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January
Coronavirus: Scientists Race to Develop a Vaccine
Written by Ani HasanahA deadly new virus. Thousands of people infected. No cure. No vaccine.
We've been here many times before.
In the past five years alone, the world has faced outbreaks of Ebola, Zika, another coronavirus called Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome), and now the virus simply known as "2019-nCoV".
It's already infected thousands of people and killed more than 100.
But unlike in many previous outbreaks, where vaccines to protect people have taken years to develop, research for a vaccine to help stem this outbreak got under way within hours of the virus being identified.
Chinese officials released its genetic code very quickly. That information helps scientists determine where the virus probably came from, how it might mutate as the outbreak develops, and how to protect people against it.
With technological advances and greater commitment from governments around the world to fund research on emerging diseases, research facilities were able to spring into action fast.
Unprecedented speed
At Inovio's lab in San Diego, scientists are using a relatively new type of DNA technology to develop a potential vaccine. "INO-4800 " - as it's currently called - with plans for it to enter human trials by the early summer.
Kate Broderick, senior vice-president of research and development at Inovio, said: "Once China had provided the DNA sequence of this virus, we were able to put it through our lab's computer technology and design a vaccine within three hours.
"Our DNA medicine vaccines are novel in that they use DNA sequences from the virus to target specific parts of the pathogen which we believe the body will mount the strongest response to.
"We then use the patient's own cells to become a factory for the vaccine, strengthening the body's own natural response mechanisms."
Inovio says if the initial human trials are a success, larger trials would follow, ideally in an outbreak setting in China "by the end of the year".
It is impossible to predict whether this outbreak is likely to have ended by then. But if Inovio's timeline goes to plan, the company says it will be the quickest a new vaccine has ever been developed and tested in an outbreak situation.
The last time a similar virus - Sars - emerged in 2002 - China was slow to let the world know what was happening. So by the time work on a vaccine started in earnest, the outbreak was almost over.
The timeline of 2019-nCoV
- 31 December 2019 - China alerts the World Health Organization (WHO) about a spate of pneumonia-like cases in Wuhan
- 1 January 2020 - The seafood/animal market believed to be at the centre of the outbreak is closed
- 9 January - The WHO says the infection is caused by a new type of coronavirus
- 10 January - China shares the genetic code of the new virus
- 11 January - Scientists start working on a vaccine - and the first death confirmed
- 13 January - Virus spreads abroad for the first time, with a case in Thailand
The work in these labs is being funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), which is made up of and funded by governments and philanthropic organisations from around the world.
It was created in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to provide funding to accelerate the development of vaccines for new diseases.
Dr Melanie Saville, director of vaccine research and development at Cepi, said: "The mission is to make sure that outbreaks are no longer a threat to humanity and to develop vaccines for emerging infectious diseases."
'Molecular clamp'
Cepi is also funding two other programmes that are developing a vaccine for this new coronavirus.
The University of Queensland is working on a "molecular clamp" vaccine, which it says "enables targeted and rapid vaccine production against multiple viral pathogens."
Moderna Inc in Massachusetts has also joined forces with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to accelerate its research.
The WHO is co-ordinating this global quest for a new vaccine. It says it is following the progress of a number of research facilities, including the three supported by Cepi.
Although efforts to come up with a vaccine for this new coronavirus have been accelerated, research is still at an early stage at all the facilities in the race to find a new vaccine. Clinical trials take time and are best carried out within an outbreak setting.
There are no guarantees any of the designs so far will be safe and effective enough to be used in the outbreak in China.
Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo from the WHO's Health Emergencies programme said: "We have developed a framework to inform decisions on which candidate vaccine(s) should be tested first.
"The experts will consider a number of criteria, including acceptable safety profile, induction of appropriate immune responses, and the timely availability of sufficient supplies of vaccine doses.
"Understanding the disease, its reservoirs, its transmission, its clinical severity and developing effective counter measures is critical for the control of the outbreak."
The WHO is due to decide which vaccine will be tested on humans first in the coming days. (BBC)
January
Coronavirus: Australia Plans Island Quarantine as Foreigners Leave Wuhan
Written by Ani HasanahHundreds of foreign nationals have been evacuated from the Chinese city of Wuhan, the centre of the coronavirus outbreak, as more deaths and cases were confirmed.
Australia plans to quarantine its 600 returning citizens for two weeks on Christmas Island - some 2,000km (1,200 miles) from the mainland.
Japan, the US and the EU are also repatriating their citizens.
