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December
WHO members to meet on Wednesday on new virus variant
Written by Nur YasminThe World Health Organization (WHO) has called a meeting of members for Wednesday to discuss strategies to counter a new, more infectious variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain.
A spokeswoman said the meeting was designed to help with information-sharing.
“Limiting travel to contain spread is prudent until we have better info,” Hans Kluge, the WHO’s Regional Director for Europe, tweeted.
However, the Geneva-based body has cautioned against major alarm over the variant, saying it is a normal part of a pandemic’s evolution and praising Britain for detecting it.
As trucks barred from entering France backed up along miles of motorway in southern England, the WHO also said in a statement that cargo transport for essential supplies such as food, medicines, and fuel should be prioritized and facilitated.
“Supply chains for essential goods & essential travel should remain possible,” Kluge tweeted.
Drugmakers including BioNTech and Moderna are scrambling to test their COVID-19 vaccines against the new variant.
The WHO repeated that there was not yet enough information to determine whether the new variant could affect vaccine efficacy. (reuters)
December
WHO says no need for major alarm over new coronavirus strain
Written by Nur YasminThe World Health Organization cautioned against major alarm over a new, highly infectious variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain, saying this was a normal part of a pandemic’s evolution.
WHO officials even put a positive light on the discovery of the new strains that prompted a slew of alarmed countries to impose travel restrictions on Britain and South Africa, saying new tools to track the virus were working.
“We have to find a balance. It’s very important to have transparency, it’s very important to tell the public the way it is, but it’s also important to get across that this is a normal part of virus evolution,” WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan told an online briefing.
“Being able to track a virus this closely, this carefully, this scientifically in real time is a real positive development for global public health, and the countries doing this type of surveillance should be commended.”
Citing data from Britain, WHO officials said they had no evidence that the variant made people sicker or was more deadly than existing strains of COVID-19, although it did seem to spread more easily.
Countries imposing travel curbs were acting out of an abundance of caution while they assess risks, Ryan said, adding: “That is prudent. But it is also important that everyone recognises that this happens, these variants occur.”
WHO officials said coronavirus mutations had so far been much slower than with influenza and that even the new UK variant remained much less transmissible than other diseases like mumps.
They said vaccines developed to combat COVID-19 should handle the new variants as well, although checks were under way to ensure this was the case.
“So far, even though we have seen a number of changes, a number of mutations, none has made a significant impact on either the susceptibility of the virus to any of the currently used therapeutics, drugs or the vaccines under development and one hopes that will continue to be the case,” WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan told the briefing.
The WHO said it expects to get more detail within days or weeks on the potential impact of the highly transmissible new coronavirus strain. (reuters)
December
BioNTech confident COVID-19 vaccine effective against new UK mutation
Written by Nur YasminBioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin said on Monday he was confident a COVID-19 vaccine co-developed by his company would be effective against a variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain.
He said on Bild TV that the German company would investigate the mutation in the coming days but that he viewed the matter with “with a degree of soberness”.
Countries across the globe shut their borders to Britain on Monday due to fears about a highly infectious new coronavirus strain, causing travel chaos and raising the prospect of food shortages in the United Kingdom.
Sahin was speaking shortly after the European Union cleared regulatory hurdles for the vaccine, co-developed with Pfizer, to be rolled out after Christmas.
The note of calm from the CEO about the UK mutation echoed the World Health Organization, which cautioned against major alarm, saying this was a normal part of a pandemic’s evolution.
Sahin said he hadn’t yet been immunized but would like to be. He said it was more important that his employees get the vaccine so they can continue to do their jobs. (reuters)
BioNTech Chief Executive Ugur Sahin said on Monday he was confident a COVID-19 vaccine co-developed by his company would be effective against a variant of the coronavirus that has emerged in Britain.
He said on Bild TV that the German company would investigate the mutation in the coming days but that he viewed the matter with “with a degree of soberness”.
Countries across the globe shut their borders to Britain on Monday due to fears about a highly infectious new coronavirus strain, causing travel chaos and raising the prospect of food shortages in the United Kingdom.
Sahin was speaking shortly after the European Union cleared regulatory hurdles for the vaccine, co-developed with Pfizer, to be rolled out after Christmas.
The note of calm from the CEO about the UK mutation echoed the World Health Organization, which cautioned against major alarm, saying this was a normal part of a pandemic’s evolution.
Sahin said he hadn’t yet been immunized but would like to be. He said it was more important that his employees get the vaccine so they can continue to do their jobs.
December
Australia detects new UK strain, Hong Kong cancels Britain flights
Written by Nur YasminAustralia said on Monday it had detected cases of the new virulent coronavirus strain identified in the United Kingdom, while Hong Kong said it would suspend Britain flights.
Two travelers from the United Kingdom to Australia’s New South Wales state were found carrying the mutated variant of the virus that Britain has said could be up to 70% more infectious. Both are in quarantine, and the recent spike in infections in Sydney are not linked to this, authorities said.
