Zimbabwe authorities are being criticized for evicting hundreds of families of squatters amid the COVID-19 pandemic and struggling economy. Legal experts say the destruction of their homes in the capital this month, leaving many homeless in a rainy season, is a violation of the constitution.Fifty-two-year-old Bigboy Mabhande and his family are among hundreds of families of alleged squatters who are now homeless in Zimbabwe’s capital.Bigboy Mabhande is hoping to rebuild his home. (Colombus Mavhunga/VOA)Harare city officials demolished the homes they were living in, saying the land is for a school, not residential use.The father of five is trying to rebuild enough of the demolished home so that his 16-year-old son can move in and continue his studies at a nearby school.“It (the destruction) really pained me,” Mabhande said. “We had to ask for a place to stay from a relative. I am now rebuilding this room so that my son, who is writing exams, can stay in there, since it’s far where we are temporarily staying.”         Wilbert Mandinde is a program manager at Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)Wilbert Mandinde, a program manager at Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, says the demolitions by Harare city should not have been done in the middle of a pandemic and during the rainy season.“In any event, there are demolitions of such a nature the government or local authority has an obligation of ensuring that people are not left in the open,” Mandinde said. “But people have alternative places where they will stay, where there is running water, ablution facilities, where there is electricity. Hence, we are pushing to ensure that they get these things. There are diseases — we are in the COVID-19 pandemic, among other things. There are children. All are things that have to be taken care of. We want authorities to be able to provide sufficient and minimum standards for the people affected.”About 200 families have been affected. The rights group has asked the high court to push the city to ensure the families have a decent place to stay.Jacob Mafume is the mayor of the city of Harare and says he regrets the incident. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)Jacob Mafume, mayor of the city of Harare, says he regrets the incident, which happened when he was in prison on allegations of corruption. He vows to act now that he is out on bail. “We are going to look into how court orders are enforced by the deputy sheriff and other governmental departments that created this humanitarian crisis,” Mafume said. “But we need to assist people to get food, to get tents, to get shelter. And also to look at, is it possible to regularize some of these settlements? Once we do that, we will be able to come up with a solution. We do not want to implement any orders in an inhumane manner. But we need to be considerate, because the season, as we know, is the rainy season, when people are most vulnerable.”    But for now, it does not look like it will happen any time soon. And the affected families fear that properties will be destroyed by the rainy season, which ends in March and April of next year.  
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The United States surpassed 300,000 recorded deaths from COVID-19 Monday — the same day the first American was vaccinated against the coronavirus that causes the disease. The grim number comes about two weeks after millions of Americans defied warnings to avoid travel and gathered with family members for the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, by Monday afternoon 300,267 Americans have died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The U.S. makes up nearly 1-in-5 deaths worldwide from COVID-19. The medical staff listens during a news conference at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Los Angeles, Dec. 14, 2020.While it took four months for the first 100,000 Americans to succumb to the virus, some public health experts forecast another 100,000 deaths before the end of January. Similar surges are being recorded around the world, as a number of European countries enter a second round of lockdowns, even as front-line health care workers begin to receive vaccines against the virus. In EuropeGermany is heading for a second lockdown starting Wednesday amid rising coronavirus infections. The government is urging citizens to avoid Christmas shopping in the two days before most stores close and social distancing rules tighten.  People queue in front of a shop, as the coronavirus disease outbreak continues, in Frankfurt, Germany, Dec. 14, 2020.According to Johns Hopkins, as of Monday afternoon, Germany had recorded more than 1,356,650 confirmed cases and more than 22,300 deaths. Italy has overtaken Britain as the European country with the most COVID-19 deaths, according to data collected by JHU. Monday afternoon, Italy had more than 65,000 deaths, while Britain had 64,500. Prime Minister Micheal Martin of Ireland said Monday that some COVID-19 restrictions may be reimposed in January, after top health officials said infection cases may rise again after many sectors of the economy reopened in the past two weeks. In AsiaIn Asia, South Korean health authorities said 150 virus testing centers will be opened in phases in the capital area, adding to more than 210 existing sites.  The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the country registered 718 new cases Monday, but the additional cases marked a drop from the more than 1,000 reported Sunday. South Korea has seen relatively low total infections and deaths at 43,484 and 587 respectively as of Monday afternoon.  A medical staff member wearing protective gear takes a swab from a woman to test for the COVID-19 coronavirus at a temporary testing station outside Seoul station in Seoul, Dec. 14, 2020.In Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday that the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has been approved, with the first shots to be delivered by the end of this month. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that her country has agreed to allow quarantine-free travel from Australia in the first quarter of next year. Australia is already allowing New Zealanders to skip a two-week quarantine required of travelers from other countries.  
 
