Category: International & World

How did a deep-rooted local conflict draw in regional powers? And after a cease-fire agreement, what are the prospects for peace?

— NYT: Top Stories

The northern Italian province became one of the deadliest killing fields for the virus in the Western world. But a Times investigation found that faulty guidance and bureaucratic delays rendered the toll far worse than it had to be.

— NYT: Top Stories

 

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Ethiopian military on Saturday began an offensive in the Tigray regional capital in its quest to arrest the region’s defiant leaders.

Tigray TV announced the shelling midday in Mekele, a city of a half-million people. A report from the city confirmed it.

The Tigray leader could not immediately be reached. Ethiopia’s government did not immediately comment.

Ethiopia’s government had warned Mekele residents there would be “no mercy” if they didn’t move away from the leaders of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front in time.

Communications remain largely severed to the Tigray region of some 6 million people, making it difficult to verify claims by the warring sides in the conflict between Ethiopia’s government and the TPLF, which once dominated the country’s ruling coalition but was sidelined under new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Abiy has rejected dialogue with the TPLF. Each government regards the other as illegal.

The offensive on the densely populated city, and the threat of civilian deaths, has alarmed the international community. The United Nations said people were fleeing Mekele as forces closed in. Abiy’s government has said it will take care to avoid harming civilians in the tank-led assault.

As Ethiopian forces moved in, Maj. Gen. Hassan Ibrahim vowed to capture the city “on all fronts.”

“It is possible that some of the wanted people may go to their families or neighboring areas and try to hide for few days. But our armed forces after seizing the control of Mekele city will be tasked to hunt down and capture these criminals one by one wherever they may be,” he said in comments carried by the Ethiopian News Agency.

The Tigray region has been almost entirely cut off from the outside world since Nov. 4, when Abiy announced a military offensive in response to a TPLF attack on a military base. Humanitarians have said at least hundreds of people have been killed.

The fighting threatens to destabilize Ethiopia, which has been described as the linchpin of the strategic Horn of Africa.

With transport links cut, food and other supplies are running out in Tigray, home to 6 million people, and the United Nations has asked for immediate and unimpeded access for aid.

Multiple crises are growing. More than 40,000 refugees have fled for Sudan, where people struggle to give them food, shelter and care. One humanitarian agency says hospitals in Tigray are running out of drugs. And fighting near camps of Eritrean refugees in northern Ethiopia has put them in the line of fire.

Worryingly, refugees in Sudan have told The Associated Press that Ethiopian forces near the border are impeding people from leaving. Reporters from the AP have seen that crossings have slowed to a trickle in recent days. Ethiopia’s government has not commented on that.

 

— Associated Press

 

MOSCOW — Russia on Saturday reported a new daily high in the number of coronavirus infections and deaths.

The national coronavirus taskforce said 24,822 new cases were recorded over the past day, the fourth time in a week that a new high has been tallied.

It said a record 467 people died of COVID-19.

The surge in infections is straining Russia’s vast but underfunded health care system, with many infected people reportedly forced to search for sparse hospital beds.

Overall, Russia has recorded more than 2,064,000 cases and 35,778 deaths.

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HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:

— Daily COVID-19 deaths in US reach highest level since May

— Pfizer, BioNTech seek emergency use of COVID-19 shots in US

— Mexico tops 100,000 COVID-19 deaths, 4th country to do so

— Republican governors in some hard-hit states are refusing to ask families to limit Thanksgiving celebrations despite warnings from federal health officials that gatherings could worsen a coronavirus surge that’s already spinning out of control.

— Maryland lawmakers are renewing criticism of Gov. Larry Hogan’s procurement of a half million COVID-19 tests from South Korea after The Washington Post reported the first batch was flawed and never used.

— Los Angeles County businesses trying to recover from the coronavirus pandemic face new restrictions and the prospect of a shutdown on the horizon

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Follow AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka’s Central Bank says the bank’s top management, including the governor, will work from home after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19.

The bank said the move was taken as a precautionary measure. The governor, one deputy governor, seven assistant governors and several other senior officials who had been working at the bank’s offices until now will work from home for two weeks.

It said tests were done on possible contacts of the patient, but all others tested were found to be negative.

