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Multiple blasts, gunfire rock Kabul as conflict with Taliban intensifies ahead of U.S. withdrawal

KABUL – Several explosions and gunfights rocked Kabul on Tuesday night as the conflict between the Taliban and Afghan government forces is intensifying elsewhere in the country ahead of the complete withdrawal of U.S. forces this month.

The attack began with a car bomb followed by gunmen on foot targeting the guesthouse of a senior Afghan security official in downtown Kabul, one of the largest assaults on the city in months, according to two Afghan officials.

A vehicle laden with explosives detonated at a checkpoint in the center of the city and was followed by a barrage of gunfire, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Other blasts, rocket and small-arms fire could be heard in downtown Kabul following the attack.

Gunmen entered the acting defense minister’s compound, but Bismillah Khan Mohammadi was not present, according to one of the security officials. The acting minister tweeted, “Don’t worry. Everything is fine,” about an hour after the attack began. It is unclear if clashes were ongoing.

No group claimed responsibility, and the ministry of interior did not immediately release information regarding casualties.

The attack comes as the war in Afghanistan has intensified. Taliban fighters pushed into major Afghan cities over the past week, and the United States has increased the number of airstrikes to defend Afghan ground forces.

As the assault unfolded in Kabul, hundreds of Afghans poured into the streets chanting “God is great” in support of the country’s armed forces against the Taliban. Similar scenes unfolded in the western city of Herat on Monday after hundreds of Afghan special forces were dispatched there to push back Taliban gains.

Mohammadi, the acting defense minister, released a video as clashes began to subside in Kabul.

“This sort of incident won’t stop me and won’t hurt my willingness to defend you and our country,” he said, adding several of his personal bodyguards were wounded.

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In Afghanistan’s south, clashes escalated significantly inside the capital of Helmand province. Taliban fighters closed in on the city’s government compound Tuesday, and the Afghan military warned civilians to evacuate their homes ahead of planned heavier use of airstrikes and artillery.

Over the past 24 hours, 40 civilians have been killed in clashes in Helmand’s capital Lashkar Gah and over 100 have been wounded, the United Nations said Tuesday. A report from the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan warned of record-breaking civilian casualties this year if the conflict continues on its current trajectory.

Taliban leaders have repeatedly criticized the use of U.S. airstrikes, which the group says are in violation of the peace deal signed between the two sides last year. U.S. officials have said their forces will continue to use airstrikes to defend the Afghan government until their withdrawal is complete at the end of August. But Marine Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, last week did not rule out possible U.S. strikes after Aug. 31 against Taliban targets in support of embattled Afghan troops.

Afghan government troops have retaken a handful of districts, but Taliban forces continue to make steady gains in several parts of the country.

The use of car bombs to breach walls, followed by an infiltration by foot soldiers, is a well-worn militant tactic to overcome hardened security areas and overwhelm any remaining guards.

Large-scale car bomb attacks have largely dropped off in Kabul since the U.S. signed its deal with the Taliban in February 2020. But violence has been on the rise in the country’s rural areas, causing civilian casualties to spike and forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes.

Published : August 04, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Susannah George

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Peacekeeping force in Afghanistan not on radar screen of Security Council: Indian UN ambassador

“I dont think we have quite come to the idea of a peacekeeping force in Afghanistan,” said T.S. Tirumurti, the Indian UN ambassador.

The Security Council is not considering a peacekeeping force in Afghanistan although the situation in the country is a matter of grave concern in light of the abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces, said T.S. Tirumurti, the Indian UN ambassador, whose country holds the Security Council presidency for the month of August.

“At this point of time, I think we are looking at how the talks shape up. At this point of time, we are hoping the talks, the peace talks, will yield results. We are also hoping that there will be no military solution,” he told reporters on Monday.
 

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“That is where the focus has been right now. I don’t think we have quite come to the idea of a peacekeeping force in Afghanistan,” he said.

The situation in Afghanistan is of deep concern to all members of the Security Council, he noted.

The violence is increasing. Women, girls, and minorities are being systematically targeted. Recently there was an attack on the UN compound in Herat, said Tirumurti.

“In fact, I expect that probably the Security Council will be looking at these aspects sooner rather than later on Afghanistan,” he said.