President Xi Jinping called the virus a "devil" but said China would defeat it.
An expert from the Chinese National Health Commission (NHC) said it could take 10 more days for the outbreak to peak.
The number of deaths from the virus has risen to 132 in China, the NHC said on Wednesday.
The virus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province.
It causes severe acute respiratory infection and there is no specific cure or vaccine. A number of people, however, have recovered after treatment.
Meanwhile, Starbucks has closed half of its Chinese outlets, as the economic impact continues to grow.
Who is being evacuated?
Australian evacuees will be held on Christmas Island for two weeks, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said.
The announcement sparked controversy as the island is best known for a recently-reopened immigration detention centre, which was criticised for its conditions.
Currently only housing one Sri Lankan family of four, the facility was built to accommodate more than 1,000 people.
New Zealand will cooperate with Canberra to bring its 53 citizens home alongside the Australian evacuees.
The Christmas Island controversy
By Frances Mao, BBC News, Sydney
For over a week now, the Australians trapped in Wuhan - many of them children - have been calling on their government to help get them out.
But the announcement of a two-week quarantine on Christmas Island have given many pause for thought.
The external territory - closer to Indonesia than the Australian mainland - has long had a bad reputation.
Since 2003, it's been one of the main places offshore where Australia detains asylum seekers, in conditions criticised by the UN.
But what will happen to the Sri Lankan family of four when others arrive? And are the medical facilities on the island adequate for the evacuees?
Chinese-Australians are also asking why their children are being sent miles away, as opposed to hospitals on the mainland.
Would this happen, they ask, to Australians who were holidaying in the UK?
Some 200 Japanese nationals have been flown from Wuhan and have landed at Tokyo's Haneda airport.
Around 650 others said they wanted to be repatriated, and the Japanese government said new flights were being planned.
According to Japanese media, several of the returnees were suffering from fever or coughs. All will be taken taken to hospital, regardless of whether they are showing symptoms.
They will then be tested in a quarantine ward before they can go home, and will be told not to leave their houses until the results are known.
Also on Wednesday, around 200 Americans - workers from the local US consulate and some US citizens - left the city.
According to CNN, the evacuees might have to stay in isolation in an airport hangar for up to two weeks.
The UK Foreign Office is arranging to evacuate some 200 British people who wanted to leave the area. But some UK citizens have criticised the government, claiming lack of support in returning home.
Separately, two aircraft to fly EU citizens home were scheduled, with 250 French nationals leaving on the first flight.
South Korea said some 700 of its citizens would leave on four flights this week.
It's unclear whether they will be quarantined, but South Korean media are reporting the government will cover all costs of infected patients. So far, the country has four confirmed cases of the virus.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong announced plans to slash cross-border travel between the city and mainland China.
Wuhan - as well as the wider Hubei province - is already effectively in a lockdown with strict transport restrictions.
What's the latest on the virus itself?
Confirmations of person-to-person transmission in Germany, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan - as opposed to travellers bringing the virus from China - have heightened concern about the spread of the virus.
Leading Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan told Xinhua news agency: "I think in one week or about 10 days, it will reach the climax and then there will be no large-scale increases."
China agreed for the World Health Organization (WHO) to send international experts to the country.
President Xi met WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Beijing and said: "The virus is a devil and we cannot let the devil hide." (BBC)
January
Trump Releases Long-Awaited Middle-East Peace Plan
Written by Ani HasanahUS President Donald Trump has presented his long-awaited Middle East peace plan, promising to keep Jerusalem as Israel's undivided capital.
He proposed an independent Palestinian state and the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over West Bank settlements.
Standing alongside Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Mr Trump said his proposals "could be the last opportunity" for Palestinians.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the plans as a "conspiracy".
"I say to Trump and Netanyahu: Jerusalem is not for sale, all our rights are not for sale and are not for bargain. And your deal, the conspiracy, will not pass," he said in a televised address from Ramallah in the West Bank.
The blueprint, which aims to solve one of the world's longest-running conflicts, was drafted under the stewardship of President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner.
Thousands of Palestinians protested in the Gaza Strip earlier on Tuesday, while the Israeli military deployed reinforcements in the occupied West Bank.
The joint announcement came as both Mr Trump and Mr Netanyahu faced political challenges at home. Mr Trump is the subject of an impeachment trial in the US Senate while the Israeli PM on Tuesday dropped his bid for immunity on corruption charges. Both men deny any wrongdoing.
