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November
37th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits begin today
Written by Nur YasminAgainst the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 37th ASEAN Summit will take place today through video-conference. Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc will preside over the opening ceremony. He will be joined online by Leaders from the other ASEAN Member States.
Secretary-General of ASEAN Dato Lim Jock Hoi said, “Viet Nam’s chairmanship of ASEAN this year has been exemplary. In spite of having to deal with its domestic COVID-19 challenges and natural disasters, Viet Nam has provided able leadership in keeping the region cohesive and responsive to these challenges, placing ASEAN Centrality and the peoples’ interest at the core.”
High on the 37th ASEAN Summit agenda is the Leaders’ discussion and approval of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its Implementation Plan, which will serve as the whole-of-community exit strategy to recover and build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, there will be further discussions on the ASEAN Travel Corridor Arrangement, which would facilitate the safe resumption of essential business travel in the region.
As ASEAN Chair, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc is also expected to announce the recipient of the ASEAN Prize 2020. Launched in 2018, the ASEAN Prize aims to recognize inspiring achievements and contributions of an individual or organisation that fosters the ASEAN identity, promotes the ASEAN spirit, and champions the ASEAN way.
The ASEAN Leaders will also meet with their counterparts from ASEAN’s Dialogue Partners in a series of ASEAN Plus One summits.
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the ASEAN Leaders, under Viet Nam’s Chairmanship, has earlier met over three cyber Summits in 2020, namely the Special ASEAN Summit and Special ASEAN Plus Three Summit on 14 April, and the 36th ASEAN Summit on 26 June.
The Opening Ceremony will be live streamed on the ASEAN Chair’s website (https://www.asean2020.vn/).
Brunei Darussalam will assume the ASEAN Chairmanship for 2021.
ASEAN was founded in Bangkok, Thailand on 8 August 1967 when the five founding members – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – signed the ASEAN Declaration. Since then, ASEAN has expanded and enlarged its membership with the inclusion of Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.
November
'Countdown to catastrophe' in Yemen as U.N. warns of famine - again
Written by Nur YasminMillions of men, women, and children in war-torn Yemen are facing famine - again, top United Nations officials warned on Wednesday as they appealed for more money to prevent it - again.
“We are on a countdown right now to a catastrophe,” U.N. food chief David Beasley told the U.N. Security Council. “We have been here before ... We did almost the same dog-and-pony show. We sounded the alarm then.”
The United Nations describes Yemen as the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with 80% of the people in need of help.
“If we choose to look away, there’s no doubt in my mind Yemen will be plunged into a devastating famine within a few short months,” Beasley told the 15-member council.
A Saudi Arabia-led military coalition intervened in Yemen in 2015, backing government forces fighting the Iran-allied Houthi group. U.N. officials are trying to revive peace talks to end the war as the country’s suffering is also worsened by an economic and currency collapse and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In late 2017, U.N. aid chief Mark Lowcock warned that Yemen was then facing “the largest famine the world has seen for many decades with millions of victims”.
“We prevented famine two years ago,” Lowcock told the Security Council on Wednesday. “More money for the aid operation is the quickest and most efficient way to support famine prevention efforts right now.”
He said the world body had received less than half of what it needed - about $1.5 billion - this year for its humanitarian operations in Yemen. Last year it received $3 billion.
“When I think about what famine would mean, I am really at a loss to understand why more is not being done to prevent it,” Lowcock said. “It is a terrible, agonizing and humiliating death ... Yemenis are not ‘going hungry’. They are being starved.” (Reuters)
November
President of South Africa: Visitors From All Countries Can Visit Us
Written by Nur YasminSouth Africa will allow entry of visitors from all countries in a bid to boost its tourism and hospitality sector, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.
South Africa, the continent's most developed economy, has seen an increase in infections since loosening lockdown restrictions in September to their lowest level.
With more than 740,000 cases of COVID-19 and at least 20,000 deaths, South Africa currently has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa.
Ramaphosa, in a televised national address, said normal trading hours for alcohol would be restored as well. Alcohol sales were previously capped at the weekend in a bid to ease pressure on hospitals for alcohol-related accidents.