The United Nations has no peacekeepers in Afghanistan. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan is a political mission.

Photo taken on July 21, 2021 shows a damaged vehicle at the site of a bomb explosion in Khogiani district of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said Monday that the world body is taking the security of UN staff in Afghanistan seriously.

“We clearly take the security of our staff extremely seriously. It is being assessed on a regular basis, whether in Afghanistan or any other high violence zone in which we operate by definition,” he said.

Ultimately, the responsibility of the protection of UN staff is with the local authorities. But the United Nations also takes the necessary measures, he said. “We work with the local authorities. We also take our own precautions. As the situation evolves, we will take the necessary precautions.”

Asked whether a different mandate or a stronger mandate from the Security Council in Afghanistan will be helpful, not only for UN workers but for the people of Afghanistan, he said, “What would be helpful is for a political settlement to take place, for a halt to the violence, and a political settlement that takes into consideration the human rights gains made by all Afghans but especially Afghan women and the minorities in Afghanistan over the recent years.”

Published : August 03, 2021

By : xinhua

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Asean sees decline in new Covid cases for third successive day

Southeast Asia reported a decline in new Covid-19 cases for the third consecutive day, but the death toll went up on Monday, collated data showed.

Asean countries added 76,320 new cases on Monday, lower than Sunday’s 87,810, but deaths were higher at 2,783, up from the previous day’s 2,444.

The number of Covid-19 cases in the region crossed 7.46 million, while total deaths have risen to 153,200.

Indonesia has started giving third jabs of Covid-19 vaccine to frontline medics after reports that several hundreds of medical professionals died within two months of the delta variant being found in the country. Moderna jabs are being given to medics in 14 hospitals in Jakarta and surrounding provinces since last week and this week the coverage will be expanded to other regions. The government aims to give a booster shot to 1.5 million medical professionals within two weeks.

Malaysia will allow people over 60 years old to walk-in to vaccination units nationwide to get a Covid-19 jab without preregistration starting next week, after the pilot campaign implemented in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor since July 17 was a success.

The government expected that by the end of August at least 40 per cent of adult population would be given the required doses.

Published : August 03, 2021

By : THE NATION

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Giant panda gives birth to twins at France zoo

Huan Huan, a giant panda at Beauval Zoo in central France, has given birth to twins early Monday, the zoo announced.

“Huan Huan, our female panda, lost water around 0:30 am. Her 1st baby was born around 1:05 am and the 2nd followed a few minutes later,” said the zoo in a press release.

Both babies were healthy, the first weighing 149 grams and the second 128.8 grams. “Huan Huan is very maternal, licks her cubs and holds them tight against her,” added the zoo.

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Huan Huan, which means “happy” in Chinese, and her male companion Yuan Zi, both born in Chengdu, China, arrived in France in 2012 at the age of three.

At the end of March, the pandas tried to mate under the watchful eye of veterinarians and caretakers. Artificial insemination was also carried out as a precaution, as a female panda is fertile only 24 to 48 hours per year.

In 2017, Huan Huan gave birth to twin cubs, the first panda babies born in France. The first cub died shortly after its birth and the second one was named Yuan Meng, which means “the realization of a dream” in Chinese.

Giant panda newborns are even more helpless than most other mammal infants because they don’t open their eyes until they are about six to eight weeks old and don’t move around until about three months.

Part of a newly born giant panda cub is seen under a blanket at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, Aug. 2, 2021.

Part of a newly born giant panda cub is seen under a blanket at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, Aug. 2, 2021.

A staff member takes care of a newly born giant panda cub at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, Aug. 2, 2021.

A staff member takes care of a newly born giant panda cub at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, Aug. 2, 2021. 

Huan Huan, a giant panda, is seen with one of its newly born twin cubs at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, Aug. 2, 2021.

Huan Huan, a giant panda, is seen with one of its newly born twin cubs at the Beauval Zoo in Saint-Aignan, central France, Aug. 2, 2021.

Published : August 03, 2021

By : xinhua

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Italy wildfires devour forests, cause evacuations

Firefighters have been engaged in a total of “37,407 operations to fight forest fires since June 15, of which 717 interventions were carried out in the past 24 hours to tackle the emergency across the south-central regions,” said Italys National Fire Corps.