David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, said that the timing of the announcement was not tied to any political development, adding it had been "fully baked" for some time.
Meanwhile, reports said Mr Netanyahu was planning to press ahead with annexing 30% of the occupied West Bank, with a cabinet vote due on Sunday.
More than 400,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements. Those settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this.
Mr Friedman said Israel did "not have to wait at all" to move ahead with annexation.
What are Trump's key proposals?
"Today, Israel takes a big step towards peace," Mr Trump told officials and reporters at the White House.
"My vision presents a win-win opportunity for both sides, a realistic two-state solution that resolves the risk of Palestinian statehood to Israel's security."
His proposals are:
- The US will recognise Israeli sovereignty over territory that Mr Trump's plan envisages being part of Israel. The plan includes a conceptual map that Mr Trump says illustrates the territorial compromises that Israel is willing to make
- The map will "more than double the Palestinian territory and provide a Palestinian capital in eastern Jerusalem", where Mr Trump says the US would open an embassy. The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) said Mr Trump's plan would give Palestinians control over 15% of what it called "historic Palestine".
- Jerusalem "will remain Israel's undivided capital". Both Israel and the Palestinians hold competing claims to the holy city. The Palestinians insist that East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in the 1967 Middle East war, be the capital of their future state.
- An opportunity for Palestinians to "achieve an independent state of their very own" - however, he gave few details.
- "No Palestinians or Israelis will be uprooted from their homes" - suggesting that existing Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank will remain.
- Israel will work with the king of Jordan to ensure that the status quo governing the key holy site in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and al-Haram al-Sharif to Muslims is preserved. Jordan runs the religious trust that administers the site.
- Territory allocated to Palestinians in Mr Trump's map "will remain open and undeveloped for a period of four years". During that time, Palestinians can study the deal, negotiate with Israel, and "achieve the criteria for statehood".
- Nov 2019: Trump administration says it no longer considers Israeli settlements in occupied territory as inconsistent with international law, putting the US at odds with most of international community
- Dec 2017: Donald Trump announces US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital - Palestinians cut off relations with Trump administration
- April 2014: Last round of direct Israel-Palestinian peace talks collapse amid acrimony
- Sept 2000- Feb 2005: Second Palestinian uprising
- Sept 1993: Israel-Palestinians sign Oslo peace accords, agreeing framework for eventual peace deal; 20 years of on-off peace talks - and violence - follow
- Dec 1987-Sept 1993: First Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation
- June 1967: Middle East war - Israel occupies East Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip; years of hostility and bloodshed follow; UN Security Council Resolution 242 calls on Israel to withdraw from "territories occupied in recent conflict" and recognises the right of "every state in the area to live in peace within secure and recognised boundaries"
- May 1948: British Mandate for Palestine terminates; Israeli statehood declared, Arab countries invade, conflict creates 700,000 Palestinian refugees; 800,000 Jews expelled or flee from Arab countries in wake
- Nov 1947: UN recommends partitioning Mandate Palestine into Jewish and Arab states - Jewish leadership in Palestine accept, Arab leadership reject; violence between two sides escalates
- July 1922: League of Nations entrusts Britain as Mandatory power to put terms of Balfour Declaration into effect
- Dec 1917: British forces conquer and occupy Palestine; in years that follow, violence between Jews and Arabs increases
- Nov 1917: Britain (fighting Ottoman Empire in WWI) issues "Balfour Declaration" expressing support for Jewish "national home" in Palestine on condition that the rights of non-Jewish communities there are not prejudiced
- Pre-1917: Turkish Ottoman Empire rules over Jewish and Arab communities in geographical area referred to as Palestine, the Holy Land or (by Jews) the Land of Israel
"Palestinians are in poverty and violence, exploited by those seeking to use them as pawns to advance terrorism and extremism. They deserve a far better life," Mr Trump said.
He also indicated that the West Bank would not be cut in half under the plan.
"We will also work to create a contiguous territory within the future Palestinian state, for when the conditions for statehood are met, including the firm rejection of terrorism," he said.
Israeli officials said Mr Netanyahu would fly to Moscow on Wednesday to discuss the proposals with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A plan that overturns Palestinian aspirations
Until now all of the most difficult aspects of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal - the so-called final status issues - like borders; the future of Israeli settlements in the West Bank; the long-term status of Jerusalem; and the fate of Palestinian refugees, were to be left for face-to-face talks between the Israelis and Palestinians themselves.