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Pressure is growing on the European Union to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine after regulators in Britain, the United States and Canada gave the green light in recent days. Coronavirus cases are soaring across the continent, with extended lockdowns announced in Germany and the Netherlands. Henry Ridgwell reports.
Camera: Henry Ridgwell 
 
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A narrow 96-kilometer-wide corridor from the Pacific Coast in Chile across the Andes mountain range and into Argentina in South America was treated Monday to views of the final total solar eclipse of 2020. A total solar eclipse occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, casting a shadow that momentarily extinguishes daylight on Earth. Magdalena Nahuelpan, a Mapuche Indigenous girl, looks at a total solar eclipse using special glasses in Carahue, La Araucania, Chile, Dec. 14, 2020.Despite COVID-19 restrictions on travel and movement, thousands of tourists and residents gathered in Chile’s south-central Araucania region, about 800 kilometers south of the capital, Santiago. While heavy rain and clouds obscured the sun itself, the region was nonetheless plunged into darkness for about two minutes and eight seconds.  The Chilean health ministry issued protective eyewear for safe viewing of the eclipse, along with face masks and sanitizer to keep people safe from COVID-19. The weather was better in Argentina, though the path of the eclipse there went through sparsely populated areas of the Patagonia Desert.  The next total solar eclipse will occur over Antarctica on December 4, 2021.  
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The United States has started to administer the newly-approved coronavirus vaccine produced by Pfizer and BioNTech.New York State began inoculating heath care workers Monday, with critical care nurse Sandra Lindsay the first to receive an injection.“First Vaccine Administered. Congratulations USA! Congratulations World!” President Donald Trump said on Twitter.Super-cooled shipments of the vaccine had rolled out of a Pfizer manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Sunday for rapid air freight distribution to regional hubs across the United States.Stephen Hahn, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, told CNN more than 184,000 vials were on the first trucks leaving the Pfizer vaccine production facility.Health care workers and elderly people in long-term care facilities will be first in line to receive the first round of 2.9 million doses at a time when cases are surging in the United States.Meanwhile, President Trump reversed a directive that senior government officials including some White House staff would have access to the first round of vaccines.In a twitter message late Sunday, Trump said that the White House staff will be vaccinated “somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary.” Trump added that he is not scheduled to take the vaccine but looks forward to doing so “at the appropriate time.”People working in the White House should receive the vaccine somewhat later in the program, unless specifically necessary. I have asked that this adjustment be made. I am not scheduled to take the vaccine, but look forward to doing so at the appropriate time. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) The Pfizer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine arrives at The University of Louisville Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, Dec. 14, 2020.Moncef Slaoui, the chief adviser to the government’s vaccine development, told “Fox News Sunday” that 100 million Americans might be vaccinated by the end of March.But on the ABC News show “This Week,” Hahn said it was a “significant problem” that a quarter to half of Americans, according to polls, are wary of the vaccine produced by the American-German corporate tandem of Pfizer and BioNTech, despite being approved by U.S. health regulators. Others have vowed to not be inoculated.Hahn said the government has “to be transparent on the safety” of the Pfizer vaccine, as well as on a vaccine produced by biotechnology company Moderna that is being reviewed by regulators this week. Clinical tests showed both were 95% effective.Slaoui said that for the U.S. to acquire “herd immunity,” which would halt transmission of the deadly virus, the country needs about 75% or 80% of the population immunized. He said he hopes that point could be reached between May and June.”It is, however, critical that most of the American people decide and accept to take the vaccine,” Slaoui said. “We are very concerned by the hesitancy that we see.”Governor Phil Murphy of the eastern state of New Jersey told ABC, “We’ve got to deal with a skeptical anti-vaccination bloc” of people.But he added, “We believe in these vaccines. They’re safe.”Murphy warned, however, that even as Americans begin to get vaccinated, the coronavirus danger remains daunting.“The next six to eight weeks are going to be hell,” he said. But Murphy said that by April or May, “everyone will have access to these vaccines.”Nancy Galloway (L) and Susan Deur cheer as trucks carrying the first shipment of the Covid-19 vaccine that is being escorted by the U.S. Marshals Service, leave Pfizer’s Global Supply facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Dec. 13, 2020.The chief officer of Operation Warp Speed, the Trump administration’s vaccine development program, Army General Gustave Perna, said at a news conference Saturday that shipping companies will initially deliver doses to nearly 150 distribution centers, and an additional 450 or so facilities will have the vaccine by Wednesday.The Food and Drug Administration approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for emergency use late Friday.The vaccine must be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius before being used.
 
