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Tuesday, October 27, 2020
*) Erdogan urges people to boycott French products
Turkey’s President Erdogan has called for a sweeping public boycott of French-made goods.
Decrying rising anti-Muslim sentiment in Europe, he called on European leaders to stop what he said was a "hate campaign" led by his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron against Muslims.
He said hostility to Islam and Muslims has become state policy in some European countries, a policy which enjoys support at high levels.
*) Barrett confirmed by Senate for Supreme Court, takes oath
Amy Coney Barrett has been confirmed to the Supreme Court as the 115th justice just days before the US election.
President Donald Trump's choice to fill the vacancy of the late liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg potentially opens a new era of rulings on abortion, the Affordable Care Act and even his own election.
The Senate was deeply divided, with Republicans overpowering Democrats in the vote to install Trump’s nominee.
*) Hurricane Zeta threatens Mexico's Caribbean coast
Mexican authorities have warned residents and tourists to shelter indoors as a hurricane barrels toward its Caribbean coast.
Zeta strengthened from a tropical storm into a Category 1 hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometres per hour, the US
National Hurricane Center said.
Zeta could hit the Yucatan Peninsula on Monday night, the NHC said.
*) Virus antibodies decline rapidly among Britishers during summer
Covid-19 antibodies have declined rapidly in the British population over the summer.
A study suggests protection after coronavirus infection may not be long-lasting, raising the prospect of waning immunity in the community.
Scientists at Imperial College London found that antibody prevalence fell from 6 percent of the population around the end of June to just 4.4 percent in September.
And finally...
*) Moon holds more water in more places than ever thought
The moon’s shadowed, frigid nooks and crannies may hold frozen water in more places and larger quantities than previously suspected.
The presence of water on the moon’s sunlit surface has been confirmed for the first time, scientists said.
More than 40,000 square kilometres of lunar terrain have the capability to trap water in the form of ice, a team led by the University of Colorado’s Paul Hayne found.
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Tue, 27 Oct 2020 09:18:42 +0000
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Monday, October 26, 2020
*) Violations reported after ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh
Azerbaijan has said that Armenia had violated a new US-announced ceasefire that went into effect on Monday morning.
Baku said the Armenian Army had targeted the Azerbaijani military in the Safiyan village of Lachin from the direction of Lachin city.
It was the third truce attempt in a month since fighting began over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.
*) Turkey's Erdogan slams Macron over his anti-Islam stance
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has intensified his criticism of French President Emmanuel Macron’s comments on Islam.
France had earlier recalled its ambassador to Turkey, following President Erdogan's initial remarks that Macron needed mental help.
Erdogan made those remarks after Macron accused Muslims of 'separatism' and described Islam as 'a religion in crisis.'
*) Majority of Chileans vote to ditch Pinochet-era constitution
Chileans have overwhelmingly voted to change the country's dictatorship-era constitution.
With 94 percent of the votes counted, more than 78 percent of Chileans decided to replace the country's constitution that was drafted in 1980 during the Augusto Pinochet military dictatorship.
The referendum was called in the wake of mass protests against inequality in the country.
*) Iraqis mark one year since protests left more than 500 dead
Demonstrations in Iraq’s capital Baghdad turned violent as thousands of people marked one year since the start of anti-government protests.
Protesters hurled rocks as police fired tear gas canisters and used water cannons to block demonstrators from bridges leading to the Green Zone.
Protesters also marched in several southern cities, including Najaf and Basra. Around 600 people have been killed since protests started.
And finally...
*) Oxford Covid-19 vaccine trials produce robust immune response in elderly
Early results from tests for a coronavirus vaccine show it produces a robust immune response in elderly people, the group at highest risk.
A Financial Times report said the vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, in collaboration with AstraZeneca Plc triggers protective antibodies and T-cells in older age groups
The report added that positive immunogenicity tests do not guarantee that the vaccine will ultimately prove safe and effective in older people.
Monday, October 26, 2020
Mon, 26 Oct 2020 10:00:31 +0000
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Friday, October 23, 2020
*) Mute button brings civility to final US presidential debate
A mute button is all it took to bring civility to the final US presidential debate in Tennessee.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden interrupted each other far less frequently, even as they clashed on issues ranging from Covid-19 to climate change.
Candidates will now hit the campaign trail to muster up as much support as they can ahead of the November 2 election.