Not any longer. The deal proposed by President Trump and enthusiastically endorsed by Prime Minister Netanyahu essentially frames all of these issues in Israel's favour.
The Palestinians were not just absent from this meeting - they have boycotted the Trump administration ever since it unilaterally moved its embassy to Jerusalem. But they have essentially been presented with an ultimatum - accept the Trump parameters or else, and they have been given some four years to come around.
While President Trump is offering the Palestinians a state it would be a much truncated one. No Jewish settlers will be uprooted and Israeli sovereignty will apparently be extended to the settlement blocs and the Jordan Valley. The Palestinians might have a capital in the East Jerusalem suburbs. This "take it or leave it offer" will appal many long-standing students of the region. The question now is not so much what benefit this deal might bring but how much damage it may do by over-turning Palestinian aspirations.
What reaction has there been?
In his address, President Abbas said it was "impossible for any Palestinian, Arab, Muslim or Christian child to accept" a Palestinian state without Jerusalem as its capital.
"We say a thousand times, no, no, no," he said. "We rejected this deal from the start and our stance was correct."
The militant Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, also rejected the deal which it said aimed "to liquidate the Palestinian national project".
The UN said it remained committed to a two-state solution based on the borders in place before the 1967 war, when Israel seized the West Bank and Gaza.
A spokesman for Secretary General António Guterres said the UN wanted a peace deal on the basis of UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said the proposals envisaged a form of apartheid.
It said Palestinians would be relegated "to small, enclosed, isolated enclaves, with no control over their lives".
Israel's Peace Now organisation said the plan was "as detached from reality as it is eye-catching".
"The plan's green light for Israel to annex the settlements in exchange for a perforated Palestinian state is unviable and would not bring stability," it said.
British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab urged the Palestinians to give the plans "genuine and fair consideration and explore whether they might prove a first step on the road back to negotiations".
What's the background?
The Palestinians broke off contacts with the Trump administration in December 2017, after Mr Trump decided to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital and move the US embassy to the city from Tel Aviv.
Since then, the US has ended both bilateral aid for Palestinians and contributions for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
And in November, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the US had abandoned its four-decades-old position that Jewish settlements in the West Bank were inconsistent with international law.
The Arab League will convene an urgent meeting on Saturday.
What are the issues at stake?
Of all the conflicts in the Middle East, that between Israel and the Palestinians has been the most intractable. Although the two sides signed a breakthrough peace accord in 1993, more than a quarter of a century on the two sides are arguably as far apart as ever.
Jerusalem: Both Israel and the Palestinians hold competing claims to the city. Israel, which occupied the formerly Jordanian-held eastern part in 1967, regards the whole of Jerusalem as its capital. The Palestinians insist on East Jerusalem - home to about 350,000 of their community - as the capital of a hoped-for independent state.
Palestinian statehood: The Palestinians want an independent state of their own, comprising the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. Israeli prime ministers have publicly accepted the notion of a Palestinian state alongside Israel but not what form it should take. Benjamin Netanyahu has said any Palestinian state should be demilitarised with the powers to govern itself but not to threaten Israel.
Recognition: Israel insists that any peace deal must include Palestinian recognition of it as the "nation-state of the Jewish people", arguing that without this Palestinians will continue to press their own national claims to the land, causing the conflict to endure. The Palestinians says what Israel calls itself is its own business, but to recognise it as the Jewish state will discriminate against Israel's Arab population of Palestinian origin, who are Muslims, Christians and Druze.
Borders: Both sides have fundamentally different ideas as to where the boundaries of a potential Palestinian state should be. The Palestinians insist on borders based on ceasefire lines which separated Israel and East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza between 1949 and 1967. Israel says those lines are militarily indefensible and were never intended to be permanent. It has not said where borders should be, other than making clear its own eastern border should be along the Jordan River.
Settlements: Since 1967, Israel has built about 140 settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, as well as 121 outposts - settlements built without the government's authorisation. They have become home to some 600,000 Israeli Jews. Settlements are considered illegal by most of the international community, though Israel disputes this. Palestinians say all settlements must be removed for a Palestinian state to be viable. Mr Netanyahu has vowed not only to never to uproot any settlements but to bring them under Israeli sovereignty.
Refugees: The UN says its agencies support about 5.5 million Palestinian refugees in the Middle East (the Palestinian Authority says there are up to 6 million), including the descendants of people who fled or were expelled by Jewish forces from what became Israel in the 1948-49 war. Palestinians insist on their right to return to their former homes, but Israel says they are not entitled to, noting that such a move would overwhelm it demographically and lead to its end as a Jewish state.