The new strain has prompted Britain’s European neighbours and several others including Canada and Iran to close their doors to travellers from the country.
Much is unknown about the strain, but experts said current vaccines should still be effective against it.
Asian nations including Japan and South Korea said they were monitoring the new strain even as they battle a spike in infections at home.
Hong Kong became the first city in the region to ban flights from Britain in a bid to curb already rising case numbers in the dense financial hub.
The Chinese special administrative region said on Monday that people arriving from Britain before Dec. 22 would have to quarantine for three weeks instead of two.
South Korea, which imposes a 14-day quarantine on everyone entering the country, said it was reviewing new measures for flights from Britain, and would test twice those coming in from there before they were released from quarantine.
New cases climbed to over 1,000 a day in South Korea several times last week. It reported on Sunday an outbreak in a Seoul prison where 188 inmates and staff were infected. (reuters)
December
Oil prices fall amid worries over new coronavirus strain
Written by Nur YasminOil prices slid in early trade on Monday as a fast-spreading new coronavirus strain in the United Kingdom raised concerns that tighter restrictions there and in other European countries could stall a recovery in the global economy and its need for fuel.
Brent crude dropped 97 cents, or 1.9%, to $51.29 a barrel by 0103 GMT after rising 1.5% and touching its highest since March last Friday.
U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 83 cents, or 1.7%, to $48.27 a barrel after also climbing 1.5% on Friday to its highest level since February.
Monday’s declines came after oil prices marked seven straight weeks of gains last week as investors focused on the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
“A new variant of the coronavirus in Britain and tighter travel restrictions in Europe sparked fears over slower economic recovery, prompting investors to unwind long positions,” said Kazuhiko Saito, chief analyst at commodities broker Fujitomi Co.
“The oil market has been on a bull trend in the past month or so, ignoring negative factors, amid an optimism that a widening vaccine rollout would revive global growth, but investors’ rosy expectations for 2021 have suddenly vanished,” Saito said.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will chair an emergency response meeting on Monday to discuss international travel, in particular the flow of freight in and out of Britain as COVID-19 cases surged by a record number for one day. The headache comes as Johnson also seeks to hammer out a final accord on Brexit.
The variant, which officials say is up to 70% more transmissible than the original, also prompted concerns about a wider spread, forcing several European countries to begin closing their doors to travellers from the United Kingdom.
The negative sentiment also overshadowed a weekend deal among U.S. congressional leaders for a $900 billion coronavirus aid package.
Adding to pressure, the oil and gas rig count, an early indicator of future output, rose by eight to 346 in the week to Dec. 18, the highest since May, Baker Hughes said on Friday, as producers keep returning to the wellpad with crude prices trading above $45 a barrel since late November. (Reuters)
December
Macron tests positive for COVID-19, European leaders rush for tests
Written by Nur YasminPresident Emmanuel Macron tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, prompting a track-and-trace effort across Europe following numerous meetings between the French leader and EU heads of government in recent days.
Macron, who will turn 43 on Monday, is running France remotely and has gone into quarantine at the presidential retreat of La Lanterne close to the Palace of Versailles, the presidency said.
A presidential official described Macron as tired and having a cough. His wife Brigitte tested negative but was also self-isolating, staying at the Elysee palace in central Paris.
In the early evening, Macron spoke to a conference on French foreign aid policy via video link. Dressed in a roll-neck sweater and suit jacket, the president sat behind a desk and wore a facemask, showing no visible sign of the illness.
“This diagnosis was made following a PCR test performed at the onset of the first symptoms,” Macron’s office said, declining to give further details of his condition or the symptoms he had.
Macron will cancel all upcoming trips including a Dec. 22 visit to Lebanon where he has led international efforts to resolve a deep-rooted political crisis.
Closer to home, Macron’s COVID-19 infection spurred other leaders to take their own tests.
Macron joined all but two of the European Union’s 27 leaders at a summit in Brussels late last week to discuss climate change, the EU budget and Turkey.
The presidential official said it was almost certain Macron was infected at the summit given the timing of his symptoms. (reuters)
December
South Korea and Indonesia sign deal to boost trade, investment
Written by Nur YasminSouth Korea and Indonesia on Friday signed an economic partnership agreement aimed at boosting investment and trade between the two countries, in areas ranging from automobiles to apparel, officials said.
South Korea is among Indonesia’s top ten trading partners and investors, but the economic relationship still did not reflect the true potential, Indonesian Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto said at a signing ceremony broadcast online from Seoul.
Under the agreement, South Korea will eliminate more than 95% of its tariff lines and Indonesia eliminate over 92% and give preferential tariffs to support Korean investment, Indonesia’s trade ministry said in a statement.
The comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) will not only impact industries such as automobiles but also technology, South Korea’s Industry Minister Sung Yoon-mo said.
“This CEPA will also facilitate exchanges of professionals in area such as science, technology, software and robotics, promoting cooperation in high-tech industry,” Sung said.
