NORTH AMERICA UK AUSTRALIA...2021/01/18 · they thanked the 10th Mountain Division and their families for their service. “I’m here to deliver a very simple message to each and

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JANUARY 18 (GMT) – JANUARY 19 (AEST), 2021

AUSTRALIAUKNORTH AMERICA

Troops vetted over attack fears

US defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event. The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following the deadly January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol.

Pences says thank you to troops

Vice President Mike Pence and his wife have made their final official appearance together with a visit to Fort Drum, where they thanked the 10th Mountain Division and their families for their service. “I’m here to deliver a very simple message to each and every one of you on behalf of your commander and chief, and every American,” Pence said. “Thank you for your service. And to the 1st Brigade combat team, welcome home.”

Overseas travel remains unlikely

The head of Australia’s health department believes it is unlikely international borders will substantially reopen this year, even if most people are vaccinated against coronavirus. Brendan Murphy downplayed the prospect of a widespread easing of border restrictions, meaning dreams of international travel this year remain on hold. “The answer is probably no,” Murphy said.

Priority groups to get virus jab

Coronavirus vaccines will be offered to millions of over 70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable from this week as the British Government expands the rollout amid a border crackdown to keep out new strains. More than 3.8 million people in the UK – including over-80s, care home residents, and NHS and social care staff – have already received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but it will now be rolled out to the next two priority groups.

Police ‘frustrated’ by breaches

Police forces across the UK have broken up parties, meet-ups and fined people for visiting beauty spots this weekend despite lockdown rules. People who drove more than 200 miles to visit friends in Wales and a group having a party in a garden shed were among those caught breaching restrictions. Two motorists were reported by North Wales Police in Anglesey after driving from Scotland to visit friends.

Kiwis to wait turn for vaccine

COVID-19 vaccinations should be available to the public by the middle of the year, according to COVID-19 Recovery Minister Chris Hipkins. Hipkins said it was hoped the first batches of vaccines would arrive by March, but countries being ravaged by the virus would be prioritised by the manufacturers. He said early signs from Medsafe showed no issues with the vaccines New Zealand has secured.

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AUSTRALIAUKASIA

Workers stuck in mine still alive

Chinese state media say 12 out of 22 workers trapped for a week by an explosion in a gold mine are alive, as hundreds of rescuers seek to bring them to safety. The Xinhua News Agency said a note passed through a rescue shaft reported the fate of the other 10 remains unknown. The handwritten note said four of the workers were injured and that the condition of others was deteriorating because of a lack of fresh air and an influx of water.

Hunt for missing after quake

Aid is reaching the thousands of people left homeless and struggling after an earthquake that killed at least 81 people on an Indonesian island where rescuers are intensifying their work to find those buried in the rubble. More rescuers and volunteers were deployed in the hardest-hit city of Mamuju and the neighboring district of Majene on Sulawesi island, where the magnitude 6.2 quake struck last week, said the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson.

Victoria eases border restrictions

Victoria will reopen to the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and parts of Sydney as the state eases its border restrictions for NSW. Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed 25 of Sydney’s 35 local government areas will be downgraded from “red” to “orange” zones from 6pm on Monday. The Blue Mountains and Wollongong will also be downgraded from red to orange, while 16 border towns will become green zones.

Doctors face ‘ongoing distress’

A “significant” proportion of frontline doctors face “ongoing distress” after working in the high pressure conditions of the coronavirus pandemic’s first wave, new research suggests. A study based on responses from more than 5400 frontline doctors in the UK and Ireland found nearly half (45 per cent) reported psychological distress as pandemic accelerated to its initial peak in 2020.

Travel corridors closed in UK

Travel corridors allowing people to enter the UK without self-isolating have closed. Arrivals must now take a negative coronavirus test up to 72 hours before departure, and self-isolate for up to 10 days. The corridors were a lifeline for the travel industry when they were introduced in summer 2020, as struggling firms saw a spike in bookings for destinations added to the list.

Promoter slams border rules

International music and comedy acts are being approved and rejected for border exemptions in a “game of favourites”, according to a promoter. British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival.

NEW ZEALANDUKASIA

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NORTH AMERICA

Caption here…

Pences thank troops in last appearanceVice President Mike Pence and his wife have made their final official appearance together with a visit to Fort Drum, where they thanked the 10th Mountain Division and their families for their service.

