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Pandemic forces Europe’s largest tech event to go fully online

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Web Summit, Europe’s biggest technology conference, will be held entirely online in December due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The pandemic has forced the cancellation or postponement of many major events this year, the conference organiser said on Thursday.

“Lisbon is still Web Summit’s home but with growing COVID-19 outbreaks across Europe, we have to think of what’s best for the people of Portugal and our attendees,’’ the conference’s founder, Paddy Cosgrave, said in a statement.

The decision, which came after the organiser said in June the event would take place in Lisbon as planned, followed talks with the Portuguese Government and Lisbon’s Mayor.

The event, which moved from Dublin to the Portuguese capital in 2016, attracts around 70,000 participants every year, drawing speakers from leading global tech companies and start-ups as well as politicians.

“Web Summit will be able to host 100,000 attendees online on its own conference platform,’’ the organiser said.

They added around 800 speakers will join the event, including Zoom’s Chief Executive, Eric Yuan, and Captain America star, Chris Evans.

Portugal, which has so far reported a total of 81,256 cases and 2,040 deaths from the coronavirus, much lower than in neighbouring Spain, began lifting its lockdown on May 4.

But like most other European countries, it has seen the number of COVID-19 infections rise again after a summer lull.

“The safest and most reasonable answer is to host Web Summit fully online in 2020, we look forward to welcoming attendees back to Lisbon in 2021,’’ Cosgrave said.

Japan to ease travel restrictions for China, 11 other countries, regions next month

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Japan is reportedly planning to ease travel restrictions to China and 11 other countries and regions next month, according to local media reports.

The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported on Thursday that the 11 countries and regions concerned were Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and China’s Taiwan, among others.

The Japanese government said it would urge travelers not to make unnecessary trips and to refrain from unnecessary visits.

A day earlier, Japan and Australia had discussed the promotion of further talks towards easing travel restrictions both countries have placed on each other due to the novel coronavirus.

Japan’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed recently that business travel would resume between Japan and South Korea as early as Thursday after flights were similarly suspended.

Under the agreement between Tokyo and Seoul, both countries, on the resumption on bilateral travel, agreed that travelers on short-term business trips would not be required to self-isolate if they tested negative for COVID-19 and submitted travel itineraries to the appropriate authorities.

Expatriates and long-term residents, meanwhile, will have to self-quarantine for 14 days under the agreement.

The deal, in essence, is similar to one struck recently between Japan and Singapore.

Japan on Oct. 1 eased entry restrictions into the country from foreigners around the world, although entry is still being refused for tourists.

Those such as foreign medical professionals, teachers and others, who are qualified for medium or long-term stays for three months or longer will be allowed entry, the government decided, with those traveling for business purposes for less than three months also being eligible.

Eligible travelers will have to test negative for COVID-19 before entering Japan and upon arrival in Japan, while their sponsors, such as companies or organisations which support them, will be expected to ensure their self-isolation for 14 days, during which time they will not be allowed to use public transport.

The government had said it would consider permitting 1,000 foreigners into the country per day, mainly to accommodate those who intend to stay for three months or longer, while looking to increasing the cap in the months ahead.

Foreigners with resident status, who had been overseas have recently been allowed to re-enter the county, while expatriates and other long-term residents from some Asian countries have also been granted access into the country.

These include those from Vietnam, Thailand and a number of other economies with which reciprocal agreements have been made.

The Japanese government has more recently made similar reciprocal agreements with Singapore and Brunei.

Currently, people from 159 countries and regions have been denied entry to the country, but Japan has steadily been easing its entry restrictions.

China, WHO in talks for assessing COVID-19 vaccines for global use

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China is in talks to have its locally-produced COVID-19 vaccines assessed by the World Health Organisation, as a step toward making them available for international use, a WHO official said on Tuesday.

Hundreds of thousands of essential workers and other groups considered at high risk in China have been given locally-developed vaccines even as clinical trials had not been fully completed.

Meanwhile, the locally-developed vaccines had raised safety concerns among experts.

Socorro Escalate, WHO’s coordinator for essential medicines and health technologies in the Western Pacific region, told a news conference conducted online that China had held preliminary discussions with WHO to have its vaccines included in a list for emergency use.

“The WHO’s emergency use listing procedure allows unlicensed vaccines and treatments to be assessed to expedite their availability in public health emergencies.

“This helps assist the WHO’s member states and UN procurement agencies to determine the acceptability of the vaccines.

“Potentially through this emergency use listing the quality and safety of these vaccines and efficacy could be assessed and then this could be made available for our licensees,” Escalante said.

Alleged environmental degradation: ECOWAS court fixes Oct. 27 for $37bn damages suit

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The ECOWAS Court of Justice has fixed Oct. 27 to hear a 37billion dollar suit in damages filed by 11 persons representing the oil producing communities.

In a statement on Tuesday, the court said that the plaintiffs sought compensation for the alleged environmental degradation, pollution and health hazards caused by natural gas flared through oil exploration.