Wildfires are raging in southern and central Italy amid sweltering temperatures and hot winds, the National Fire Corps and local media reported Monday.

The flames destroyed a 53-acre nature reserve near Pescara, a city in the central Abruzzo region whose Adriatic Sea coast is a popular summer resort area.

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About 800 people have been evacuated from the Pescara area on Monday and 30 people suffered from smoke inhalation as flames reached the seashore, destroying some beach resorts, RAI public broadcaster reported on Monday, posting video footages of the charred remains of trees, beach furniture and infrastructure.

This follows on the evacuation of “over 100 people from homes, two convents and two beach resorts” on Sunday, according to a tweet from firefighters.

Fires were also raging on Monday in the southern Puglia region, where “243 interventions are underway to fight forest fires,” the National Fire Corps tweeted, posting a video of Canadair aircraft dropping water amid towering billows of smoke.

“The teams have been at work for four days (in Puglia), where the flames have devoured 350 hectares of vegetation,” the tweet added.

The southern Puglia region at the tip of Italy’s boot is renowned for its beaches and architectural beauty, which attract domestic and international tourists in summer.

In the southern Molise region lying between Abruzzo and Puglia on the Adriatic Sea, “20 hectares of forest are on fire,” according to another tweet of the National Fire Corps on Monday.

Firefighters have been engaged in a total of “37,407 operations to fight forest fires since June 15, of which 717 interventions were carried out in the past 24 hours to tackle the emergency across the south-central regions,” the National Fire Corps said in a tweet on Monday.

In a tweet on Monday, the Interior Ministry expressed its thanks to “the women and men of the National Fire Corps who are fighting forest fires across the national territory.”

A firefighter battles against wildfires on Sicily Island, Italy, Aug. 1, 2021.

A firefighter battles against wildfires on Sicily Island, Italy, Aug. 1, 2021.  

Published : August 03, 2021

By : xinhua

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Two travelers submitted fake vaccination cards before flying to Toronto. Each was fined nearly $16,000.

Before two passengers flew from the United States to Toronto last month, they submitted required copies of their vaccination cards and negative coronavirus test results to a portal reviewed by Canadian authorities.

But it wasn’t until they arrived in Canada the week of July 18 that officials discovered the documents the pair presented were fraudulent, the Public Health Agency of Canada said in a news release Friday.

Now, each passenger must pay fines totaling nearly $16,000 (about $20,000 Canadian) for submitting “false documentation” and failing to comply with quarantine and testing requirements.

“The Government of Canada will continue to investigate incidents reported and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where it is warranted to protect the health of Canadians from the further spread of covid-19 and its variants of concern,” according to an agency statement.

Authorities did not identify the pair nor provide additional information about their travel itinerary.

Both travelers were Canadian citizens, the country’s health agency told The Washington Post in an email.

Canada reported 907 new cases of the coronavirus on July 30, according to data from Canada’s public health agency. That same day, the United States reported 102,975 new cases, according to data compiled by The Post’s coronavirus tracker.

In Canada, airline passengers who are not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus must spend three nights upon arrival at a hotel approved by the government and submit proof of a 14-day quarantine plan, even if they have tested negative for the coronavirus or have already recovered from the illness. They must also submit proof of a negative coronavirus test taken at least 72 hours before their flight. Upon arrival, passengers must get a second coronavirus test and collect a kit containing a test they must take on Day 8 of their quarantine.

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Last month, Canadian health authorities announced that fully vaccinated air travelers can be exempted from the hotel requirement if they submit proof of vaccination and a negative coronavirus test result to ArriveCAN, the government’s electronic portal. They must still be tested upon entry and submit a quarantine plan in case they are not approved for the exemption.

The case involving the Toronto travelers is yet another example of airline passengers who have refused to comply with covid safety requirements as more countries loosen their nonessential travel restrictions. Throughout the pandemic, unruly passengers have defied flight attendants and refused to wear masks during their flights as required. One couple boarded a flight to Hawaii in November, despite having tested positive for the coronavirus.

Those who submit false information or documents to Canadian authorities upon entry are subject to fines and criminal charges. The offense carries a maximum fine of about $600,000 and up to six months in jail. It could also lead to prosecution for forgery under the country’s criminal code.

