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January
Pompeo: US to lift restrictions on contacts with Taiwan
Written by nuke
Pompeo: US to lift restrictions on contacts with Taiwan
The US is lifting long-standing restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwanese officials, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says.The "self-imposed restrictions" were introduced decades ago to "appease" the mainland Chinese government, which lays claim to the island, the US state department said in a statement. These rules are now "null and void".
The move is likely to anger China and increase tensions between Washington and Beijing. It comes as the Trump administration enters its final days ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as president on 20 January. The Biden transition team have said the president-elect is committed to maintaining the previous US policy towards Taiwan.
Analysts say they will be unhappy with such a policy decision being made in the final days of the Trump administration, but that the move could be reversed easily by Mr Pompeo's successor Antony Blinken. China regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan's leaders argue that it is a sovereign state. Relations between the two are frayed and there is a constant threat of a violent flare up that could drag in the US, an ally of Taiwan.
"Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions," he said. "Today's statement recognises that the US-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy."
He added that Taiwan was a vibrant democracy and a reliable US partner, and that the restrictions were no longer valid. Following the announcement, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked Mr Pompeo, saying he was "grateful".
"The closer partnership between Taiwan and the US is firmly based on our shared values, common interests and unshakeable belief in freedom and democracy," he wrote in a tweet.
Last August, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking US politician to hold meetings on the island for decades. In response, China urged the US to respect what it calls its "one China" principle. China and Taiwan were divided during a civil war in the 1940s.
Beijing has long tried to limit Taiwan's international activities and both have vied for influence in the Pacific region. Tensions have increased in recent years and Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to take the island back. Although Taiwan is officially recognised by only a handful of nations, its democratically-elected government has strong commercial and informal links with many countries//BBC
January
Covid-19: Priti Patel defends police lockdown fines
Home Secretary Priti Patel has said officers "will not hesitate" to enforce lockdown rules as she defended the way police have handled breaches. She said rising numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths illustrated the need for "strong enforcement".It comes after the National Police Chiefs' Council published guidance saying officers should issue fines more quickly when rules are broken.
More than 30,000 fines have been handed out by forces in England and Wales.NPCC figures show 32,329 fixed penalty notices were issued between 27 March and 21 December last year.The number of people who have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test surpassed 80,000 on Saturday, and a further 59,937 people tested positive.
Ministers have launched a new campaign urging people to act like they have the virus and scientists have warned that lockdown measures in England need to be stricter.
"The vast majority of the public have supported this huge national effort and followed the rules," Ms Patel said.
"But the tragic number of new cases and deaths this week shows there is still a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules to ensure we safeguard our country's recovery from this deadly virus.
"Enforcing these rules saves lives. It is as simple as that. Officers will continue to engage with the public across the country and will not hesitate to take action when necessary."
On Saturday 12 people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.Elsewhere, North Wales Police turned away more than 100 cars at Moel Famau in Flintshire by Saturday lunchtime, and Norfolk Police fined one couple who had travelled about 130 miles (209km) to see a seal colony.
However Derbyshire Police has launched an urgent review into how fines were issued after two women were charged £200 each.The pair were stopped by officers for walking five miles from their home with hot drinks, which they were told were not allowed as they were "classed as a picnic"//BBC
January
42 new imported COVID-19 cases in Singapore, highest in more than 9 months
Written by nuke
42 new imported COVID-19 cases in Singapore, highest in more than 9 months
Singapore reported 42 new COVID-19 cases as of noon on Sunday (Jan 10), the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in its preliminary daily update. All the cases are imported and were placed on stay-home notice or isolated upon arrival in Singapore. This is the highest number of imported infections reported in Singapore since Mar 23 last year. There are no locally transmitted cases.
More details on the cases will be released on Sunday night, said MOH. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Friday received his frist dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, as Singapore rolled out vaccinations for healthcare workers. Urging Singaporeans to get inoculated when they can, Mr Lee said there are "ample vaccines coming in" as Singapore ordered the vaccines early.
"It will make us safer, and it will make you and your loved ones safer. So please take it when you can," he said.
Individuals who choose not to take the COVID-19 vaccine may need to go through more frequent testing", said co-chair of the COVID-19 multi-ministry task force Lawrence Wong.
"It may well be that travellers coming back need not serve SHN (stay-home notice) or will serve a shorter SHN. So those will be the benefits of getting a vaccination besides the fact that you are protecting yourself and your loved ones," Mr Wong told CNA in an interview.
As of Sunday, Singapore has reported a total of 58,907 COVID-19 cases//CNA
January
OPEC crude output cuts should help US shale profits in 2021
Written by nuke
OPEC crude output cuts should help US shale profits in 2021
U.S. crude oil production has fallen 2 million barrels per day in the last year as low prices and demand forced shale producers to cut their losses. Investors had already been pressuring the industry to curb spending and boost returns before the pandemic hit. Shale output was quickly cut, but might return quickly if prices keep rising.
On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, said it would voluntarily reduce its production by 1 million barrels per day (bpd) in February and March, after Russia pushed to increase output, worried about U.S. shale capitalizing on the group's cuts.
