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August
COVID-19: Anti-vaccine demos in France for sixth weekend
Written by nuke
Around 200 different demonstrations were called across the country -
Tens of thousands of people demonstrated in the streets of France again on Saturday (Aug 21) against the government's COVID-19 vaccination policies amid concern from rights groups about anti-Semitic sentiment in the protest movement.
Saturday's marches were called for the sixth weekend in a row to denounce a "health pass" system announced by President Emmanuel Macron that they see as unfairly restricting the rights of the unvaccinated.
Under the system, introduced progressively since mid-July, anyone wishing to enter a restaurant, theatre, cinema, long-distance train, or large shopping centre must show proof of vaccination or a negative test.
Around 200 different demonstrations were called across the country, with around 9,500 people counted in southern Montpellier, 4,000 in eastern Strasbourg and 3,400 in Bordeaux, according to local authorities.
At the head of the Paris march, people held up flags and banners with the word "Liberty" on them while shouting "Macron! We don't want your pass!"
The protest movement has brought together conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, former members of the "Yellow Vest" anti-government movement, as well as people concerned that the system unfairly creates a two-tier society.
Around 200,000 people have marched in previous weekends, according to interior ministry figures, and final tallies for Saturday's demonstrations are set to be released in the evening.
Organisers claim the real number on previous weekends was double the figures estimated by police.
The government insists the pass is necessary to encourage vaccination uptake and avoid a fourth national lockdown, with the unjabbed making up eight or nine out of every 10 COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital.
A majority of French people support the health pass system and only around a third agree with the protesters, according to a survey by the Ifop polling group for the Journal du Dimanche newspaper last weekend.
The protest movement has been marked from the beginning by slogans and symbols that have been denounced by Jewish groups and anti-racism campaigners.
Some protesters have worn yellow stars similar to the ones that the Nazi regime forced Jews to display during World War II, leading to condemnation from Holocaust survivors for the offensive comparison.
Left-wing newspaper Le Monde condemned the rise in anti-Semitic behaviour in an editorial this week, calling it a "poison for society, a danger for all of us".
"Although anti-Semitism on the far-right is old, it seems to be encouraged at the moment by the rise in conspiracy thinking," it added.
Tristan Mendes-France, a specialist on the conspiracy movement, called COVID-19 "an accelerator of anti-Semitism because we are seeing a tragedy unfold continuously.
Though disputed, the health pass system has been effective in encouraging people to sign up for vaccinations, with millions of people booking appointments in the days after it was announced on Jul 12.
Around 47 million people have received at least one dose, about 70 per cent of the population, which is a higher rate than in Germany and Italy and only slightly behind Britain.
The most severe COVID-19 hotpots are currently found in France's overseas territories such as the Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, as well as the Pacific islands of French Polynesia.
Polynesian authorities announced a tightening of restrictions on Saturday, with schools, restaurants and bars set to close for two weeks, while a nightly curfew will be brought forward by an hour to 8pm.
Tourists have been told to stay in their hotels on the islands where the number of infections has increased by a multiple of 14 in two weeks, according to the head of the islands, Edouard Fritch.
France as a whole reported around 22,000 new infections in the past 24 hours, health ministry figures show//CNA
August
Israeli aircraft strike Hamas sites in Gaza after border clashes
Written by nuke
A wounded Palestinian is carried after taking part in a protest at Israel-Gaza border east of Gaza City, August 21, 2021. Salem -
Israeli aircraft struck Hamas sites in Gaza late on Saturday (Aug 21), the military said, in an escalation of hostilities after earlier cross-border gunfire seriously injured an Israeli soldier and wounded 41 Palestinians, including two critically.
The injuries came during a Gaza protest organised by the enclave's Islamist rulers Hamas and other factions in support of Jerusalem, where Palestinian clashes with Israeli police helped spark an 11-day Israel-Hamas conflict in May.
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered near the Strip's heavily fortified border, where some tried to scale the border fence and others threw explosives towards Israeli troops, the Israeli military said.
"IDF (Israeli military) troops responded with riot dispersal means, including when necessary live fire," it said in a statement.
Among the two Palestinians critically injured was a 13-year-old boy who was shot in the head, Gaza's health ministry said. It described most of the other injuries as moderate, including gunshots to limbs, backs and abdomens.
Cross-border fire from Gaza seriously wounded an Israeli border police soldier, who is in hospital receiving medical treatment, the military said. There was no claim of responsibility for the Gaza gunfire.
