Brazil’s health regulator Anvisa suspended clinical trials of a Chinese firm’s coronavirus vaccine after an unspecified “adverse incident” involving a volunteer recipient late last month. Anvisa would only say such incidents could involve a death or serious disability resulting in hospitalization. Anvisa’s action with the CoronaVac vaccine occurred the same day a rival, U.S. pharmaceutical company, Pfizer, announced its vaccine has shown 90 percent effectiveness. Word of Pfizer’s vaccine success sent global financial markets soaring. Both the Pfizer and the Chinese Sinovac vaccine are in Phase III trials, the last stage of testing before regulators give it clearance for public use. Brazil has the highest coronavirus tally in Latin America, with more than 5,664,000 confirmed cases and 162,397 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center.
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Month: November 2020
US Allows Emergency Use of COVID-19 Antibody Drug
U.S. health officials have allowed emergency use of the first antibody drug to help the immune system fight COVID-19, an experimental approach against the virus that has killed more than 238,000 Americans. The Food and Drug Administration on Monday cleared the experimental drug from Eli Lilly for people 12 and older with mild or moderate COVID-19 not requiring hospitalization. It’s a one-time treatment given through an IV. The therapy is still undergoing additional testing to establish its safety and effectiveness. It is similar to a treatment President Donald Trump received after contracting the virus last month. Lilly’s studies of the antibody drug are continuing. Early results suggest it may help clear the coronavirus sooner and possibly cut hospitalizations in people with mild to moderate COVID-19. A study of it in hospitalized patients was stopped when independent monitors saw the drug did not seem to be helping in that situation. The government previously reached an agreement to buy and supply much of the early production of Lilly’s drug. FILE – Lab technicians load vials of investigational coronavirus disease (COVID-19) treatment drug remdesivir at a Gilead Sciences facility in La Verne, California, March 18, 2020. (Gilead Sciences Inc/Handout)Only one drug, Gilead Sciences’ remdesivir, has full FDA approval for treating COVID-19. Government treatment guidelines also back using dexamethasone and other steroids for certain severely ill, hospitalized patients. One other treatment has an emergency use designation now: convalescent plasma, made from the blood of COVID-19 survivors. No large studies have shown it to be more effective than usual care alone, however. The new drug is part of an emerging family of biologic therapies that offer a promising new approach to preventing serious disease and death from COVID-19. Experts say the infused drugs could serve as a therapeutic bridge to help manage the virus until vaccines are widely available. The drugs are laboratory-made versions of antibodies, blood proteins the body creates to help target and eliminate foreign infections. The new therapies are concentrated versions of the antibodies that proved most effective against the virus in patient studies. Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. also has asked for emergency authorization for an antibody drug it is testing, the one Trump received. FILE – Medical technicians work at a drive-thru coronavirus testing facility at the Regeneron Pharmaceuticals company’s Westchester campus in Tarrytown, New York, September 17, 2020.FDA regulators authorized the Lilly drug using their emergency powers to quickly speed the availability of experimental drugs and other medical products during public health crises. Potential benefits must outweigh risksIn normal times the FDA requires “substantial evidence” to show that a drug is safe and effective, usually through one or more large, rigorously controlled patient studies. But during public health emergencies the agency can lower those standards and require only that an experimental treatment’s potential benefits outweigh its risks. The emergency authorization functions like a temporary approval for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. To win full approval, Lilly will have to submit additional research to fully define the drug’s safety and benefit for patients. The government has signed an agreement with Lilly to spend $375 million to buy 300,000 vials of the drug. How many doses that would provide is unclear. Each vial contains 70 milligrams and that dose proved ineffective in the early results. It took four times that amount — 2,800 milligrams — to show any effect. The Lilly drug is authorized for people 12 and older who weigh at least 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds), and who are at high risk for progressing to severe COVID-19 and/or hospitalization. This includes those who are 65 years of age or older, or who have certain chronic medical conditions.
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British Prime Minister Johnson Welcomes Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomed the news from pharmaceutical company Pfizer that one of its potential vaccines showed better than 90% efficacy in Phase 3 tests. But he cautioned that a vaccine is still a long way off and that one vaccine is not a solution.Speaking to reporters in London, Johnson said the data released Monday by Pfizer and its German partner, BioNTech, indicated the vaccine is safe, but the findings must be peer reviewed.Johnson stressed these are the “very, very early days” of this vaccine search, and he compared this news to “the distant bugle of the scientific calvary coming over the brow of the hill.” The prime minister said the bugle is louder, but the calvary is still a long way off.Johnson said the British government earlier this year ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, enough for one-third of the British population. He said they had ordered 300 million more doses from five other potential vaccines as well.But the prime minister said if the Pfizer vaccine proves effective and passes all appropriate safety checks, then the government will begin a nationwide vaccine distribution program administered by the National Health Service.Johnson was also asked about the results of the U.S. election being called for Joe Biden, with Kamala Harris as his vice president-elect. He congratulated the two Democrats and said while his government has had a good relationship with the Trump administration, he has no doubt that will continue under Biden.Johnson said he was particularly excited to work with the incoming administration in their efforts to fight climate change.