A panel of three judges of the Court led by its President, Justice Edward Amoako Asante, fixed the date, to enable Counsel to the Plaintiffs to properly file the application for amendment of processes.

NAN reports that during the virtual hearing on May 16, , the Court upheld the preliminary objection of the defendants.

The court also struck out the names of the seven oil companies and the Minister of Petroleum and the Attorney General of the Federation who were joined in the case.

Those whose names were struck out were not proper parties before the Court, as only Member States who are State parties to Treaties can be brought before the Court.

In the suit with no ECW/CCJ/APP/34/18 filed by their Counsel, I.O Ugwueze, the plaintiffs Johnny King and 10 others, alleged the violation of their fundamental human rights and the continuous breach of their right to life through the flaring of associated gas into the air in their various communities.

The plaintiffs argued that this causes heavy and intolerable pollution of the communities’ environment, emission of poison and toxins into their air.

Land and drinking streams, rivers and seas which they inhale, drink and eat causing strange and mysterious illnesses that gradually kills them.

The plaintiffs, who are representing communities in Abia, Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross-River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Ondo and Rivers States of Nigeria, claimed that the Defendants were flaring natural gas as a result of exploration, drilling and production of crude petroleum oil in these states.

They claimed that the flaring activities was causing environmental degradation ,pollution and health hazards to the communities.

They are therefore seeking for an order that the sum of 37.5 billion dollars as general damages against the Defendants jointly and severally to be paid to the residents and members of the communities of the states.

The compensation also relate to the breach of the Applicants’ fundamental Rights to life and/or dignity of human person and the wilful breaches of their fundamental rights.

The plaintiffs urged the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents by themselves or by their agents, servants, contractors or workers or otherwise howsoever form, from further flaring of gas in the Applicants’ communities, among others.

Also on the panel are Justices Dupe Atoki and Keikura Bangura. (NAN)

Mali’s transitional govt should honour commitment to ECOWAS – U.S. Dep’t Transition

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The U.S. has urged the transitional government in Mali to honour its commitments to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Spokesperson for the department, Ms Morgan Ortagus, made the cal in a statement made available on the African Regional Media Hub.

The commitment includes holding a democratic election within 18 months.

Ortagus said that the U.S. viewed the Republic of Mali’s establishment of a transitional government “as an initial step towards a return to constitutional order”.

“It will be important for the transitional government to fulfill its pledges to the Malian people.

“To strengthen governance , combat corruption, reform electoral processes and implement the 2015 Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in Mali.”

The U.S. called on the government to respect human fights and take concrete steps to prevent the violation of such rights by state security forces.

The department also said that when violations occur, investigations should be carried out and those responsible, held to account.

Ortagus said that as a partner of Mali for over 60 years, the U.S. would work with all who are committed to the goals for a better country.

“We firmly believe that a democratic, prosperous and secure Mali is essential to the future of the Sahel.

NAN reports that among the declarations adopted by the summit is that the transition government in Mali must be led by civilians, and that the return to constitutional order should be concluded within 12 months.

Malian military was also encouraged to focus on securing the country faced with severe security threats from its northern part, instead of an incursion into governance. (NAN)

Zambia enhances dialogue with citizens in diaspora

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The Zambian Government said on Sunday that it was committed to meeting and engaging with citizens in the diaspora in order to ensure that they contribute positively to the country’s development.

Permanent Secretary for International Relations and Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chalwe Lombe, said it was the reason why the government has put in place a diaspora policy in order to enhance the engagement process, according to a release.

He said that he held a virtual engagement with Zambians living in South Africa, Madagascar and Lesotho.

Lombe said that having discussions with citizens in the diaspora will create a platform to exchange ideas on how the policy should be successfully implemented.

According to him, the government was aware of challenges facing Zambians living abroad such as the lack of access to national documentation and feedback.

He added that Diaspora Desks will be established in all ministries to facilitate effective administration of the diaspora matters.

Jackson Miti, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, said during the same meeting that all citizens should actively participate in the implementation of the diaspora policy.

Miti added that the policy was crafted with Zambians living in various parts of the world because the government realised the immense contributions they make to the economic and social welfare of the country. (Xinhua/NAN)

Biden leads by 10 points as majority of Americans say Trump could have avoided coronavirus

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Democrat Joe Biden opened his widest lead in a month in the U.S. presidential race after President Donald Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, and a majority of Americans think Trump could have avoided infection if he had taken the virus more seriously, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Sunday.

The Oct. 2-3 national opinion poll gave little indication of an outpouring of support for the president beyond Trump’s core group of followers, some of whom have gathered outside Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, where the president has been hospitalised.

Trump has repeatedly dismissed the severity of the pandemic as something that would disappear on its own, chiding Biden as recently as last week for wearing a protective mask, even as the coronavirus infected millions of people and forced businesses and schools to close.

Among those adults who are expected to cast ballots in the Nov. 3 election, the poll found that 51 per cent were backing Biden, while 41 per cent said they were voting for Trump.