In response to the soldier's shooting, Israeli "fighter jets have struck four weapons storage and manufacturing sites belonging to" Hamas, the military said. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
Bracing for more hostilities, the military said it had sent additional forces to the Gaza border area. Israeli media reported the military had increased deployment of its Iron Dome anti-missile system.
The violence follows an Israeli announcement of a resumption of Qatari aid to Gaza, a move seen as bolstering a fragile Egyptian-mediated truce to the May fighting.
Just days before that announcement, Gaza militants launched a rocket towards Israel that was shot down by the Iron Dome, in the first such attack since the truce.
Palestinians have also sporadically launched fire-laden balloons towards Israel since the fighting, drawing Israeli strikes on Hamas sites.
Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Saturday's air strikes showed Israel was "trying to cover up its failure and disappointment in front of the steadfastness of our people and their valiant resistance."
At least 250 Palestinians and 13 in Israel were killed in the May conflict, in which Gaza militants fired rockets towards Israeli cities and Israel carried out air strikes across the coastal enclave.
Israel keeps Gaza under a blockade, tightly restricting movement out of the territory that is home to 2 million Palestinians. Egypt also maintains restrictions on the enclave. Both cite threats from Hamas for the restrictions//CNA
August
UK says Russia, China needed for 'moderating influence' over Taliban
Written by nuke
Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab walks outside the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London, Britain, August 20, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls -
Britain would have to turn to Russia and China to exercise a "moderating influence" over the Taliban, despite a mistrust between the UK and those governments, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said.
"We're going to have to bring in countries with a potentially moderating influence like Russia and China, however uncomfortable that is", Raab told The Sunday Telegraph newspaper.
The Taliban seized power last weekend from a US-backed government, sending thousands fleeing and potentially heralding a return to the militants' austere and autocratic rule of two decades ago.
Britain and China have recently been at odds over various issues, including Hong Kong and alleged human rights abuses against China's Uyghur ethnic group.
Ties between London and Moscow also have been on ice since the 2018 poisoning with a Soviet-developed nerve agent known as Novichok of ex-double agent Sergei Skripal, a mole who betrayed hundreds of Russian agents to Britain's MI6 foreign spy service.
Relations between Britain and Russia deteriorated further after a BBC journalist working in Moscow was told to leave the country.
British forces have evacuated 3,800 people from Kabul since Aug 13, according to the Britain's Ministry of Defence, including 1,323 who have made it to the UK.
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said late on Saturday that the "abandonment" of Afghanistan was "tragic, dangerous, unnecessary, not in their interests and not in ours."
The former prime minister, who sent British troops into Afghanistan in 2001, said the decision to withdraw from the country was driven "not by grand strategy but by politics".
Blair added that Britain had serious reflection to do after what he described as "little or no consultation" by the United States in the decision to pull out from Afghanistan.
"We (Britain) are at risk of relegation to the second division of global powers. Maybe we don't mind. But we should at least take the decision deliberatively", Blair wrote in a lengthy article published on Saturday//CNA
August
Singapore, US relations have always been ‘on track’, says Vivian Balakrishnan
Written by nuke
Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan at an interview with CNA. (Photo: Marcus Marc Ramos) -
The relationship between Singapore and the United States has always been “on track”, said Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan ahead of US Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to Southeast Asia.
“I think it's worth emphasising the point that through successive administrations, both Democrats and Republicans, we've actually had excellent relations with them,” said Dr Balakrishnan in an interview airing on CNA on Sunday (Aug 22).
He said that there has been a “steady tempo of meetings and interactions” through the administrations of presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, including state visits and the Trump-Kim Summit in 2018, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted such interactions.
“To be honest with you, diplomacy does need face-to-face interactions. You need to look into people's eyes. You need to have some time, sometimes just to relax and have a one-on-one conversation,” he said.
“The visit by Vice President Kamala Harris is a very welcome, important visit.”
Ms Harris, the US’ first female vice-president, is visiting Singapore from Sunday to Tuesday before leaving for Vietnam. This is her first visit to Asia.
Dr Balakrishnan said that the diplomacy practised by the Joe Biden administration is “more conventional”.
“They try to engage multilaterally. They engage quite systematically with allies, their partners and other stakeholders,” he said.
“I think it's quite in keeping with that tone and that pace for her to reach out to Southeast Asia and in particular Singapore, a city-state right in the heart of Southeast Asia; Vietnam – another emerging mid-sized major country in Southeast Asia. I'm sure she'll be covering other parts of the world in due time.”