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Daily records continue to tumble for COVID-19 cases and deaths in many parts of the world, forcing governments to impose restrictions or consider lockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus.    In Europe, Germany is heading for a second lockdown starting on Wednesday amid rising coronavirus infections. The government in urging citizens to avoid Christmas shopping in the two days before most stores close and social distancing rules tighten. A person wearing protective mask lights a candle on a vigil organised by activist-group #wirgebendenToteneinGesicht (We give a face to the dead) to commemorate the people who died due to COVID-19 in Berlin, Germany, Dec. 13, 2020.According to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center (JHU), as of Monday morning, Germany had recorded over 1,350,800 confirmed cases and more than 22,080 deaths.   Italy has overtaken Britain as the European country with the most COVID-19 deaths, according to data collected by JHU. Monday morning Italy had 64,520 deaths, while Britain 64,267. A nurse tends to a patient inside a COVID-19 intensive care unit of the Tor Vergata Polyclinic Hospital in Rome, Italy, Dec. 13, 2020.Prime Minister Micheal Martin of Ireland said on Monday that some COVID-19 restrictions may be reimposed in January, after top health officials said infection cases may rise again after many sectors of the economy reopened in recent two weeks.   In Asia, South Korean health authorities said 150 virus testing centers will be opened in phases in the capital area, adding to more than 210 existing sites.    The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said the country registered 718 new cases Monday, but the additional cases marked a drop from over 1,000 reported on Sunday. South Korea has seen relatively low total infections and deaths at 43,480 and 587 respectively as of Monday.  In Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Monday that use of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine has been approved with the first shots to be deliveres by the end of this month. New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Monday that her country has agreed to allow quarantine-free travel from Australia in the first quarter of next year. Australia is already allowing New Zealanders to skip a two-week quarantine required of travelers from other countries.       In the U.S. last week, California recorded more than 25,000 new infections in one day.  “Lives will be lost unless we do more than we’ve ever done,” Governor Gavin Newsom said.     People wait in line to be tested at an outdoor COVID-19 testing site in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles, California, Dec. 5, 2020.Overall, more than 16 million people in the U.S. have contracted the disease, while nearly 300,000 have died.       FILE – A nurse prepares to administer the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Guy’s Hospital in London, Britain, Dec. 8, 2020. (Frank Augstein/Pool via Reuters)Across the United States, the first doses of coronavirus vaccine are arriving at regional hubs Monday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine made by U.S. drug maker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech for emergency use.   
   
Mexico also approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine late Friday, bringing to six the number of countries that are using or plan to use it.      Britain, Bahrain, Canada and Saudi Arabia have also approved the vaccine.      Brazil is steadily approaching 7 million COVID-19 cases and has recorded more than 181,000 deaths.       Last week, Brazil’s health minister vowed to vaccinate the entire country during the course of next year.    
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Daily records continue to tumble for COVID-19 cases and deaths in many parts of the world, forcing governments to impose restrictions or consider lockdowns to halt the spread of the coronavirus.In Europe, Germany is heading for a second lockdown starting on Wednesday amid rising coronavirus infections. According to Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center (JHU), as of Monday morning, Germany had recorded over 1,350,800 confirmed cases and more than 22,080 deaths.Italy has overtaken Britain as the European country with the most COVID-19 deaths, according to data collected by JHU. Monday morning Italy had 64,520 deaths, while Britain 64,267. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
Pharmacy supervisor Kevin Weissman wears a thick glove as he opens the door of a special freezer that will hold the Pfizer vaccine at LAC USC Medical Center, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Los Angeles, California, Dec. 10. 2020.Overall, more than 16 million people in the U.S. have contracted the disease, while nearly 300,000 have died. Across the United States, the first doses of coronavirus vaccine are arriving at regional hubs Monday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine made by U.S. drug maker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech for emergency use. 
 
Mexico also approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine late Friday, bringing to six the number of countries that are using or plan to use it. Britain, Bahrain, Canada and Saudi Arabia have also approved the vaccine.   Brazil is steadily approaching 7 million COVID-19 cases and has recorded more than 181,000 deaths.  Last week, Brazil’s health minister vowed to vaccinate the entire country during the course of next year.
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As more countries approve a coronavirus vaccine, the urgent need for inoculation continues to grow with COVID-19 cases and deaths spiking to record highs in several countries. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Sunday that South Korea recorded a record daily increase in coronavirus cases for a second straight day with 1,030 new infections. In the U.S. last week, California recorded more than 25,000 new infections in one day.  “Lives will be lost unless we do more than we’ve ever done,” Governor Gavin Newsom said. 
 