"We also open international travel from all countries by complying with the necessary health protocols and submitting negative COVID-19 certificates," he said.
"By using rapid testing and close monitoring, we aim to limit the spread of infection from imported cases," he added.
"We hope that these steps will be of great help to businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector."
However, Ramaphosa warned of a potential resurgence in infections, saying the number of new cases in the Eastern Cape province was 50 percent higher than in the previous week, with higher infection rates also seen in the Northern Cape and Western Cape regions.
"We have also seen in other countries how the re-emergence of COVID-19 can crush hopes for a speedy economic recovery," he said.
The president did not provide further details or a specific date for reopening. A presidential spokesman could not be reached for comment.
South Africa opened its borders to some international tourists in early October after imposing a six-month ban. At the time, however, restrictions were placed on visitors from high-risk countries, with the latest list including the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, Brazil, and India.
South Africa is heavily dependent on tourism, which before the pandemic accounted for nearly nine percent of gross domestic product and employed more than four percent of the workforce.
The economy was already in recession before the pandemic hit, and one of the world's toughest lockdowns has exacerbated woes. Millions of its citizens have lost their jobs or are increasingly pushed into poverty. (Antaranews)
November
Russia Is Ready To Establish Vaccine Cooperation With Indonesia
Written by Nur YasminRussian Ambassador to Indonesia Lyudmila Vorobyova again emphasized Russia's readiness to cooperate with Indonesia in the development of the Covid-19 vaccine.
She said in a press statement delivered virtually, Wednesday, in Jakarta, that a number of companies from Indonesia had expressed interest in working with Russia to develop a vaccine.
She also reiterated Russia's stance in supporting Indonesia in pushing for equal rights for all countries in the world to get access to the Covid-19 vaccine.
"I would like to reiterate that Russia is ready to cooperate with Indonesia in producing and distributing the vaccine," the ambassador said.
"We support the stand of Indonesia that all small or large countries should have equal access to the anti-corona virus vaccine and we are ready to cooperate with Indonesia in this area," she said.
"Our proposal is already tabled to the relevant authorities of Indonesia. Some of the companies in Indonesia have shown interest and there are talks and consultations going on," Vorobyva added.
Lyudmila Vorobyva said that the Russian Sputnik V vaccine had been registered with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Russia claims that they are the first country to register their vaccine with WHO.
Lyudmila said that currently, Sputnik V has entered the final clinical trial stage involving more than 40 thousand people and Russia is ready to carry out mass vaccinations.
Apart from Sputnik V, currently, Russian vaccine manufacturers are also developing 2 other types of vaccines, namely Vector Vaccine and EpiVac. (VOI)
November
Fourteen Countries Completed RCEP Negotiations
Written by Nur YasminThe Ministerial Conference on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (RCEP) has completed RCEP negotiations.
As many as ministers RCEP attended the meeting including five participating ASEAN countries.
"The RCEP negotiations that have been going on for eight years are a difficult journey. All RPCs have completed negotiations on this agreement and will sign this RCEP agreement on Sunday," said Senior Minister of International Trade and Industry Malaysia, Dato 'Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali in his statement in Putrajaya, Wednesday.
He said the RCEP agreement was a very important agreement for ASEAN which would prove to the world that ASEAN's joint efforts in strengthening the world trade system in various directions and efforts to uphold the development agenda under the WTO.
"The success of this agreement will be evidence to the world that ASEAN rejects trade measures of protection and instead supports world free trade," he said.
If this agreement is signed this Sunday, he said, this will give a positive signal to the world that Malaysia together with other RPCs chooses to open the market and not instead use protective measures in the current challenging times.
"This agreement is in line with the government's announcement during the announcement of the 2021 Budget Plan to help revive the economic sector in Malaysia," he said.
He stressed that the agreement would enhance regional economic integration with a double impact on the economy.
"This includes opening up market opportunities to nearly a third of the world's population that will benefit businessmen and traders. In addition, the agreement will standardize trade-related rules and standards, including non-tariff measures, which can assist in cross-border trade," he said.