100 years of Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Key moments*
* entries are selective and abridged
January
No Indonesian Infected by nCov in Singapore: Embassy
Written by Ani HasanahThe Indonesian Embassy in Singapore said that no Indonesian in the island republic was infected with the coronavirus (2019-nCov) until Tuesday (January 28).
There are seven confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Singapore but none of them has affected Indonesians, chief of the embassy's information, social and cultural function, Ratna Lestari Harjana, said in an application message on Tuesday.
"All the patients are from Wuhan, China, and are now being treated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and Sengkang General Hospital of Singapore," she said.
The embassy expressed hope that all Indonesians must stay alert over the virus and keep their bodies and environment clean, keep abreast of information from the Singapore Government and the Indonesian Embassy.
"The Indonesian Embassy in Singapore will keep monitoring and providing the latest information on handling cases of the said virus," she said.
She said the Singapore Government has set up a Multi-Ministry Taskforce on the Wuhan Coronavirus aimed at coordinating with the Singapore Government's responses in addressing the spread of the virus.
In addition, Singapore has also adopted principal steps, including issuing a call to its citizens not to unnecessarily travel to China.
It also heightened screening efforts on the air border using thermal scanners. To handle passengers of flights from China, an airport health team has been set up. (ANTARA)
January
Coronavirus: Death Toll Climbs to 106 as China Tightens Measures
Written by Ani HasanahThe rise comes as governments scramble to control the spread of the virus. Hong Kong is going to slash cross-border travel with mainland China.
Meanwhile, Japan is sending a plane to Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, to evacuate its citizens
The virus has spread across China and to at least 16 countries globally.
Wuhan, as well as wider Hubei province, are already effectively in a lockdown with strict transport restrictions in and out of the area. Wearing masks in public is now mandatory in some Chinese cities.
On Monday, authorities in Beijing confirmed a 50-year-old man had died - the first fatality in the Chinese capital from the virus.
Hours later, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the high-speed rail line between the territory and mainland China would be suspended from Thursday. Flights, buses and ferry services will also be cut down drastically in an effort to halt the virus's spread to the city - a global financial centre.
The coronavirus causes severe acute respiratory infection and there is no specific cure or vaccine.
Most of the deaths have been in Hubei province. The initial victims were mostly elderly people or those with pre-existing respiratory problems, but few details have been released about the dozens of deaths confirmed in recent days.
A total of 60 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery, according to Chinese state media.
What steps is China taking?
Efforts to stem the spread of the virus have coincided with the Lunar New Year celebration, which usually sees millions travel across the country to visit relatives and friends.
To try and stop the spread of infections, many of the new year festivities have been suspended and the holiday period has been extended by three days to Sunday.
Chinese authorities have also imposed several other measures in recent days:
- Beijing and Shanghai introduced a 14-day observation period for people arriving from Hubei
- Authorities postponed the new semester for schools and universities nationwide, without giving a resumption date
- China Railway Group suspended hundreds of train lines throughout the country
- The immigration administration encouraged citizens to reconsider the timing of overseas travel to reduce cross-border movement
In Wuhan, travel from the city of 11 million people has been severely restricted and non-essential vehicles have been banned from the roads.
The city's mayor though said about five million people had already left the city ahead of the holidays and before the lockdown.
Several major cities have suspended public transport systems, taxis and ride-hailing services.
The Disneyland attraction parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong have both been closed.
How is the virus spreading?
The new coronavirus is thought to have emerged from illegally traded wildlife at a seafood market in Wuhan and can now spread between people.
Chinese authorities over the weekend said the virus was - like a normal flu - able to spread during its incubation period and before any symptoms appeared.
This would set it apart from cases like Sars and Ebola and make it much harder to contain.
The incubation period can range from two to 10 days, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
However unlike China, it said it remained unclear whether the virus was contagious before symptoms appear.
The number of total cases confirmed by China rose to 4,515 as of 27 January, up from 2,835 a day earlier.
What is the situation internationally?
The United States, which has also had several infected cases, has urged its nationals to "reconsider travel" to China and is advising against travel to Hubei.
The country plans to fly consular staff and US citizens out of Wuhan in the coming days.
Japan is expecting to evacuate about 200 nationals on a chartered plane on Wednesday morning, with health workers on board to monitor passengers. The evacuees will be asked to look out for any symptoms of the new coronavirus for two weeks after their return.