“I’m here to deliver a very simple message to each and every one of you on behalf of your commander and chief, and every American,” Pence said. “Thank you for your service. And to the 1st Brigade combat team, welcome home.” The 1st Brigade recently returned from Afghanistan.

Karen Pence, speaking before her husband took the podium, became emotional and briefly faltered as she addressed the troops. “It is such an honor to be with you – here I go – for our very last trip as vice president and second lady of the United States,” she said.

Earlier, the Pences thanked the sailors at Naval Air Station Lemoore in California.

Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris will be sworn in as Pence’s successor. Her husband, Doug Emhoff, will become the nation’s first second gentleman. ■

National Guard troops reinforce security around the US Capitol ahead of President-elect

Joe Biden’s inauguration. - AP

NORTH AMERICA

National Gaurd troops vetted over attack fearsUS defense officials say they are worried about an insider attack or other threat from service members involved in securing President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, prompting the FBI to vet all of the 25,000 National Guard troops coming into Washington for the event.

The massive undertaking reflects the extraordinary security concerns that have gripped Washington following the deadly January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol. And it underscores fears that some of the very people assigned to protect the city over the next several days could present a threat to the incoming president and other VIPs in attendance.

Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said that officials are conscious of the potential threat, and he warned commanders to be on the lookout for any problems within their ranks as the inauguration approaches. So far, however, he and other leaders say they have seen no evidence of any threats, and officials said the vetting hadn’t flagged any issues.

”We’re continually going through the process, and taking second, third looks at every one of the individuals assigned to this operation,” McCarthy said in an interview after he and other military leaders went through an exhaustive, three-hour security drill in preparation for the inauguration. He said Guard members are also getting training on how to identify potential insider threats.

About 25,000 members of the National Guard are streaming into Washington from across the country – at least two and a half times the number for previous inaugurals. And while the military routinely reviews service members for extremist connections, the FBI screening is in addition to any previous monitoring.

Multiple officials said the process began as the first Guard troops began deploying to D.C. more than a week ago.

“The question is, is that all of them? Are there others?” said McCarthy. “We need to be conscious of it and we need to put all of the mechanisms in place to thoroughly vet these men and women who would support any operations like this.” ■

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UK

Police on patrol in Hyde Park, London, during England’s third national lockdown to curb

the spread of coronavirus. - PA

Police ‘frustrated’ by restriction breachesPolice forces across the UK have broken up parties, meet-ups and fined people for visiting beauty spots this weekend despite lockdown rules.

People who drove more than 200 miles to visit friends in Wales and a group having a party in a garden shed were among those caught breaching restrictions.

Two motorists were reported by North Wales Police in Anglesey after driving from Scotland to visit friends.

The drivers from Scotland, who were stopped by police at Valley, near Holyhead, found to be driving without insurance and breaching COVID travel restrictions.

In Swansea, eight people were fined after a party was held in a shed.

North Wales Police officers also stopped a car from Portsmouth as the driver was travelling to pick up a front bumper on Saturday.

The force said: “Travelling nearly 300 miles for a piece of cosmetic plastic for your car is not essential at this time.

“The regulations have been broadcast far and wide. Please be mindful you will be reported if your journey is not essential.”

Temporary assistant chief constable Nigel Harrison said: “It is not acceptable to pick and choose the law you follow and the laws you don’t.

“This is not a dress rehearsal and people will live and die on the actions we all choose.

“The restrictions to prevent the spread of Coronavirus are there to protect us all.

“It is vital that everyone takes personal responsibility by staying home unless they have a valid reason not to be there.

“Now is not the time to head up into the mountains or to enjoy scenic drives in the countryside.”

Police in Greater Manchester said a minority of people still believe they are “above the law” as they broke up a number of house parties over the weekend. ■

People on the sea front in Brighton during England’s third national lockdown to curb the

spread of coronavirus. - PA

UK

Priority groups to get coronavirus vaccineCoronavirus vaccines will be offered to millions of over 70s and the clinically extremely vulnerable from this week as the British Government expands the rollout amid a border crackdown to keep out new strains.

More than 3.8 million people in the UK – including over-80s, care home residents, and NHS and social care staff – have already received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but it will now be rolled out to the next two priority groups.

The Government said it would remain the priority to vaccinate those in the first two groups, but that sites which have enough supply and capacity to vaccinate more people will be allowed to offer jabs to the next cohorts.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged to offer vaccinations to the first four priority groups by the middle of next month, while Dominic Raab said that all adults would be offered a first dose by September.

