world
NewsReutersU.N. judge orders medical exam for Rwanda genocide suspect Kabuga
A U.N. judge on Thursday ordered Rwandan genocide suspect Felicien Kabuga to undergo a medical examination to see whether he is fit to be sent to Arusha, Tanzania for trial. Kabuga, 84, was arrested in Paris in May and transferred to a U.N. detention centre in The Hague on Monday amid travel restrictions due to Europe's surge in coronavirus cases. Presiding Judge Iain Bonomy said the exam was needed in order to help determine a date for Kabuga's initial appearance and "to address Kabuga's fitness at this time and in the foreseeable future to undertake the journey to Arusha."
NewsReutersExclusive: Russia's COVID-19 vaccine trial paused as clinics run short of shots
Russia has temporarily stopped vaccinating new volunteers in its COVID-19 vaccine trial due to high demand and a shortage of doses, a representative at the firm running the study said on Thursday, in a setback for Moscow's ambitious plan to roll out the shot. "It's related to the fact that there's colossal demand for the vaccine and they are not producing enough to keep up," said the representative of Crocus Medical, the contract research organisation that is helping run the trial in Moscow together with Russia's health ministry. According to provisional information, vaccinations will restart by around Nov. 10, he said.
PoliticsReutersU.S. to allow Jerusalem-born Americans to list Israel as birthplace, Pompeo says
U.S. citizens born in Jerusalem will now be able to list Israel as their birthplace on their passports, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced on Thursday, in a nod to Washington's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. Five years ago, when Barack Obama was in the White House, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a law that would have let Jerusalem-born Americans list Israel on their passports as their country of birth, saying it unlawfully encroached on presidential powers to set foreign policy.
NewsAFP NewsToilet paper and pasta: France girds for second virus lockdown
Stores and businesses across France were filled Thursday by people racing to get supplies -- and maybe a last-minute haircut -- ahead of a new coronavirus lockdown coming into effect at midnight.
PoliticsHuffPostLaura Ingraham Sounds Nauseatingly Like Trump In Attack On Biden Science Stance
The Fox News host borrowed a strategy from the channel's most prominent fan.
NewsReutersPope condemns 'savage' church attack, urges French to be united
Pope Francis condemned as "savage" an attack in which three people were killed at a church in France on Thursday, and the Vatican said terrorism and violence were never acceptable. "Informed of the savage attack which was perpetrated this morning in a church in Nice, causing the death of several innocent people, His Holiness Pope Francis joins in prayer with the suffering of the families and shares their grief," said a message sent in his name to the bishop of Nice. Earlier, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the attack "sowed death in a place of love and consolation," a house of God.
NewsReutersTurkey condemns deadly Nice attack, says against terrorism
Turkey said that it strongly condemned Thursday's deadly knife attack in the French city of Nice. A knife-wielding attacker shouting "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest) beheaded a woman and killed two other people at a church in Nice, while a gunman was shot dead by police in a separate incident. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Turkey stood in solidarity with the French people against violence and terrorism.
NewsReutersWHO scheme may compensate people in poor countries against COVID vaccine side-effects
A vaccine scheme co-led by the World Health Organization is setting up a compensation fund for people in poor nations who might suffer any side-effects from COVID-19 vaccines, aiming to allay fears that could hamper a global rollout of shots. The scheme could foot the bill for 92 low-income countries, meaning their governments would temporarily not be liable for claims from patients should anything go unexpectedly wrong.
NewsReutersThai protesters target royal spending at Bangkok rally
Thai protesters criticised spending by King Maha Vajiralongkorn's palace and held a "fashion show" that parodied members of the royal family at a rally in Bangkok on Thursday that drew thousands of people. What began as anti-government demonstrations in July have increasingly called for reforms of the monarchy, breaking a longstanding taboo and defying a law that sets a jail term of up to 15 years for criticising the king and his family. The protesters' show, with a red carpet parade by activists lampooning royalty, took place on the same day that one of the king's daughters, a designer, was to launch a new fashion collection.
