Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 877
As the war enters its 877th day, these are the main developments. This is where the war stands on Sunday, July 21, 2024: Fighting Russian missiles and artillery fire in northeast Ukraine killed at least two people before dawn, according to law enforcement agencies. The northeast Kharkiv regional prosecutor’s office said two men, aged 48 and 69, were killed and about 50 buildings were damaged in the attack, apparently using three Russian Iskander missiles. Separate artillery shelling killed a 44-year-old man in the city of Nikopol, in the south of the country, national police said. The death toll in a Russian attack on Friday on a playground in the southern city of Mykolaiv rose to four, including one child, with 24 injured, Mayor Oleksander Senkevitch posted on the Telegram messaging app. Air defence systems destroyed 35 of the 39 attack drones that Russia launched overnight, Ukraine’s air force said on Telegram. Russia launched its fifth drone attack on Kyiv in two weeks, with Ukraine’s air defence systems destroying all the air weapons before they could reach the capital, Ukraine’s military said. No casualties or damage was reported, Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv’s military administration, said on Telegram. Russia’s air defence systems destroyed eight Ukrainian drones overnight, the Russian Ministry of Defence said. Three of the drones were destroyed over the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, and three were intercepted in the Black Sea, the ministry said on Telegram. Cyberspace Spanish police said they arrested three people accused of taking part in cyberattacks by a pro-Russian group targeting public institutions and strategic sectors in Spain and other NATO countries. Two of the suspects were arrested in Huelva and Seville in southern Spain, while the third was detained in the Balearic Islands, a Civil Guard statement said. They were accused of “computer-related offences with terrorist intent” over a string of distributed denial-of-service attacks, which make websites or network resources unavailable by flooding them with malicious traffic. Adblock test (Why?)
Bangladesh top court scraps job quotas that caused deadly unrest
BREAKINGBREAKING, The top court scales back – but does not abolish – a contentious quota system that sparked deadly protests. Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has scrapped most of the quotas on government jobs that led to student-led protests in which more than 100 people have been killed, according to local media. The court’s Appellate Division dismissed a lower court order that had reinstated the quotas last month. Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told the AFP news agency: “The Supreme Court has said the High Court verdict was illegal.” He added that 5 percent of civil service jobs would remain reserved for children of independence war veterans and 2 percent for other categories. Previously, 30 percent of the jobs were reserved for the relatives of war veterans. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government scrapped the quota system in 2018, but the lower court reinstated it last month, sparking deadly protests and an ensuing government crackdown. The verdict comes after weeks of demonstrations — mostly led by students — against the quota system they believe is discriminatory. Protesters argued the quota system benefits supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, whose Awami League party led the independence movement, saying it should be replaced with a merit-based system. Hasina defended the quota system, saying that veterans deserve the highest respect for their contributions in the war against Pakistan, regardless of their political affiliation. Last week the protests grew increasingly violent, with police firing tear gas and rubber bullets and hurling smoke grenades to scatter the activists who filled the streets and university campuses. On Friday a crowd of thousands besieged a prison in the central district of Narsingdi armed with machetes and steel rods, freeing more than 800 prisoners before setting part of the facility ablaze. The demonstrations are the biggest to rock Bangladesh since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was re-elected to a fourth successive term this year. Full curfew To restore calm, Bangladesh imposed a full curfew ahead of the High Court ruling, which is to remain in place until at least 3pm (09:00 GMT) Sunday. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said the curfew would be eased for two hours between 3pm to 5pm (09:00-11:00 GMT) for people to stock up on supplies before continuing for an “uncertain time”. The government also cut of phone and internet connections, creating an “information blackout”, reported Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowohury from the capital Dhaka. The harsh crackdown has fuelled even more anger towards the government, pushing protesters to move beyond calling for quota reform to demanding the whole government’s resignation. “It’s not just the issue of quotas right now. Many people died. Property was destroyed. And there’s an information blackout,” Chowohury told Al Jazeera. “We still don’t know the full account of the death toll and casualties from the last few days.” ‘At a crossroads’ Ali Riaz, professor and political scientist at Illinois State University, said the protest movement has “transformed” into an existential threat for the government, which has called on protesters to await the outcome of today’s verdict. “Bangladesh is standing at a crossroads,” Riaz told Al Jazeera. “I think the government will survive politically speaking… on the other hand if the protesters can persevere, they might actually push the government to resign.” It was not immediately clear how protesters would react to the court’s decision. Hasina’s government has declared Sunday and Monday as public holidays, with only emergency services allowed to operate. Adblock test (Why?)