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HUD Secretary Ben Carson Tests Positive for Coronavirus
The secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Ben Carson, has tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a department spokesperson. The HUD secretary “is in good spirits and feels fortunate to have access to effective therapeutics which aid and markedly speed his recovery,” the agency’s deputy chief of staff, Coalter Baker, said in a statement. After experiencing symptoms, Carson, 69, went to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he was tested, reports say. The noted pediatric neurosurgeon is expected to fully recover. A memo sent to HUD staff said Carson was “resting at his house and is already beginning to feel better.” Anyone who came into contact with Carson will be notified, the memo said. Carson was one of several people who attended an election night party at the White House on Tuesday, where few attendees wore masks or practiced social distancing, several news organizations have reported. Also, the White House recently announced that chief of staff Mark Meadows and other staffers had tested positive for the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Meadows’ diagnosis was announced November 6. A few weeks ago, President Donald Trump was hospitalized at Walter Reed after he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.President-elect Joe Biden has called on Americans to wear a mask. He said at a news conference Monday that wearing a mask is “not a political statement.” Carson joined the Trump administration in 2017. Carson ran unsuccessfully as a Republican presidential candidate in 2016.
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Twitter Could Strip Trump of Certain Privileges Post-Presidency
Twitter says it could strip President Donald Trump’s account of certain privileges when projected election winner Joe Biden takes office on January 20.
Trump’s recent tweets alleging voter fraud in the November 3 election have been tagged by Twitter, with notices that say for example, “This claim about voter fraud is disputed.”
Ordinarily, Twitter would remove such tweets, but affords world leaders some further latitude.
“A critical function of our service is providing a place where people can openly and publicly respond to their leaders and hold them accountable,” a Twitter spokesman told the Bloomberg news agency. “With this in mind, there are certain cases where it may be in the public’s interest to have access to certain tweets, even if they would otherwise be in violation of our rules.”
This policy, however, does not apparently extend to former leaders, Twitter told the Reuters news organization.
“This policy framework applies to current world leaders and candidates for office, and not private citizens when they no longer hold these positions,” a Twitter spokesman told Reuters in a statement.
Trump is refusing to concede the election, alleging voter fraud. He is suing various states over what he says are irregularities.
Media organizations, including VOA, have projected Biden as the winner of the election, with 279 electoral votes.
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Pandemic Threatens Decades of Progress in Global Health
The director-general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Ghebreyesus, warns the COVID-19 pandemic is threatening decades of progress against infectious and communicable diseases. In an opening speech to a weeklong meeting of the World Health Assembly, Tedros urged nations to come together to defeat this common enemy.American singer-songwriter Kim Sledge who led the Tongan Nurses Choir, got the meeting off to an upbeat start with this rousing rendition of the classic song “We are Family.”In an appropriate gesture of thanks, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus paid tribute to the incredible contribution of nurses and midwives in braving the dangers of the coronavirus to save the lives of others.He struck a personal note by expressing his joy at becoming a grandfather for the first time two weeks ago—a joy, he said that was tinged with worry.“I wonder what sort of world Mia, my granddaughter, will grow up in. Although she knows nothing about it, the COVID-19 pandemic will shape her life and the world she grows up in,” said WHO chief.A world in which nearly 50 million people globally have been infected with the coronavirus, cutting short the lives of more than 1.2 million people.Tedros said many countries and cities have successfully prevented or curbed spread of the disease. But noted several countries, especially in Europe and the Americas, have re-imposed restrictions to battle a new wave of infections. “We might be tired of COVID-19. But it is not tired of us. It pays no heed to political rhetoric or conspiracy theories. Our only hope is science, solutions and solidarity,” said Tedros.While the WHO is focused on coordinating and supporting the response to the pandemic, Tedros said the agency has not neglected other global health needs that do not make the headlines.“But so far this year we have responded to more than 60 emergencies, including major outbreaks of Chikungunya in Chad, yellow fever in Gabon and Togo, measles in Mexico, conflicts in the Sahel, Middle East and the Caucasus, storms in the Philippines and Vietnam, and much more,” he said.Tedros said none of the health worries and many other challenges facing the world can be addressed in isolation. He said they are deeply intertwined and must be tackled in solidarity and compassion with one another.In that spirit, he congratulated U.S. President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris. He said he looked forward to working with their administration very closely.
