't be given to him until the result of the independent investigation is known.
Tennis star Serena Williams contention that the penalties imposed on her during the final of the US Women's Open Saturday were sexist are being backed up. The Chief Executive of the Womens Tennis Association, Steve Simon, says the umpire showed Williams a different level of tolerance for her outbursts than a man would have. Williams ended up losing the championship match to Naomi Osaka.