More than 20 killed in Bolivia’s worst road accident this year
Initial investigation shows that the truck had crossed into the opposite lane while trying to overtake another vehicle. A head-on collision between a truck and a bus on a highway in the Bolivian Andes has killed 22 people and injured 16 in the country’s worst road accident this year, according to police. Fourteen of the dead have been identified so far, police said on Sunday, with Chile’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs saying there was at least one Chilean national among them. Earlier, officials said the drivers of both vehicles were among the dead. The accident happened on a road between Bolivia‘s town of Patacamaya and the town of Tambo Quemado in northern Chile, according to Unitel channel. The bus had been heading towards Chile on the busy commercial and tourism route linking the two South American countries. The initial investigation showed that the truck had crossed into the opposite lane while trying to overtake a vehicle, traffic officer Nilo Torrico said. “This truck made a prohibited manoeuvre and, as a result, we have this unfortunate accident,” he said. Images of the accident shared by Unitel showed the bus with its front section shattered and the smashed truck. Some bodies were seen on the road. First responders were working to remove bodies trapped in the destroyed vehicles, Torrico said. Bolivia sees about 1,400 traffic deaths each year, government statistics show. Accidents are mainly due to poor driving and mechanical failures. A collision on a busy road in southwestern Bolivia on April 4 killed 14 people and left two injured. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel says it struck Yemen’s Hodeidah in response to Houthi attacks
The Israeli military has said it has conducted strikes against Yemen’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah in response to attacks by the Houthi group. The air raids on Saturday were carried out a day after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a drone attack that killed one person in Tel Aviv and injured 10 others. Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV said the Israeli attack targeted oil storage facilities and a power plant in Hodeidah, igniting a fire. The news outlet cited health officials as saying the air raids resulted in casualties, including fatalities, without specifying a number. The Ministry of Health, which operates in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, said more than 80 people have suffered burns as a result of the Israeli strikes. But the Israeli military said it hit “military targets” in Yemen. The Israeli air strikes are the first known direct attack by Israel against the Houthis since the start of the war on Gaza. The assault comes amid growing fears of escalating violence across the Middle East. The Houthi Supreme Political Council promised to respond to Saturday’s attack. “This aggression will not pass without an effective response against the enemy,” it said in a statement. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam said the “brutal Israeli aggression against Yemen” aims to “pressure Yemen to stop supporting Gaza, which is a dream that will not come true”. General Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, added later on Saturday that the group would not hesitate in attacking “vital targets” in Israel. Hamas was quick to condemn the Israeli assault. “The occupation state will undoubtedly be burned by the fire ignited in Hodeidah today, and the mounting Zionist crimes will change the entire equation,” Izzat al-Rishq, a member of the Palestinian group’s political bureau, said in a statement. Hezbollah voiced support for the Houthis and the Yemeni people after the attack, as well. “We think that this stupid step by the Zionist enemy is a sign of a new, dangerous phase in the confrontation at the level of the entire region,” the Lebanese group said in a statement. But Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant lauded the attack as a warning to Israel’s adversaries. “The fire that is currently burning in Hodeidah is seen across the Middle East and the significance is clear,” Gallant said. “The Houthis attacked us over 200 times. The first time that they harmed an Israeli citizen, we struck them. And we will do this in any place where it may be required.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the port struck by fighter jets was used as an entry point for the Houthis to receive Iranian weapons. Netanyahu added that the strike, some 1,800 km (1,120 miles) from Israel’s borders, was a reminder to enemies that there is no place that Israel could not reach. Yousef Mawry, a Yemeni journalist and political analyst, told Al Jazeera that he witnessed people in Sanaa rushing to get fuel after the attack amid fears of shortages, stressing that the Israeli strikes targeted “public facilities”. He said the attack would place the burden on civilians, leaving them without “access to basic necessities”, including propane gas and fuel. The Iran-allied Houthis, who present themselves as Yemen’s official armed forces, have been targeting shipping lanes in the Red Sea in a campaign that they say aims to pressure Israel to end its war on Gaza, which has killed more than 38,900 Palestinians. The Yemeni group has also launched ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, most of which have been intercepted. But early on Friday, an explosive-laden Houthi drone eluded Israeli air defences and struck a building in Tel Aviv in what was seen as a major security breach in Israel. Israeli officials had promised to respond. Gallant promised in a message to the Houthis on Friday that Israel “will settle the score” with anyone who harms its security. The United States and United Kingdom have been conducting air strikes in Yemen for months in response to the Houthis’ Red Sea assaults. But the military campaign has failed to stop the Yemeni group’s attacks. Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said the latest developments will likely strain the Israeli military, which “is already stretched thin”, amid fears of an all-out regional war. Salhut noted that Israeli reservists are operating in both the northern and southern parts of the country as Israel fights Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon. “If the air force is going to have to be additionally deployed to more parts of the Middle East like Yemen, it’s tough to say how exactly they’re going to manage that when they’re looking still to recruit more people for the army,” she said. “It’s a lot of pressure on the Israelis as yet another front has opened this morning.” Adblock test (Why?)