The bank is located in the heart of the capital, Colombo, where the most cases have been detected in the past week.

Sri Lanka has seen a fresh outbreak of the virus following two clusters in Colombo — one centered on a garment factory and other on the fish market.

The confirmed cases from the two clusters grew to 15,764 on Saturday. During the most recent 24-hour period, 435 cases were detected, of which 252 were in Colombo and its suburbs.

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TOKYO — Japan is scaling back on the government-backed “GoTo” campaign to encourage travel and dining out, as the number of confirmed coronavirus cases reached a record for the third day straight on Saturday, at 2,418.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced the decision at a government panel on coronavirus pandemic measures.

Stressing the need for “utmost caution,” he said the campaign’s travel discounts will no longer apply to hard-hit areas, and discounts on eating out will end temporarily.

Japan has never had a total lockdown. It has had fewer than 2,000 deaths so far related to the coronavirus. But worries have been growing about a spike in infections over the three-day weekend. Monday is Labor Thanksgiving, a national holiday.

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NEW DELHI — India has reported 46,232 new confirmed coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours, with the situation particularly alarming in New Delhi.

Intensive care wards and the capital’s main crematorium are near capacity, and health officials this week found the prevalence of infections in markets much higher than expected. The city has added an average of 6,700 cases each day in recent weeks.

The next two weeks in the post-festival season, including celebrations for the Diwali holiday, are going to be important in determining which way the virus will go. The Health Ministry on Saturday also registered 564 deaths in the past 24 hours, taking total fatalities up to 132,726.

While the pace of new cases in the country of 1.3 billion appears to be slowing, experts have cautioned that official figures may be offering false hope since many infections are undetected.

The two states of Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat have announced night curfews in at least in eight cities from Saturday. Northern Rajasthan state is also imposing restrictions on the assembly of more than four people during nighttime.

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SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has reported 386 new cases of the coronavirus in a resurgence that could force authorities to reimpose stronger social distancing restrictions after easing them in October to spur a faltering economy.

The figures released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday brought the national caseload to 30,403, including 503 deaths.

More than 270 of the new cases came from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where health workers have struggled to track transmissions in schools, private tutoring academies and religious facilities.

Infections were also reported in other major cities including Busan, Daejeon, Gwangju and Asan.

South Korea has so far managed to weather its COVID-19 epidemic without major lockdowns, relying instead on an aggressive test-and-quarantine campaign and mask-wearing.

Officials eased distancing measures to the lowest level in October, which allowed high-risk venues such as nightclubs and karaoke bars to reopen and fans to return to professional sports.

But the Korean Society of Infectious Diseases said Friday that the country could be reporting more than 1,000 new infections a day in a week or two if social distancing measures aren’t effectively strengthened.

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OLYMPIA, Wash. – Washington Gov. Jay Inslee on Friday announced $135 million in grants and loans to help businesses and workers hurt by new restrictions he imposed through mid-December.

Inslee said that businesses would be able to apply for the assistance to help blunt the impact of restrictions that took effect this week, including the closure of fitness facilities and gyms, bowling centers and movie theaters, and the requirement that restaurants and bars to be limited to to-go service and outdoor dining.

The economic package also includes $20 million in rental assistance and $15 million in utility payment assistance for those with low income. All of the funding is part of federal coronavirus outbreak assistance funds distributed to states.

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CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has announced new limits on indoor and outdoor public gatherings. But he has not implemented a statewide mask mandate as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the state.

The Republican governor and state health officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said Thursday that public gatherings will be limited to 25 people or fewer without restrictions. Indoor gatherings will be limited to 25% capacity, and outdoor gatherings will be limited to 50%.

The new order goes into effect Nov. 24. No statewide mask mandate was approved, though nearly all of the county health officers have called for one as virus cases, hospitalizations and deaths have substantially increased in recent weeks.

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AUSTIN, Texas — Texas has surpassed 8,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients for the first time since a deadly summer surge, and doctors are amplifying pleas to keep Thanksgiving gatherings small.

Texas reported more than 11,700 new cases Friday, once again approaching record highs. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has ruled out shutdowns and says cities and counties need to enforce restrictions already on the books, including occupancy limits and face coverings.

