VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

PHOTO : REUTERS

Spain has registered more than 23,000 new COVID-19 cases since Friday, health emergency chief Fernando Simon told a news conference on Monday, suggesting the infection rate had declined slightly from an Aug. 21 peak. As stated by Reuters.com on Monday(31/8), Health ministry data showed 2,489 new cases were diagnosed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the onset of the pandemic to 462,858. With the new academic year fast approaching and Spain registering the highest number of cases in western Europe, Simon sought to assuage fears that schools could turn into vectors for mass contagion. He said if the appropriate safety measures are applied, the probability of transmission is negligible//Reuters

PHOTO : REUTERS  

The European Commission said it would contribute 400 million euros ($478 million) to an initiative led by the World Health Organization to buy COVID-19 vaccines, but did not clarify whether EU states would acquire shots through the WHO scheme. As stated by Reuters.com Monday (31/8) the COVAX initiative aims to purchase for all countries in the world 2 billion doses of potential COVID-19 shots from several vaccine makers by the end of 2021. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, and Seth Berkley, head of the GAVI vaccine alliance, welcomed the financial support. Tedros said in a tweet “ Big thanks to the European Commision for their contribution to the COVAX facility and for standing firm on their commitment to multilateralism”. The Commission said on Monday that the EU financial support will be provided through guarantees//Reuters

PHOTO : WALLSTREETJOURNAL

Japanese  Prime Minister   Shinzo Abe explained his decision to resign in separate calls with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, while also touching on a number of issues involving the countries that remain unresolved. As stated by the Jakartapost.com Monday (31/8)  during his 30-minute phone talks with Trump, Abe thanked him for helping to make the Japan-US relationship the strongest it has ever been. It was Abe's first phone call with a foreign leader since he abruptly announced his resignation on Friday, citing a relapse of ulcerative colitis, an intestinal disease that can cause stomach pain and diarrhea. Abe just a week ago achieved the longest uninterrupted stint as prime minister in the country's history//JP

PHOTO : PRESTIGE MAGAZINE

Lebanese Ambassador to Germany, Mustapha Adib is poised to be designated prime minister on Monday after winning the support of major parties to form a new government facing a crippling financial crisis and the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion. He is set to be designated just ahead of a visit by French President, Emmanuel Macron, who is center stage in international efforts to press Lebanese politicians to address a crisis seen as the worst since the 1975-90 civil war.The previous government led by Hassan Diab quit on Aug 10 over the port blast in which a massive amount of unsafely stored chemicals detonated. The post of prime minister must go to a Sunni Muslim in Lebanon's sectarian system. Adib's candidacy won vital political backing on Sunday from former prime ministers including Saad al-Hariri, who heads the biggest Sunni party, the Future Movement//CNA