The expanded rollout arrives as a ban on quarantine-free travel into the UK comes into force at 4am in a bid to keep out new coronavirus strains – such as those which have been discovered in Brazil and South Africa.

The new rules mean arrivals from every destination will need to self-isolate for 10 days, or receive a negative result from a coronavirus test taken at least five days after they enter the UK.

Passengers flying in from overseas will now also have to show proof of a negative COVID test before setting off – as part of rules which had been due to come into force last week.

The Foreign Secretary said on Sunday that checks at the border would be strengthened as the new measures enter into effect, and vowed to “beef up” capacity to ensure people are adhering to quarantine rules.

But the Government faced criticism from Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), who said the approach to quarantining foreign arrivals and contacts of coronavirus cases had been “pretty lax” so far. ■

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NEW ZEALAND

COVID-19 Recovery Minister Chris Hipkins. - RNZ / Dan Cook

Kiwis will have to wait turn for COVID vaccineCOVID-19 vaccinations should be available to the public by the middle of the year, according to COVID-19 Recovery Minister Chris Hipkins.

Hipkins said it was hoped the first batches of vaccines would arrive by March, but countries being ravaged by the virus would be prioritised by the manufacturers.

He said early signs from Medsafe showed no issues with the vaccines New Zealand has secured.

The COVID-19 vaccine roll out will be the largest ever mass immunisation campaign in New Zealand’s history.

The government has secured various deals for vaccines, including for 7.6 million doses from AstraZeneca – enough for 3.8 million people, 10.72 million doses from Novavax – enough for 5.36 million people, 750,000 courses from Pfizer/BioNTech, and five million from Janssen.

“We’re expecting the vaccination campaign overall to take most of the year, it’s obviously a huge undertaking – we’re talking about vaccinating five million people,” Hipkins said.

“That’s never been done in New Zealand before, in the scale and in the timeframe we’re talking about.”

Border workers, health workers and high-risk communities will be top priorities once the vaccine is available.

“We’re also expecting there will be some population groups that will be harder to reach than others, and so we’ve got plans in place and we’re putting plans in place to make sure we reach them,” he said.

However, the National Iwi Chairs Forum has put forward six recommendations for the vaccine roll-out and said that the government wasn’t taking account of the risk to kaumātua and kuia.

Hipkins denied this and said they were aware there was an increased risk for Māori and Pacific communities.

“For older New Zealanders there is an increased risk there too. Many of our kaumātua will fall into both of those categories, we’re certainly very aware of that and we’re factoring that in in our planning.” ■

- AAP

AUSTRALIA

Overseas travel for Australians unlikely The head of Australia’s health department believes it is unlikely international borders will substantially reopen this year, even if most people are vaccinated against coronavirus.

Brendan Murphy downplayed the prospect of a widespread easing of border restrictions, meaning dreams of international travel this year remain on hold.

“The answer is probably no,” Murphy said.“Even if we have a lot of the population vaccinated, we don’t

know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus.”Treasurer Josh Frydenberg acknowledged the economic hit

caused by closed borders.“In time, those borders will open and more migrants will

come,” he said.“At all stages, we will consider and base our decisions based

on the best possible medical advice.”Australian authorities are chasing more details after Norway

reported a small number of very frail people died after receiving the Pfizer vaccine.

The government is planning to distribute the Pfizer vaccine as well as the locally produced AstraZeneca jab.

Nobel Prize-winning immunologist Peter Doherty has no major concerns about the Pfizer vaccine.

“When you roll out enormous amounts of vaccine and vaccinate enormous numbers of people very, very quickly, some people are going to get sick and some people are going to die because they would get sick and die anyway,” he said.

He also backed the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which he expects will save lives.

“You don’t expect there to be any danger in the sort of product they’re using and I don’t think there’s any evidence there has been,” Doherty said.

“I’d be surprised if the vaccines don’t dramatically reduce transmission.”

Frydenberg said the reports from Norway underlined how important it was to put safety first. ■

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ASIA

Virgin Orbit Boeing 747-400 rocket launch platform, named Cosmic Girl, takes off from

Mojave Air and Space Port, Mojave. - AP

Search for those missing after deadly earthquakeAid is reaching the thousands of people left homeless and struggling after an earthquake that killed at least 81 people on an Indonesian island where rescuers are intensifying their work to find those buried in the rubble.