Many other countries have also warned against any non-essential travel to China. Like the US and Japan, France has said it plans to airlift citizens out of Wuhan.
The UK is yet to make a similar decision but has urged Britons to leave the area if they can - however this has upset some living in Hubei who complain they are trapped.
The Philippines on Tuesday announced they would stop issuing visas on arrival for Chinese travellers.
According to the World Health Organization and national authorities, there have been at least 47 confirmed cases outside China.
The latest case to be confirmed is in the German state of Bavaria, only the fourth so far in Europe.
So far, there have been no deaths outside China.
What is the new coronavirus?
The virus causes severe acute respiratory infection and symptoms seem to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week, some people can experience shortness of breath and need hospital treatment.
The virus itself is a new, or "novel" coronavirus - a family that normally affects animals.
The effect of the coronavirus family on humans has long been observed mainly in the form of the common cold. In recent decades though, more serious coronaviruses - like Sars or Mers - have proven potentially deadly to humans.
Yet even in the cases of severe viruses most people infected were likely to fully recover just like they would from a normal flu.
On Tuesday, an expert at China's National Health Commission (NHC) said one week was sufficient for a recovery from mild coronavirus symptoms.
According to local media, the NHC also said the virus could infect children, but that their symptoms would be relatively mild. (BBC)
January
Buddhist Leader's Annual Peace Proposal Applauds Youth Climate Action and Promotes Nuclear Weapons Treaty
Written by Ani HasanahOn January 26, 2020, the 38th annual peace proposal by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the Soka Gakkai International (SGI) Buddhist network, titled "Toward Our Shared Future: Constructing an Era of Human Solidarity" was released, marking the anniversary of the founding of the SGI.
Climate action and nuclear weapons abolition are Ikeda's main themes, with a focus on the individual lives and suffering often hidden behind macroeconomic indices. He describes climate change as "a fundamental challenge, on which the fate of humankind hinges," and stresses that it threatens to render meaningless global efforts toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Praising the energy of youth climate activists, he states, "When young people's will to transform reality merges with an indomitable optimism, the possibilities are limitless."
Ikeda proposes that UN Youth Climate Summits be held every year toward 2030 and calls for a Security Council Resolution mainstreaming youth participation in climate-related decision-making.
Consistent with his decades of action toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, Ikeda urges efforts to ensure that the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) reaches 50 ratifications and thus enters into force this year, the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
He proposes holding a People's Forum for a World Without Nuclear Weapons centered on hibakusha and civil society in Hiroshima or Nagasaki to follow the treaty's entry into force. He also calls for a five-year extension of the New START Treaty between the US and Russia as the first step toward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations.
Alarmed by risks that cyberattacks or Artificial Intelligence (AI) could destabilize nuclear weapons systems, he urges that deliberations on a prohibition regime related to cyberattacks on nuclear systems, AI and other new technologies should begin at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference to be held from April at UN Headquarters in New York.
Ikeda also highlights the plight of children and youth deprived of educational opportunities due to armed conflict or natural disasters, and therefore calls for strengthening of the financial foundation of the UNICEF-hosted Education Cannot Wait global fund.
Ikeda concludes with a commitment to continued grassroots action, saying, "The SGI will further promote empowerment of, by and for the people, as we address the climate crisis and other challenges with an expanding movement of global solidarity."
The Soka Gakkai International (SGI) is a community-based Buddhist network promoting peace, culture and education with 12 million members. Every year since 1983, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda (1928- ) has issued a peace proposal offering a Buddhist perspective and solutions to global problems on January 26, to commemorate the founding of the SGI. The year 2020 marks the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the Soka Gakkai and the 45th anniversary of the founding of the SGI. (Antara/Kyodo JBN-AsiaNet)
Source: Soka Gakkai International
January
One Dead as Iraq Security Forces Unleash Tear Gas and Live Rounds on Protesters
Written by Ani HasanahOne protester has been killed by security forces after hundreds of anti-government protesters flooded the streets of Iraq's capital and southern provinces.
More than 100 protesters were also hurt, including at least 75 in the southern city of Nassiriya, in the renewed violence in Baghdad and other cities after security forces tried to clear sit-in protest camps on Sunday, medical sources said.
The protesters have defied a powerful Iraqi religious leader who recently withdrew his support from the popular movement.
Separately, five Katyusha rockets crashed into a riverbank near the US Embassy in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone without causing any injuries or serious damages, a statement from US Joint Operations Command said. One rocket landed inside the embassy walls, an Iraqi security official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
It is the third such attack this month and the perpetrators were not immediately known.