In the case of the two travelers who entered Canada from the United States in mid-July, the Canadian health agency issued each passenger four fines totaling $15,820 for “providing false information related to proof of vaccination credentials and pre-departure tests” and for “non-compliance with the requirement to stay at a government-authorized accommodation and on-arrival testing requirements.”

“These are the first travellers who have been issued fines for providing fraudulent vaccination information,” the agency told The Washington Post, adding that it would not provide additional details, citing the privacy of those involved and judicial process.

Published : August 03, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Andrea Salcedo

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As wildfires rage in Turkey and southern Europe, local officials plead for help

ISTANBUL – Amid a sixth day of raging wildfires in southern Turkey, the European Union and neighboring countries sent planes to assist in bringing the blazes under control Monday, as residents and local officials implored the government to provide more firefighting resources.

The fires, in areas around the southern city of Antalya and parts of Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, have killed eight people so far, razed farms and miles of pine forest, and forced evacuations from villages, towns and resorts at the peak of the tourist season.

Rescuers raced to save animals as livestock were burned alive. Satellite photos showed vast areas of once verdant coastline blackened by the inferno.

The fires in Turkey come amid a heat wave that has scorched much of southern Europe, with wildfires in Greece and the Italian island of Sicily, along with heat warnings in multiple countries. A dome of high pressure above the region has driven the high temperatures, trapping heat that would otherwise rise and dissipate. Turkish authorities said that over the past week, they had brought more than 100 fires under control, even as new ones broke out Monday.

“The fire is not over. The fire is strengthening,” Muhammet Tokat, a district mayor in Mugla province, said in a video he posted online Monday from a coastal area about 20 miles east of the city of Bodrum, as great billows of smoke drifted over the sea behind him.

“Not one of our cries for help since yesterday have been answered. There is still no aerial intervention being made,” he said. “Please, can our state do what is necessary for a state to do? They must save this land, these people, this community from suffering.”

Firefighters have been forced to work in impossible conditions, combating fires in mountainous areas that only airplanes or helicopters can reach. At least two have died. At the same time, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which has preached a mantra of Turkish self-sufficiency, has faced intensifying anger after conceding it did not have any of its own firefighting aircraft to deploy, leading to complaints that it was unprepared for the crisis and its response was delayed.

As the hashtag “#helpTurkey” trended on Twitter in recent days, government officials bristled at the notion that Turkey did not have the resources to help itself. “Our Turkey is strong. Our state is standing tall,” Fahrettin Altun, Erdogan’s spokesman wrote Monday on Twitter, even as an army of firefighters and volunteers struggled to hold the line across a vast area of southern Turkey.

Russia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan have already sent aircraft. Spain and Croatia have also pledged to send planes.

Bekir Pakdemirli, Turkey’s minister for agriculture and forestry, said Monday that 16 aircraft, along with dozens of helicopters, drones and other equipment, had been deployed to fight the fires. But humidity remained unusually low, causing dry conditions that would continue into Tuesday at least, he said.

Fires had entirely burned at least one neighborhood in the town of Gundogmus, in the foothills northeast of the city of Antalya, and forced evacuations from several other neighborhoods. “If Gundogmus burns, the Western Taurus Mountains will burn,” said Mehmet Ozeren, the local mayor, in remarks quoted by Birgun, a news outlet.

Another mayor, Ahmet Aras, posted video from a drive near Cokertme, where fires raged under a highway. “We are living in a hell here,” he said. “Nothing can be done here. Your hands are completely tied; only plane and helicopters can intervene here. But it’s too late for that now.”

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Farther south, near the resort city of Marmaris, Sedef Yilmaer, 30, a resident and local hotel owner, was among the volunteers providing water and other supplies to victims of the fire, as other volunteers cut down trees to stop the flames from spreading. Firetrucks could not reach the hilltops and she had only seen a few helicopters dumping water on Monday. “There is not enough,” she said in a phone interview Monday afternoon. “There is no government and no management of the crisis.”

During the fires, she and other volunteers, organizing on WhatsApp, tried to douse outbreaks with tanks of water they kept in their cars, and to rescue sheep from local farms while worrying about their own homes. Her hotel, which was full of tourists last week, was some three miles from the fire line and now empty, after the tourists were evacuated from the area. Things would get worse at night, when helicopters could not operate.