Dr Balakrishnan emphasised that on Singapore’s part, its engagement with the US in terms of policy implementation, its economic account, on defence and its diplomatic engagement diary has been “very good” and “consistent”.
“America remains the largest foreign investor in Singapore,” he said, adding that the US has more invested in Singapore than in India, China and Korea combined.
“Many people are often surprised at that, and there are more than 5,000 American companies here ... they have been a conduit for technology, for networks, for trade, for access.”
Singapore has also had a free trade agreement with the US since 2004, and has strong defence ties with the country - the US Navy has become the largest foreign user of Changi Naval Base, and Singapore troops train regularly in America.
“The result of that is that there (are) very close institutional and personal links between our leaders, and including our military leadership and theirs. And, I would say, a very large reservoir of trust and goodwill,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
When asked about the US’ return to multilateralism, Dr Balakrishnan said that former president Donald Trump was an “unconventional” president who represented the concerns of a significant segment of domestic political opinion in a polarised America.
“We understand that polarisation makes it difficult for the United States to present sometimes a consistent narrative through different administrations. But I think we just have to learn to adapt and this is par for the course.”
He added: “We do believe that America has been a constructive, significant presence and a significant pillar of the formula for peace and prosperity in Southeast Asia.”//CNA
August
Ismail Sabri Yaakob sworn in as Malaysia's 9th prime minister
Written by nuke
This handout photo from Malaysia's Department of Information taken and released on Aug 21, 2021 shows Malaysia's incoming Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (left) receiving documents from King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah before taking the oath as the country's new leader at the National Palace in Kuala Lumpur. (Photo: Khirul NIZAM ZANIL / Malaysia's Department of Information / AFP) -
Mr Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as Malaysia’s prime minister on Saturday (Aug 21), ending almost a week of political turmoil in Putrajaya.
The 61-year-old politician from United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) took the oath of office before King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah at the national palace.
The ceremony was held a day after the appointment was announced by the king, following a special meeting of the Conference of Rulers. The government should continue efforts to fight COVID-19 immediately, the king had said.
Mr Ismail Sabri was most recently deputy prime minister and defence minister in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Mr Muhyiddin Yassin, who resigned on Monday after losing majority support in the Lower House.
A number of UMNO MPs, led by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had withdrawn their support for Mr Muhyiddin. The PN government was formed only about 18 months ago in March 2020 after a power tussle caused the Pakatan Harapan government to collapse.
On Tuesday, Malaysia's 220 MPs were asked to submit a statutory declaration stating their preferred prime minister candidate to the palace.
A total of 114 MPs picked Mr Ismail Sabri, giving him a simple majority.
He was supported by 50 MPs from PN and 41 MPs from Barisan Nasional. Additionally, 18 lawmakers from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, one from Parti Bersatu Sabah and four independent lawmakers also backed Mr Ismail Sabri.
Another UMNO politician who was said to be in the running to be nominated by the party as its prime minister candidate was veteran lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. He abstained from backing Mr Ismail Sabri.
The opposition's candidate for prime minister, Mr Anwar Ibrahim, was backed by 105 lawmakers. He has urged his supporters to accept Mr Ismail Sabri's appointment.
In an audience with leaders of major political parties on Wednesday, the king had decreed that all should work as one team.
The new prime minister should also seek a confidence vote in the parliament as soon as possible, he said, adding that a general election was not the best option currently.
Speaking to Bernama on leaving the palace, Mr Ismail Sabri expressed his thanks to the king for consenting to his appointment.
The new prime minister also expressed appreciation for the support given by the MPs and heads of political parties.
"For the people, I will make a statement tomorrow," he said//CNA
August
Biden again defends US pullout as world powers struggle with Afghanistan evacuations
Written by nuke
Evacuees from Afghanistan disembark a Spanish military plane as part of their evacuation at Al Maktoum Internationa Dubai, United Arab Emirates, August 20, 2021. Ministry of Defense of Spain/Handout via REUTERS -
World powers struggled on Friday (Aug 20) to hasten evacuations from Afghanistan after reports of Taliban reprisals, as US President Joe Biden insisted that the chaos following the American troop withdrawal had not diminished Washington's international credibility.
Facing a torrent of criticism at home and abroad for his handling of the withdrawal and the subsequent Taliban conquest of Afghanistan, Biden pledged that every American who wanted to would be evacuated, with about 13,000 flown out so far.
"I have seen no question of our credibility around the world from our allies," Biden said in a speech from the White House.
