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December
South Africa readies hospitals as Omicron variant drives new COVID-19 wave
Written by nuke
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa wears a face mask as he looks on during a visit with Ivory Coast's Prime Minister Patrick Achi at the port in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Dec 3, 2021. (File photo: Reuters/Luc Gnago) -
South Africa is preparing its hospitals for more admissions, as the Omicron coronavirus variant pushes the country into a fourth wave of COVID-19 cases, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday (Dec 6).
Omicron was first detected in southern Africa last month and has triggered global alarm as governments fear another surge in infections.
South Africa's daily infections surged last week to more than 16,000 on Friday from roughly 2,300 on Monday.
Ramaphosa said in a weekly newsletter that Omicron appeared to be dominating new cases in most of the country's nine provinces and urged more people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
"South Africa now has sufficient supplies of vaccines, ... vaccination is essential for our economic recovery because as more people are vaccinated more areas of economic activity will be opened up," he said.
The government would soon convene the National Coronavirus Command Council to review the state of the pandemic and decide whether further measures are needed to keep people safe, Ramaphosa said.
Scientists in South Africa and other countries are racing to establish whether Omicron is more contagious, causes more severe disease and is more resistant to existing vaccines.
But some anecdotal accounts from doctors and experts in South Africa are reassuring, suggesting that many infections it causes are mild.
"We are keeping a close eye on the rates of infection and hospitalisation," Ramaphosa said//CNA
December
Urban garden in Rio feeds hundreds of families in former ‘crackland’
Written by nuke
A drone picture of a person working at the Horta de Manguinhos (Manguinhos vegetable garden), the biggest urban garden in Latin America, part of the project "Hortas Cariocas" developed by Rio de Janeiro's Environment Secretary in the Manguinhos favela. (Photo: Reuters/Pilar Olivares) -
The Manguinhos neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, a slum where addicts once smoked crack and residents dumped trash, has been transformed into a community vegetable garden that now feeds some 800 families struggling with rampant food inflation.
The urban garden covers the area of four football fields, according to Rio de Janeiro's "Hortas Cariocas" program coordinators, making it one of the largest of its kind in Latin America.
"This particular area was used as a 'cracolândia'," said Julio Cesar Barros, an agronomist employed by the city.
"If you arrived here on a Wednesday at 10 in the morning, you could find two or three thousand people smoking crack in this area."
Barros said he helped create the "Hortas Cariocas" project in 2006 to plant vegetables in various parts of the city and supply organic products to lower-income residents. He said urban gardens also helped prevent irregular occupation of dangerous areas prone to flooding or landslides.
"While I am planting (seeds) I am thinking that in a few days I will be harvesting this and taking it home to eat it," said Diane Silva, an urban farm worker. "I know I am planting to harvest tomorrow ... it gives a lot of pleasure to work in a garden, it is a job that we enjoy, I love this."
The project has now expanded to 49 vegetable gardens across Rio, according to Barros.
Ezequiel Dias, a Manguinhos resident who helps to coordinate the project, said the initiative has transformed his community.
"It changed the face of Manguinhos… our communities need exactly this: peace, happiness and a better life."//CNA
December
Islamic countries to meet on Afghanistan crisis on Dec. 19
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan's foreign minister called on Saturday for a fresh effort to stop neighbouring Afghanistan sliding further into crisis as he announced an extraordinary meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) later this month.
The meeting of foreign ministers from Islamic countries will be held in Islamabad on Dec. 19, with delegations from the European Union and the so-called P5 group of the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China also invited.
"To abandon Afghanistan at this stage would be a historic mistake," Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Hussain Qureshi told a news conference in Islamabad, warning that half the country was facing the risk of starvation that could trigger further chaos.
"Instability could give way to renewed conflict, it could trigger an exodus of refugees," he said.
There have been growing warnings of the humanitarian crisis facing Afghanistan since international aid was abruptly cut following the Taliban takeover on Aug. 15 and fears of disaster if the situation is not brought under control.
However, getting help in has been hindered by sanctions on dealing with the Taliban, the U.S. decision to freeze billions of dollars of central bank reserves held outside Afghanistan and the collapse of much of the country's banking system.
Pakistan recently agreed to allow 50,000 tonnes of wheat to transit through its territory from India to help Afghanistan but aid agencies have warned that much more help is urgently needed. (reuters)
December
Pakistan receives $3 billion loan from Saudi Arabia
Written by Nur Yasmin
Pakistan on Saturday received a $3 billion loan from Saudi Arabia, the prime minister's finance adviser said, as part of an economic support package.
The South Asian country has faced growing economic challenges, with high inflation, sliding forex reserves, a widening current account deficit and a depreciating currency.
