Six In The Morning Wednesday 18 November 2020

 

Covid vaccine: Pfizer says it's '94% effective in over-65s'

The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to protect 94% of adults over 65 years old.

More data released from their ongoing phase three trial suggests it works equally well in people of all ages and ethnicities.

The companies say they will now apply for authorisation for emergency use of the jab in the US.

The findings are based on two doses given to more than 41,000 people around the world.

Iran admits breach of nuclear deal discovered by UN inspectorate

Iran uses advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges in underground plant in breach of 2015 nuclear agreement

Patrick Wintour Diplomatic Editor

Wed 18 Nov 2020 14.33 GMT

Iran has admitted a further breach of the 2015 nuclear deal by firing up advanced uranium Via AP news wire

-enriching centrifuges installed at its underground plant at Natanz.

The finding was made by the UN nuclear weapons inspectorate, the International Atomic Energy Association, and confirmed by the Iranian ambassador to the IAEA.

Donald Trump last week considered but rejected a military strike on Natanz, south of Tehran and the country’s main uranium-enrichment site. But the latest move by Iran may be regarded by his administration as a provocation that changes his, or Israel’s, calculation of risk. The development comes weeks ahead of him standing down and being replaced by Joe Biden, who is committed to re-entering the nuclear deal struck under Barack Obama.

Protests break out in Uganda’s capital as opposition politician Bobi Wine arrested again: ‘We have not been allowed to see him’

Protests have broken out in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, after police arrested Bobi Wine, a musician and opposition politician who is seeking the presidency in next year’s election

Via AP news wire

Protests have broken out in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, after police arrested Bobi Wine a musician and opposition politician who is seeking the presidency in next year’s election.

Wine’s supporters blocked roads and burned tires, prompting police to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters. Kampala Metropolitan police spokesman Patrick Onyango said they would soon issue a statement.

Police break up large Berlin protests as legislature debates tougher coronavirus laws

Several thousand people protested in Berlin against the German government's push to enshrine coronavirus restrictions into an existing law. Police intervened as the crowds sought to approach the parliament.

Several thousand people gathered in central Berlin, banging pans and blowing whistles, to protest Chancellor Angela Merkel and the German government's push to better enforce coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday. 

Some 190 protesters were arrested and nine police officers were hurt in the clashes that ensued, Berlin police said.

French court rules against Clint Eastwood testifying in Thalys train attack trial

A French court has ruled that Clint Eastwood cannot testify during the trial of a suspected Islamist gunman, whose attack on a high-speed train was thwarted by three Americans, who later played themselves in a movie by the U.S. actor and director. 

The trial of Moroccan national Ayoub el Khazzani, who opened fire aboard a Thalys train traveling through Northern Europe in August, 2015, started on Monday in Paris. Khazzani's lawyer had asked before the trial began that the court call Eastwood as a witness, claiming that he could "shed some light" on the authenticity of scenes depicted in his movie.

Eastwood's movie is based on a book written by the trio entitled "The 15:17 to Paris: The True Story of a Terrorist, a Train, and Three American Heroes".

Anxiety and foreboding as Ethiopia conflict entangles Tigrayans

Government denies ethnic profiling, but Tigrayans say they have experienced discrimination and feel pessimistic about the future regardless of the conflict’s outcome.

Gebremariam Hagos*, a civil servant in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, says he has not worked for two weeks.

That is when months of steadily increasing tensions between the federal government and the rulers of the northern Tigray region exploded into open warfare. In the early hours of November 4, the government announced a military operation against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), accusing it of committing treason by attacking a federal army base and commandeering weapons.