Overall, more than 16 million people in the U.S. have contracted the disease, while nearly 300,000 have died. 
 
A New York Times investigation found that coronavirus deaths have risen faster than the rest of the country in U.S. college town communities where students make up at least 10% of the population. Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 10 MB480p | 14 MB540p | 17 MB720p | 33 MB1080p | 71 MBOriginal | 545 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioItaly is poised to overtake Britian as the European country with the most COVID-19 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. 
 
Early Sunday, Italy was just 87 deaths behind Britain, but Italy has 6 million fewer people than Britain. 
 
Italy has suffered 25,418 deaths in the weeks since November 1, which is more than it did from April 2 to October 31, when it reported 25,463. 
  
According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 71 million global COVID infections and 1.6 million deaths.  Public health officials say actual numbers are likely higher since not everyone is tested for the disease and some people who are infected do not display any symptoms. Pharmacy supervisor Kevin Weissman wears a thick glove as he opens the door of a special freezer that will hold the Pfizer vaccine at LAC USC Medical Center, during the outbreak of the coronavirus disease, in Los Angeles, California, Dec. 10. 2020.In U.S. states, the first coronavirus vaccine will begin arriving early Monday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine made by U.S. drug maker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech for emergency use. 
 
Mexico also approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine late Friday, bringing to six the number of countries that are using or plan to use it. Britain, Bahrain, Canada and Saudi Arabia have also approved the vaccine. Mexico City said Saturday that shops in the capital’s center and other busy areas would temporarily close at 5 p.m. to reduce the risk spreading the virus as authorities battle a surge in cases. Brazil is steadily approaching 7 million COVID-19 cases and has recorded more than 181,000 deaths.  Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been skeptical about the seriousness of the disease, even though he is a coronavirus survivor.  The South American country’s Supreme Court gave Brazil’s government a deadline to come up with a plan to fight the spread of the disease. A Health Ministry document sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court said 108 million doses of the vaccine would be set aside for priority groups, such as health care workers, the elderly and members of indigenous communities, Reuters reports.  The plan, however, did not provide a date for starting inoculations for priority groups or the rest of the population.  Last week, Brazil’s health minister vowed to vaccinate the entire country during the course of next year. 
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As more countries approve a coronavirus vaccine, the urgent need for inoculation continues to grow with COVID-19 cases and deaths spiking to record highs in several countries.The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency said Sunday that South Korea recorded a record daily increase in coronavirus cases for a second straight day with 1,030 new infections.In the U.S. last week, California recorded more than 25,000 new infections in one day.  “Lives will be lost unless we do more than we’ve ever done,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said.Overall, more than 16 million people in the U.S. have contracted the disease, while nearly 300,000 have died.A New York Times investigation found that coronavirus deaths have risen faster than the rest of the country in U.S. college town communities where students make up at least 10% of the population.Italy is poised to overtake Britian as the European country with the most COVID-19 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.Early Sunday, Italy was just 87 deaths behind Britain, but Italy has 6 million fewer people than Britain.Italy has suffered 25,418 deaths in the weeks since Nov. 1, which is more than it did from April 2 to Oct. 31, when it reported 25,463.According to Johns Hopkins University, there have been more than 71 million global COVID infections and 1.6 million deaths.Public health officials say actual numbers are likely higher since not everyone is tested for the disease and some people who are infected do not display any symptoms.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 10 MB480p | 14 MB540p | 17 MB720p | 33 MB1080p | 71 MBOriginal | 545 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioIn U.S. states, the first coronavirus vaccine will begin arriving early Monday after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine made by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech for emergency use.Mexico also approved the emergency use of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine late Friday, bringing to six the number of countries that are using or plan to use it.Britain, Bahrain, Canada and Saudi Arabia have also approved the vaccine.Mexico City said Saturday that shops in the capital’s center and other busy areas would temporarily close at 5 p.m. to reduce the risk spreading the virus as authorities battle a surge in cases.Brazil is steadily approaching 7 million COVID-19 cases and has recorded more than 181,000 deaths.Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been skeptical about the seriousness of the disease, even though he is a coronavirus survivor.The South American country’s Supreme Court gave Brazil’s government a deadline to come up with a plan to fight the spread of the disease.A health ministry document sent to Brazil’s Supreme Court said 108 million doses of the vaccine would be set aside for priority groups, such as health care workers, the elderly and members of indigenous communities, Reuters reports. The plan, however, did not provide a date for starting inoculations for priority groups or the rest of the population.Last week, Brazil’s health minister vowed to vaccinate the entire country during the course of next year.