January
Iran Executes 'Crocodile of the Gulf' Drug Kingpin
Written by Ani HasanahThe "crocodile" was arrested in the middle of transferring more than 100 tonnes of drugs in international waters, officials said.
The 36-year-old and an accomplice were killed following a years-long intelligence operation.
Iran executes hundreds of prisoners each year.
Amnesty International says the country executed at least 253 people in 2018. That represents a drop of 50% from the 507 executed the year before, credited to changes in the country's strict anti-narcotics laws.
But drug dealing on an international scale can still carry the death penalty.
"The 'Crocodile' was operating under different guises and aliases" Hormozgan province chief prosecutor Ali Salehi told ISNA news agency.
"He led one of the biggest and most vicious drug-trafficking networks in Iran and the region," he said.
Other members of the gang received prisons sentences of up to five years, or heavy fines, he said. The gang laundered money and used the proceeds of the drug trade to purchase real estate - some of which has now been seized by the government.
As for the true identity of "the crocodile", authorities declined to name him, giving only the initials "AZ" for the ringleader, and "MH" for his executed accomplice.
January
Prince Andrew Gives 'zero co-operation' over Epstein Inquiry, US Prosecutor Says
Written by Ani HasanahThe Duke of York has provided "zero co-operation" to an inquiry into late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the prosecutor in charge of the investigation has said.
Prosecutors and the FBI have contacted his lawyers but have received no reply, said US attorney Geoffrey Berman.
Prince Andrew says he did not see, or suspect, any suspicious behaviour when visiting homes of his then friend.
Buckingham Palace said the prince's legal team was dealing with the issue.
It said it would not be commenting further.
Convicted US sex offender Epstein took his own life in a jail cell in August, aged 66, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
Mr Berman, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the FBI and Southern District of New York had requested to interview the duke as part of their inquiry into Epstein's crimes, but "to date, Prince Andrew has provided zero co-operation".
Prince Andrew has come under fire for his friendship with the US financier, who was jailed in Florida in 2008 for procuring a minor for prostitution.
He told BBC Newsnight in November that he first met Epstein in 1999 and did not regret their friendship - which lead to Epstein attending events at Windsor Castle and Sandringham - because it had "some seriously beneficial outcomes".
However he admitted it was wrong of him to visit Epstein at his home in 2010, after his conviction.
Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's accusers, says she was trafficked to London by Epstein in 2001, when she was 17, and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew.
Prince Andrew emphatically denies any form of sexual contact or relationship with her and says any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.
He said he has no recollection of ever meeting the woman, who was previously known as Virginia Roberts.
'Willing to help'
Prince Andrew was accused of lacking empathy for Epstein's victims in his Newsnight interview and failing to show regret over their friendship.
Shortly after it was broadcast, the prince announced he was stepping back from royal duties for the "foreseeable future" because the Epstein scandal had become a "major disruption" to the Royal Family.
At the time, he said he was "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency".
He also said in the BBC interview he would consider giving evidence under oath "if push came to shove and the legal advice was to do so".
The lawyer for Epstein's victims has since said he plans to serve subpoenas for the prince to be questioned under oath.
Prince Andrew accompanied the Queen to church near Sandringham earlier this month.
It was the Queen's first public appearance after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were revealed to have given up their HRH titles - and the first time the prince had been seen with his mother since the week after his Newsnight interview.
'Moving forward'
Prosecutor Mr Berman made his comments at a news conference outside Epstein's New York mansion.
He was speaking at an event to promote a new law that makes it easier for victims to sue over childhood abuse.
Before being asked about Prince Andrew, he spoke about the progress of the sex trafficking investigation and said it was looking at possible "conspirators" who had worked alongside Epstein procuring girls for the financier's sexual gratification.
"Jeffrey Epstein couldn't have done what he did without the assistance of others, and I can assure you that the investigation is moving forward," he said. (BBC)
January
Kobe Bryant: Investigators Work to Determine Cause of Crash
Written by Ani HasanahUS investigators are working to determine the causes of the helicopter crash that killed basketball star Kobe Bryant in California on Sunday.
All nine people on board the helicopter died, including Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.
Investigators are expected to focus on the weather conditions, which were foggy, and on any mechanical failures that may have occurred.
Bryant was considered to be one of the greatest players in the game's history.
He was a five-time NBA champion for his only team, the Los Angeles Lakers, and a double Olympic gold medallist. He retired in April 2016.