The Texas Hospital Association is now appealing for families to keep holiday gatherings “very small” as doctors and nurses struggle to keep up with rising caseloads. The group says staff are “tired and emotionally drained” and worried about the health of their own families.

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NEW YORK — Former U.S. Sen. Alfonse D’Amato has been hospitalized with COVID-19.

The New York Post reported Friday that the New York Republican was being treated at a Long Island hospital.

“I’m weak but I feel good,” the 83-year-old told the newspaper in a phone interview. He said he had a light fever and congestion.

D’Amato said he started feeling unwell late last week, and didn’t know where he had gotten exposed to the virus. He said he had been mainly working from home, where he lives alone.

D’Amato served as one of the state’s senators in Congress from 1981 to 1999.

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LOUISVILLE, Kentucky — Kentucky reported 3,825 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 20 more virus-related deaths Friday, as new restrictions went into effect aiming to slow the virus’s spread.

“Remember, your decisions are going to be what determines how many people live or die. Do your part,” Gov. Andy Beshear said, urging Kentuckians to follow the new requirements.

Starting Friday, private indoor gatherings are limited to two households, with a maximum of eight people. For roughly three weeks, bars and restaurants must close indoor dining, though they are permitted to continue curbside pickup, delivery and outdoor dining services.

Event venue capacity is limited to 25 people. Gym capacity is lowered to 33%, and group classes, team practices and competitions are prohibited. Beshear has also encouraged houses of worship to refrain from in-person services.

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DETROIT — A judge on Friday declined to halt a three-week ban on indoor dining in Michigan that is one of the most recent coronavirus restrictions imposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration.

The state health department, meanwhile, reported a new daily high of confirmed COVID-19 cases, 9,779, and 53 additional deaths as the virus continued to spike.

In his ruling, U.S. District Judge Paul Maloney in Kalamazoo said a restraining order halting the indoor dining ban wouldn’t be appropriate, especially when the state hasn’t had a chance to respond to the lawsuit.

The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association, which has thousands of members, is suing to try to stop the indoor dining ban that began Wednesday. The group said restaurants can take further steps to reduce coronavirus risk without cutting off customers.

The group said its members were being unfairly treated compared to other businesses. The judge, however, wasn’t swayed.

“Individuals who patronize the businesses that remain open can do so — and must do so — while wearing a face covering. … In contrast, individuals cannot eat or drink while wearing a mask,” Maloney said.

Maloney scheduled the next hearing for Nov. 30, nearly two weeks into the three-week ban.

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TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas is including movie theaters among the businesses to receive aid as the state gets close to wrapping up its distribution of federal coronavirus relief funds.

Legislative leaders signed off Friday on a proposal from Gov. Laura Kelly’s pandemic recovery office to allocate $38.5 million in federal relief funds. The state received $1.25 billion and must spend the dollars by the end of the year.

The proposal called for distributing $20 million for aid to businesses that have struggled because of restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic and $18.5 million on public health.

The funds for businesses include $5 million specifically for movie theaters, to be distributed $10,000 per screen. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Troy Waymaster, a Bunker Hill Republican, received assurances during the meeting of legislative leaders with Kelly that one- or two-screen theaters in small towns will be eligible.

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SKOPJE, North Macedonia — North Macedonia has declared its first-ever nationwide state of emergency, allowing authorities to more easily use the armed forces as well as private resources to fight the pandemic.

The 30-day order, the first of its kind since the Balkan nation became independent in 1991, will take effect Saturday and was imposed after COVID-19 treatment capacity reached its limit.

The army will be used to help civilian authorities transport patients and build field hospitals.

Government-imposed restrictions have so far failed to curb a rise in infection rates. A total of 1,462 people have died in the landlocked country of around 2 million people from the pandemic — with 39 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours and an estimated 20,000 cases still active.

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TORONTO — Canada’s largest city is going back on lockdown.

The province of Ontario announced Friday Toronto and the surrounding Peel Region will go into lockdown on Monday.

Premier Doug Ford and health officials say they won’t allow indoor organized events or social gatherings except for members of the same household. Restaurants and bars will only be allowed to offer takeout and delivery. Retail will only be open for curbside pickup or delivery except for big box stores.

