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February
WHO team probing COVID-19 visits Wuhan lab, meets 'Bat Woman'
Written by Nur YasminFeb. 4 - A team of investigators led by the World Health Organization visited a virus research laboratory in China’s central city of Wuhan and met with a prominent virologist there in its search for clues to the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The experts spent about 3-1/2 hours at the heavily-guarded Wuhan Institute of Virology, which has been at the centre of some conspiracy theories that claim a laboratory leak caused the city’s first coronavirus outbreak at the end of 2019.
“Extremely important meeting today with staff at WIV including Dr Shi Zhengli. Frank, open discussion. Key questions asked & answered,” team member Peter Daszak said on Twitter.
Shi, a well-known virus hunter who has long focused on bat coronaviruses - earning her the nickname “Bat Woman” - was among the first last year to isolate the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19.
Most scientists, including Shi, reject the hypothesis of a lab leak. However, some experts speculate that a virus captured from the wild could have figured in lab experiments to test the risks of a human spillover and then escaped via an infected staff member.
“Very interesting. Many questions,” Thea Fischer, a Danish member of the team, called from her car as it sped away from the lab following Wednesday’s visit, in response to a question whether the team had found anything.
Some scientists have called for China to release details of all coronavirus samples studied at the lab, to see which most closely resembles SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the respiratory disease.
The WHO, which has sought to manage expectations for the Wuhan mission, has said its members would be limited to visits organised by their Chinese hosts and have no contact with community members, because of health restrictions.
While the novel coronavirus that sparked the pandemic was first identified in Wuhan, Beijing has sought to cast doubt on the notion that it originated in China, pointing to imported frozen food as a possible conduit.
The team will spend two weeks conducting field work after having completed two weeks in hotel quarantine after arrival in Wuhan. (Reuters)
February
Feb. 3 - The Group of Seven largest developed economies on Wednesday condemned the military coup in Myanmar and said it was deeply concerned about the fate of detained political leaders such as Aung San Suu Kyi.
“We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in condemning the coup in Myanmar,” they said in a statement.
“We are deeply concerned by the detention of political leaders and civil society activists, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint, and targeting of the media.”
The G7 foreign ministers called on the military to end the state of emergency and allow unrestricted humanitarian access to support the most vulnerable.
“We call upon the military to immediately end the state of emergency, restore power to the democratically-elected government, to release all those unjustly detained and to respect human rights and the rule of law,” the G7 said.
“The November election results must be respected and Parliament should be convened at the earliest opportunity.” (Reuters)
February
Russia's Sputnik V vaccine 92% effective in fighting COVID-19
Written by Nur YasminFeb. 3 - Scientists gave Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine the green light on Tuesday saying it was almost 92% effective in fighting COVID-19 based on peer-reviewed late-stage trial results published in The Lancet international medical journal.
Experts said the Phase III trial results meant the world had another effective weapon to fight the deadly pandemic and justified to some extent Moscow’s decision to roll out the vaccine before final data had been released.
The results, collated by the Gamaleya Institute in Moscow that developed and tested the vaccine, were in line with efficacy data reported at earlier stages of the trial, which has been running in Moscow since September.
“The development of the Sputnik V vaccine has been criticised for unseemly haste, corner cutting, and an absence of transparency,” said Ian Jones, professor at the University of Reading, and Polly Roy, professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
“But the outcome reported here is clear and the scientific principle of vaccination is demonstrated,” the scientists, who were not involved in the study, said in a comment shared by The Lancet. “Another vaccine can now join the fight to reduce the incidence of COVID-19.”
The results were based on data from 19,866 volunteers, of whom a quarter received a placebo, the researchers, led by the Gamaleya Institute’s Denis Logunov, said in The Lancet.
Since the trial began in Moscow, there were 16 recorded cases of symptomatic COVID-19 among people who received the vaccine, and 62 among the placebo group, the scientists said.
This showed that a two-dose regimen of the vaccine - two shots based on two different viral vectors, administered 21 days apart - was 91.6% effective against symptomatic COVID-19.