Pakistan’s total liquid foreign reserves stand at $22,498.8 million, based on central bank data.
Shaukat Tarin, finance adviser to Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan, said in a tweet: "I want to thank His Excellency Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the kind gesture."
The loan from Saudi Arabia will be for one year at a 4% interest rate under the terms of the package, which was signed last month. read more
"This is positive news ... and will help bolster both the foreign exchange reserves and sentiments in the forex market," Saad Hashemy, executive director at BMA Capital said.
The loan comes a week after the International Monetary Fund agreed with Pakistan on measures needed to revive a stalled $6 billion funding programme. read more
The completion of the review, pending since earlier this year, would make available 750 million in IMF special drawing rights, or around $1 billion, bringing total disbursements so far to about $3 billion.
Pakistan's central bank has raised its benchmark interest rate by 150 basis points to 8.75% to counter inflationary pressures.
Inflation had reached 11.5% in November, up from 9.2% a month earlier.
The Pakistani rupee, which closed on Friday at 176.77 at inter-bank against a dollar, has depreciated more than 11% since the start of this year. (reuters)
December
South Korea on Sunday reported three more Omicron coronavirus variant cases, bringing its total confirmed so far to 12, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
It reported 5,128 new COVID-19 cases for Saturday, a slight decline after reporting a record daily tally of 5,352 a day earlier.
The country has reported a total of 473,034 cases, with 3,852 deaths.
From Monday, people visiting 14 designated public spaces, including hospitality and entertainment venues, will have to show their vaccine passes, as the government sets out a plan to reduce the risk of community spread. The public will have a grace period of a week to get used to the new rules. (reuters)
December
Russia, Southeast Asia conclude first joint naval exercise
Written by Nur Yasmin
Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have concluded their first joint naval exercise, Indonesia's navy said on Saturday, as the region faces rising tensions with China.
The three-day exercise off the coast of Indonesia's Sumatra island aimed at increasing interoperability between the ASEAN member states and the Russian navy in the strategic maritime area. It comes amid rising tensions between major powers in the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway of geopolitical significance.
"The exercise has a strategic impact because it was designed to cultivate friendships between the Indonesian government, ASEAN countries and Russia," the navy said.
The two-stage drills involved eight warships and four aircraft from Russia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Brunei.
Aleksei Bolotnikov, commander of the Russian warship Admiral Panteleyev, was quoted as saying he hoped the next ASEAN-Russia exercise could take place in Vladivostok.
Russia and the Southeast Asian bloc held their fourth summit online in October, a meeting timed with the anniversary of relations between Russia and the 10-member regional grouping.
Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin urged China last month to "back off" after three Chinese coast guard vessels blocked and used a water cannon on resupply boats headed toward a Philippine-occupied atoll in the South China Sea.
China says the territory falls within its "nine-dash line", a boundary including almost all the South China Sea that a tribunal at the Hague in 2016 found lacked legal basis. (reuters)
December
Five dead after Myanmar security forces ram car into Yangon protest - media
Written by Nur Yasmin
Five people were killed and at least 15 arrested after Myanmar security forces in a car rammed into an anti-coup protest on Sunday morning in Yangon, local news portal Myanmar Now reported.
Witnesses on the scene told Reuters dozens had been injured. Photos and videos on social media show a vehicle that crashed through the protesters and bodies lying on the road.
Another protest was held in Yangon in the afternoon despite the morning violence.
Anti-military protests are continuing despite the killing of more than 1,300 people since the Feb. 1 coup. The scattered protests are often small groups voicing opposition to the overthrow of an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and the return of military rule.
On Sunday, a "flash mob" protest in Yangon, Myanmar's largest city, was rammed minutes after it started, and witnesses told Reuters police arrested several people.
"I got hit and fell down in front of a truck. A soldier beat me with his rifle but I defended and pushed him back. Then he immediately shot at me as I ran away in a zig-zag pattern. Fortunately, I escaped," a protester who asked not to be identified for security reasons told Reuters by phone.
A car occupied by soldiers hit the mob from the back, two witnesses said, and followed the scattered protesters arresting and beating them. Some were seriously injured with head wounds and unconscious, according to the witnesses.
A spokesman for the ruling junta did not answer calls seeking comment on Sunday.
The military has said that protesters who have been killed instigated the violence. It says it staged the coup because a November election won by Suu Kyi's party was rigged. The election commission has dismissed the assertion.
Wars with ethnic minority insurgents in remote frontier regions in the north and east have intensified significantly since the coup, displacing tens of thousands of civilians, according to United Nations estimates.
Suu Kyi, 76, faces a dozen cases against her including incitement and violations of COVID-19 protocols.
