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May
Japan and U.S. preparing statement promising to 'deter' China, Nikkei reports
Written by Nur Yasmin
Japan and the United States have started preparing a statement that promises the two countries will cooperate to "deter" and respond to China, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The statement is being prepared ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden's summit with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida set for May 23, it added. (Reuters)
May
North Korea COVID outbreak could have 'devastating' impact on human rights, U.N. says
Written by Nur Yasmin
Measures taken in North Korea to fight the first reported COVID-19 outbreak could have "devastating" consequences for human rights in the country, a spokesperson for the U.N. human rights office said on Tuesday.
New restrictions could have dire consequences for people to meet their basic needs, including getting enough food, Liz Throssell told a briefing, adding that any measures taken against the pandemic should be proportionate and necessary.
The isolated country confirmed its first acknowledged COVID-19 outbreak last week, fuelling concerns over a major crisis due to lack of vaccines and medical infrastructure.
New measures to fight the spread, which include putting people into isolation and further restrictions on travel, could open the door to greater political and civil repression, Throssell said.
"In the absence of any vaccination rollout, the pandemic's reported spread may have a devastating impact on the human rights situation in the country," she said.
Children, lactating mothers, older people, the homeless and those living in more isolated rural and border areas were especially vulnerable, she said.
"Those in detention are also particularly exposed to the risk of infection due to the high concentrations of people in confined spaces and limited access to hygiene and healthcare. Malnutrition was already widespread in places of detention before the onset of COVID-19," she said.
North Korea's state emergency epidemic prevention headquarters has reported 269,510 more people with fever, bringing the total to 1.48 million, while the death toll grew by six to 56 as of Monday evening, KCNA said. It did not say how many people had tested positive for COVID-19.
The country has not started mass vaccinations and has limited testing capabilities, raising concerns that it may be difficult to assess how widely and rapidly the disease is spreading and verify the number of confirmed cases and deaths.
The U.N. human rights office urged North Korea to discuss with the United Nations the opening of channels for humanitarian support, including medicines and vaccines, Throssell said.
The office also urged North Korea to allow United Nations workers to be allowed to enter the country to support the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. (Reuters)
May
Ethiopia, World Bank agree $300 million grant for reconstruction
Written by Nur Yasmin
Ethiopia and the World Bank have signed a pact for a grant of $300 million to assist reconstruction and recovery in conflict-hit areas, the finance ministry said.
Fighting that erupted in the northern region of Tigray in November 2020, and spilled over into neighbouring Afar and Amhara last year, has eased since a unilateral ceasefire by the federal government in March.
"The resource will be used to finance the activities designed to support ... basic services," the ministry said in a statement late on Monday.
Services that stand to benefit are education, health, water supply and a special effort to support survivors of gender-based violence in conflict-hit areas, it said.
Areas in Amhara, Afar, Tigray and the regions of Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz are targeted to receive the funds, it said, adding that the government would sign up with third-party organisations to execute the project in high-conflict areas.
The violence in Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz, home to several ethnic groups, is separate from the war in Tigray. (Reuters)
May
Macron told Israel's Bennett he is concerned about West Bank settlement plans
Written by Nur Yasmin
French President Macron on Tuesday told Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett about his concerns over the country's latest announcements on settlements in the West Bank, the Elysee said in a readout after the two leaders' phone call.
Macron in the conversation also reiterated his determination to revive a nuclear deal between world powers and Iran, known as the JCPOA. (Reuters)
May
Ireland says path chosen by UK on N.Ireland of 'great concern'
Written by Nur Yasmin
Ireland's foreign minister said the lining up by Britain of new laws that would effectively override parts of a deal with the European Union on post-Brexit trade to Northern Ireland was of "great concern."
"I deeply regret the decision of the British government to introduce legislation in the coming weeks... The path chosen is of great concern," Simon Coveney said after his British counterpart Liz Truss set out the plans on Tuesday.
"Such unilateral action in respect of an internationally binding agreement is damaging to trust and will serve only to make it more challenging to find solutions," Coveney said in a statement that also welcomed London's preference for a negotiated solution with the European Union. (Reuters)
May
EU should be targeted, selective in fiscal support amid Ukraine war
Written by Nur Yasmin
The European Union's fiscal response to the economic effects of the Russian invasion of Ukraine must be more targeted and selective than the blanket support offered during the COVID-19 pandemic, European Economic Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said.
The war in Ukraine has reduced euro zone growth forecasts to 2.7% this year from 4.0% predicted in February, as the Russian invasion hit confidence and supply chains and sharply boosted energy prices that triggered a surge in consumer inflation.
"Now we have a new crisis, and the new crisis is similar to the previous one because it is again an external shock, with uneven consequences among countries -- depending on the (number of accepted) refugees, oil dependency on Russia etc," Gentiloni told a panel at the Brussels Economic Forum.
"But it is not the same crisis and it cannot justify the same level of supportive fiscal policies. So it is necessary now to have more targeted, more selective actions in supporting our economy," he said.
He said this would be the recommendation that the Commission would make next week to EU governments, when it presents a proposal on the EU's fiscal stance in 2023 -- whether or not to keep EU limits on government borrowing suspended next year.
"I think we cannot adopt this universally supportive fiscal policy. More selection, more targeting. This is what we will suggest in our spring package," he said. (Reuters)
May
Finland's parliament on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a proposal to apply for membership of the NATO military alliance in a historic policy shift prompted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
President Sauli Niinisto and the government decided officially on Sunday that Finland would apply for membership but the decision was pending parliament's approval.