Another 4 per cent were choosing a third-party candidate and another 4 per cent said they were undecided.

Biden’s 10-point edge over Trump is 1 to 2 points higher than leads Biden posted over the past several weeks, though the increase is still within the poll’s precision limits of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

With about a month to go before the election, Biden has maintained an early advantage in securing the national popular vote.

But to win the presidency, a candidate must prevail in enough states to win the Electoral College, and state polls show that Trump is nearly as popular as Biden in battleground states.

Trump, 74, was transferred to Walter Reed on Friday, hours after tweeting that he was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The announcement set off a dizzying split-screen experience for many: as media alerts lit up cell phones and television chyrons about Trump feeling feverish and needing oxygen.

Several other Republican leaders who had been in close proximity with the president announced that they, too, had tested positive.

Most Americans continue to be deeply worried about the virus, and the poll found that 65 per cent, including 9 in 10 registered Democrats and 5 in 10 registered Republicans, agreed that “if President Trump had taken coronavirus more seriously, he probably would not have been infected.”

Only 34 per cent said they thought that Trump has been telling them the truth about the coronavirus, while 55 per cent said that he was not and 11 per cent were unsure.

Of those polled, 57 per cent of Americans said they disapproved of Trump’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic overall, up about 3 points from a poll that ran late last week.

Americans also appear to be largely supportive of curtailing the 2020 presidential race to ensure everyone’s safety.

Sixty-seven per cent of Americans want to stop in-person campaign rallies and 59 per cent think the presidential debates should be postponed until Trump recovers from the coronavirus.

It is unclear at this point how Trump’s diagnosis will impact the next presidential debate, which is scheduled for Oct. 15.

The first vice presidential debate between Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Mike Pence is scheduled for Thursday.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online, in English, throughout the United States.

It gathered responses from 1,005 U.S. adults, including 596 likely voters.

Only about 61 per cent of voting-age Americans actually voted in the 2016 election.

Russia conducted over 47.2m COVID-19 tests — Official

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More than 47.2 million tests for COVID-19 have been performed in Russia since the outbreak, the country’s consumer rights and human welfare watchdog, Rospotrebnadzor, said on Saturday.

“We have conducted more than 47.2 million coronavirus tests in Russia. 226,435 people are remaining under medical supervision,” the watchdog said in a statement.

Rospotrebnadzor added that Russia conducted 423,000 tests in the past 24 hours alone.

Russia confirmed 9,859 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday, bringing the country’s official number of cases to 1,204,502 as the number of new infections across the country continues to rise.

So far 21,251 people have dead while 975,859 had recovered

Moscow could receive bulk shipments of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine by the end of 2020.

Also around 5,000 volunteers including those who are at higher risk of severe infection have received Russia’s coronavirus vaccine as part of final clinical trials for safety and effectiveness, its developer said.

Russia’s coronavirus treatment drug Avifavir will be made available in 17 more countries in addition to the six countries where it is already sold, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund said.

Russia’s second candidate vaccine against the coronavirus is less than a month away from state approval after completing small-scale human trials, the vaccine’s developers said this week.

Over 14,000 firefighters battle massive California fires

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More than 14,000 firefighters continue to battle over two dozen major fires – including two of the largest in California history – which have destroyed more than 1,200 homes and structures.

On Monday California fire authorities said a feared wave of lightning strikes largely did not materialise, and cooler weather has helped battle some blazes, but authorities say more lightning strikes are possible.

More than 13,000 lightning strikes combined with extreme summer heat caused many of the fires throughout the state, which have led to seven deaths and tens of thousands of people forced to leave their homes.

Firefighters have made progress in the two largest burn areas, the SCU Complex and the LNU Complex, which comprise multiple fires in counties around San Francisco, but the blazes are still largely uncontained and have burned over 282,065 hectares.

In the San Francisco area authorities are telling residents to stay indoors due to poor air quality. (dpa/NAN)

Spain imposes new restrictions due to increasing COVID-19 infections

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Spain on Monday introduced new restrictions in several regions, following a surge in coronavirus cases, the authorities said.

Regional President, Quim Torra, announced that Catalonia had banned meetings of more than 10 people.

“The situation is not stable anymore, instead the numbers are rising constantly,” Torra said.

Catalonia is also to reduce the size of school classes and to make 500,000 Covid-19 tests available in the education sector, although teachers and classrooms are in short supply.

Students will go back to school in early September and many employees are expected to return from their summer holidays, stoking fears that the number of cases could increase even further.

In the South-Eastern region of Murcia, meetings of more than six people not from same household were banned.

Authorities in Madrid, which has been hard hit, have urged everyone to avoid non-essential social contact.

In the Balearic island of Mallorca, authorities admitted that a second wave was ongoing, with the virus’ rapid spread hindering contact tracing.

Spain has seen a dramatic increase in the number of cases, with more than 3,000 new infections registered daily in the past days.

In June, the number of new cases in a 24-hour period had fallen to below 100, but the figure started growing in July.