Thursday, November 19, 2020

Six In The Morning Thursday 19 November 2020

 

 President announces ‘path to victory’ conference and says failed lawsuits ‘falling nicely’

Gino Spocchia

Donald Trump has announced a press conference in which lawyers for his campaign will outline "a viable path to victory” in the 2020 presidential contest he has already lost to Joe Biden, amid attempts to challenge the results in a number of battleground states won by the Democrat, without any evidence. 

In an all-caps Twitter post on Thursday morning, the US president earlier complained that “the media” were denying him attention over newly announced Covid-19 vaccines “TO MAKE PROPLE BETTER”, just hours after the United States became the first country to record a quarter of a million fatalities from the coronavirus. 


Donald Trump has announced a press conference in which lawyers for his campaign will outline "a viable path to victory” in the 2020 presidential contest he has already lost to Joe Biden, amid attempts to challenge the results in a number of battleground states won by the Democrat, without any evidence. 

In an all-caps Twitter post on Thursday morning, the US president earlier complained that “the media” were denying him attention over newly announced Covid-19 vaccines “TO MAKE PROPLE BETTER”, just hours after the United States became the first country to record a quarter of a million fatalities from the coronavirus. 



Australian special forces involved in murder of 39 Afghan civilians, war crimes report alleges

Brereton report finds prisoners were executed to ‘blood’ junior soldiers and unlawful killings were deliberately covered up


Australian special forces were allegedly involved in the murder of 39 Afghan civilians, in some cases executing prisoners to “blood” junior soldiers before inventing cover stories and planting weapons on corpses, a major report has found.

For more than four years, the Maj Gen Justice Paul Brereton has investigated allegations that a small group within the elite Special Air Services and commandos regiments killed and brutalised Afghan civilians, in some cases allegedly slitting throats, gloating about their actions, keeping kill counts, and photographing bodies with planted phones and weapons to justify their actions.

The findings of Brereton’s report, released on Thursday, are confronting and damning.


Egypt arrests human rights activists as fears grow of government crackdown


Fears are growing that Egypt’s leader Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi may be targeting human rights activists

Bel Trew
Middle East Correspondent
@beltrew




Egypt has arrested two senior staffers of a prominent rights group after they briefed European diplomats, in what has been called a “chilling” and “dangerous” escalation in the crackdown on civil society.  

Mohamed Basheer, an administrative manager for the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), was taken by heavily armed officers from his home on Sunday and held on terrorism charges, just days after the group met with the ambassadors from over ten countries.  

On Wednesday, National Security service agents then arrested Karim Ennarah, EIPR’s criminal justice unit director, while he was holidaying in the Red Sea resort of Dahab. His whereabouts remain unknown.  


EU to slap sanctions on Belarus firms close to Lukashenko

As the political crisis in Belarus deepens, the EU is about to launch new measures targeting the country's firms and entrepreneurs. Sanctions to date have focused on senior individuals in the Lukashenko regime.

The EU agreed in principle to new sanctions on Belarus Thursday. They are a response to the "brutality" of the country's government, the EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell.

The measures are expected to target institutions and private business that finance strongman President Alexander Lukashenko and his government.

Burkina Faso holds presidential poll in ‘a climate of fear’ amid jihadist attacks

Burkina Faso goes to the polls Sunday in presidential and legislative elections amid a deteriorating security situation. FRANCE 24 interviews an expert on the stakes and challenges of the country's election.

While much of the world’s attention was focused on the US presidential race, 2020 has been a busy election year for West Africa, with a number of countries going to the polls in elections with high domestic and regional geopolitical stakes.

In Guinea, the incumbent, Alpha Condé, was declared the winner of the October 18 presidential election, granting the 82-year-old politician a third term following a controversial constitutional referendum that reset his two-term limit.

Lockdowns could be avoided if 95% of people wore masks, says WHO


Updated 1425 GMT (2225 HKT) November 19, 2020



Lockdowns could be avoided if everyone followed health measures such as wearing masks, the World Health Organization's top Europe official said at a Thursday news briefing.

WHO Europe's Regional Director Hans Kluge stressed that lockdowns should be a "last resort," and urged the public to follow guidance to help to prevent deaths.
He said that if 95% of people wore masks, instead of the current 60%, "lockdowns would not be needed" -- although he added that mask use was not a "panacea" and needed to be combined with other measures.
















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