Russia and Kazakhstan will increase their output, reluctant to cede market share to the United States. Overall, OPEC+ had been due to restore 500,000 bpd in each of the two months. Saudi officials were concerned new increases would outpace demand during new coronavirus lockdowns. Prices for West Texas Intermediate on Friday topped US$52 per barrel, and the 12-month futures' price, which producers use to plan spending on new wells, hit US$51.37 a barrel, up from US$44.63 at the start of December.Higher crude prices will fall directly to U.S. producers' bottom lines given recent cost cuts and commitments to keeping output flat. Companies pledged to keep production flat and use any price increases to boost investor returns or pay down debt. Energy executives in Colorado, Oklahoma, Wyoming and northern New Mexico in a Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City poll released Friday the said oil prices would have to average US$56 per barrel for them to substantial increase drilling//CNA
January
Lockdown-shy Sweden passes COVID-19 pandemic law - yahoo news
Sweden's parliament on Friday (Jan 8) passed a pandemic law giving the government new powers to curb the spread of COVID-19 in a country that has controversially relied on mostly non-coercive measures to fight the virus. Sweden has made headlines around the world by never imposing the type of lockdown seen elsewhere in Europe but it has started tightening measures in the face of a stronger than expected second wave over recent months.The new law, which comes into force on Sunday, will enable the government to close businesses, shopping malls or public transport.
"The government today has not made any decision to close down businesses, but is prepared to also make those decisions," Prime Minister Stefan Lofven told reporters at a news conference on Friday.
It will also be able to impose limits on the number of people allowed in specific public places, rather than general restrictions on public gatherings. Asked why the law was only put forward 10 months after the start of the epidemic, Health Minister Lena Hallengren said "it was not something we saw the need for in the spring".
Unlike many other countries, Sweden does not have legislation that allows the government to shut down society in peacetime, and even with the new law the government cannot order people to confine themselves to their homes. Health authorities have also insisted that battling the pandemic is "a marathon, not a sprint", and measures have to be sustainable for the long haul. Faced with a strong second wave, the country has already tightened preventative measures since November last year.
As cases multiplied, authorities urged people to limit social interactions to immediate family or a few friends. On Friday, the government announced that a ban on public gatherings of more than eight people, in force since November, would now extend to private gatherings in public places, such as parties or ceremonies, but they are still not binding for gatherings within the home. The government also announced new rules for sports halls, swimming pools, shopping centres and other shops.The country of 10.3 million people has been bit hit much harder than its Nordic neighbours and on Thursday reported a total of 489,471 cases of COVID-19 and 9,433 associated deaths//CNA
January
China tightens COVID-19 restrictions in two cities ahead of Chinese New Year
Written by nuke
China tightens COVID-19 restrictions in two cities ahead of Chinese New Year - CGTN
Two Chinese cities south of Beijing further tightened COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday (Jan 9) as authorities race to stamp out a resurgence in infections. Mainland China reported 33 new COVID-19 cases on Friday, down from 53 reported a day earlier. The National Health Commission said in a statement that 14 of the 17 locally transmitted infections were in Hebei. The commission also reported 38 new asymptomatic cases, down from 57 a day earlier.
China does not classify these asymptomatic patients, who have been infected by the coronavirus but are not yet showing any COVID-19 symptoms, as confirmed cases. A spike in the number of cases in the Hebei province, bordering Beijing, has sparked fresh lockdowns ahead of the Chinese New Year next month. Hebei has reported more than 130 COVID-19 cases in the past week, with more than 200 asymptomatic infections.
Most of the cases were in Shijiazhuang city, which along with its surrounding areas, is home to 11 million people. Several other infections were reported in neighbouring Xingtai city, home to 7 million. Shijiazhuang suspended subway operations from Saturday morning to aid "prevention and control of the outbreak", authorities said. Earlier this week, authorities banned people from leaving the city in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.The curbs come ahead of the Chinese New Year, when hundreds of millions criss-cross China to visit family and friends, with National Health Commission vice minister Zeng Yixin warning on Saturday that the festival "will further boost the risk of transmission"//CNA
January
Brisbane locks down as new COVID-19 virus strain put Australia on high alert
Written by nuke
Brisbane locks down as new COVID-19 virus strain put Australia on high alert - ABC
Australia's third-largest city of Brisbane was in its first day of a snap lockdown on Saturday (Jan 9), with officials elsewhere on "high alert" over the emergence of more contagious strain of COVID-19. The usually bustling shopping strip in the city centre was eerily quiet on Saturday, with only a small number of masked locals venturing out for essential reasons after officials announced a three-day lockdown from Friday evening.
"Quite surreal, like something from a movie set," local man Scott told AFP, in an empty city street.
"It's necessary - hopefully we will get through the next few days without any cases, that will allow us just to start to get back to normal."
The stay-at-home order for Brisbane's more than 2 million residents was triggered after the UK strain of the virus spread from a returned traveller to a cleaner at a quarantine hotel - Australia's first recorded local case of the variant.
The UK strain is among several emerging variants around the world believed to be more infectious than those which have spread previously.