NewsReutersGuilty plea expected Thursday in campaign finance case linked to Giuliani ex-associates
The first of four men charged in a campaign finance case implicating former associates of U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani is expected to enter a guilty plea on Thursday. David Correia, a business partner of onetime Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, is scheduled for a change-of-plea hearing beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT) in the U.S. District Court in Manhattan. Such a hearing signals a guilty plea from a defendant who, like Correia, previously pleaded not guilty.
BusinessAFP NewsModerna already has $1.1 bn in deposits for Covid-19 vaccine
Moderna said Thursday it took in $1.1 billion in deposits in the third quarter for a coronavirus vaccine that it is "actively preparing" to launch.
CelebrityAFP NewsUK judge delays Meghan privacy case trial to late 2021
A London judge on Thursday agreed to delay the trial phase of Meghan Markle's high-profile lawsuit against a British newspaper group for privacy and copyright breaches.
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Gunfire at scene of church attack in France
Video filmed at the scene also showed an injured person being carried away on a stretcher. A knife-wielding attacker shouting "Allahu Akbar" beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a suspected terrorist act, authorities said. Nice's mayor, Christian Estrosi, who described the attack in his city as terrorism, said on Twitter it had happened in or near Notre Dame church and was similar to the beheading of French teacher Samuel Paty earlier this month in Paris.
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U.S. rejects Nigerian for WTO top job
Nigeria's former finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala had been on course to lead the World Trade Organization. But the race to find a director-general for the global trade watchdog was plunged into uncertainty on Wednesday (October 28) after an intervention from the United States. Okonjo-Iweala is the preferred choice of three WTO ambassadors tasked with finding a successor to Roberto Azevedo. They cite her widespread, cross regional backing. But the United States supports another candidate - South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee. And with the decision requiring consensus, any of the WTO's 164 members can block the appointment. Keith Rockwell is a spokesman for the WTO. "The US said that they supported minister Yoo because of her 25 years of trade experience, that she would be able to hit the ground running. They said that they could not endorse Doctor Ngozi. I don't know the reasons for that, you'll have to ask them." The U.S. is, in effect, threatening to render the WTO leaderless for weeks or months to come and it's not the first time it's been a thorn in the side of the trade body. Washington has already paralyzed the WTO's role as global arbiter on trade by blocking appointments to its appeals panel. U.S. President Donald Trump describes the watchdog as "horrible" and biased towards China. He faces a presidential election in less than a week and is trailing in national polls. The WTO has scheduled a meeting to try and secure the required backing for Okonjo-Iweala's appointment, six days after the election. By that time, Trump may be on his way out of the White House but it was not immediately clear if that would affect the U.S. position on her appointment.
NewsAFP NewsMalaysian ex-PM Mahathir says Muslims 'have right to kill French'
Malaysia's former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said Thursday that Muslims had a right "to kill millions of French people", shortly after a knife-wielding man launched a deadly attack in Nice.