‘RUSSIA WAS RIGHT’
The Sputnik V vaccine is the fourth worldwide to have Phase III results published in leading peer-reviewed medical journals following the shots developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca.
Pfizer’s shot had the highest efficacy rate at 95%, closely followed by Moderna’s vaccine and Sputnik V while AstraZeneca’s vaccine had an average efficacy of 70%.
Sputnik V has also now been approved for storage in normal fridges, as opposed to freezers, making transportation and distribution easier, Gamaleya scientists said on Tuesday.
Russia approved the vaccine in August, before the large-scale trial had begun, saying it was the first country to do so for a COVID-19 shot. It named it Sputnik V, in homage to the world’s first satellite, launched by the Soviet Union.
Small numbers of frontline health workers began receiving it soon after and a large-scale roll out started in December, though access was limited to those in specific professions, such as teachers, medical workers and journalists.
In January, the vaccine was offered to all Russians.
“Russia was right all along,” Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which is responsible for marketing the vaccine abroad, told reporters on Tuesday.
He said the results supported Russia’s decision to begin administering Sputnik V to frontline workers while the trial was still underway, and suggested scepticism of such moves was politically motivated.
“The Lancet did very unbiased work despite some of the political pressures that may have been out there,” he said. (Reuters)
February
Three killed in wave of bomb attacks in Afghanistan
Written by Nur YasminFeb. 2 - At least three people were killed and seven wounded in a series of explosions in Afghanistan on Tuesday, after Western countries called on the Taliban to end a wave of violence that the group denies responsibility for.
With Washington and NATO reviewing plans to withdraw their forces from the country by May, one blast in Kabul hit an SUV and killed two people, including Mohammad Atif, the head of non-governmental charity Jamiat-i-Islah, police in the capital said.
Two other explosions in the city, which caused injuries, targeted, respectively, a jeep of the counter-narcotics force and a civilian vehicle.
All three blasts were caused by small magnetic devices known as sticky bombs, police said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters the Kabul explosions “had nothing to do with us.”
In the eastern city of Jalalabad, one soldier was killed and two injured in an explosion targeting their vehicle, Attaullah Khogyani, Nangarhar provincial governor spokesman, told Reuters. Another explosion in central Parwan province targeted a senior security official.
The European Union, NATO, and a number of Western embassies said on Sunday that the Taliban bore responsibility for “the majority of this targeted violence.”
The group’s attacks “undermine state institutions and contribute to an insecure environment in which terrorist and criminal groups are able to freely operate,” they added in a statement.
Talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have stalled, and President Joe Biden is reviewing an agreement to withdraw U.S. forces by May.
On Sunday Reuters reported about 10,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan plan to stay beyond May, with exact plans to be decided this month.
“If U.S. or NATO troops remain in Afghanistan after 14 months, that means continuation of occupation in Afghanistan,” Suhail Shaheen a Taliban negotiating team member said in Tehran on Monday.
“In such a case we will have no choice to continue our jihad and struggle.” (Reuters)
At least three people were killed and seven wounded in a series of explosions in Afghanistan on Tuesday, after Western countries called on the Taliban to end a wave of violence that the group denies responsibility for.
With Washington and NATO reviewing plans to withdraw their forces from the country by May, one blast in Kabul hit an SUV and killed two people, including Mohammad Atif, the head of non-governmental charity Jamiat-i-Islah, police in the capital said.
Two other explosions in the city, which caused injuries, targeted, respectively, a jeep of the counter-narcotics force and a civilian vehicle.
All three blasts were caused by small magnetic devices known as sticky bombs, police said.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Reuters the Kabul explosions “had nothing to do with us.”
In the eastern city of Jalalabad, one soldier was killed and two injured in an explosion targeting their vehicle, Attaullah Khogyani, Nangarhar provincial governor spokesman, told Reuters. Another explosion in central Parwan province targeted a senior security official.
The European Union, NATO, and a number of Western embassies said on Sunday that the Taliban bore responsibility for “the majority of this targeted violence.”