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A Chinese space capsule bringing back the first moon rocks in more than four decades started its three-day return to Earth on Sunday.The Chang’e 5 lunar probe, which had been orbiting the moon for about a week, fired up four engines for about 22 minutes to move out of the moon’s orbit, the China National Space Administration said in a social media post.The craft’s lander touched down on the moon earlier this month close to a formation called the Mons Rumker, an area believed to have been the site of ancient volcanic activity. It collected about 2 kilograms of samples.The return capsule is expected to land in northern China in the Inner Mongolia region after separating from the rest of the spacecraft and floating down on parachutes. The material would be the first brought back since the Soviet Union’s Luna 24 probe in 1976.The rocks and other debris were obtained both by drilling into the moon’s crust and scooping directly off the surface. They may be billions of years younger than those brought back by earlier U.S. and Soviet missions, possibly offering insights into the moon’s history and that of other bodies in the solar system.China has set up labs to analyze the samples for age and composition and is also expected to share some of them with other countries, as was done with the hundreds of kilograms brought back by the U.S. and former Soviet Union.China’s space program has a series of ambitious missions underway, including a probe en route to Mars. The Chang’e lunar program, named after the ancient Chinese moon goddess, has been operating the Chang’e 4 probe on the moon’s less explored far side for the past two years.Future plans call for returning a human to the moon and perhaps a permanent moon base. China is also building a space station to begin operating as early as 2022.
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The U.S. has approved emergency use of the Pfizer–BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for Americans to start getting vaccinated within days. But public skepticism about the safety of the vaccine remains, with polls showing many adults say they won’t get the shot or are unsure about getting it. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the latest.
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Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced Saturday that his country would have no new coal-fired power generation as part of its contribution in global efforts against climate change.Khan gave details of the substantial undertaking while addressing the international Climate Ambition Summit 2020, held virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic.The United Nations, United Kingdom, France, Chile and Italy hosted the event, bringing world leaders together to press for greater efforts in curbing global warming.“We have decided we will not have any more power based on coal,” Khan told the summit. “We have already scrapped two coal power projects, which were supposed to produce 2,600 megawatts of energy, and replaced it by hydroelectricity.”By 2030, Khan said, 60% of all energy produced in Pakistan will be clean and obtained through renewable resources, while 30% of all vehicles will run on electricity.The prime minister said that while Pakistan accounts for less than 1% of global carbon emissions, it is the “fifth most vulnerable” to effects of climate change, citing data from the 2019 Global Climate Risk Index report.“I assure you that Pakistan will be doing its best to make its contribution to mitigate the effects of climate change,” Khan said.FILE – Cargo trains carrying shipping containers and coal dust cross under a bridge with the backdrop of City Station, built in the British Raj era, in Karachi, Pakistan, Sept. 24, 2018.Pakistan had just one coal-fired power plant until 2016. China has since invested billions of dollars in the South Asian nation, installing at least nine coal-based power plants with more under construction.Official data show Pakistan’s coal-based power generation surged to 57% through fiscal 2020, which ended in June, thanks to Beijing’s investments under its Belt and Road Initiative. The collaboration helped Islamabad overcome years of power shortages in the country.Khan’s government, which took power more than two years ago, has also undertaken a countrywide reforestation campaign to plant more than 3 billion trees by mid-2023 to mitigate the effects of climate change. The massive program, dubbed the Ten Billion Tree Tsunami, went into effect last year, and officials say it has planted more than 500 million saplings across Pakistan.Addressing the summit, U.N. chief Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to declare a “state of climate emergency” in their respective countries. “If we don’t change course, we may be headed for a catastrophic temperature rise of more than 3.0 degrees this century,” he warned.The summit marked five years since the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, which seeks to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared with pre-industrial levels.