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Pfizer Says COVID-19 Vaccine 90% Effective in Trials
Pharmaceutical company Pfizer says late-stage testing on its potential COVID-19 vaccine indicates it is more than 90 percent effective.
Pfizer’s chairman and chief executive, Albert Bourla, along with its partner, BioNTech, made the announcement Monday regarding the Phase 3, late-stage study of their potential vaccine. The statement said the study showed the vaccine to be more than 90 percent effective in preventing the virus in participants without evidence of prior infection in the first interim efficacy analysis.
The analysis was conducted by an independent data monitoring board, which examined 94 infections recorded so far in a study that has enrolled nearly 44,000 people in the United States and five other countries.
In his statement, Bourla said the results demonstrate the potential vaccine can help prevent COVID-19 in the majority of people who receive it. He cautioned, however, that while this is a critical first step, these efficacy results alone will not allow the companies to apply for U.S. Food and Drug Administration ((FDA)) Emergency Use Authorization.
He said more data on safety is also needed, adding, “We are continuing to accumulate that safety data as part of our ongoing clinical study.
“We estimate that a median of two months of safety data following the second and final dose of the vaccine candidate – required by FDA’s guidance for potential Emergency Use Authorization – will be available by the third week of November,” he said.
The top infectious disease expert in the U.S., Dr. Anthony Fauci, has said he was looking for a vaccine with 70- to 75 percent efficacy and that even 50 percent was acceptable.
From his Twitter account, U.S. President Donald Trump noted the reported 90 percent efficiency, calling it “SUCH GREAT NEWS,” and that the stock market was “UP BIG” as a result.STOCK MARKET UP BIG, VACCINE COMING SOON. REPORT 90% EFFECTIVE. SUCH GREAT NEWS!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 9, 2020President-elect Joe Biden praised the development announced by Pfizer in a statement Monday but warned that the “end of the battle against COVID-19 is still months away.”Statement by President-elect Biden on Pfizer’s vaccine progress: pic.twitter.com/eOiLZnqO8N— Biden-Harris Presidential Transition (@Transition46) November 9, 2020The news comes as drug makers and research centers around the world scramble to deliver a safe and effective vaccine in an attempt to bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 1.25 million lives worldwide, according to the Johns Hopkins University.
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Virgin Hyperloop Hosts First Human Ride on New Transport System
Richard Branson’s Virgin Hyperloop has completed the world’s first passenger ride on a super high-speed levitating pod system, the company said on Sunday, a key safety test for technology it hopes will transform human and cargo transportation. Virgin Hyperloop executives Josh Giegel, its Chief Technology Officer, and Sara Luchian, Director of Passenger Experience, reached speeds of up to 107 miles per hour (172 km per hour) at the company’s DevLoop test site in Las Vegas, Nevada, the company said. “I had the true pleasure of seeing history made before my very eyes,” said Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of Virgin Hyperloop and Group Chairman and Chief Executive of DP World. Los Angeles-based Hyperloop envisions a future where floating pods packed with passengers and cargo hurtle through vacuum tubes at 600 miles an hour (966 kph) or faster.Virgin Hyperloop test in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov. 9, 2020.In a hyperloop system, which uses magnetic levitation to allow near-silent travel, a trip between New York and Washington would take just 30 minutes. That would be twice as fast as a commercial jet flight and four times faster than a high-speed train. The company has previously run over 400 tests without human passengers at the Nevada site. The test comes a month after Reuters first reported that Virgin Hyperloop picked the U.S. state of West Virginia to host a $500 million certification center and test track that will serve as a proving ground for its technology. The company is working toward safety certification by 2025 and commercial operations by 2030, it has said. Canada’s Transpod and Spain’s Zeleros also aim to upend traditional passenger and freight networks with similar technology they say will slash travel times, congestion and environmental harm linked with petroleum-fueled machines.