The stricter measures come as Ontario reports 1,418 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, including 393 in Toronto and 400 new cases in Peel Region.

Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams says Ontario flattened the epidemic curve before and he’s confident it can be done again.

— Associated Press

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran on Saturday shuttered businesses and curtailed travel between its major cities, including the capital of Tehran, as it grapples with the worst outbreak of the coronavirus in the Mideast region.

Top Iranian officials initially downplayed the risks posed by the virus outbreak, before recently urging the public to follow measures like wearing masks and avoiding unessential travel.

Iran has recorded daily death tolls of above 430 over the past five days. The Iranian Health Ministry said on Saturday that the total number of confirmed cases has risen to above 840,000.

The new lockdown measures, which include shuttering most businesses, shops, malls, and restaurants, include Iran’s largest cities of Mashhad, Isfahan, and Shiraz. Iranian authorities have designated the nearly 160 towns and cities affected as hot spots because these urban centers have the highest daily per capita positive coronavirus test results.

On Saturday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a televised speech urged people to follow the measures to help “lessen the death toll.” He added that the government plans to supply cash subsidies to Iran’s 30 million poorest people for four months to help them to manage the economic fallout from the new outbreak.

The latest round of restrictions to stem the outbreak came as a spat among top Iranian health officials led to the resignation of at least two officials.

Iranian newspapers said Saturday that the deputy health minister in charge of research, Reza Malekzadeh, resigned from his post in reaction to recent remarks by the Minister of Health Saeed Namaki, who said government-led research projects were not successfully addressing the current needs of the ministry.

In reply, Malekzadeh in his resignation letter criticized public mismanagement of the virus outbreak by the minister.

“The pandemic’s very wrong management that was caused by a lack of consultation and paying attention to warnings from experts has led to a large number of human deaths,” Malekzadeh said in his statement.

Iranian news websites also said that Ali Nobakht, an advisor to the health minister, resigned over similar reasons, without providing further details.

In Tehran, the head of the city’s chamber of commerce, Qassem Nodeh, said that the restrictions will lead to the closure of 70% of business in the capital and its surrounding areas.

Manoochehr Nassiri, who runs a lighting shop in Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, complained about the closures.

“We shop owners don’t know what to do, considering the economic situation of the country,” he said standing outside his shuttered store.

The closures are set to last two weeks but can be automatically extended.

Beginning on Saturday, government offices that provide essential public services —including banks, post offices, communications and utilities services —will continue their work with half of the regular number of staff. All other government offices will continue working with one third of their staff.

All schools in the capital will also be closed and required to switch to virtual instruction by Internet. Authorities will also close shrines in Tehran and cancel mass prayers in mosques, though it was not immediately clear if the same restrictions would apply in other cities, including the holy city of Mashhad.

Any travel between the affected cities by private car is also suspended. Public transportation will be available but the use of private cars is banned between 9 p.m. to 4 a.m.

People who have tested positive for the virus are required to stay at home and can face a roughly $8 cash fine if they appear in public.

Media organizations, construction jobs, agriculture, heavy industry, and services for the elderly and assisted living are largely exempt from the closures.

Iran has avoided the full lockdowns seen in other countries as it struggles to keep its faltering economy alive in the face of crushing U.S. sanctions. President Donald Trump re-imposed sweeping sanctions on the country after withdrawing from Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

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— Associated Press

Jonathan Morris and Kaitlyn Folmer met at the Vatican. He was a priest. Some things changed along the way.

— NYT: Top Stories

CNN International anchor Christiane Amanpour has been labeled “despicable” and “disgusting” after comparing a deadly night considered the start of the Holocaust to President Trump’s four years in the White House to viewers across the world.

 

— FOX News

Four pro-democracy figures were ousted from the legislature, prompting 15 others to vow to resign in solidarity, as Beijing cracks down on one of the city’s few remaining venues for political opposition.

— NYT: Top Stories

Kody Workman, 33, and his girlfriend of 3 years, Kelly Castille, 34, were snorkeling on the seafloor in Negril, Jamaica, on Oct. 1 when Workman popped the question.

 

— FOX News

Mr. Lee was convicted — and pardoned — twice for white-collar crimes, in a sign of the ills in South Korea’s relationship with its business dynasties.

 

— NYT: Top Stories