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Mexico approved the emergency use of a coronavirus vaccine late Friday, bringing to six the number of countries that are inoculating or plan to inoculate with shots produced by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech.Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United States have also approved the vaccine.Mexican Assistant Health Secretary and epidemiologist Hugo Lopez-Gatell called the vaccine approval “a reason for hope.” Reuters reports Mexico signed an agreement with Pfizer to acquire 34 million doses of the vaccine, with the first batch expected later this month.Mexico has recorded 1.2 million COVID-19 cases and 113,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.The vaccine’s approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Friday came as the United States topped 295,000 fatalities from COVID-19, the world’s highest death toll, according to Johns Hopkins University, which calculates the United States has had 15.8 million of the world’s more than 71 million COVID infections.Hospitalizations are at record levels in America’s most populous state, California. Los Angeles County reported its highest-ever daily number for new COVID-19 cases at more than 12,000 earlier this week. A public health official said the county is “on a very dangerous track to seeing unprecedented and catastrophic suffering and death … if we can’t stop the surge.”Meanwhile, the World Health Organization and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies signed an agreement, the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Initiative, on Friday to strengthen the delivery of emergency medical and health services during humanitarian crises.“We are very committed to working together with WHO to provide quality emergency health services that communities desperately need in times of crisis.” said IFRC Secretary-General Jagan Chapagain.India said early Saturday that it recorded 30,000 new cases in the past 24 hours. The South Asian nation follows the U.S. in the number of COVID cases with 9.8 million infections. Brazil comes in third with more than 6 million COVID infections.
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U.S. President Donald Trump late Friday hailed what he termed “a medical miracle” – the immediate but extremely limited availability of a coronavirus vaccine less than a year after the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in the United States.In a video message posted on Twitter, Trump said the first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved for emergency use will be administered “within 24 hours” and will be “free [of charge] for all Americans.”The president said the vaccine “will save millions of lives and soon end the pandemic once and for all.” The assertion contradicted health officials who note that it will be months before many Americans can be inoculated and that eradication of COVID-19 is far from assured.There was no immediate reaction from President-elect Joe Biden, who earlier this week promised that 100 million vaccine doses would be administered in the first 100 days of his administration. Biden will be sworn in Jan. 20.The top Democrat in Congress, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, said “Americans should have full confidence in this vaccine knowing that it has been reviewed and recommended by the independent experts of the FDA’s advisory panel.”In a statement, Pelosi urged federal action to accelerate vaccine manufacturing, adding, “We must ensure that the vaccine will be free and distributed in a fair and equitable manner to as many Americans as possible as soon as possible.”Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, meanwhile, said millions of vaccine doses are being shipped but that, despite the good news, Americans must “double down” on public health measures.“As Americans get vaccinated, we need to continue taking steps like washing our hands, social distancing, and wearing face coverings to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our communities,” Azar said in a statement.The chairman of the Senate Health Committee, Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander, tweeted that the American public should be “grateful to the scientists in pharmaceutical companies and the federal government who produced this result, both the Trump Administration for leading it and Congress for funding it.”
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Brazil, which is second to the U.S. in deaths from COVID-19 and third in the world in positive cases, is approaching 180,000 deaths as it suffers through its second wave of the disease caused by the coronavirus.In the past day, more than 53,000 cases and 770 deaths have been reported, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Since the start of the pandemic, Brazil has recorded more than 6.7 million cases.Brazil, with a population of 212 million, is entering its summer, when beaches fill with weekend crowds.”The situation is likely to worsen with the summer, because people will move around more, without any control, most of the restriction measures having already been lifted,” Christovam Barcellos, a researcher at the Fiocruz institute, told AFP.The coronavirus crisis in the U.S. continued to intensify Friday, as more than 2,700 people died of COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins data, down from the record toll of 3,124 set Wednesday. The country’s deaths now stand at more than 292,000, the most in the world.The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized Friday the emergency use of a vaccine produced by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech.An FDA advisory panel voted to recommend approval of the vaccine late Thursday.And the U.S. purchased 100 million more doses of another vaccine, one by Moderna. Friday’s agreement brings the number of Moderna doses to 200 million, enough shots for 100 million people. Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two shots.”Securing another 100 million doses from Moderna by June 2021 further expands our supply of doses across the Operation Warp Speed portfolio of vaccines,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar.With the U.S. on the verge of its inoculation program, human rights group Amnesty International’s director of economic and social justice issued a warning. Steve Cockburn told The New York Times, “Rich countries have clear human rights obligations not only to refrain from actions that could harm access to vaccines elsewhere, but also to cooperate and provide assistance to countries that need it.”The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center said Friday night there are 70 million coronavirus infections worldwide, with nearly 1.6 million deaths.The U.S. continues to lead the world in the number of cases with more than 15.8 million infections, followed by India with almost 9.8 million and Brazil with nearly 6.8 million.
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