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Concern of Outright War in Ethiopia Grows as PM Presses Military Offensive
Ethiopia’s prime minister stepped up a military offensive in the northern region of Tigray on Sunday with air strikes as part of what he called a “law enforcement operation,” increasing fears of outright civil war in Africa’s second-most populous country. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has defied calls from the United Nations and allies in the region to negotiate with leaders in Tigray, home of the ethnic group that dominated the federal government before he took power in 2018. Abiy last week launched a military campaign in the province, saying forces loyal to leaders there had attacked a military base and attempted to steal equipment. Abiy accuses the leaders of Tigray of undermining his democratic reforms. Government fighter jets have since been bombing targets in the region, which borders Sudan and Eritrea. Aid workers on Sunday reported heavy fighting in several parts of the region, with at least six dead and dozens wounded. Also on Sunday, Abiy named a new chief of the army, a new intelligence chief and a new federal police commissioner and foreign minister, changes that analysts said brought close allies into top posts as the conflict escalates.FILE – Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, center, arrives for an African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Feb. 9, 2020. Ahmed on Nov. 4, 2020 ordered the military to confront the Tigray regional government after he said it attacked a base.The premier won last year’s Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with neighboring Eritrea and for introducing democratic reforms in one of Africa’s most repressive countries. But the democratic transition he promised is endangered by the Tigray conflict, the International Crisis Group think-tank warned last week. In a televised address on Sunday, Abiy urged the international community “to understand the context and the consistent transgressions” by the Tigrayan leaders which led the government to undertake “this law enforcement operation”. Tigrayans complain that Abiy, who is from the Oromo ethnic group, Ethiopia’s largest, has unfairly targeted them as part of a crackdown on past rights abuses and corruption. Forces of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which governs the region, are battle-hardened and possess significant stocks of military hardware, experts say. They and militia allies number up to 250,000 men, according to the International Crisis Group. One of the biggest risks is that Ethiopia’s army will split along ethnic lines, with Tigrayans defecting to the regional force. There are signs that is already happening, analysts said. The United Nations raised concerns of reprisals against ethnic Tigrayans amid heightened tension in the diverse country in a confidential report dated Sunday and seen by Reuters. Addis Ababa Police Commissioner Getu Aregaw said Sunday that the government had arrested 162 people in possession of firearms and ammunition, on suspicion of supporting the Tigrayan forces. The suspects were “under investigation”, he said in a statement. He did not identify their ethnicity. The mayor of the capital, Adanech Abiebie, said on Saturday several TPLF members working in her administration had been arrested on suspicion of planning to disrupt the peace. As Abiy’s government mobilizes troops to send to Tigray, other parts of the country roiled by ethnic violence could face a security vacuum, analysts say.
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Tropical Storm Eta Hits Florida Keys
Tropical Storm Eta made landfall late Sunday in the Florida Keys on its way into the eastern Gulf of Mexico before taking another aim at the southeastern U.S. state later this week. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour as it brought heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash floods to parts of southern Florida. Forecasters expect the storm to strengthen slightly into a hurricane later Monday or Tuesday but weaken again into a tropical storm before making a mainland Florida landfall. Officials have closed beaches, ports and coronavirus testing sites in the state and urged people to stay home. Florida’s governor has also declared a state of emergency in several counties to speed the government’s response. Forecasters expect Eta to drop 15 to 30 centimeters of rain on central and southern Florida through Friday. Parts of the Bahamas, Jamaica and Cuba will also see some heavy rains. Eta was a strong hurricane when it hit Nicaragua last week, bringing flooding rains to communities from Panama to Mexico. Rescuers in Guatemala continued searching Sunday for people caught in a landslide and authorities raised the official death toll to 27 with more than 100 people still missing. The storm has been blamed for at least 20 deaths in southern Mexico and at least 20 more in Honduras.
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After a Divisive Election, How Does America Move Forward?
American voters waited days to hear the projected results of the 2020 election, with voter turnout at record numbers. Amid a pandemic and a strong partisan divide, how does the country heal? Esha Sarai reports from Philadelphia.
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UK Honors War Dead in Scaled-back Remembrance Sunday Service
In a scaled-back service, Queen Elizabeth II led tributes Sunday to those from the U.K. and the Commonwealth who perished in wartime, as most veterans paid their respects at home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The 94-year-old monarch looked on from a balcony at a government building above the Cenotaph on Whitehall in central London on the 100th year anniversary of the memorial’s installation following the conclusion of World War I. The Cenotaph was officially unveiled on Nov. 11, 1920, two years to the day after the signing of the armistice that brought an end to hostilities. Following a two-minute silence at 11 a.m., Prince Charles laid a wreath on the queen’s behalf during the Remembrance Sunday commemoration. Others, including Charles’ oldest son, Prince William and Prime Minister Boris Johnson, also laid wreaths in honor of those who have perished in wartime. Leaders from across the political spectrum, including former prime ministers, were also present. The public was unable to attend this year, with the event taking place during a second national lockdown in England, and instead was encouraged to take part in the two-minute silence at home. In other years, the commemoration is packed with thousands of veterans and military personnel. In Sunday’s service, there were less than 30 veterans in attendance, and everyone present observed social distancing rules though mask wearing wasn’t mandatory in the outdoor setting. Though the service was very different this year, people took time to honor the war dead. Small services were permitted. World War II veteran Seymour “Bill” Taylor, who turns 96 next month, usually attends the service but paid his respects outside his home in Colchester, around 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of London, with the support of his neighbors. “It’s something that’s really special and it means an awful lot,” he said. “I shall remember it as a good day.” Charles’ other son, Prince Harry, wasn’t present but spoke about what serving his country in Afghanistan meant to him. “Being able to wear my uniform, being able to stand up in service of one’s country, these are amongst the greatest honors there are in life,” Harry said in a podcast. “To me, the uniform is a symbol of something much bigger, it’s symbolic of our commitment to protecting our country, as well as protecting our values.” Gen. Nick Carter, chief of the defense staff, said remembrance services still hold relevance today even though there is no one alive who served in World War I and the number of veterans from World War II are dwindling. “We have to remember that history might not repeat itself, but it has a rhythm and if you look back at the last century, before both world wars, I think it was unarguable that there was escalation which led to the miscalculation which ultimately led to war at a scale we would hopefully never see again,” he said in an interview with Sky News. “We need to be conscious of those risks and that’s why remembrance matters,” he added.