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Barca acting president calls for elections "as soon as possible"
SHOWS: BARCELONA, SPAIN (OCTOBER 29, 2020) (BARCA TV - MUST NOT OBSCURE LOGO) 1. FC BARCELONA'S ACTING PRESIDENT CARLES TUSQUETS ARRIVING AT NEWS CONFERENCE 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) FC BARCELONA'S ACTING PRESIDENT, CARLES TUSQUETS, SAYING: "Regarding the circumstances, I think it is appropriate to say that there will not be any members of the previous board, we think it is appropriate and necessary for the future." 3. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS 4. (SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) FC BARCELONA'S ACTING PRESIDENT, CARLES TUSQUETS, SAYING: "I think transparency is very important now, because it is what we want to be. Transparent with you all and within members, we want to explain exactly what it occurring and the situation of the club, that as we all now, has been greatly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic." 5. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS 6. SOUNDBITE) (Catalan) FC BARCELONA'S ACTING PRESIDENT, CARLES TUSQUETS, SAYING: "Our principal role is to call action, and we want to do that, as the British say 'as soon as possible', and I would like to highlight the word 'possible'. What we will not do is have pressure to do it in an inappropriate time, we will do it when we believe the circumstances are appropriate, because we want to reach maximum participation (in the elections for new president)." 7. END OF NEWS CONFERENCE (MUTE) STORY: FC Barcelona's acting president Carles Tusquets said on Thursday (October 29) that elections for the new president should happen "as soon as possible", when circumstances allow for a maximum participation in the vote. "What we will not to is have pressure to do it in an inappropriate time, we will do it when we believe the circumstances are appropriate," Tusquets told a news conference in Barcelona. The acting president also announced no members of the previous board would be incorporated, and that "transparency" would be key in the new Barca management. Barcelona named Carles Tusquets as their acting president on Wednesday (October 28), a day after Josep Maria Bartomeu resigned in order to avoid facing a vote of no confidence. Barca said in a statement that Tusquets, the chairman of the club's economic commission, would lead the acting board of directors, comprising seven other people, until a new president and board is elected. The board's main objective is to organise elections within the next three months, meaning the next one must be held before the initial date of March 2021 which Bartomeu had set in August. Seven people have announced their intention to run for president, including Joan Laporta, who led the club between 2003 and 2010 and oversaw two Champions League title wins, and Victor Font, who has pledged to appoint club great Xavi Hernandez as coach. (Production: May Ponzo)
PoliticsHuffPostJoe Scarborough Spots ‘Perry Mason’ Moment Of The Trump-Kushner COVID-19 Debacle
“We actually have the person on the witness stand who is actually testifying against interests for himself and for Donald Trump," the MSNBC host fumed.
LifestyleHuffPostI Want To Be Happy For My Pregnant Friends, But Sometimes It’s A Struggle. Here’s Why.
We want to be the first person to write “Congrats!” under your pregnancy announcement and mean it.
HealthReutersMasks good, ventilation better at cutting COVID risk at indoor events - study
Face masks and limits on numbers are important, but good ventilation technology is the most essential ingredient of all in reducing the risk of the coronavirus spreading at public events indoors, according to a German study. Around 1,500 volunteers with face masks, hand sanitiser and proximity trackers attended an indoor pop-concert in Leipzig in August to assess how the virus spreads in large gatherings. Reseachers simulated three scenarios with varying numbers of spectators and social-distancing standards, and created a computer model of the arena to analyse the flow of aerosols from infected virtual spectators.
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Why is Wall Street leaning left?
If you take a close look at the numbers you’ll notice that in recent years Wall Street has started leaning left. Commercial banks and their employees have been donating more cash to Democrats. Joe Biden has dramatically outpaced Republican President Donald Trump in total fundraising during the final months of the campaign ahead of the Nov. 3 election. That's is also true when it comes to winning cash from the banking industry. That, as Reuters correspondent Pete Schroeder will tell you, is a big change. “As the years have progressed, we're finding that banks are giving more to Democrats than they had in the past. It used to be a very tilted playing field with most of the money going to Republicans. And now what we're finding is that it's practically even and even some high-profile candidates are actually out-raising their Republican counterparts in some key races.” So how has Wall Street split its money during the 2020 election cycle? We looked at the data compiled by the Centre for Responsive Politics. Joe Biden and his campaign have pulled in roughly $3 million from commercial banks, compared with just over $1.4 million for Donald Trump. By comparison, in 2012, Republican candidate Mitt Romney pulled in nearly $5.5 million from banks and their workers. Barack Obama received less than half of that, nearly $2 million. But why the change? Well it has a lot to do with the 2009 financial crash. “What we've been hearing from the industry is that they're really looking to rebuild their bipartisan credibility among both parties. Ever since the financial crisis of 2009, the banking industry has seen its reputation take a pretty significant hit. And in the subsequent years, when Democrats were pushing very restrictive regulations on the industry, it was a very uneven political dynamic with banks pretty heavily in the corner of the Republican Party. But now that time has kind of come and gone and things have settled down a little bit, what you hear from the banks is they want to be able to support members of both parties because they say that they understand that, if anything, any of their policy priorities were ever to become reality, they need to have buy-in from both parties. So they want to make sure that they have allies in both the Democratic and Republican Party.” So who else is getting the money? Stripping out Trump and Biden, the next top recipient is the anti-Wall Street progressive and former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. He’s received more than $800,000 during the 2020 election cycle. It may seem counter-intuitive, but Sanders tops contributions from many industries due to his grassroots following among millions of Americans, including those who work at banks. That suggests many bank employees favour more progressive lawmakers than the industry’s leadership. "I think it makes for a much more complicated political landscape on Wall Street. I think in the years after the crisis, it was a fairly clean break of Wall Street, which pretty much well aligned with the Republican Party, because that's where the policy priorities were. And now what we're seeing is it's much more nuanced than it ever has been before."