Of the 200 lawmakers, 188 voted in favour and eight against the application, Speaker Matti Vanhanen said.
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said the decision was no reason to celebrate because "there is war in Europe".
"Finland's membership in NATO will not change our basic thinking that we will always seek peaceful solutions and we are a peace-loving nation that will first and foremost seek diplomatic solutions to every conflict," he said during the debate.
Opponents to the application included some lawmakers from the Left Alliance, part of Finland's five-party coalition, among them Markus Mustajarvi who challenged the decision with a counter proposal resulting in it being put to the vote.
"Our border would become the border between the military alliance and Russia. New tensions would not be a risk only during the application process but rather a new and permanent condition of our foreign and security policy," he said.
Early on Tuesday, the foreign affairs committee decided to join the state leadership in proposing to parliament that the Nordic country should apply for membership.
"Having heard a very large number of experts and having received the opinions of 10 (parliamentary) committees, the foreign affairs committee agrees with the government that Finland should apply for membership in NATO. This decision is unanimous," chairman Jussi Halla-aho told reporters. (Reuters)
May
Mexican president calls U.S. embargo on Cuba "genocidal policy"
Written by Nur Yasmin
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday the U.S. embargo on Cuba was "genocidal policy."
Lopez Obrador, who was speaking at a regular government news conference, has repeatedly called for the United States to end the embargo, and visited Cuba earlier this month. (Reuters)
May
South Africa in new surge of COVID-19 from variants of Omicron
Written by nuke
People queue at a COVID-19 testing centre in Soweto, South Africa, Wednesday, May 11, 2022. Health experts in South A experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two omicron sub-variants. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell) -
South Africa is experiencing a surge of new COVID-19 cases driven by two Omicron sub-variants, according to health experts.
For about three weeks, the country has seen increasing numbers of new cases and somewhat higher hospitalisations, but no increases in severe cases and deaths, said Professor Marta Nunes, a researcher at Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Analytics at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto.
“We're still very early in this increase period, so I don’t want to really call it a wave,” Nunes said. “We are seeing a slight, a small increase in hospitalisations and really very few deaths.”
South Africa's new cases have gone from an average of 300 per day in early April to about 8,000 per day this week. Nunes says the actual number of new cases is probably much higher because the symptoms are mild and many who get sick are not getting tested.
South Africa's new surge is from two variations of omicron, BA.4 and BA.5, which appear to be very much like the original strain of Omicron that was first identified in South Africa and Botswana late last year and swept around the globe.
“The majority of new cases are from these two strains. They are still Omicron ... but just genomically somewhat different,” said Nunes. The new versions appear to be able to infect people who have immunity from earlier COVID infections and vaccinations but they cause generally mild disease, she said.
In South Africa, 45 per cent of adults are fully vaccinated, although about 85 per cent of the population is thought to have some immunity based on past exposure to the virus.
“It looks like the vaccines still protect against severe disease,” Nunes said.
Nunes said that the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Omicron have spread to other countries in southern Africa and a few European countries, but it is too early to tell if they will spread across the globe, as Omicron did.
“It looks like the vaccines still protect against severe disease,” Nunes said.
Nunes said that the BA.4 and BA.5 strains of Omicron have spread to other countries in southern Africa and a few European countries, but it is too early to tell if they will spread across the globe, as Omicron did.
The increase in COVID-19 cases is coming as South Africa is entering the Southern Hemisphere's colder winter months and the country is seeing a rise in cases of flu.
At a testing centre in the Chiawelo area of Soweto, many people come in to be tested for COVID-19 but find out they have flu.
“Now we're in flu season ... so it’s flu versus COVID-19," said Magdeline Matsoso, site manager at the Chiawelo vaccination centre. She said people come for testing because they have COVID-19 symptoms.
“When we do the tests, you find that the majority of them are negative when it comes to COVID-19 but they do have flu symptoms,” said Matsoso.
"So they get flu treatment and then they go home because the majority is related to flu and not COVID-19.”
Vuyo Lumkwani was one of those who came to get tested.
“I wasn’t feeling well when I woke up this morning. I woke up with body pains, a headache, blocked (nose), feeling dizzy, so I decided to come here," she said.
"I was terrified about my symptoms because I thought it might be COVID-19, but I told myself that I’d be OK because I have been vaccinated,” said Lumkwani. She said she was relieved to be diagnosed with flu and advised to go home with some medications and rest//CNA
May
Enea Bastianini won GP series in Le Mans, French on Sunday (15/05/22) -
Gresini Racing's Enea Bastianini claimed his third win of the season at the French Grand Prix on Sunday as world champion and home favourite Fabio Quartararo came fourth.
Italian Bastianini finished ahead of Ducati's Jack Miller at Le Mans, celebrating another win after victories in Austin and Qatar.
Pole sitter Francesco Bagnaia lost his top spot to team mate Miller on the opening but soon regained the position and held on for 20 laps.
Bastianini, who started fifth, took the lead on the 21st lap after Bagnaia ran off-track at turn eight before crashing out.
Quartararo, who started fourth on his Yamaha, slipped four places on the opening lap but the Frenchman moved up and Bagnaia's crash put him in reach of a podium spot.
But Frenchman Quartararo could not close the gap on Aprilia's Aleix Espargaro who finished third//CNA