"We are united with our closest partners to execute the mission at hand," he said.
He said he could not promise what the final outcome would be in Afghanistan, where the United States has waged a 20-year war. But he promised to work with other countries to set "harsh conditions" for any cooperation or recognition of the Taliban, based on their human rights record.
"They're looking to gain some legitimacy, they're going to have to figure out how they're going to retain that country," he said. "And there's going to be some harsh conditions, strong conditions we're going to apply that will depend on ... how well they treat women and girls, how they treat their citizens."
Thousands of desperate Afghans clutching papers, children and some belongings thronged Kabul airport where gun-toting Taliban members urged those without travel documents to go home. In and around the airport, 12 people have been killed since Sunday, NATO and Taliban officials said.
Former government officials told harrowing tales of hiding from the group, as armed gunmen went from door to door. One family of 16 described running to the bathroom, lights off and children's mouths covered, in fear for their lives with the militants at their door.
"Those who may be in danger have no clear way out," UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) spokesperson Shabia Mantoo said, urging neighbouring countries to keep borders open.
The speed with which the Islamist group conquered Afghanistan, as foreign troops were withdrawing, surprised even their own leaders and left power vacuums.
Biden reiterated his contention that the US-funded and -armed Afghan military had been expected to put up more of a fight.
"The overwhelming consensus was that they (the Afghan government forces) were not going to collapse ... they were not going to put down their arms and take off," Biden said.
The Taliban called for unity, asking imams at Friday prayers to persuade people not to leave. Residents in Kabul and four other cities said attendance was low, though prayers passed off without incident.
Washington has about 5,800 soldiers controlling the airport but acknowledged it does not have a grip on how many US citizens were in Afghanistan//CNA
August
NATO allies press for more time to fly people out of Kabul
Written by nuke
British citizens and dual nationals residing in Afghanistan board a military plane for evacuation from Kabul airport on Aug 16, 2021, in this handout picture obtained by Reuters on Aug 17, 2021. (Photo: Ben Shread/UK MOD) -
Several NATO countries pressed on Friday (Aug 20) for evacuations from Kabul to continue beyond the current US deadline of Aug 31 because so many people seeking safe passage following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan are stuck outside the airport.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg described the situation outside Kabul airport as "very dire and difficult". Thousands of foreign nationals and people who may be under threat from the Taliban are desperately trying to get into the airport.
"The US has stated that the timeline ends on Aug 31, but several of our allies raised ... the need to potentially extend that to be able to get more people out," he said after an emergency meeting of NATO foreign ministers.
Although the deadline for the withdrawal of thousands of US troops who are crucial for securing Kabul airport is Aug 31, President Joe Biden said this week that they may stay longer to facilitate the evacuation of Americans.
More than 18,000 people have been flown out of Kabul since the Taliban took over the capital on Sunday, according to a NATO official.
Stoltenberg said that many of the 30 NATO nations had sent planes to evacuate vulnerable people, but there was more capacity on those aircraft than there were people ready to board them because of the chaos outside the airport.
He again urged the Taliban to allow the safe passage of all foreign nationals and Afghans seeking to leave.
The foreign ministers warned the Taliban not to let Afghanistan become a breeding ground for terrorism. The Islamist group was ousted from power in 2001 after a US-led invasion launched following the Sep 11 al Qaeda attacks on the United States.
"For the last 20 years, we have successfully denied terrorists a safe haven in Afghanistan from which to instigate attacks," the ministers said in a statement after their virtual meeting.
Stoltenberg said earlier this week NATO had "capabilities to strike terrorist groups from a distance" if militant groups try to re-establish themselves in Afghanistan and plan attacks against allied countries.
After almost two decades, NATO this summer completed military operations in Afghanistan and withdrew most troops from the country following Biden's decision to end the war.
The alliance still has a diplomatic representation in Kabul. Headquartered in Brussels, it also serves as a forum to coordinate national measures in Afghanistan, such as the evacuation of citizens//CNA
August
Belgium, except for Brussels, to scrap COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants, cafes
Written by nuke
People walk past a closed restaurant, as restaurants were forced to close for four weeks, after a Belgian federal government decision in order to tackle a surging second wave COVID-19 in the country, in Brussels, Belgium Oct 19, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir) -
Belgium will scrap COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants and cafes, allowing them to operate under their usual hours as part of the government's reopening plan and as more than two-thirds of the population have been vaccinated.
But the measures, which will take effect on Sep 1, will not apply to Brussels, home to the European Commission, the European Parliament and NATO, because of the low vaccination rate in some parts of the city.