Tributes from fans, fellow basketball players and other public figures have been pouring in from around the world while fans congregate at a makeshift memorial for the player in front of the Lakers' Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The NBA cancelled a game between the Lakers and the Clippers scheduled for the stadium on Tuesday.
What will investigators focus on?
Investigators from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are gathering in the area to launch separate crash investigations.
The federal agency has a team of about 20 people in LA and will work with the FAA, the helicopters' manufacturer and the company that made its engine, the Washington Post reports.
Investigators began searching through the wreckage on Monday. The FBI is helping the NTSB's staff document the scene, which is standard procedure.
The aircraft - a Sikorsky S-76B - went down into a hillside outside the city of Calabasas, west of Los Angeles, on Sunday at 09:45 local time (17:45 GMT).
Conditions were foggy when the flight took off, and local police had grounded their helicopters due to the poor weather.
The pilot asked air traffic controllers a special clearance, known as Special Visual Flight Rules, to fly in less than optimal weather, said NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy, who went to the crash scene to collect evidence.
The helicopter, she added, circled in the air for 12 minutes before being given the clearance. The pilot then asked controllers for "flight following", an assistance given to helicopters to avoid collisions, but was told the craft was too low to be picked up by radar.
Minutes later, the pilot said he was "climbing to avoid a cloud layer", she added. The helicopter climbed and began a left descending turn, according to radar data, before communication was lost "consistent with the accident location".
Pilots can experience "spatial disorientation" when they fly in cloudy conditions, due to the lack of visual input, Thomas Anthony, director of the USC Aviation Safety and Security Programme, told the BBC.
"That's why it's necessary to use the [flight] instruments, which give you an artificial horizon."
However, he added that it was "never one thing that causes an aircraft accident", and investigators would need to look into "what things came together to result in this tragic mishap".
The S-76 is a "well evolved, sophisticated aircraft that is used widely around the world", he said, adding that it had two jet engines, which gave it capability even if one stopped working.
Ms Homendy said debris was spread out over about 500ft (150m) with the tail and the main rotor having separated from the fuselage, calling it a "devastating accident scene". She added there was no cockpit voice recorder, known as a black box, as there was no requirement for it.
Why was Kobe Bryant travelling by helicopter?
Bryant had been on his way to coach his daughter's basketball team in a local youth tournament.
He was known for taking his helicopter to beat traffic in Los Angeles.
"Los Angeles is notorious" for traffic jams, says Professor Michael Manville, traffic lead at the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies.
He says this is due to the lack of road pricing- as well as the fact that LA has "the urbanisation and economy of a city, but the zoning and layout of a suburb" - which means residents cannot avoid driving, but the volume of traffic on roads is high.
According to research firm Inrix, drivers in Los Angeles lost an average of 128 hours to congestion in 2018.
The journey, from Bryant's home near Newport Beach to Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, would take just over an hour without traffic - but can take more than three hours when congestion is bad.
Who else was in the helicopter?
Coroners have recovered three bodies so far, but the victims have not been officially identified.
Family members and colleagues however said John Altobelli, coach of the Orange Coast College baseball team, was among the passengers, along with his wife Keri and their 13-year-old daughter Alyssa - who played with Bryant's daughter, Gianna.
Christina Mauser, a basketball coach at Gianna's school, was also on board, her husband wrote on Facebook.
US media have cited family tributes being paid to another victim, Sarah Chester, and her daughter Payton, who are said to have also been on board the helicopter; and Ara Zobayan has also been named as the pilot.
Why was Kobe Bryant so famous?
A five-time NBA champion, Bryant played his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers before his retirement in 2016.
His achievements include being the 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and two-time NBA Finals MVP. He was also NBA scoring champion twice and a two-time Olympic champion.
He famously scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in 2006, the second-highest single-game total in NBA history.
He also won an Oscar for best short animated film in 2018 for Dear Basketball, a five-minute film based on a love letter to the sport he had written in 2015.
Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, have three other daughters, Natalia, Bianca and Capri.
Italy has said a minute's silence would be observed at all basketball games "in every category for the entire week". Bryant spent part of his childhood in the country as his father played in the Italian basketball league.
Bryant was accused of sexual assault in 2003 by a 19-year-old woman working at a Colorado resort. He denied the allegation, saying the two had consensual sex. The case was dropped after the accuser refused to testify in court.
He later apologised, saying he recognised that "she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did". A subsequent civil suit was settled out of court.