Malaysia is also confident that this agreement could be a catalyst for economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is in line with the aspirations of the ASEAN Comprehensive Recovery Framework (ACRF), under the Strategy for Maximizing the Potential of Intra-ASEAN Market and Broader Integration," he said. (Antaranews)
November
Pfizer vaccine trial success signals breakthrough in pandemic battle
Written by Nur YasminPfizer Inc's PFE.N experimental COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90% effective based on initial trial results, the drugmaker said on Monday, a major victory in the war against a virus that has killed over a million people and battered the world's economy.
Scientists, public health officials, and investors welcomed the first successful interim data from a large-scale clinical test as a watershed moment that could help turn the tide of the pandemic if the full trial results pan out. However, mass roll-outs, which needs regulatory approval, will not happen this year and several vaccines are seen as necessary to meet massive global needs.
Pfizer and German partner BioNTech SE 22UAy.F said they had found no serious safety concerns yet and expected to seek U.S. emergency use authorization this month, raising the chance of a regulatory decision as soon as December.
If granted, the companies estimate they can roll out up to 50 million doses this year, enough to protect 25 million people, and then produce up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.
“Today is a great day for science and humanity,” said Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla, noting the data milestone comes with “infection rates setting new records, hospitals nearing over-capacity and economies struggling to reopen.”
Experts said they wanted to see the full trial data, but the preliminary results looked encouraging.
“This news made me smile from ear to ear. It is a relief to see such positive results on this vaccine and bodes well for COVID-19 vaccines in general,” said Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the University of Oxford.
There are still many questions, such as how effective the vaccine is by ethnicity or age and how long immunity may last.
“But the bottom line is, as a vaccine it’s more than 90% effective, which is extraordinary,” top U.S. infectious diseases expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN.
Pfizer expects to seek U.S. emergency use authorization for people aged 16 to 85. To do so, it will need two months of follow-up safety data to assure no side effects crop up. That is expected to be available in the third week of November.
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said it would take several weeks for U.S. regulators to receive and process the data before a potential approval. (Reuters)
November
Pfizer's Covid-19 Vaccine Successful, Cannot Be Used Immediately
Written by Nur YasminThe COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer has proven to be more than 90 percent effective based on initial trials, Pfizer said in an official broadcast on Monday, as quoted by Reuters on Tuesday.
This is a major victory in the fight against a virus that has killed more than a million people around the world and hit the global economy.
Scientists, public health officials, and investors have welcomed the first successful interim data from a large-scale clinical trial as a key moment that could help tackle the pandemic if the full trial results go well.
However, the mass rollout, which has to pass multiple regulations, will not occur this year and some vaccines are seen as necessary to meet enormous global needs.
Pfizer and German partner BioNTech will seek to allow emergency use in the US this month, so it is likely that regulations could be decided in December.
If permits are down, they estimate that they could provide up to 50 million doses of vaccine this year, enough for 25 million people, then produce up to 1.3 billion doses of vaccine by 2021.
"Today is an extraordinary day for science and humanity," he said.
Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla. Experts say they want to see the full trial data, but initial results look encouraging.
"This news makes me smile widely. It is such a relief to see positive results with this vaccine and bodes well for the COVID-19 vaccine in general, ”said Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases at the University of Oxford.
Many questions remain, such as how effective the vaccine is based on the patient's ethnicity or age and how long immunity can last.
"But the bottom line is, it's a vaccine with over 90 percent effectiveness, that's incredible," leading US infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN.
Pfizer hopes to get permission from the US so that this vaccine can be used by people aged 16-85 years.
For that, it needs further data for two months to make sure there are no side effects. The data is expected to be available in the third week of November.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said it took several weeks for the data to be received and processed before the approval was issued. (Antaranews)
November
Brunei Records Zero New Covid-19 Cases For 17 Days
Written by Nur YasminBrunei reported zero cases of COVID-19 on Sunday (8/11) with 148 cases. It marked the 17th consecutive day without a new case of COVID-19 since October 22, when the country recorded one imported case from Kuala Lumpur.
According to the Brunei Health Ministry, they recorded another patient as recovering, bringing the total to 145 patients. There are no active cases currently under treatment at the National Isolation Center.