The group’s attacks “undermine state institutions and contribute to an insecure environment in which terrorist and criminal groups are able to freely operate,” they added in a statement.
Talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government have stalled, and President Joe Biden is reviewing an agreement to withdraw U.S. forces by May.
On Sunday Reuters reported about 10,000 NATO troops in Afghanistan plan to stay beyond May, with exact plans to be decided this month.
“If U.S. or NATO troops remain in Afghanistan after 14 months, that means continuation of occupation in Afghanistan,” Suhail Shaheen a Taliban negotiating team member said in Tehran on Monday.
“In such a case we will have no choice to continue our jihad and struggle.”
February
Japan set to extend state of emergency for another month
Written by Nur YasminFeb. 2 -
Japan is set to extend a state of emergency in Tokyo and other regions for another month on Tuesday, seeking to keep the upper hand over a COVID-19 outbreak even as daily case numbers begin to edge down.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is expected to formally announce the extension to March 7 later in the day following a recommendation from an expert coronavirus response panel.
“The number of new coronavirus cases is falling, but caution is still needed,” Katsunobu Kato, chief cabinet secretary, told reporters before the panel met. Kato added that hospitals remained full and the death rate had not fallen.
Japan has reported a total of just under 392,000 COVID-19 cases, including just over 5,800 deaths. Tokyo reported 556 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday.
Suga and his government remain determined to host the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, currently scheduled for July-August, despite the resurgence of the virus in Japan.
The government last month imposed a one-month state of emergency for 11 areas, including Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures as well as the western city of Osaka, to combat the country’s third and most lethal coronavirus wave.
Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura, who also oversees coronavirus policies, said Tochigi prefecture, north of the capital, was excluded from the extension.
However, official measures to control the coronavirus have been hamstrung by a lack of legal weight, including any penalties, meaning the government can only request people follow directives.
That may change later this week with the passage of a revision to the coronavirus special measures law that will allow authorities to levy fines on people who break the law. The revision passed the lower house on Monday and is expected to be approved by the upper house on Wednesday.
Under the current state of emergency, scheduled to end on Sunday, restaurants and bars are requested to trade for shorter hours and people encouraged to stay home as much as possible. The Nikkei daily newspaper reported that gyms, cinemas and karaoke establishments could be added if new daily infections in Tokyo rise above 1,000 for several consecutive days.
With Japan behind other nations rolling out vaccination programmes, the government has pledged to start inoculating medical workers at the end of February. NHK reported on Tuesday that approval for the Pfizer vaccine could come as early as Feb. 12.
Support for Suga’s government has been battered by disapproval of his handling of the pandemic, a situation not helped when several ruling coalition lawmakers admitted to flouting rules by visiting hostess clubs and bars late at night. One resigned his seat on Monday and three others left Suga’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). (Reuters)
February
Submission of Entries Opens for Andrei Stenin Contest 2021
Written by Nur YasminThe seventh Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest kicks off in Moscow. As per tradition, the submission of young photographers’ entries opens on the birthday of Rossiya Segodnya’s special photo correspondent Andrei Stenin, who died while on assignment after whom the contest was named.
The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, organized by Rossiya Segodnya under the patronage of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, aims to support young photographers and draw public attention to the challenges of photojournalism today. It is a platform for young photographers – talented and sensitive individuals open to all things new – to highlight people and events near us.
Professional photographers aged 18-33 can apply through https://stenincontest.com in English and Chinese (https://cn.stenincontest.com).
Photo series and single photos can be submitted in four categories Top News, Sport, My Planet, and Portrait: A Hero of Our Time. One single entry and one photo series can be submitted in each of the four categories. Submissions will be accepted until February 28, 2021.
In 2021, the prize fund will be 125,000, 100,000 and 75,000 rubles for the first, second and third places in each category. The winner of the highest Stenin contest award – the Grand Prix – will receive 700,000 rubles.
Of no less importance is the fact that young photojournalists will have the opportunity to show their works at Russian and international venues – a touring exhibition of the winning entries has become an integral part of the project and has been shown in dozens of cities in Europe, Asia, Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
Since 2018, the New York headquarters of the main international organization for strengthening peace and security in all countries, the United Nations (UN) has been one of the exhibit venues for Stenin contest winners. Since 2019, the contest’s exhibitions are also held at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.
