Saturday, May 8, 2021

Six In The Morning Saturday 8 May 2021

 

Countries in Africa fear they could become the next India as vaccine supplies dwindle

Updated 0402 GMT (1202 HKT) May 8, 2021



The funeral pyres in New Delhi tell the tragic story of an uncontrolled Covid-19 wave.

For a world that's grown numb to wave after wave of infection, the images of patients dying due to a lack of oxygen while others lie untended on the floor are a brutal reminder that this pandemic is far from over.
In late March, in a desperate attempt to curb infection, the Indian government restricted the export of Covid-19 vaccines from its giant manufacturing hubs, to meet some of the country's more urgent needs. Now, the consequences of that move are playing out across the world.


China tries to scupper UN talk on plight of Uyghurs


Beijing’s mission asks other members not to attend, with Human Rights Watch saying it continues pattern of ‘trying to bully governments into silence’

Staff and agencies

China is trying to convince UN member states to boycott an event planned next week by Germany, the US and Britain on the repression of Uyghur Muslims and other minorities in Xinjiang, according to a note seen by Reuters on Friday.

China charged that the organisers, who include several other European states along with Australia and Canada, use “human rights issues as a political tool to interfere in China’s internal affairs like Xinjiang, to create division and turbulence and disrupt China’s development”.

Louis Charbonneau, the Human Rights Watch UN director, said on Friday: “Beijing has been trying for years to bully governments into silence but that strategy has failed miserably, as more and more states step forward to voice horror and revulsion at China’s crimes against Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.”

Dozens killed in bomb attack near school in Kabul

A bomb exploded near a school in a Shiite district of west Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 25 people, many of them young students, Afghan government spokesmen said. The Taliban condemned the attack apparently aimed at civilians, and denied any responsibility.

Ambulances were rushing to evacuate wounded from the scene of the blast near Syed Al-Shahda school, in the Shiite majority neighborhood of Dasht-e-Barchi, Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

Angry crowds attacked the ambulances and even beat health workers, said Health Ministry spokesman Ghulam Dastigar Nazari. He implored residents to cooperate and allow ambulances free access to the site.

Africa's drought crisis: Zimbabwe seeks solutions, Madagascar edges toward famine

As droughts worsen across Africa, troubling times lie ahead for many countries. But while Madagascar struggles to tackle a hunger crisis, Zimbabwe hopes its new sustainable strategy means it has left the worst behind.

Unprecedented levels of drought across many countries in Africa have left experts and humanitarian agencies fearing the worst.

As the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to push the continent to its limits, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has warned many countries may soon face famine as a result of drought.

Australian resident dies in COVID-ravaged India as country’s death toll soars

By Carrie Fellner and Nigel Gladstone
Updated 


An Australian permanent resident has died in India as the pandemic-stricken nation battles soaring case numbers of COVID-19.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of the man, 59, but would not comment on the cause of death on Saturday.

But in a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, a Sydney woman identifying as his daughter said her father died from COVID-19 after being “abandoned” by the Australian government.

Covid: Macron calls on US to drop vaccine export bans


French President Emmanuel Macron has called on the US to drop its restrictions on the export of Covid-19 vaccines and ingredients.

His words came as a divide emerged between parts of Europe and the US over how best to increase global vaccine production.

Currently, around 1.25bn doses have been administered around the world.

However, less than 1% have been given to the world's 29 poorest countries, according to news agency AFP.



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