*) US hosts Azerbaijan, Armenia for talks to end conflict
Talks between the US, Azerbaijan and Armenia on occupied-Karabakh get underway in Washington later today.
The meeting comes as Baku liberated more territory along the border with Iran from Armenian control.
Yerevan says it sees no possibility of a diplomatic solution to the conflict.
*) Saad Hariri named as Lebanon's prime minister-designate
Saad Hariri has been named as Lebanon's new prime minister-designate, a year after he was toppled by mass anti-government protests.
Hariri won the backing of a majority of parliamentarians during meetings with President Michel Aoun.
If successful, he faces the country's deepest crisis since the civil war, with the economy in tatters and widespread distrust of the ruling elite.
*) US sanctions Iranian groups for alleged election meddling
The US Treasury has slapped new sanctions on five Iranian entities, including the Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The treasury said the groups had worked to "sow."
This as the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security said a Russian state-sponsored hacking group was also targeting US government systems.
And finally...
*) Paul McCartney to release solo album in December
Singer Paul McCartney will release his ‘McCartney III’ album in December.
The ex-Beatles star says it's a new collection of stripped-back songs all written, performed and produced by him, 50 years after his first solo album.
It joins two other albums, ‘McCartney’ and ‘McCartney II,’ both created by the 78-year-old at critical times in his life.
Friday, October 23, 2020
Fri, 23 Oct 2020 07:49:55 +0000
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Thursday, October 22, 2020
*) Turkey says it will send troops to help Azerbaijan if requested
Turkey's Vice President Fuat Oktay says Ankara will not hesitate to send soldiers and provide military support for Azerbaijan if asked.
Earlier, Armenia's prime minister Nikol Pashinyan said he saw no possibility of a diplomatic solution with Azerbaijan at this stage over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
Ankara has vowed full solidarity with Baku and insists Yerevan should withdraw from Azerbaijan's lands.
*) US accuses Iran of sending emails intimidating American voters
Russia and Iran have obtained US voter information and acted to influence public opinion ahead of the November 3 election.
US Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe has said Iran sent "spoofed" emails to Americans "designed to intimidate voters, incite social unrest and damage President Trump."
He said Iran had also distributed a video that implies that people could send in fraudulent ballots, including from outside the United States.
*) Sudanese police fire tear gas to disperse protesters
At least one protester is dead after Sudanese security forces fired tear gas to disperse hundreds of people at demonstrations in the capital Khartoum.
People are protesting to put pressure on the government to improve economic conditions and push ahead with reform.
The rallies came just days after President Donald Trump announced the US would remove Sudan from its list of state sponsors of terrorism.
*) Nigerian soldiers fire at protesters, at least two hit
Soldiers opened fire on Nigerians protesting against police brutality in Lekki in Lagos, shooting at least two people.
The condition of the two people shot was not immediately clear.
Amnesty International says at least 15 people had been killed since the protests began.
And finally...
*) Three-man US-Russian crew returns to Earth from ISS
An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts touched down on the Kazakhstan steppe, completing a 196-day mission.
NASA astronaut Chris Cassidy and Russians Anatoly Ivanishin and Ivan Vagner landed around 150 kilometres southeast of Zhezkazgan city.
NASA and Roscosmos reported that they were in good condition.
Thursday, October 22, 2020
Thu, 22 Oct 2020 10:22:02 +0000
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Wednesday, October 21, 2020
*) Azerbaijan: Global sanctions should be imposed on Armenia
Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev has urged the international community to impose sanctions on Armenia.
In a televised speech, Aliyev said that the Armenian army is involved in "massacres" of civilians.
Aliyev expressed resolve in retaking Azerbaijani territories occupied by Armenian forces.
*) Nigeria security forces 'kill protesters' amid curfew
In Nigeria, several demonstrators have been killed by security forces in the city of Lagos.
A 24-hour curfew was imposed to quell the protests, with soldiers opening fire on those who defied the curfew, as Amnesty International and others have reported.
Protests over police brutality have been raging for more than a week across the country.
*) Khashoggi’s fiancee sues Saudi crown prince for murder in US court
Hatice Cengiz, the fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, has filed a lawsuit in the US against the Saudi crown prince, alleging he ordered the hit.
Cengiz filed the federal lawsuit against Prince Mohammed bin Salman with the help of a human rights organisation which Khashoggi founded.
They're accusing him of ordering Khashoggi's killing to permanently silence his calls for democratic reform in the Arab world.