World Cup 2.0 – Why women’s Olympic football is a must watch at Paris 2024
Less than a year after the global breakout success of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia, a good number of that tournament’s best players will be back; this time, the global football epicentre will be Paris Olympics 2024 with 12 teams fighting for the gold medal. World champions Spain is among the favourites to taste glory, even though the team will make its Olympic debut in the French capital, while perennial heavyweights the United States will be looking for redemption after suffering their worst-ever World Cup result. Team USA’s neighbours Canada are the defending Olympic champions after they did the unthinkable at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, defeating highly-favoured Sweden in the gold medal match. Disappointingly, the Swedes will not take part in the Paris 2024 Olympics after failing to qualify. Joining them on the absentees list will be the United Kingdom, who couldn’t secure an Olympic berth through the inaugural Women’s Nations League. With senior professional players and full-strength squads, the 12-team women’s Olympic football event offers a star-studded and premier global football competition of the highest quality when compared to the 16-team men’s event, which is restricted to under-23 players with an allowance for only three over-age professional players. The fan interest in women’s Olympic football competition is expected to be higher than ever, thanks to the success of the 2023 World Cup, which attracted record global television viewing figures. USA: A team in transition With a new coach at its helm and a squad featuring upcoming stars, a new-look Team USA will compete at the Olympics. England’s Emma Hayes has been hired to turn around the team’s fortunes and the experienced coach could be a breath of fresh air that the American women’s game needs. Hayes, who led Chelsea to seven Women’s Super League titles, took over the reins just before the Olympics, although her appointment was announced late last year after Vlatko Andonovski resigned in the wake of their bitter World Cup exit. The US women’s football team, who have won the World Cup a record four times, were knocked out in the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup, their worst-ever finish at a major tournament [File: Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/Reuters] After successive triumphs in 2015 and 2019, the US was expected to complete a “three-peat” of titles at the 2023 World Cup, but the Americans were knocked out in the last 16, losing to Sweden on penalties. The pressure is on Hayes as she manages a team trying to find its way back to the top of the world rankings, having slipped to their lowest-ever spot (fifth). There is also pride on the line for the four-time world champions. “We all know the main ingredients of the American DNA, and that will not change under my stewardship,” Hayes said in her first press conference as head coach in June. US captain Lindsey Horan, who was part of the side that won bronze at the Tokyo Games, said the team has moved on from their World Cup heartbreak and is going for gold in Paris. “After the World Cup, we really regrouped,” Horan told reporters this month. “You look at the young players coming in, the leaders on this team, you know, just [a] big mesh of what we have. I think what you’re going to see and what’s in store for us is incredible.” Team USA’s 18-player Olympic roster features exciting new talent such as forward Sophia Smith and defender Naomi Girma, while veterans Horan, Alyssa Naeher and Crystal Dunn add quality depth to the squad. In a surprise omission, Alex Morgan, one of the last links to the great US women’s football team dynasty, was left out by Hayes. It will be the first time since the 2008 Olympics that the high-profile forward will not suit up for the national side in a major competition. By not picking Alex Morgan in the US Olympic squad for the Paris Games, coach Emma Hayes signaled the likely end of the star striker’s international career [Robert Cianflone/Getty Images] Team USA has won a medal in all but one of the seven Olympics that have featured women’s football, including four gold medals, the last of which came at London 2012. Goalkeeper Naeher said the Paris Olympics will give the team a chance to begin a new chapter, as they look to regain their supremacy on the global stage. “We’ve talked to this whole year about looking towards the future and turning the page and having this new identity and moving forward,” Naeher told reporters. “This is the start of that,” she said. “With Emma in here and the full new staff and the roster being set, I think now this is the opportunity to officially kind of move in that forward direction. And this is the first tournament for that. You can feel the energy.” The US are in Group B alongside 2016 Olympic champions Germany, Asian heavyweights Australia, and Zambia, whose squad includes the world’s most expensive female player, Racheal Kundananji. Can Spain do the double? Spain emerged as the 2023 FIFA World Champions in Australia and New Zealand despite dealing with off-field issues including an ugly player revolt. Later, their title triumph was marred by a scandal triggered by ex-Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales. Rubiales provoked worldwide outrage by kissing star player Jenni Hermoso without consent during the medal ceremony after the World Cup final. The disgraced former official is set to stand trial in February 2025, while his close ally Jorge Vilda was also sacked as the coach by the Spanish FA. Unlike the World Cup, Spain will head to the Olympics without distractions and has the chance to become the first team to win the Olympic Gold-World Cup double. The Olympics will be a new experience for the top-ranked Spaniards but having won the World Cup and the Nations League last year, they know what it takes to win at a major tournament. Their squad is rich in world-class talent, featuring 2023