More rescuers and volunteers were deployed in the hardest-hit city of Mamuju and the neighboring district of Majene on Sulawesi island, where the magnitude 6.2 quake struck early Friday, said Raditya Jati, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency’s spokesperson.

He said a total of 70 people died in Mamuju and 11 in Majene, and about 27,850 survivors were moved to shelters. Nearly 800 people were injured, with more than half of them still receiving treatment for serious injuries.

Water, which has been in short supply, as well as food and medical supplies were being distributed from trucks.

The military said it sent five planes carrying rescue personnel, food, medicine, blankets, field tents and water tankers.

Volunteers and rescue personnel erected more temporary shelters for those left homeless in Mamuju and Majene.

Most were barely protected by makeshift shelters that were lashed by heavy monsoon downpours. Only a few were lucky to be protected by tarpaulin-covered tents. They said they were running low on food, blankets and other aid, as emergency supplies were rushed to the hard-hit region.

Mahatir, a relief coordinator for volunteer rescuers, said his team was trying to reach many people in six isolated villages in Majene district after the quake damaging roads and bridges. Aid and other logistic supplies can be distributed only by foot over the severe terrain, said Mahatir who goes by one name.

Jati said at least 1150 houses in Majene were damaged and the agency was still collecting data on damaged houses and buildings in Mamuju. ■

Rescuers drill a new channel at the explosion site of a gold mine in Qixia City, east China’s

Shandong Province. - AP

ASIA

Workers trapped in mine after explosion still aliveChinese state media say 12 out of 22 workers trapped for a week by an explosion in a gold mine are alive, as hundreds of rescuers seek to bring them to safety.

The Xinhua News Agency said a note passed through a rescue shaft reported the fate of the other 10 remains unknown.

The handwritten note said four of the workers were injured and that the condition of others was deteriorating because of a lack of fresh air and an influx of water.

Managers of the operation were detained after they failed to report the accident for more than a day. The mine in Qixia, a jurisdiction under the city of Yantai in Shandong province, had been under construction at the time of the blast, which occurred on January 10.

More than 300 workers are seeking to clear obstructions while drilling a new shaft to reach the chambers where the workers were trapped and expel dangerous fumes.

“Keep on with the rescue efforts. We have hope, thank you,” read the note, written in pencil on notebook paper and posted on Xinhua’s official website.

China’s mining industry has a reputation for skirting safety requirements amid massive demand for coal and precious minerals, although increased supervision has reduced the frequency of accidents that used to claim an average of 5000 miners per year.

Two accidents in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing last year killed 39 miners, prompting the central government to order another safety overhaul. ■

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UK

- PA

Long queues as travel corridors slam closedPassengers arriving in the UK faced long queues as new coronavirus travel rules came into force.

Some of the earliest arrivals at London’s Heathrow Airport said it had taken more than an hour to be processed due to “substantial” lines at passport control.

The aviation industry called for ministers to ensure they have a plan in place for when restrictions can be eased.

New rules requiring arrivals to take a negative coronavirus test up to 72 hours before departure and self-isolate for up to 10 days after entering the UK came into effect at 4am on Monday as travel corridors offering exemptions were scrapped.

The move is part of the Government’s attempts to prevent new strains of COVID-19 entering the UK.

Andy Hart, from London, who arrived at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 from Nairobi with his partner, said he was “shocked and disappointed” to see the queues at passport control.

The Coffy app chief executive said: “We felt unsafe. We felt that, even though everyone was masked, they were far too close together.

“It took an hour and 10 minutes.“I’ve been flying 30 times a year for 20 years. I mean, once or

twice have I ever seen it (airport queues) like this.“How can this happen during COVID times?”Richard Bradley also arrived from Nairobi with his son Joseph

after a Christmas break with family.Bradley, who works in media and was returning to his

home in Oxford, described the queue at passport control as “pretty substantial”, saying it took around an hour and a half to get through.

He said there was a “triple check” of people’s passports, proof of a negative COVID-19 test and their passenger locator form.

He said: “There were a couple of people in our queue whose tests may have been outside the required 72 hours so that was causing a lot of grief and discussion.” ■

- PA

UK

Frontline doctors are facing ‘ongoing distress’A “significant” proportion of frontline doctors face “ongoing distress” after working in the high pressure conditions of the coronavirus pandemic’s first wave, new research suggests.

A study based on responses from more than 5400 frontline doctors in the UK and Ireland found nearly half (45 per cent) reported psychological distress as pandemic accelerated to its initial peak in 2020.