“I am worried,” she said. “Everyone is worried.”

The heat wave is expected to continue into the week, with experts calling it the most prolonged period of extreme temperatures seen in the region in decades. Some analysts suggested that parts of Greece could hit 117 degrees this week, close to the highest temperature ever recorded in Europe.

Greece is experiencing “the worst heat wave since 1987,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told reporters on Monday, referring to a week-long period of warm weather that left more than 1,000 people dead. Despite the high temperature this week, Mitsotakis advised Greeks to turn down air conditioners and conserve energy to avoid blackouts.

In Italy, some local authorities have said fires raging across Sicily may have been caused by arsonists. If so, they should get a life sentence, Regional Gov. Nello Musumeci told reporters on Saturday.

The European Environment Agency has warned that climate change has increased the risk of forest fires across much of Europe, with Turkey one of the countries most at risk.

Published : August 03, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Kareem Fahim, Adam Taylor

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Japan medal rush boosts retail sales

Economic activity related to the Tokyo Games is brisk even though there are almost no spectators in the stands.

As Japanese athletes rake in the medals, consumers are scooping up Games-related products, and goods that enhance the at-home viewing experience have seen an uptick in sales.

Nevertheless, the net economic benefit of holding the Games will be lower than pre-pandemic estimates.

An Asics store in Tokyo’s Harajuku district saw more than double the number of customers during the four-day holiday from July 22 to 25 than in the previous week.

Official Games T-shirts became a hot commodity once the Olympics got underway.

“We’ve seen online orders placed immediately after a Japanese athlete wins a medal,” said an Asics public relations official.

Sporting goods store operator Xebio Corp. said customers come in looking for clothes and equipment used by athletes. The company, based in Koriyama, Fukushima Prefecture, expects sales to rise in sports in which Japan excels.

Murasaki Sports in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo, has seen an increase in inquiries about skateboarding and what types of skateboards the company has in stock.

The store sold seven skateboards on July 25, the day Yuto Horigome won a gold medal.

“It’s obvious that more customers come in after Japanese athletes win gold,” a staff member said about the effect medals can have on sales.

Sales of products aimed at people watching the Games from home are also gaining momentum.

Major electronics retailer Nojima has seen TVs move briskly off shelves.

“Demand is growing for high-performance TVs to watch the Olympics,” said a sales staff member at a branch in Fuchu, Tokyo.

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In July, TV sales were up about 40% compared to June. OLED TVs, which capture rapid movements in clear, bright colors, are particularly popular, according to the company.

Sales of devices that can record multiple channels simultaneously have increased by about 50%.

“More people want to record Olympic broadcasts being televised on multiple channels,” a company official said. “I think sales will continue to rise.”

Beer makers and convenience stores are also seeing tail winds from the massive TV-viewing audience.

Asahi Breweries Ltd., a Gold Partner of the Games, has released a six-pack of beer packaged with a snack.

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Sales of the company’s main product, Super Dry beer, were up 30% year-on-year in July. Asahi Breweries expects the uptick to continue throughout August and is planning to increase production by 20% compared to last year.

FamilyMart Co. said sales of items used to cheer on athletes have increased about fivefold since the Games began, and foods that can be eaten with one hand, such as grilled chicken and sausage, have also been popular.

“People apparently choose such products because they are watching the events at home with a drink or something to cheer with in one hand,” a company spokesperson said.

However, the economic benefits of the Olympics are almost certain to be lower than if the Games were held under normal circumstances.

Keiji Kanda, a senior economist at Daiwa Institute of Research Ltd., estimated that the Games’ economic effect would be 350 billion yen, compared to an initial estimate of 798.9 billion yen. Of this, Games-related household spending on items like TVs and spinoff merchandise would be down from the initial 291 billion yen to 150 billion yen, according to Kanda’s estimate.

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“People who bought tickets will get refunds, so some of that will go to spending for watching [the Games] at home,” Kanda said. “But because there basically will be no spectators, consumer demand for the event will be down.”