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Tropical Storm Eta Likely to Arrive as Hurricane in Florida Late Sunday
Tropical Storm Eta is gaining strength and likely to become a hurricane again by the time it reaches Florida late Sunday or Monday morning, forecasters said.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami Sunday issued hurricane and storm surge warnings for the Florida Keys and southern tip of the state. Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Saturday, and officials closed beaches and ports, shut down public transit and urged everyone to stay home.
Eta had maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour at last report Sunday afternoon and moving north, northwest at 22 kilometers per hour over the Florida Straits, the hurricane center said.
When it came ashore Tuesday in Central America, Eta was a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. The storm left hundreds dead or missing across the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala, as well as in Mexico, which is considered part of North America. In Guatemala, searchers were still looking for more than 100 missing in a landslide, one of many fueled by rain from Eta, in San Cristobal Verapaz.
Eta made landfall along the south-central coast of Cuba as a tropical storm Sunday, swelling rivers and causing floods along the coast, where 25,000 people had been evacuated. But there have been no reports of deaths.
A tropical storm warning, meanwhile, is also in effect for parts of the Bahamas, and sections of Florida’s coast and Keys.
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Greece Welcomes Biden Election Win as Hope for Stability
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was among the first foreign leaders to congratulate Joe Biden after he was projected to become the next U.S. president. Greece views the pending change of guard at the White House as pivotal to easing turbulent relations with Turkey. Many analysts, though, warn Athens should take a more cautious approach.
Mitsotakis sent a congratulatory message within minutes after Biden was projected to win the presidential election.
Mitsotakis called Biden a true friend and voiced certainty that his presidency would help forge stronger ties between the U.S. and Greece.
Analysts say that is diplomatic shorthand for an end to the close personal connection Donald Trump had developed with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan over several years.
Sotiris Servos, a professor of international relations in northern Greece, explains.
With this election, Erdogan loses Trump’s ear and the direct access he had to the Oval Office, Servos says. Biden may not be an unknown force to him, but it’s unlikely, Servos says, that Erdogan will try and test the limits of this new relationship early on.
For Greece, embroiled in a long-running and increasingly dangerous standoff with Turkey over energy rights in the eastern Mediterranean, that anticipated hiatus may buy crucial time in helping ease tensions between the rival neighbors.
But with Biden expected to toughen relations with Russia, experts in Athens anticipate this could yield even greater support from Washington, especially after Turkey, a key NATO ally, purchased an S-400 missile defense system from Moscow over U.S. objections. Turkey signed a deal to buy the system in 2017 and began taking delivery of it in 2019. A few days prior to the U.S. election, Turkey tested the system, further angering the United States.
Ankara has dismissed Washington’s concerns that the S-400 system could compromise NATO’s military systems and said the weapons are the most cost-effective solution for Turkey’s defense needs.
According to Servos, if there is one foreign policy issue Biden has been very clear about, it is Russia. How these dynamics will play out, will no doubt impact developments in the eastern Mediterranean, he explained.
In a policy chapter dubbed “Joe Biden’s vision for Greek Americans and U.S.-Greece Relations,” Biden promised ahead of the elections to call out Turkish aggression in its long-standing disputes with Greece over sea and air rights. While both NATO allies, the two countries came to the brink of war in September, forcing the U.S. to intervene and urge Erdogan to recall a survey vessel from a drilling expedition off the coast of a Greek island.
Still, critics like Panos Panagiotopoulos, a leading foreign policy analyst and former lawmaker, advise caution.
Of course, Biden’s election spells positive news for Greece, he said, as Biden is no newcomer and knows the issues and problems of this region.
But at the same time, Panagiotopoulos said, “We have to remain realists and Greeks should not froth up to expectations that Biden will cast Turkey to the side for our sake alone.” He also said the best Greeks can hope for is a different state of play and balance of relations in the region.
Whether that will play out remains to be seen.
But until then, Greece says it will not ease up on its defenses in the eastern Mediterranean, keeping ships and submarines in the region and being mindful of Ankara’s moves until Biden takes office early next year.