Authorities also issued a warning for passengers of a flight that arrived in Brisbane from Melbourne earlier this month, after a woman tested positive for the UK strain despite already undergoing a period of isolation//CNA
January
China study says Wuhan COVID infections 3 times higher than official figure
Written by Nur YasminSHANGHAI (Reuters) - The number of people who have been infected with COVID-19 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where the virus was first identified, could be around three times the official figure, according to a study by Chinese researchers based in the city.
The paper, published by the PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases journal on Thursday, analysed blood samples from more than 60,000 healthy individuals taken from locations across China from March to May 2020.
It found that 1.68% of those from Wuhan contained antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, compared to 0.59% in surrounding Hubei province and 0.38% in the rest of China.
With the city’s total population at more than 10 million, the researchers estimated that as many as 168,000 Wuhan residents were infected with the virus, compared to the official number of 50,340 hospitalised cases.
The study suggested at least two thirds of the total number were asymptomatic, and thousands could have been infected after the “elimination” of clinical cases, raising the possibility the virus could exist in a community for a long period without causing hospitalisations.
A separate study published by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late last month put the “seroprevalence” rate in Wuhan, the percentage of the population with antibodies, even higher at 4.43%, implying that around half a million people in the city could have been infected.
COVID-19 was identified in Wuhan at the end of 2019, with the first outbreak associated with a seafood market in the city. China finally locked down Wuhan and other cities in Hubei province on Jan. 23, 2020, but critics say it should have acted sooner.
China has dismissed criticism of its early handling of the virus, and officials now point to overseas studies suggesting it was circulating in Europe several months before the Wuhan outbreak.
A 10-strong team from the World Health Organization was due to arrive in China this week to investigate the origins of COVID-19, but they have yet to be been given authorisation to enter the country.
Total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to date in mainland China now stands at 87,331, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634. (reuters)
January
Singapore PM gets COVID-19 vaccine and urges others to follow
Written by Nur YasminSINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong received his first shot of a COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, and urged others to take the jabs in a country that has largely brought the pandemic under control.
The 68-year-old shared a video of himself on his official Facebook page being injected in the arm at a local hospital.
Singapore has so far only approved Pfizer-BioNTech’s vaccine but has said it has secured enough doses for its 5.7 million population including from other vaccine-makers like Moderna and Sinovac.
“We got vaccinated early to show Singaporeans we are confident that the vaccine is safe and effective,” Lee said in a post accompanying the video, adding that he had been vaccinated alongside the country’s top health official, Kenneth Mak.
The rich island nation did some initial vaccinations of healthcare workers at the end of December. But Lee said broader vaccinations of staff at public healthcare institutions would start on Friday, followed by the elderly next month.
Government studies show nearly 60% of people are willing to be vaccinated, the health ministry has said. But the plans have stirred rare hesitancy among some due to the low risk of infection in Singapore and concern about any possible side effects from rapidly developed vaccines.
Unlike other countries that have embarked on mass vaccination programmes like the United States and Britain, the Southeast Asian island has largely eradicated the disease and has reported only a handful of local cases in recent months.
“Vaccinations are voluntary, but I hope that when it’s your turn, you will go for it,” Lee said, adding that he had been monitored for 30 minutes after the jab for any possible side effects and “felt fine”.
Authorities have said they will consider relaxing travel restrictions for people who have been vaccinated against the disease which has killed around 1.9 million people globally. (reuters)
January
China reports most COVID cases in five months as Hebei infections rise
Written by Nur YasminSHANGHAI (Reuters) -Authorities in the capital of China’s Hebei province strengthened travel restriction on Thursday to curb the spread of the coronavirus as the country reported the biggest rise in daily COVID-19 cases in more than five months.
Hebei, which entered a “wartime mode” on Tuesday, accounted for 51 of the 52 local cases reported by the National Health Commission on Thursday. This compared with 20 cases reported in the province, which surrounds Beijing, a day earlier.
Authorities in Shijiazhuang, Hebei’s capital, have launched mass testing drives and banned gatherings to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Chinese state television reported that the city has now banned passengers from entering its main railway station. The city previously required travellers to present a negative nucleic acid COVID-19 test result taken within 72 hours before boarding a train or an airplane in the province.
Total new COVID-19 cases for all of mainland China stood at 63, compared with 32 reported a day earlier, marking the biggest rise in daily cases since 127 cases were reported on July 30.
The number of asymptomatic patients, who have been infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the disease but have yet to develop any symptoms, also rose to 79 from 64 a day earlier.
The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in mainland China since the outbreak first started in the city of Wuhan in late 2019 now stands at 87,278 cases, while the death toll remained unchanged at 4,634.
In the city of Dalian in Liaoning province, which has reported local infections in recent days, residents in medium or high-risk areas have been barred from leaving the city. Residents in other areas were told to refrain from unnecessary trips out of Dalian.
Authorities in Guangdong province late on Wednesday reported a patient infected with a more transmissible variant of the coronavirus discovered in South Africa.
Some scientists worry that COVID-19 vaccines currently being rolled out may not be able to protect against this variant because of certain mutations that have been observed. (Reuters)