She has rejected all the charges to date. (reuters)
December
Australia regulator approves Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11
Written by Nur Yasmin
Australia's medicine regulator on Sunday provisionally approved the Pfizer Inc coronavirus vaccine for children between the ages of 5 and 11, with the health minister saying the rollout could begin from Jan. 10.
The Therapeutics Goods Administration "have made a careful, thorough assessment, determined that it is safe and effective and that it is in the interests of children and Australians for children 5 to 11 to be vaccinated," said Health Minister Greg Hunt.
After initial delays with its general COVID-19 inoculation programme, Australia has swiftly become one of the world's most-vaccinated countries, with nearly 88% of Australians over the age of 16 having received two doses.
The high vaccination has helped slow the spread of the virus and promote a speedy economic recovery, with the government planning to raise its 2022 growth forecast within weeks.
The efficacy of vaccines against the new Omicron variant, which is spreading in Australia, remains unknown.
The most populous state, New South Wales, reported two more Omicron cases on Sunday, bringing the total to 15 cases, and the Australian Capital Territory confirmed its second.
Parliament House was closed over the weekend to the public until further notice after a staffer to a member of parliament tested positive to COVID-19 after the legislature's final sitting week of the year on Friday.
The variant of that infection case has not been disclosed, but health authorities said the staff was fully vaccinated.
While nationwide vaccinations are voluntary, states and territories have mandated shots for many occupations, and some require full vaccination to access most hospitality services and non-essential retail.
Australia's overall childhood immunisation coverage is also one of the highest in the world, with 95% of 5-year-olds inoculated with vaccines recommended for their age, health data showed.
The Pfizer vaccine for those children still needs the approval of the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation. Once approved, it will be available to about 2.3 million children in the 5-to-11 age group.
Despite battling many outbreaks this year, leading to months of lockdown in Sydney and Melbourne - Australia's largest cities - the country has had only about 834 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7.9 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, a fraction of the toll in many other developed nations.
Australia has had just under 217,000 cases in total and 2,042 deaths. (reuters)
December
Chinese military flights near Taiwan look like 'rehearsals'- Pentagon chief
Written by Nur Yasmin
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Saturday said Chinese military flights near Taiwan look like "rehearsals" though he did not indicate that he expected Beijing actually to carry out such operations.
Cross-strait tensions have been rising in recent months, with Taiwan complaining for a year or more of repeated missions by China's air force near the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own.
"I don't want to speculate, but certainly ... it looks a lot like rehearsals," Austin said while speaking at a conference in California.
Military training flights by definition are rehearsals for potential operations.
China has not ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control, despite the island's claim that it is an independent country that will defend its freedom and democracy. (reuters)
December
Australia Omicron variant spreads, testing reopening plans
Written by Nur Yasmin
The Omicron coronavirus variant spread in Australia on Saturday, testing plans to reopen the economy as a cluster in Sydney grew to 13 cases and an infection was suspected in the state of Queensland.
Federal authorities are sticking with a plan to reopen the economy on the hope that the new variant proves to be milder than previous strains, but some state and territory governments have moved to tighten their domestic border controls.
Australia reported its first community transmission of Omicron on Friday at a school in Sydney. Authorities are investigating the source and said more cases were expected.
Queensland authorities suspected its first Omicron case in a person who travelled from South Africa and that genome sequencing was ongoing.
"The public health unit have ruled out that it is Delta but we haven't been able to confirm if it is Omicron," state Health Minister Yvette D'Ath. "But it is being treated as if it is."
Authorities in South Australia said on Saturday that arrivals from New South Wales, Victoria and the capital territory will be tested. The state reopened its domestic borders only days ago for the first time in months.
Several thousand people protested vaccination mandates in Melbourne, with the demonstrations now a weekly event that has been attracting groups of regular citizens, as well as far-right and conspiracy theory supporters.
A smaller counter-protest called to stop the far-right movement in the city and support vaccinations.
The state of Victoria, home to Melbourne, requires full vaccination to access most hospitality services and non-essential retail, as well as to work in health care and many other industries.
Nearly 88% of Australians over the age of 16 have been fully vaccinated, health data showed.
Anti-vaccination supporters number in single digits in Australia, according to polls. But unvaccinated patients make up the vast majority of those hospitalised with the coronavirus. In Victoria, 90% of the 44 people in the intensive care have not been fully vaccinated, health data showed.
Despite battling many outbreaks this year, leading to months of lockdown in Sydney and Melbourne - Australia's largest cities - the country has had only about 834 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 7.9 deaths per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organisation, a fraction of many other developed nations.
Australia has had just under 215,000 cases in total and 2,042 deaths. (reuters)