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Assassination of Former Afghan TV Presenter Draws Outrage
Leaders in Afghanistan and the United States have strongly condemned Saturday’s bomb explosion in the capital, Kabul, that killed two senior central bank staffers, one of them a renowned former television presenter.Police said a “magnetic improvised explosive device” ripped through a car carrying the operation deputy of the ‘Da Afghanistan Bank,’ or DAB, and his colleague, Yama Siawash, who formerly worked at the private TOLO TV channel. Their driver also was killed in the blast.No one immediately claimed credit for the bombing, but the Afghan interior ministry swiftly blamed a militant outfit, known as the Haqqani network, which is tied to the Taliban insurgency.Saturday’s attack is the latest in a wave of unexplained, high-profile assassinations and targeted killings Kabul has experienced in recent weeks.Siawash had anchored popular political and current affairs talk shows on the country’s largest TV network before joining the central bank as an adviser to the president, officials said.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack and ordered an investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice, his office said.“I am shocked at the killing of former Tolo News anchor Yama Siawash,” tweeted Ross Wilson, acting U.S. ambassador in Kabul. “This attack is an assault on freedom of the press, one of Afghanistan’s core democratic principles,” he lamented.Abdullah Abdullah, who heads Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation process with the Taliban, also said Siawash’s murder was targeted at freedom of expression in the country. “This is an unforgivable and unforgettable crime,” Abdullah said in a statement.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 9 MB480p | 13 MB540p | 17 MB720p | 42 MB1080p | 73 MBOriginal | 80 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioOn Thursday, unknown assailants gunned down in front of his house in Kabul the father of Zarifa Ghafari, one of Afghanistan’s first female mayors.The assassination drew a strong condemnation by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who had awarded Ghafari the International Women of Courage award in March of this year.Pompeo noted in his statement that since receiving the award, Ghafari herself has survived two assassination attempts. “Every effort must be made to bring the perpetrators of this crime to justice,” he said.A bomb-and-gun raid on Kabul University this week killed at least 22 people, mostly students. The Afghan branch of Islamic State took responsibility for the bloodshed.Battlefield hostilities between Afghan government forces and Taliban insurgents also have intensified in recent months, even as representatives of the two adversaries try to negotiate a peace deal in Qatar.The U.S.-brokered intra-Afghan negotiations started on Sept. 12, but they have for the most part stalled without any significant breakthrough.The dialogue is an outcome of the agreement the U.S. signed with the Taliban in February to close the 19-year-old Afghan war and bring home all American troops.The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, known as SIGAR, reported Thursday that average daily enemy-initiated attacks in the country were up 50% from July 1 to Sept. 30 of this year, compared to the period between April 1 and June 30.The monitoring agency quoted U.S. defense officials as warning that Taliban violence “could undermine” the U.S.-Taliban peace agreement if it continues at this “unacceptably high” rate.
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Music Time in Africa
World Leaders Offer Congratulations to Biden, Harris
After days of shying away from comment on America’s presidential election, world leaders including British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and German Chancellor Angela Merkel tendered congratulations Saturday to Joe Biden after Pennsylvania’s vote results made him the projected winner.“The U.S. is our most important ally and I look forward to working closely together on our shared priorities from climate change to trade and security,” Johnson said in a statement issued by Downing Street.FILE – Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a virtual news conference at Downing Street, London, Oct. 12, 2020.The British leader also praised Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, for what he dubbed her “historic achievement.” Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, is the first woman of color on a U.S. national political ticket.Midweek, Johnson avoided making any remarks on the election, sidestepping calls from Britain’s opposition parties to comment on President Donald Trump’s demand for vote counting to stop in several states.“We don’t comment as the U.K. government on the democratic processes of our friends and allies,” he said.Some Trump supporters expressed frustration with foreign leaders.“These early calls by foreign leaders congratulating Biden are deliberate election interference,” tweeted Kyle Shideler, an analyst at the Center for Security Policy, a pro-Trump policy organization in Washington. “It is beyond inappropriate for these leaders to weigh in at this time.”Canada’s TrudeauAmong the first world leaders to react to Biden’s projected win was Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, saying, “Canada and the United States enjoy an extraordinary relationship — one that is unique on the world stage. Our shared geography, common interests, deep personal connections, and strong economic ties make us close friends, partners, and allies.”He added: “I look forward to working with President-elect Biden, Vice President-elect Harris, their administration, and the United States Congress as we tackle the world’s greatest challenges together.”FILE – German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, walks with then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden for a meeting at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, Feb. 1, 2013.Germany’s Merkel said she was looking forward to “future cooperation” between the two countries, adding: “Our transatlantic friendship is irreplaceable if we are to master the great challenges of our time.”Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and French President Emmanuel Macron also offered congratulations.Macron said: “We have a lot to do to overcome today’s challenges. Let’s work together.”Sanchez added: “We are looking forward to cooperating with you to tackle the challenges ahead of us.”Governments across the world have been anxiously waiting to see whether Republican Trump would secure a second term or they would be dealing for the next four years with his Democratic challenger, the former U.S. vice president.Most foreign leaders were careful not to express a preference, fearful of alienating the eventual winner. Even national leaders most closely associated with Trump, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, were restrained in their praise of him.FILE – Viktor Orban, prime minister of Hungary, attends a news conference in Lublin, Poland, Sept. 11, 2020.Hungary’s firebrand populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban was one of the few leaders to back Trump publicly, as he did in 2016, announcing in an article in a Hungarian newspaper in September that he was “rooting for another victory for Donald Trump because we are very familiar with the foreign policy of U.S. Democratic administrations, built as it is on moral imperialism. We have tasted it — albeit under duress. We didn’t like it and we don’t want a second helping.”Other conservative nationalist leaders in central Europe were quieter, including Poland’s President Andrzej Duda.NervousnessAnxiety had only mounted since Election Day, with international allies fearful that America was heading for a contested election that could last for weeks or months.Officials in several European countries said they did not want to say anything they might later have to retract, as some governments did amid the confusion of the contested U.S. election in 2000. Among others, the German president initially congratulated candidate George W. Bush, only to have to withdraw his remarks as the world waited for five weeks and a Supreme Court ruling to finally conclude the election.But the congratulatory messages to Biden by several leaders Saturday suggested America’s allies have decided the result is a foregone conclusion — despite Trump’s decision not to concede and his determination to mount legal challenges.FILE – Polish President Andrzej Duda speaks to a crowd during an event in Gdansk-Westerplatte, Sept. 1, 2020.That includes Poland, one of the U.S.’s closest allies under the Trump administration. Duda said Saturday that his country was determined to maintain a “high-level, high-quality … partnership” during a Biden administration.Messages of congratulation also came Saturday from the leaders in the Netherlands, Qatar, Egypt, Ukraine, Lebanon, Norway and Greece.Ireland’s taoiseach, Micheal Martin, said: “Ireland takes pride in Joe Biden’s election, just as we are proud of all the generations of Irish women and Irish men and their ancestors whose toil and genius have enriched the diversity that powers America.”Biden traces his ancestry to Ireland and England.
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As US Election Hangs in Balance, China Seeks to Reduce Tensions
This week a top Chinese diplomat expressed hopes that whoever wins the U.S. presidential election, the two countries will work to reduce tensions over trade and other issues.
In a carefully worded statement, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng on Thursday said he expects whoever wins the election to meet China halfway and avoid the path of conflict and confrontation. He did not say which of the two presidential candidates he expects to win but made it clear Chinese officials are looking for ways to improve relations.
“We hope that the next U.S. government will meet China halfway; uphold the principles of non-conflict, non-confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation; focus on collaboration; manage differences; and push forward bilateral ties along the right track,” Le said while replying to a question posed at a news conference.
Relations between Beijing and Washington this year plummeted over the coronavirus pandemic, but before then Trump’s China policy changed through his presidency.
Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a meeting in the first months of his administration. However, relations worsened during a trade war and as the coronavirus health crisis grew in 2020, Trump strongly criticized China over in allowing the outbreak to become a global pandemic.
Biden has called for more attention on human rights issues in China and the situation in Hong Kong. He also has supported keeping pressure on China for its trade methods.
American experts think there is little reason for China to celebrate whoever wins the presidency because the damage done by Chinese trade and investment policy is felt across the political spectrum in the U.S.
“If China expects an incoming Biden administration to simply “forgive and forget” China’s misbehavior on trade, tech, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and other issues, they’re likely in for a rude awakening,” Scott Kennedy, Senior Adviser and Trustee Chair in Chinese Business & Economics, Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) told VOA.FILE – China’s Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng speaks at a forum in Beijing, China, Oct. 22, 2019. In a carefully worded statements, Le said on Thursday that Beijing hopes “the next U.S. government will meet China halfway.”Some experts think the trade war will continue even if a Biden administration takes charge but the two sides would demonstrate some spirit of accommodation in some areas. At the same time, there will be more efforts to reduce U.S. trade dependency on China.
“It is likely that the trade war will continue although it may be somewhat adjusted and the Biden administration will be more pragmatic. It will push for more exports of American goods to China. But it will be less vehement on China when it comes to public rhetoric,” said Rana Mitter, a China expert and professor at the University of Oxford.
The Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng said Thursday that it serves both China and the U.S. to maintain and promote healthy and steady growth of bilateral relations to meet the common aspiration of the international community, he said.