Oksana Oleinik, the curator of the photo contest and the head of the Visual Projects Service at Rossiya Segodnya, commented the launch of the 2021 contest:
“Launching another year of our contest is always like a shot of adrenalin for us. It means joyful anticipation of new works, new names, and new discoveries. This year, the start of the contest in such difficult conditions all over the world – during the COVID-19 pandemic – is also symbolic. New realities can change habits, dictate new conditions of work, but they cannot change basic values such as professionalism, the desire to create and share your ideas and vision of the world with a potential audience. Our contest is proceeding as planned. We believe it’s the same for our participants. We hope and wait for them to send new works, perspectives, and new topics. And, of course, we wish them good luck and victory!”.
February
UK set to formally apply for trans-Pacific trade bloc membership
Written by Nur Yasmin
February
Perth in lockdown, ending Australia's two-week run without COVID-19
Written by Nur YasminFeb. 1 - The Australian city of Perth was ordered into lockdown on Sunday after a security guard working in hotel quarantine tested positive for COVID-19, ending the country’s longest coronavirus-free run.
January
Britain to apply for membership of Asia-Pacific free trade bloc
Written by nuke
Vietnam's Trade Minister Tran Tuan Anh (L) and Britain's International Trade Secretary Liz Truss finalised a free trade pact which will see 99 per cent of tariffs eliminated once it is fully implemented. (Photo: AFP/Nhac NGUYEN)
Britain will apply to join the Pacific free trade area, the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the UK said Saturday (Jan 30), under its post-Brexit plans.
Britain's International Trade Secretary Liz Truss is to formally request UK membership of the free trade bloc, which represents 11 Pacific Rim nations including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Mexico and Vietnam, on Monday.
Negotiations between the UK and the partnership are expected to start this year, the trade department said.
"One year after our departure for the EU we are forging new partnerships that will bring enormous economic benefits for the people of Britain," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said."Applying to be the first new country to join the CPTPP demonstrates our ambition to do business on the best terms with our friends and partners all over the world and be an enthusiastic champion of global free trade," he added.
Truss, who has touted the prospect of British membership of the bloc as the UK agreed post-Brexit trading arrangements with Japan and Canada among other members of the CPTPP, said joining would offer "enormous opportunities".
"It will mean lower tariffs for car manufacturers and whisky producers, and better access for our brilliant services providers, delivering quality jobs and greater prosperity for people here at home," she added.
The CPTPP was launched in 2019 to remove trade barriers among the 11 nations representing nearly 500 million consumers in the Asia-Pacific region in a bid to counter China's growing economic influence.
The United States, one of the major proponents of the Pacific bloc under former president Barack Obama, withdrew from the partnership under the Trump administration before it was ratified in 2017//CNA
January
Ostapenko battles back to go through in Gippsland Trophy
Written by nuke
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - October 1, 2020 Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko in action during her second round match Czech Republic's Karolina Pliskova REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
Former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko fought back from a set down to reach the second round of the Gippsland Trophy as a raft of Australian Open warm-up tournaments got underway at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
The 23-year-old Latvian initially struggled with her serve and posted six double faults in the opening set of her first match since October against experienced Italian Sara Errani.
Estonian Kaia Kanepi had an even bigger scare on Margaret Court Arena against Australian Astra Sharma, who was two points from victory in the second set before slumping to a 1-6 7-5 6-2 defeat.
French 12th seed Caroline Garcia had a more straightforward outing against local Arina Rodionova, winning 6-3 6-4 to set up a second-round meeting with Timea Babos.
Top seeds Simona Halep and Naomi Osaka were given byes and will join the fray in the second round.Anastasia Potapova thrashed fellow teenager Whitney Osuigwe 6-3 6-0 to set up a date with Halep, while France's Alize Cornet will play Australian Ajla Tomljanovic on Monday to decide Osaka's first opponent//CNA