Friday 4 December
- Climate change: UK aims to cut emissions by 68% by end of 2030.
- Fauci apologises for implied criticism of speedy UK vaccine approval.
- US, Italy mark grim records as global Covid-19 deaths surpass 1.5 million.
- Nearly 80 mosques suspected of ‘separatism’ face closure as French govt launches ‘massive’ offensive against religious extremism.
- Bali struggles with ‘COVID-poor’ as Indonesian cases hit record.
- Bangladesh moves ahead with relocating over 1,600 Rohingya refugees.
- VP-Elect Harris Picks Tina Flournoy to Be Her Chief of Staff.
Government to cut £1bn from rail budget – BBC Business
Tough Macron stance leaves Brexit deal hanging in balance – FT News
Estate agency deal frenzy grows with bid approach for Hunters – Sky News
Climate change: UK aims to cut emissions by 68% by end of 2030
BBC News says the UK will aim to cut its carbon emissions by at least 68% of what they were in 1990 by the end of 2030, Boris Johnson has announced.
The PM said the “ambitious” target would see the UK cutting emissions faster than any major economy so far.
Scientists have welcomed the news.
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Fauci apologises for implied criticism of speedy UK vaccine approval
The Guardian says Dr Anthony Fauci, has apologised for implying that he thought Britain’s drug regulator had rushed through its coronavirus vaccine approval.
“I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint.
“Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that’s just the reality,” he said, adding: “I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.”
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US, Italy mark grim records as global Covid-19 deaths surpass 1.5 million
France24 says the world passed the grim milestone of 1.5 million Covid-19 deaths on Thursday, as several nations planned to deliver much-hoped-for vaccines early next year to break the cycle of lockdowns and restrictions.
Joe Biden said that on his first day in office he would ask Americans to wear masks for 100 days to help reduce transmission of the virus.
And Italy registered 993 deaths, topping its previous record of 969 earlier in the year when it was the first European country to be affected by the pandemic.
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Nearly 80 mosques suspected of ‘separatism’ face closure as French govt launches ‘massive’ offensive against religious extremism
RT News says the French government has threatened to close dozens of mosques that have been flagged as potential security threats. The measures are part of an aggressive campaign to weed out Islamic extremism in the country.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Thursday that authorities were targeting 76 mosques suspected of promoting “separatism.”
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Bali struggles with ‘COVID-poor’ as Indonesian cases hit record
Aljazeera says chronic malnutrition that has long afflicted isolated communities in the remote eastern cape of Bali has ballooned as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and with a new wave of “COVID-poor” emerging in urban areas, NGOs have said thousands of people on the island are going hungry.
With about 60 per cent of Bali’s GDP attributed to tourism before the coronavirus struck, the island’s economy has been the hardest hit in Indonesia by the pandemic – the central bank reported negative growth of just less than 11 per cent for the province in September.
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Bangladesh moves ahead with relocating over 1,600 Rohingya refugees
TRT World says more than 1,600 Rohingya refugees have sailed from Bangladesh’s Chittagong for the remote island of Bhasan Char in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh’s authorities said it is only moving refugees who are willing to go but many families say they are taken against their will.
The relocation is an attempt to ease chronic overcrowding in camps that are home to more than 1 million Rohingya, members of a Muslim minority who have fled neighbouring Myanmar.
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VP-Elect Harris Picks Tina Flournoy to Be Her Chief of Staff
VOA says VP-elect Kamala Harris has named Tina Flournoy, a veteran Democratic strategist and aide to the Clintons, as her chief of staff, the transition team announced.
Flournoy’s appointment as Harris’ top staffer adds to a team of advisers led by Black women. Harris, who is of Jamaican and Indian heritage, is the nation’s first female vice president. Flournoy joins Ashley Etienne as Harris’ communications director and Symone Sanders as her chief spokeswoman.
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Alexis Sharkey: Experts weigh in on circumstances surrounding Houston social media influencer’s death
Experts weighing in on the death of Houston social media influencer Alexis Sharkey said Thursday that investigators are now likely analyzing the woman’s final days and how her body appeared when it was found. – Fox News
Europe not in a ‘stable situation’ says WHO as Italy and UK set new coronavirus deaths records
According to Italian health authorities, 993 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded in a single day on Thursday. The previous daily record saw 969 deaths on March 27. Elsewhere, the UK surpassed 60,000 coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday after 414 people died in the previous 24 hours. – Euronews
Ethiopia accused of blocking access to Sudan as EU urges end to Tigray fighting
Ethiopian forces blocked people from the country’s embattled Tigray region from crossing into Sudan on Thursday at the busiest crossing point for refugees, Sudanese forces said. – Africanews
Jordan urges Israel to stop undermining peace opportunities with Palestine
Israel should stop engaging in activities that undermine peace with Palestine, Jordanian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Ayman Safadi said, reiterating the importance of the two-state solution in maintaining harmony in the region. – Arab News
South Korea weigh tougher curbs as COVID-19 cases hit 9-month high
South Koreans were urged to cancel Christmas and New Year parties on Friday (Dec 4) as daily coronavirus cases hit a nine-month high and the government will impose tighter social-distancing rules in Seoul to halt a third wave of infections. – CNA