‘Impunity must end’: World reacts to ICJ ruling against Israeli occupation
International reaction has poured in since a ruling by the top United Nations court that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should swiftly be brought to an end. Palestinian officials have hailed the International Court of Justice ruling as a “watershed moment” in their decades-long fight for justice. Israel quickly condemned Friday’s decision, while its top ally the United States criticised the ruling on Saturday after initial silence. While nonbinding, the advisory ruling by the 15 judges found that Israel has no right to sovereignty over the occupied territory, has violated international laws against acquiring territory by force and is blocking Palestinians’ right to self-determination. It further determined countries are obligated not to “render aid or assistance in maintaining” Israel’s presence in the territory. Here’s how the world has reacted: Australia The government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it respects the ICJ’s “role in upholding international law and the rules-based order”. “We want to see concrete steps taken by Israel to cease the expansion of settlements to respond to extremist activity,” the government said in a statement, adding that it was still “carefully considering the detail” of the ruling. Belgium Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib said in a social media post: “Belgium will always stand up for the respect of international law.” The International Court of Justice has ruled that Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory does not comply with international law and that settlement activity must cease. Belgium will always stand up for the respect of international law. — Hadja Lahbib (@hadjalahbib) July 19, 2024 Brazil The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ruling “reinforces the need for a two-state solution, with an independent and viable state of Palestine living side by side with Israel, in peace and security, within the 1967 borders, which include the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital”. Bolivia The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the UN and its member states to “take appropriate measures to stop the crimes being committed in the Gaza Strip and guarantee Palestine’s right to self-determination”. Bolivia cut ties with Israel in the early days of the war and later became the first Latin American country to back a separate genocide case brought against Israel by South Africa at the ICJ. Egypt The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on Israel to end the occupation promptly, halt any new settlement activities and evacuate all existing settlements. The ministry also urged international parties “to respect and implement the ICJ’s advisory opinion, assist the Palestinian people in exercising their right to self-determination and work to end the humanitarian suffering they endure”. Iceland The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ICJ ruling is “clear”. “Continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful and so are its settlement activities. Iceland calls on Israel to cease all activity that violates international law,” it said. The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion is clear. Continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful, and so are its settlement activities. Iceland calls on Israel to cease all activity that violates international law. — MFA Iceland 🇮🇸 (@MFAIceland) July 20, 2024 United States The administration of President Joe Biden, which often stresses the “rules-based order”, criticised the ruling despite acknowledging that Israeli settlements are “inconsistent” with international law. “We are concerned that the breadth of the court’s opinion will complicate efforts to resolve the conflict and bring about an urgently needed just and lasting peace with two states living side by side in peace and security,” the US Department of State told the Reuters news agency. Indonesia The Southeast Asian country said the ruling “addressed the aspiration of Indonesia and the rest of the international community in delivering justice for the Palestinians”. “Indonesia calls on the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to meet the request of the court by considering appropriate means and necessary steps to end Israel’s unlawful presence in Palestine,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. Ireland Foreign Minister Michael Martin said he will work with partners in the EU and UN “to see how we can now bring to bear this authoritative opinion by the court to end … Israel’s illegal presence” in the occupied Palestinian territory. Qatar The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ICJ ruling “reflects the high provisions of international law that must be respected”. It reiterated Qatar’s “firm position on the justice of the Palestinian cause and the moral imperative to support the legitimate rights of the brotherly Palestinian people”. The State of Qatar Welcomes International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Policies and Practices in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and East Jerusalem 🔗Read More: https://t.co/FrA6b3Axry#MOFAQatar pic.twitter.com/xS4BnwNHtC — Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Qatar (@MofaQatar_EN) July 20, 2024 Jordan Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Sadadi said: “Israel’s impunity must end. Its war crimes must be stopped. Israel must be held accountable.” Israel’s reaction to the ICJ ruling & its Knesset resolution to prevent the fulfillment of Palestinian people’s right to freedom further proves Israel’s complete disregard to Int’l law. Israel’s impunity must end. Its war crimes must be stopped. Israel must be held accountable. — Ayman Safadi (@AymanHsafadi) July 19, 2024 Kuwait The Gulf country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to carry out its “legal, political and moral duties to achieve the aspirations of the brotherly Palestinian people to establish their independent state and to stop the aggression against Gaza“. Liechtenstein The European principality’s mission to the UN said the ICJ “puts the rule of law at the centre of the settlement of international disputes”. “We look forward to working with all States on the basis of the [ruling], in particular to ensure the full application of the right to self-determination,” it said on X. LI welcomes today’s @CIJ_ICJ Advisory Opinion, which puts the Rule of Law at the centre of the settlement of international disputes. We look forward to working with all States on the
Biden vows to stay in race as more Democrats ask him to drop out
United States President Joe Biden has promised to remain in the presidential race and beat his opponent despite growing calls from members of his Democratic Party asking him to withdraw. The 81-year-old, who is isolating at his beach house in Delaware since his COVID-19 diagnosis, took aim at his rival Donald Trump – who just wrapped up the Republican National Convention – in a series of posts online on Friday, and said he would return to campaigning next week. Trump’s “dark vision for the future is not who we are as Americans. Together, as a party and as a country, we can and will defeat him at the ballot box,” Biden said. “The stakes are high, and the choice is clear. Together, we will win.” I’m stuck at home with COVID, so I had the distinct misfortune of watching Donald Trump’s speech to the RNC. What the hell was he talking about? — Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 20, 2024 But 12 more Democratic politicians, including two senators and a group of Congress members, called on the president to step aside. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democrat who is in a tough race for re-election, said in a statement late on Friday that he agrees with “the many Ohioans” who have reached out to him asking for Biden to end his campaign. New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, who is also up for re-election, became the third Senate Democrat to call for Biden’s exit. “By passing the torch, he would secure his legacy as one of our nation’s greatest leaders and allow us to unite behind a candidate who can best defeat Donald Trump and safeguard the future of our democracy,” he said. Top Democratic figures, including Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi, have also privately pressured the president to quit, according to media reports. “He’s not going anywhere,” Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon said on MSNBC’s Morning Joe show, and called him the “best person to take on Donald Trump”. She indicated that the growing unease among top Democrats about Biden’s candidacy did not reflect the broader sentiment across the party. And in a call with donors on Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris said: “We are going to win this election,” US media reported. “We know which candidate in this election puts the American people first: our president, Joe Biden.” ‘Pass the Torch’ A group of Biden’s Democratic detractors are trying to reach him directly through a television advertisement. The advertisement, created by the new group Pass the Torch, will start running on Monday on Morning Joe, one of Biden’s favourite shows which he is known to watch regularly, and other daytime MSNBC programming. “We want to get this message – that we’re so grateful for all you’ve done, and now it’s seriously time to pass the torch – directly to President Biden,” said Aaron Regunberg, a member of Pass the Torch’s steering committee. “We’ll be going up on his favourite programmes, and we plan to stay up until we hear the announcement that he’s going to do the right thing and step aside. Hopefully, we’ll be able to take it off the air in the very near future.” Niambi Carter, an associate professor at the University of Maryland told Al Jazeera that the party would face serious challenges if Biden were to quit the race now. “I think those who are calling for him to step down will have to get used to the idea and line up behind Joe Biden if he chooses to stay in the race,” she told Al Jazeera. “He is allowed to do so since he won the primary with little to no challenge.” Carter said Democrats are in their own way seemingly lacking the willpower exhibited by Republican rivals to march ahead. “The money the Biden campaign has made is not transferrable to a new candidate, so a lot of things need to happen very quickly if this is going to be the case, so I think it’s a really short-sighted move on behalf of the Democrats.” White House doctor Kevin O’Connor said on Friday that the president still had a dry cough and hoarseness, but that his COVID-19 symptoms had improved. Next week, Biden is scheduled to host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who will address the US Congress on July 24 amid Israel’s war on Gaza. Adblock test (Why?)