Prime Minister Alexander De Croo urged Belgians who have yet to get their jabs to do so as soon as possible, adding that vaccination would be mandatory for healthcare workers.
"Today, more than eight out of 10 adults are fully vaccinated. We can now take this further step," he told a news conference.
While there will be no limits on the number of people sitting together at a table and no social distancing curbs, restaurant diners and cafe goers will still have to wear masks.
Restrictions and mask wearing requirements will be scraped for indoor events with up to 200 people and up to 400 for outdoor events. Events exceeding those numbers will only be open to people who have been vaccinated and have a negative virus test or have recovered from the virus.
Discotheques and dance halls will be allowed to re-open on Oct 1.
Seventy-two per cent of the population have received at least one jab of vaccines compared with 62 per cent of young people between 12-17 years, according to figures released by authorities on Friday. Belgium has 1.16 million confirmed cases, 25,312 deaths and 77,129 patients admitted to hospitals, the data showed//CNA
August
WHO seeks 'best minds' to probe new pathogens that jump from animals to humans
Written by nuke
Medical workers in protective suits attend to COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit of a designated hospital in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, Feb 6, 2020. (Photo: Reuters/China Daily) -
The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday (Aug 20) it was looking for the greatest scientific minds to advise on investigations into new high-threat pathogens that jump from animals to humans and could spark the next pandemic.
Launching a request for applications, it said that its Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens would also review progress on the next studies into the origins of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that emerged in China in late 2019.
"We need to bring in the best minds here. And it needs to be multi-disciplinary," Maria van Kerkhove, head of WHO's emerging diseases and zoonosis unit, told Reuters.
The panel, announced by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in July, will be composed of 25 experts expected to meet first virtually in late September, a statement said.
"In the last 20 years we've had many of these pathogens emerge or re-emerge: SARS, MERS, different avian influenzas, Zika, yellow fever and of course SARS-CoV-2," van Kerkhove said.
Van Kerkhove, an American epidemiologist and WHO's technical lead on COVID-19, recalled that it took more than a year to establish that dromedary camels were the intermediary source of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) carried by bats.
The new group would draw up a global framework for studies into animals, humans, food, the environment, biosafety and protocols for lab audits when new pathogens emerge, she said.
"Given the geopolitics of all of this, we want to make sure that we have a very solid technical and scientific framework ... for the next time, because there will be a next time," she said.
A WHO-led team of experts spent four weeks in and around the central city of Wuhan with Chinese scientists and said in a joint report in March that the SARS-CoV-2 virus had probably been transmitted from bats to humans through another animal but that further research was needed.
The WHO has urged all countries to work together to investigate the virus origins, but China has publicly rejected plans for more checks on labs and markets in its territory.
Tedros has said that the investigation was hampered by the lack of raw data on the first days of spread there.
Van Kerkhove said that Chinese officials had recently made public statements about pursuing studies.
Critical ones include serology studies testing for antibodies present there in 2019, she said, adding: "I would like to see more studies on the animals sold in the market, tracing back."//CNA
August
Brazil's Bolsonaro asks Senate to impeach a Supreme Court justice
Written by nuke
Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro looks on during a promotion ceremony for generals of the armed forces, at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, August 12, 2021. REUTERS/Adriano Machado -
Brazil's far-right President Jair Bolsonaro raised the stakes in his battle with the country's Supreme Court on Friday (Aug 20), sending the Senate a request for the impeachment of one of its justices, according to the request seen by Reuters.
Bolsonaro is seeking to impeach Justice Alexandre de Moraes after he opened an investigation into the president for allegedly leaking to the media a secret federal police report of a hacking that backed up his views that Brazil's electronic voting system was vulnerable to fraud.
Moraes has also begun investigating Bolsonaro for his attacks on the Supreme Electoral Court, which has maintained that the electronic system is safe and can be audited.
Bolsonaro's critics say he is sowing doubts about the voting system so he can question next year's election results if he loses. Polls show former leftist president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ahead, though neither have announced they will run.
The president's request to the Senate, which is the only body that can try a top court judge, said some justices were committing abuses and breaking the law by launching investigations without the involvement of state prosecutors.
The Senate is not expected to take up the impeachment request, just as the lower chamber has not advanced any of the dozens of requests to impeach Bolsonaro.
But his case against Moraes will deepen the crisis between the president and the Supreme Court, which Bolsonaro supporters want to see closed down//CNA