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The Cuban band signing 'Vote for Trump'
Meet the Cuban band behind ‘The Trump Song’ Location: Miami, Florida Los Tres de la Habana moved to the U.S. in 2007 They now perform their single at Trump rallies and have been added to the president’s campaign playlist (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) ANA PAEZ AND TIRSO LUIS PAEZ, OF 'LOS 3 DE LA HABANA' SAYING: "We did it because we wanted to. We didn't get a penny for it, nobody commissioned it, we didn't know it would be so well received. That's why I'm most grateful to the people for sending us so many loving messages. And also, we've reached a point in which the President of the United States knows who we are. Three immigrants, three strangers to him."
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Merkel decries populists who say COVID is harmless
With an election less than a year away, Merkel is keen to keep Germans on board, despite the risk of a new hit to Europe's biggest economy. She said populists who question the seriousness of the crisis were putting lives at risk. Criticism of the latest restrictions has come from sectors that will be hit hardest, including hospitality and gastronomy. Worried hospitals will be overwhelmed, Merkel announced on Wednesday a month-long lockdown from Nov. 2 to include the closure of restaurants, gyms and theatres. Germany was widely praised for keeping infection and deaths below those of many of its neighbours early in the crisis but, like much of Europe, is now in the midst of a second wave. It recorded a record 16,774 rise in cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 481,013. The death toll rose by 89 to 10,272. "The winter will be hard - four long, hard months - but it will end," said Merkel.
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Louisiana braces for sixth tropical cyclone this year
Zeta made landfall on Wednesday (October 28) as the sixth tropical cyclone to hit Louisiana this year with authorities urging residents to seek shelter. Eyewitness images shared with Reuters showed winds and rain caused by the storm bringing in floods in Kenner, about 17 kilometres west of New Orleans. The governor of Louisiana, John Bel Edwards, on Wednesday warned residents in the path of the fast-moving Hurricane Zeta to take shelter as the storm bore down on the state. The state has closed 290 coastal flood gates to prevent flooding from storm surge, Edwards said, and activated 1,500 National Guard troops to help with rescue and recovery.
NewsReutersBritain stands steadfast with France after beheading - PM Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the country stood steadfast with France after an attacker beheaded a woman and killed two other people in a suspected terrorist act at a church in the French city of Nice on Thursday. "I am appalled to hear the news from Nice this morning of a barbaric attack at the Notre-Dame Basilica," Johnson said on Twitter in both English and French. "Our thoughts are with the victims and their families, and the UK stands steadfastly with France against terror and intolerance."
NewsAFP NewsHong Kong teen activist Tony Chung charged with secession
A teenage Hong Kong democracy activist was charged on Thursday with secession, the first public political figure to be prosecuted under a sweeping new national security law Beijing imposed on the city.