Researchers from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) and psychologists from the University of Bath surveyed emergency, anaesthetics and intensive care professionals during the lead up, peak and post-peak of the first wave of infections last year.

A total of 5440 doctors responded to the “acceleration” survey, around 16 per cent of the 34,188 working in their field.

Some 3896 professionals subsequently responded to the “peak” survey and 3079 to the “deceleration” survey.

Survey results, released early as a pre-print study and not yet-peer-reviewed, put the prevalence of psychological distress at 44.7 per cent of respondents in the build up to the first wave’s peak, 36.9 per cent at the peak and 31.5 per cent as it declined.

Prevalence of trauma was found among 23.7 per cent of respondents at the first pandemic peak, and 17.7 per cent as it decelerated.

Probable post-traumatic stress disorder was also found in 12.6 per cent of respondents at the peak and 10.1 per cent afterwards, the research suggested.

The study also found that “worry of family infection due to clinical work” was most strongly associated with both distress and trauma.

Overall researchers concluded: “Our findings reflect a pattern of elevated distress during the acceleration and peak phase of the current pandemic, some degree of natural recovery and a significant minority continuing to experience residual ongoing distress.” ■

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Promoter slams border approvals, exemptionsInternational music and comedy acts are being approved and rejected for border exemptions in a “game of favourites”, according to a promoter.

British comedian Russell Howard is about to tour New Zealand and other acts allowed in through managed isolation this summer include musicians at Northern Bass in Mangawhai and the Bay Dreams festival.

The vice-president of the Promoters Association, Gray Bartlett, said despite being an approved promoter with Immigration New Zealand, he was offered no explanation on why some acts were turned down.

No-one had spelt out what the criteria were for approval nor who was making the decisions.

“What I really don’t like is where governments begin to start with favouritism and choosing who they like, or getting people to choose who they like to come in,” he said.

“That’s not right. And and it can be done quite easily in our business because they can formulate reasons why someone may be important to have here. But in reality, it doesn’t stand the sniff test, I’m afraid. And we can prove that with some of our applications.”

One project he was involved with would be employing about 100 local workers if their application was approved, but he said he did not want to put that at risk by talking about it.

“It’s who you know in government, and this particular government is particularly poor at this particular task.”

Bartlett estimated 70 per cent of promoters could fold within a year as they struggled with navigating COVID-19, the costs of rescheduling gigs and the process of getting international talent into the country.

An Immigration New Zealand spokesperson said all requests for a border exception for individuals in the arts and entertainment industry are assessed against the same ‘other critical worker’ criteria as any other request for a worker as set out in immigration instructions. ■

NEW ZEALAND

- RNZ

Victoria eases border restrictions for NSWVictoria will reopen to the Blue Mountains, Wollongong and parts of Sydney as the state eases its border restrictions for NSW.

Premier Daniel Andrews confirmed 25 of Sydney’s 35 local government areas will be downgraded from “red” to “orange” zones from 6pm on Monday.

The Blue Mountains and Wollongong will also be downgraded from red to orange, while 16 border towns will become green zones.

People travelling from an orange zone will need to apply for a permit online and get tested within 72 hours of their arrival in Victoria.

Andrews said the local government areas of Blacktown, Burwood, Canada Bay, Canterbury-Bankstown, Cumberland, Fairfield, Inner West, Liverpool, Parramatta and Strathfield will remain red zones.

“They will be designated red for not a moment longer than they need to be. We won’t wait for all ten to be orange. It may be that some of them come off in a few days. Others may take longer,” he said.

“I know that that is frustrating and challenging not to be able to provide a definite answer on that.”

Victoria has recorded a 12th consecutive day without a local coronavirus case, with almost 14,000 tests processed in the past 24 hours.

However, a tennis player and three staff members have tested positive to COVID-19 in hotel quarantine. It brings the total number of active cases in the state to 33.

A total of 72 players are now isolating in their hotel rooms ahead of the Australian Open, which begins on February 8.

Three Australian Open charter flights, from Abu Dhabi, Doha and Los Angeles, have carried passengers who later tested positive.

The premier said none of the tennis players will receive “special treatment”. ■

- AAP

AUSTRALIA

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NORTH AMERICA UK AUSTRALIA...2021/01/18 · they thanked the 10th Mountain Division and their families for their service. “I’m here to deliver a very simple message to each and