At least 11 people killed, dozens missing in China bridge collapse
As China grapples with extreme weather conditions, authorities say bridge collapsed after heavy rains and flash floods. At least 11 people have died and dozens more are missing after the partial collapse of a highway bridge in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi amid heavy storms and flooding, according to the authorities. The incident took place at 8:40pm (12:40 GMT) in Shangluo city on Friday. All the victims were recovered from five vehicles that fell off the bridge “due to a sudden downpour and flash floods”, state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday. State broadcaster CCTV said nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 people were missing after the highway bridge collapsed into the river below. State media reported rescue operations were still under way on Saturday. One witness told local media that he had approached the bridge but other drivers started “yelling at me to brake and stop the car”. “A truck in front of me didn’t stop” and fell into the water, the witness, named only as Meng, said. Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged “all-out rescue and relief efforts to safeguard people’s lives and property”, state media reported. Heavy rains causing flooding and significant damage have been hitting large portions of northern and central China since Tuesday, with flooding and mudslides killing at least five people and leaving eight missing in Shaanxi’s Baoji city on Friday. In Henan’s Nanyang city, the equivalent of a year’s worth of rain fell at the start of the week, according to state media, with two more killed and seven missing in southwestern Sichuan province. Extreme weather conditions have dogged various areas of China over the summer, with successive heatwaves also reported. In May, at least 48 people were killed after a large section of a highway collapsed due to heavy rains in a mountainous area in southern China’s Meizhou city. Adblock test (Why?)
How is new malaria vaccine drive working in West Africa?
The Ivory Coast has received the first doses of malaria vaccine from the world’s largest vaccine maker, the Serum Institute of India, in collaboration with the University of Oxford, and began rolling out a new vaccination drive across the country earlier this week. Malaria remains a significant health issue in the Ivory Coast, causing up to four deaths per day in the country with a population of 28 million. According to a 2022 report from the World Health Organization (WHO), malaria causes more than 600,000 deaths worldwide per year with 95 percent of cases occurring in Africa and 80 percent of those cases in children under the age of five. A total of 656,600 doses of the new R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine have been delivered to the Ivory Coast, where clinicians will initially vaccinate 250,000 children aged from newborn to 23 months across 16 regions, the government said. Professor Adrian Hill, Lakshmi Mittal professor of vaccinology and director of the Jenner Institute at Oxford University in the United Kingdom, told the media on Monday that the drive had been made possible through a joint initiative with the Serum Institute of India because of its “scale” and ability to mass-produce millions of vaccines at low cost. After vaccines are rolled out in the Ivory Coast, the drive will move to other African countries, starting with Burkina Faso, Professor Hill said. According to Gavi, an international health organisation which works alongside WHO and UNICEF, 15 African countries are expected to roll out malaria vaccines in 2024. Countries plan to reach about 6.6 million children with the malaria vaccine in 2024 and 2025. Here is what we know about the malaria vaccine drive so far: A health worker prepares a shot of the R21 malaria vaccine during the official ceremony for the launch of a vaccination campaign for children in Abobo, a district of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, on July 15, 2024 [Luc Gnago/Reuters] Which malaria vaccine is being used? Health workers are administering doses of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, the second malaria vaccine to have been approved by the WHO in December last year, in Ivory Coast vaccination centres. Research suggests R21/Matrix-M can reduce symptomatic malaria cases by 75 percent in a community in the 12 months following a three-dose series, with efficacy sustained by a fourth dose administered a year later. “Over 600,000 deaths mainly amongst children are caused by malaria each year. The disease presents a uniquely difficult scientific challenge: the complex composition of malaria parasites with shape-shifting pathogen that has learned how to evade our immune system, has made the development of an effective vaccine a formidable task,” Professor Hill said in a statement last December. “R21/Matrix-M represents the culmination of 30 years of collaborative research and development by the University of Oxford Jenner Institute and, since 2017, in partnership with the Serum Institute of India.” The WHO and local health authorities are also delivering shots of the Mosquirix vaccine, also known as the RTS,S malaria vaccine, to more