There are currently 316 individuals who are undergoing compulsory isolation at government surveillance centers because they only arrived in Brunei after traveling from abroad.
Until now, Brunei has only reported three deaths due to COVID-19. According to the Worldometer website, which records COVID-19 data from 218 countries, Brunei is ranked 194th among the countries hit by COVID-19.
The first rank is still occupied by the United States with 10,283,063 cases and a total of 243,737 deaths.
Meanwhile, China, which was the initial source of the COVID-19 outbreak, is currently in 59th position among the countries hit by the new type of coronavirus, with a total of 86,212 cases and a total of 4,634 deaths.
The statistics show that China has more control over the spread of COVID-19 than many countries such as the US, Brazil, India, France, Britain, Italy, France, and Spain. Apart from China, countries praised for dealing with the pandemic were New Zealand and Australia. (Antaranews)
November
Global coronavirus cases exceed 50 million after 30-day spike
Written by Nur YasminGlobal coronavirus infections exceeded 50 million on Sunday, according to a Reuters tally, with a second wave of the virus in the past 30 days accounting for a quarter of the total.
October was the worst month for the pandemic so far, with the United States becoming the first country to report more than 100,000 daily cases. A surge in Europe contributed to the rise.
The latest seven-day average shows global daily infections are rising by more than 540,000.
More than 1.25 million people have died from the respiratory disease that emerged in China late last year.
The pandemic’s recent acceleration has been ferocious. It took 32 days for the number of cases to rise from 30 million to 40 million. It took just 21 days to add another 10 million.
Europe, with about 12 million cases, is the worst-affected region, overtaking Latin America. Europe accounts for 24% of COVID-19 deaths.
The region is logging about 1 million new infections every three days or so, according to a Reuters analysis. That is 51% of the global total.
France is recording 54,440 cases a day on the latest seven-day average, a higher rate than India with a far bigger population.
The global second wave is testing healthcare systems across Europe, prompting Germany, France and Britain to order many citizens back to their homes again.
Denmark, which imposed a new lockdown on its population in several northern areas, ordered the culling of its 17 million minks after a mutation of the coronavirus found in the animals spread to humans.
The United States, with about 20% of global cases, is facing its worst surge, recording more than 100,000 daily coronavirus cases on the latest seven-day average, Reuters data showed. It reported a record of more than 130,000 cases on Saturday.
The latest U.S. surge coincided with the last month of election campaigning in which President Donald Trump minimised the severity of the pandemic and his successful challenger, Joe Biden, urged a more science-based approach.
Trump’s rallies, some open-air and with few masks and little social distancing, led to 30,000 additional confirmed cases and likely led to more than 700 deaths, Stanford University economists estimated in a research paper.
In Asia, India has the world’s second-highest caseload but has seen a steady slowdown since September, despite the start of the Hindu festival season. Total cases exceeded 8.5 million cases on Friday and the daily average is 46,200, according to Reuters data. (Reuters)
November
WHO: Mink 'Good Reservoirs' For Covid-19, Denmark Shows Courage In Cull
Written by Nur YasminMink appear to be susceptible to the new SARS-CoV-2 virus and “good reservoirs” for the disease, with a mutated strain having caused infections in a dozen people in Denmark, a World Health Organization official said on Thursday.
Denmark plans to cull its entire mink population and announced strict new lockdown measures in the north of the country to prevent a mutated coronavirus from spreading in the animals and to humans.
“So there is a risk of course that this mink population could contribute in some way to the transmission of the virus from minks into humans, and then onwards from humans to humans,” Catherine Smallwood, a senior emergency officer at WHO’s European office in Copenhagen, said in a social media event.
While the research into this specific variant of the virus is significant, she said it’s “totally normal” for the virus to change genetically over time.
“We are tracking these (changes) very very carefully and that’s why we are so interested in this particular information,” she said, adding that it should not alter how governments and authorities around the world are trying to control the pandemic.
Hans Kluge, WHO European regional director said Denmark showed “determination and courage” in the face of a decision to cull its mink population of 17 million animals, which has a “huge economic impact”. (Reuters)