*) Mixed results for arthritis drug as Covid-19 treatment
A trio of new studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine examining the efficacy of an arthritis drug against Covid-19 have shown inconsistent results.
The drug tocilizumab has been used by doctors since the start of the pandemic with the hope of tamping down an abnormal immune response known as a "cytokine storm”.
The risk of death at 30 days stood at 28 and 38 percent among tocilizumab-treated and non-tocilizumab-treated patients respectively.
And finally...
*) NASA spacecraft lands on asteroid Bennu to grab sample
After a four-year journey, NASA's robotic spacecraft Osiris-Rex has briefly touched down on asteroid Bennu's boulder-strewn surface.
The mission is to collect at least 60 grams of surface samples that scientists hope will help unravel the origins of our solar system.
This precision operation is taking place 330 million kilometres from Earth.
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Wed, 21 Oct 2020 08:26:57 +0000
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Tuesday, October 20, 2020
*) Mics to be muted in US presidential debate to stop interruptions
The US Commission on Presidential Debates has changed the rules for Thursday's final debate.
Both candidates, President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Joe Biden, will have their microphones muted while their opponent answers questions.
Trump's campaign has challenged the format of their upcoming debate.
*) Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of violating the new ceasefire
Azerbaijan has accused Armenia of attacking a cotton factory with artillery, but Armenia denies Azerbaijan's accusations.
UN Security Council members called on both to respect a new ceasefire during a meeting on Monday.
The council held closed-door discussions on the fighting, at the UN headquarters in New York.
*) US charges Russians in cyberattacks on Ukraine, French elections, and Olympics
US federal prosecutors have charged six Russian intelligence officers, accusing them of widespread, global cyberattacks.
The cyberattacks targeted a French presidential election, the Winter Olympics in South Korea and American businesses.
The indictment said all defendants are current and former officers in the Russian military intelligence agency known as the GRU.
*) US to remove Sudan from state sponsors of terrorism list
US President Donald Trump says his administration is close to an agreement with Sudan to remove the country from Washington's list of states that support terrorism.
The announcement comes after the new Sudanese government agreed to pay more than $330 million in compensation to American victims.
The deal could also help Sudan establish diplomatic relations with Israel.
And finally...
*) New “Sesame Street” podcast aims to help children’s education
“Sesame Street” is launching a podcast to help educate kids.
“The Sesame Street Podcast with Foley & Friends” is an offering on Audible that gives some screen-free educational entertainment to kids.
The podcast is led by 6-year-old exuberant Foley, “the sound-maker monster.”
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Tue, 20 Oct 2020 10:04:04 +0000
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Monday, October 19, 2020
*) Azerbaijan retakes 13 more villages under Armenian occupation
Azerbaijan says it has freed 13 more villages in the Jabrayil region from Armenian occupation.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has condemned attacks from both Azerbaijan and Armenia on populated areas.
Guterres wants both sides to abide by a new humanitarian truce and resume negotiations without delay.
*) Rallies held across France in tribute to beheaded teacher
Thousands of people gathered in cities across France to pay their respects to a history teacher, who was stabbed and decapitated on Friday.
Police say the teacher had received threats after showing his secularism class cartoons of Prophet Muhammed.
The attacker, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee, was shot and killed by police. Eleven others have also been arrested.
*) TRNC PM wins presidential election
Ersin Tatar has won the presidential run-off in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
Tatar got 52 percent of votes, defeating his rival Mustafa Akinci.
The main issue during the election campaign has been the long-stalled reunification talks with the Greek Cypriots.
While Tatar favours a two-state solution, Akinci insists on reunification.
*) Chile anniversary rallies turn violent
Tens of thousands of people gathered in Chile's capital Santiago to mark the first anniversary of mass protests.
Demonstrators banged on pots, calling for a "yes" vote in next week's referendum over whether to scrap the country's dictatorship-era constitution.
But Sunday's peaceful rallies devolved by nightfall into riots and looting, with police firing tear gas and using water cannons to disperse the crowds.
And finally...
*) New Zealand's next parliament to be its most diverse ever
New Zealand’s next parliament is set to be the most inclusive ever.
It includes female candidates, indigenous Maoris, and MPs of African and Sri Lankan descent.
Forty-year-old PM Jacinda Ardern is feted globally as a progressive leader, who is a champion for women’s rights, equality and inclusivity.
Monday, October 19, 2020
Mon, 19 Oct 2020 09:20:56 +0000