In 2019, trade between the two countries was worth $15.65 billion and between 2015-2019 South Korean companies invested nearly $7 billion in Indonesia, Indonesian trade ministry data showed.
Indonesia aimed to start implementing the deal next year, Minister Agus said.
Indonesia has been trying to encourage foreign investors including South Korean companies to invest in plants and components for electric vehicles to take advantage of the country’s rich nickel ore reserves, which are used to make batteries.
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Group and LG Chem Ltd are among South Korean companies reported to be considering investments in battery cell manufacturing in Indonesia. (reuters)
December
China welcomes WHO-led trip to investigate COVID-19, WHO official says
Written by Nur YasminThe World Health Organization said on Thursday that China had welcomed an international team of investigators into COVID-19 expected to travel to the country in early January.
Babatunde Olowokure, the WHO’s regional emergencies director in the Western Pacific, told a news conference that the organisation was in talks with Beijing over where the investigators would travel to within the country.
“WHO continues to contact China and to discuss the international team and the places they visit,” Olowokure told the streamed news conference.
“Our understanding at this time is that China is welcoming the international team and their visit...This is anticipated, as far as we are aware, to happen in early January,” he said.
On Wednesday, a WHO member and diplomats told Reuters the international mission led by the WHO was expected to go to China in the first week of January to investigate the origins of the virus that sparked the COVID-19 pandemic.
The United States, which has accused China of having hidden the outbreak’s extent, has called for a “transparent” WHO-led investigation and criticised its terms, which allowed Chinese scientists to do the first phase of preliminary research.
Referring to the ongoing discussions with China over the trip, Olowokure said told the news conference: “These are of course important for us and to get an overall picture of how the investigation will go.”(reuters)
December
OIC condemns mass kidnapping of schoolchildren in Nigeria
Written by Nur YasminSecretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr. Yousef bin Ahmed Al-Othaimeen, has strongly condemned the recent kidnapping of hundreds of schoolchildren in Nigeria, for which extremist group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility.
In a statement received in Jakarta on Wednesday, the OIC General Secretariat called for the unconditional release of the students and for their safe return to their families.
In his statement, Al-Othaimeen reiterated the OIC’s principled position against extremism and terrorism, and expressed solidarity with the efforts made by the authorities in northwest Nigeria to combat the phenomena.
On Tuesday, a man identifying himself as the leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram had released an audio message saying the Islamist group was responsible for the kidnapping of more than 300 students from an all-boys school in the northwestern state of Katsina.
Boko Haram, which means "Western education is forbidden" in the local Hausa language, has waged an insurgency in the northeast of Nigeria since 2009, but has not previously claimed responsibility for any attacks in the area, Reuters reported.
In his message, Abubakar Shekau, the man claiming to be the group's leader, offered no proof to support his claim. Reuters was unable to verify the audio recording, and Nigerian authorities did not immediately comment on the report.
In a region where criminal gangs often rob and kidnap civilians for ransom, gunmen reportedly abducted boys from the Government Science School in Kankara town on Friday. Katsina state authorities said some students managed to escape, but around 320 remained missing. (Antaranews)
December
Record climate disasters in Asia-Pacific push millions to 'breaking point'
Written by Nur YasminAsia-Pacific has faced a record number of climate-related disasters in 2020, affecting tens of millions of vulnerable people already hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Red Cross said on Wednesday.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said it had responded to 24 climate-linked crises this year in the world’s most disaster-prone region - up from 18 in 2019 - including floods, typhoons, extreme cold and drought.
“COVID-19 has of course aggravated these impacts, with a taste of the compound shocks we’re expecting in a changing climate,” Maarten van Aalst, director of the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
“The pandemic has not only complicated evacuations and disaster response, but also aggravates the economic impact of disasters, especially for the poorest people,” he added.
Southeast Asia was the IFRC’s busiest region in 2020, with 15 emergency responses to disasters including severe floods, storms and landslides in the Philippines and Vietnam that affected more than 31 million people.
Jess Letch, the IFRC’s emergency operations manager, said the challenge had been to help communities with relief aid while also taking the steps needed to halt the spread of COVID-19.
Mary Joy Gonzales, a resilience project manager with CARE in the Philippines, said her aid agency had worked to provide additional shelter to enable social distancing after one person contracted COVID-19 in an evacuation centre it was supporting.
Women have suffered a triple blow, she added, with the pandemic fuelling violence at home just as many lost their jobs and had to look after out-of-school children and elderly relatives while the country was pummelled by destructive storms.
The agency expected that such impacts “will get worse due to climate change”, she told journalists earlier this month.
“We have seen the trend in the past 10 years: typhoons have been becoming stronger and we have lost thousands of lives already,” she said.
Last year, more than 94 million people in the Asia-Pacific region were hit by climate-related disasters, with the area experiencing twice as many emergencies as the Americas or Africa, according to the IFRC’s latest World Disasters Report.
The total number of people affected in 2020 has not yet been released. (Reuters)
