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International News (601)
July
China's Sinovac starts late stage trials for its COVID-19 vaccine
Written by nuke
photo : reuters
China's Sinovac Biotech is starting Phase III trials of its potential coronavirus vaccine in Brazil, it said on Monday, becoming one of three companies to move into the late stages in the race to develop an inoculation against the disease. As stated by Reuters (07/7) it follows a fast-track approval for the trials by Brazilian regulators last week. Sinovac stated the study, which will be done in partnership with Brazilian vaccine producer the Instituto Butantan, would recruit nearly 9,000 healthcare professionals working in COVID-19 specialised facilities and start this month. AstraZeneca's experimental COVID-19 vaccine, developed by researchers at the University of Oxford, and China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) are the only other candidates in late-stage Phase III trials. Moderna also plans to start its late-stage trial this month. Sinovac initiated the development of the vaccine candidate in late January and is preparing a coronavirus vaccine plant, which it hopes will be ready this year and capable of making up to 100 million shots a year//Reuters
July
Covid-19, a new genetic variation of the coronavirus seems to be dominant in the world
Written by nuke
photo : asiatimes
Covid-19, a new genetic variation of the coronavirus seems to be dominant in the world. As stated by Reuters (07/7) a new genetic variation of the new coronavirus seems to dominant in the world.It infects human cells more easily than the original that emerged in China, according to a new study published in the journal Cell. Anthony Fauci, the United States's top infectious disease specialist said that he thinks the data is showing that there is a single mutation that actually makes the virus be able to replicate better, and maybe have high viral loads. The variant is a spike protein called "D614G" which is used by the virus to invade and infect the human cells but this hasn't yet been proven//Reuters
July
Britain puts US$10 million dollars into study on long-term effects of COVID-19
Written by nuke
photo : cscr
Britain is putting 8.4 million pounds or US$10.49 million dollars into a new study to examine the long-term effects of Covid-19 on patients. The novel coronavirus which causes Covid-19 has been observed to cause many health impacts for some patients beyond immediate respiratory issues, but with other infected people asymptomatic, the workings of the virus are not fully understood. The British Department of Health said 10,000 people would take part in the study, which is being led by the University of Leicester and hospitals in the city. Lung and blood samples of the patients will be taken and they will also be assessed by advanced imaging, and the findings will be used to develop new forms of personalized treatment//JP
July
US Energy Companies Abandon Atlantic Coast Pipeline Citing Legal Challenges, Cost Uncertainty
Written by nuke
photo : sputnik
The construction of an Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) to deliver clacked natural gas 600 miles from West Virginia, through Virginia to a North Carolina port, has faced heavy opposition by environmental activist groups since its 2014 announcement. Activists also opposed a pipeline tunneling below the famed Appalachian Trail. Two US companies attempting to carry out the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy, announced on Sunday (5/7) that they would abandon the pipeline due to “ongoing delays” brought by legal battles and “increasing cost uncertainty” that “threaten the economic viability of the project”. The two companies cited a recent Montana court ruling that ended the authority of the US Army Corps of Engineers, a formation of the US Army that primarily oversees dams, canals and flood protection, to issue utility line permits across wetlands and bodies of water, as one legal challenge behind the companies’ decision to give up the project. Despite Dominion and Duke being permitted on 15 June by the US Supreme Court to proceed in the pipeline construction, which was planned to be finished by 2021, the companies said that the recent developments have created an unacceptable layer of uncertainty and anticipated delays for ACP//sputnik
July
photo : bbc
Officials in Spain's north-western region of Galicia have re-imposed restrictions on an area of 70,000 people following a Covid-19 outbreak. Only those travelling for work will be allowed to leave or enter the coastal district of A Marina from midnight on Sunday to Friday. The move comes a day after the north-eastern region of Catalonia imposed a similar local lockdown. Nationally, Spain's outbreak has been essentially brought under control. The country has recorded more than a quarter of a million cases and at least, 28,385 deaths. But daily fatalities have been in the single figures for most of the past three weeks//bbc
July
photo : bbc
The border between Australia's two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales (NSW), is going to be closed after a spike in Covid-19 cases in Melbourne. The outbreak in Victoria's capital has seen hundreds of cases in the past two weeks - more than 95% of new Australian infections. The closure is to begin on Wednesday (July 8). Victoria's Premier, Daniel Andrews said that his side had followed talks with Prime Minister, Scott Morrison and NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian. Both of them have previously said, border closures weren't necessary. Daniel Andrews acknowledged the border closure would most likely have a significant economic and social impact. But it was necessary given the significant challenges to face in containing this virus//bbc
July
Botswana reports mysterious deaths of hundreds of elephants
Written by nuke
photo : eaglenews
Hundreds of elephants have died mysteriously in Botswana’s famed Okavango Delta, the head of the wildlife department said Thursday, ruling out poaching as the tusks were found intact. The landlocked southern African country has the world’s largest elephant population, estimated to be around 130,000. Cyril Taolo, the acting director of the department of Wildlife and National Parks, told AFP that there are reports of 356 dead elephants in the area north of the Okavango Delta. He said the cause of the deaths was yet to be established with anthrax having been ruled out. Samples have been collected and sent to South Africa, Zimbabwe and Canada for testing//AFP
July
New Zealand mosque shooter to be sentenced in August
Written by nuke
photo : reuters
An Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers in last year's News Zealand mosque will be sentenced next month, after delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, court documents revealed on Friday (Jul 3). Far-right extremist Brenton Tarrant was convicted in March of 51 murder charges, 40 of attempted murder and one of terrorism, after dropping his previous not guilty plea. At the time, New Zealand was in COVID-19 lockdown, meaning surviving victims and families of the slain could not attend court to see him sentenced. The South Pacific nation has since contained the virus, allowing social distancing rules to be suspended, which High Court judge Cameron Mander said cleared the way for Tarrant to be sentenced on Aug 24. New Zealand does not have the death penalty but Tarrant, a former gym instructor from the Australian country town of Grafton, faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars//AFP
July
US COVID-19 cases soar as White House tout economic recovery
Written by nuke
photo : reuters
After days of record spikes in new COVID-19 cases and hospitals warning they could run out of beds, President Donald Trump's White House on Thursday (Jul 2) sought to convey that all was well in the battle against the coronavirus and efforts to get the US economy moving again. Florida reported more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, the biggest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic started, according to a Reuters tally. The number of cases nationwide shot up by nearly 50,000 on Wednesday, the fourth record rise in infections in the last seven days, following moves in many states to allow businesses to lift strict shutdowns aimed at containing the pandemic. On Thursday, Trump celebrated a report showing the economy created jobs at a record clip in June as more restaurants, bars and retail businesses resumed operations//Reuters
July
Iran reports 'accident' at nuclear site, warns enemies
Written by nuke
photo : euronews
Tehran on Thursday (Jul 2) reported an "accident" at Natanz nuclear complex in central Iran, saying there were no casualties or radioactive pollution, and warned foes - especially Israel - against hostile actions.The spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation Behrouz Kamalvandi told state television, that there was "no nuclear material (at the damaged warehouse) and no potential of pollution. He added that no radioactive material or personnel were present at the warehouse within the Natanz site in central Iran, one of the country's main uranium enrichment plants. Hours after the announcement, Iran's state news agency IRNA published an editorial warning that "if there are signs of hostile countries crossing Iran's red lines in any way, especially the Zionist regime (Israel) and the United States, Iran's strategy to confront the new situation must be fundamentally reconsidered//AFP