Published : August 03, 2021

By : Syndication Washington Post, Japan News

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In Sydneys sprint against a delta outbreak, outcome rests on the young

SYDNEY — Australias race to vaccinate is finally ramping up, but Michal Aleksandroff isnt sure he wants to participate.

The bricklayer lives in the epicenter of Sydney’s growing coronavirus outbreak and, at age 34, is exactly the type of person officials are frantically trying to inoculate. In the past week, they have increased vaccination sites and slashed age restrictions to try to get ahead of the rampaging delta variant.

Aleksandroff is torn.

His vaccinated mother urges him to get the shot. His girlfriend and buddies say the same.

But his brother and cousin believe vaccines are the problem, not the solution, he said. And Aleksandroff isn’t convinced he needs a jab.

“I’m questioning myself now, should I go get it?” he said. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

The decision he and thousands of others under 40 make in the weeks to come will shape the course of Sydney’s outbreak, and with it Australia’s approach to the pandemic.

With new cases averaging about 200 a day in the past week, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian recently announced Sydney would remain in lockdown until at least Aug. 28. Should cases not fall, Australia’s 18-month pursuit of “covid zero” could come to an end.

Young, essential employees are driving the outbreak by catching the virus at work and bringing it home to their relatives, officials say. Younger Australians are also increasingly among the severely sick.

For months, Australia’s sluggish vaccine rollout has meant most young people were unable to get inoculated. But that changed last week, with Berejiklian enabling anyone 18 or older to get doses of the coronavirus vaccine developed by Oxford University and British-Swedish firm AstraZeneca at pharmacies or vaccination hubs.

“Please come forward for vaccination,” Berejiklian said Thursday. “It is our way forward out of this.”

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The sense of urgency appears to have spread to Prime Minister Scott Morrison who, after saying for months that the country’s vaccination program wasn’t a race, compared it with the Olympics on Wednesday.

“We go for gold on getting those vaccination rates where we need to go,” he said. “And we make a gold medal run all the way to the end of this year.”

But the race to vaccinate younger Australians has been hobbled by a late start and mixed messaging. About 19% of eligible Australians are fully vaccinated. For those aged 16 to 39, the figure is around 10%.

AstraZeneca was supposed to be the backbone of Australia’s vaccination campaign. But concerns over rare blood clots, particularly among young people, led the federal government to restrict its use to people over 50, and then to those over 60. Morrison announced AstraZeneca would be phased out in favor of a vaccine jointly developed by U.S. firm Pfizer and German company BioNTech. In May, his health minister appeared to suggest people could simply wait a few months for more doses of Pfizer-BioNTech to arrive.

As Sydney’s outbreak swelled and seeded clusters in other states, however, Morrison suddenly switched course, announcing in late June that adults who wanted the AstraZeneca shot could get it after talking to their doctor.

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“We’ll look back at this time and just be blown away by what a wrong call that was,” epidemiologist Greg Dore said of the initial reluctance to encourage broader use of AstraZeneca. “We could have been so much further along the pathway. The urgency was always there, winter was coming, new variants were arriving, but there was too much complacency, and we’re now paying the price for that.”

The back-and-forth has given rise to what Dore calls the “Waiting for Pfizer Brigade.”

Among their ranks is Shawn Lu, a 26-year-old environmental consultant who lives in the Fairfield local government area, a region of southwestern Sydney hit hard by the outbreak. Most of his older relatives have gotten AstraZeneca, and Lu was planning to, as well. But then came tabloid headlines like “Vax Death” and the over-60 age restriction. By the time the age limit was lifted, Lu had made up his mind to wait for Pfizer-BioNTech.

Lu knows the chances of dying from the side effects of an AstraZeneca shot are less than one in a million. But being stuck inside and deluged with covid news has made him hyper conscious of even minuscule risks.

“There is always that little voice in your head,” he said. “What if it’s me who dies from the vaccine?”

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Lu is hoping to get a first shot of the two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine later this month, as the supply ramps up.

Federal and state officials argue the outbreak has tipped the scales in favor of young Australians getting the AstraZeneca vaccine, and statistics suggest that is starting to happen. In New South Wales, the number of AstraZeneca doses doled out to people under 40 more than tripled last week.

“This outbreak will be the point at which everyone started to take [vaccination] absolutely seriously,” said Dore, an infectious diseases expert with the Kirby Institute.