than 2.3 million children across Africa this year. This vaccine has been primarily introduced in Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, focusing on children aged five months and older in regions with a significant prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. How does the R21 vaccine work? The R21 vaccine uses adjuvant technology, which enhances the immune response to the vaccine, allowing protection from future infections of a disease. The vaccine is designed to specifically target the sporozoite stage of the malaria parasite. This is the initial form of the parasite that enters the human body when bitten by a mosquito. By focusing on this stage it helps to boost the immune system’s response, leading to higher efficacy in preventing malaria. In addition, the vaccine can prevent the parasite from infecting the liver and causing illness. How widely available is the vaccine? The Serum Institute of India, which was responsible for delivering more than 2 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines around the world, is capable of producing 100 to 200 million doses annually, making it more cost-effective and accessible. Professor Hill told the UK’s BBC Radio Four Today programme on Monday that the Serum Institute’s ability to mass-produce vaccines had reduced the cost of each R21/Matrix-M shot from about $8 or $9 to about $4. It will also be made available in several other African countries. “The new vaccine has been authorised by Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic, and many others are preparing to receive shipments,” the University of Oxford said in a statement to CNN. How can malaria be eliminated? The goal set by the WHO Global Malaria Programme (GMP) is to reduce cases of malaria by 90 percent by 2030. Measures in place to achieve this are: Early detection and diagnosis of malaria cases to prevent transmission and deaths. The effective mass distribution of affordable vaccines in countries with high infection rates. The use of insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS) to reduce mosquito populations and transmission through mosquito bites. Building awareness about the disease and how it spreads and how to treat it in malaria-prone communities while ensuring proper access to the necessary health facilities. According to the WHO report, however, some challenges remain. “Countries, subnational areas and communities are situated at different points along the path towards malaria elimination, and their rate of progress will differ depending on the level of investment, biological determinants (related to the affected populations, the parasites and the vectors), environmental factors, strength of health systems, and social, demographic, political and economic realities,” the report states. Adblock test (Why?)
Harvey Weinstein retrial on New York rape charges set for November
Prosecutors say they are still seeking new claims against the Hollywood film producer. A New York City judge has tentatively scheduled the start of former Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein’s retrial on rape and sexual assault charges for November 12. Judge Curtis Farber said on Friday that he was open to an earlier start date in September, depending on how pretrial discovery progresses. Weinstein’s lawyers said they want to proceed as soon as possible. Last week, prosecutors said they anticipated a November retrial and told Farber that they were still actively pursuing new claims against Weinstein. The new accusers have not been publicly identified, and prosecutors are seeking to shield certain evidence from public view while they prepare to seek a new grand jury. Arthur Aidala, Weinstein’s lawyer, said at last week’s hearing that it was unfair for prosecutors to seek to add more victims to the case after the conviction was overturned. Harvey Weinstein, who denies ever having nonconsensual sex, has been convicted in California of sexual assault [Adam Gray/Pool Photo via AP] Weinstein, 72, has denied wrongdoing and having any nonconsensual sexual encounters with anyone. Jurors in Manhattan found him guilty on rape charges in February 2020, but the New York Court of Appeals threw out the conviction in April, finding Weinstein did not get a fair trial because a judge improperly allowed testimony by accusers he was not formally charged with assaulting. But his conviction was a milestone for the #MeToo movement, in which women accused hundreds of men in entertainment, the media, politics and other fields of sexual misconduct. He was convicted of rape in the third degree for an attack on an aspiring actress and forcing himself on a TV and film production assistant in 2006. Weinstein denied any wrongdoing. Prosecutors said one of the accusers in that case, Jessica Mann, is prepared to testify again. Last week, Floria Allred, a lawyer for the second accuser, Mimi Haley, said her client had yet to decide whether to participate in the retrial. Weinstein was also sentenced to 16 years following a separate rape trial in California. The New York court’s decision did not affect that conviction, and he has not begun serving the California sentence. He is being held on New York City’s Rikers Island before his retrial. Adblock test (Why?)