“China’s attitude toward the bilateral relations is clear and consistent,” said Le. “Although there are differences between the two countries, they also have extensive common interests and room for cooperation,” the Vice Foreign Minister said.
The days-long vote counting in the American presidential election has generated intense interest on China’s government-controlled social media.
Topics relating to the U.S. election have been trending on China’s most popular social media platform Sina Weibo for days, with “#US Presidential election” registering about several billion reads.
There are no free elections in China, where the Chinese Communist Party choses leaders through a closed, internal process. Through state-controlled media, the party frequently highlights negative news in western democracies.
The state-controlled Global Times this week published an opinion piece titled, “Chinese people showing interest in U.S. presidential election for laughs, comicalness” and cited examples of posts from social media users ridiculing the court battles and protests in some places during vote counting.
VOA’s own digital traffic indicates a surge of interest in news about the election from people in mainland China.
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Eta Moves Towards Caymans, Cuba
U.S. weather forecasters said early Saturday that Eta, now a tropical depression, will “gradually strengthen” as it moves toward the Cayman Islands.A tropical storm warning is in effect, the National Hurricane Center said, for the Caymans and the Cuban provinces of Camaguey, Ciego de Avila, Sancti Spiritus, Villa Clara, Cienfuegos, and Matanzas.Eta has ravaged Central America over the past few days with heavy rains that caused flooding and landslides that killed at least 57 people.In its latest report, the NHC said Eta was about 500 kilometers west-southwest of Grand Cayman and is moving with maximum sustained winds of 55 kph.Eta came ashore Tuesday in Nicaragua as a powerful Category 4 hurricane, bringing high winds, heavy rain, flooding and landslides in higher elevations.The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said Friday that Eta has forced thousands of people to leave their homes and has caused “significant damage” to buildings and homes in Central America, including in Honduras, Guatemala and Panama.Eta is the 28th named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, tying a record for the busiest storm season.
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US Has 3 Straight Days of Over 100,000 New COVID Infections
The U.S. reported more than 121,000 new coronavirus cases Friday, the third day in a row the nation has recorded more than 100,000 new infections.Infections are surging in all regions in the United States as the COVID-19 death toll continues to climb.U.S. hospitalizations have significantly increased, forcing hospitals in Midwestern and Southern states to take urgent action to accommodate floods of new patients.Midwestern states have been especially hard hit, with a record number of infections reported in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and Oklahoma.Since the surge in the U.S. began in mid-September, some states have periodically imposed piecemeal lockdown measures, including Maine, which has extended its mask- wearing requirement to apply to all public spaces.Officials in Denver, Colorado, on Friday urged residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. to try to reduce a growing wave of coronavirus cases.India’s health ministry said Saturday that it had recorded more than 50,000 new coronavirus cases and nearly 600 coronavirus-related deaths in the previous 24-hour period.India has a total of 8.4 million COVID cases, according to Johns Hopkins statistics. Only the United States has more cases, with its 9.7 million tally.An empty street is seen after 10 p.m. on the first day of the national night time curfew due to new coronavirus measures, in Rome, Italy, Nov. 6, 2020.The International Monetary Fund approved a $370 million extended credit facility arrangement for Afghanistan on Friday. The IMF said in a statement that the 42-month arrangement “aims to support Afghanistan’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, anchor economic reforms, and catalyze donor financing.”France, Italy and Russia reported new daily records for coronavirus cases Friday.France registered 60,486 new confirmed coronavirus cases on Friday, after posting a record of over 58,000 on Thursday, health ministry data showed. The ministry also reported 828 new deaths.Italy announced Friday 37,809 new coronavirus infections over the previous 24 hours, the country’s highest ever, while Russia also recorded its highest daily tally at 20,582.Britain began a four-week lockdown Thursday, while Greece begins a three-week shutdown Saturday.Anyone traveling from Denmark to Britain must now self-isolate for 14 days. Denmark was removed Friday from Britain’s corridor of travel, following a coronavirus outbreak on mink farms in the Scandinavian country.Denmark has announced it is culling more than 15 million minks to halt the spread of a mutated form of the coronavirus that has appeared in the minks.Authorities ordered more than a quarter of a million people in a northern region where the mink farms are located to go into lockdown. There is no evidence the mutation poses a threat to people, but officials said they were taking no chances.In Italy, new coronavirus restrictions were imposed on Friday. Under the so-called soft lockdown, the country has been divided into three zones according to the severity of the outbreak, with differing restrictions for each zone.In Pakistan, authorities said they would impose a mini lockdown in selected areas of major cities to try to stem the tide of coronavirus cases. The country reported 1,376 new cases and 30 deaths from the coronavirus on Friday.In South America, the situation is brighter in Ecuador, where the infection rate has plunged 44% to 800 new cases a day.
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