Fairfield city councilor Sera Yilmaz said she had seen a surge in the number of people in their 20s and 30s signing up to get AstraZeneca.

“People are saying, ‘You know what, I’m just going to get it,'” said the 33-year-old, who is planning to get Pfizer-BioNTech. “They feel the government won’t let us out of this [lockdown] until we get the vaccine.”

Aleksandroff lives in a house divided. His mother works in a nursing home and was among the first to get Pfizer-BioNTech. But his younger brother believes in anti-vaccine conspiracy theories and recently refused to get tested when feeling sick, Aleksandroff says.

His own thoughts lie somewhere in between. Aleksandroff dismisses recent anti-vaccine protests as “selfish.” But he also finds it “weird” officials are now pushing a vaccine they prohibited just a few weeks ago.

“I’m healthy, I’m 34, I exercise, I work a physical job, I feel like I don’t need it,” he says, putting the likelihood that he will get the shot at 50%.

(Of the 55 covid patients in Sydney’s intensive care units on Sunday, seven were in their 20s and five were in their 30s, officials said. None were fully vaccinated.)

For months, Basim Shamaon has seen scary AstraZeneca headlines ripple through the Chaldean and Assyrian communities in Fairfield. He, too, was concerned, but the outbreak had convinced the 29-year-old to take whatever dose he could get.

“There is a point when we have to take the vaccine, to save our neighborhood, our family, our loved ones,” he said last week.

When Shamaon arrived at a local vaccination center on Saturday, however, he was handed a brochure for AstraZeneca. A nurse said they were out of Pfizer-BioNTech doses.

As he stared at a consent form, he recalled a doctor warning him a few years ago that he had a weak heart. Then, he walked out.

“I was so tempted to say yes to AstraZeneca,” he said afterward. “But I’ll wait for Pfizer.”

Published : August 03, 2021

By : The Washington Post · Michael E. Miller

#SootinClaimon.Com : ขอบคุณแหล่งข้อมูล : หนังสือพิมพ์ The Nation.

https://www.nationthailand.com/international/40004078

WHOs plan on second-phase COVID-19 origin tracing politicized: Chinese embassy

“This work plan still listed the hypothesis that a Chinese violation of laboratory protocols had caused the virus to leak as a research priority,” despite the fact that the WHO-China joint mission report clearly concluded that “lab leak is extremely unlikely” and there is broad consensus in the international scientific community on this, said a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Britain.

The work plan of the World Health Organization (WHO) on the second phase of investigation into the origins of COVID-19 is politicized and lacks a spirit of cooperation, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Britain said Sunday.

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Responding to the question of why China rejected the WHO’s work plan, the spokesperson said the plan “was heavily disrupted by politicization and was a document that lost scientific principles and lacked a spirit of cooperation.”

“This work plan still listed the hypothesis that ‘a Chinese violation of laboratory protocols had caused the virus to leak’ as a research priority,” despite the fact that the WHO-China joint mission report clearly concluded that “lab leak is extremely unlikely” and there is broad consensus in the international scientific community on this, the spokesperson said.

“One cannot help but think that this work plan is made to echo the ‘lab leak theory’ advocated by certain countries such as the United States. And the lack of transparency in the drafting process also added to the suspicion that the work plan is the product of political manipulation,” the spokesperson said.

Photo taken on March 30, 2021 shows an exterior view of the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

This work plan, put forward unilaterally by the WHO Secretariat, is inconsistent with the requirements of the resolution of the 73rd World Health Assembly, which clearly stipulates that the WHO secretary-general will continue to work closely with member states to identify the zoonotic source of the virus and the route of introduction to the human population, according to the spokesperson.

This means that the formulation of the next-phase origin tracing work plan needs to be led by WHO member states, and the WHO has to reach consensus with its member states after full consultation, said the spokesperson.

The origins study is a serious scientific issue that requires the cooperation of global scientists, the spokesperson added.

“We hope the WHO can adhere to the spirit of science, professionalism and objectivity and work with the international community to jointly uphold the scientific integrity of origins study, resist politicization and safeguard the sound atmosphere of global anti-epidemic cooperation,” the spokesperson noted.    

Published : August 02, 2021

By : xinhua