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-Top News COVID-19 World News

‘Health a fundamental human right’: Mexican president

“Medical care, vaccines and medicines must be free and universally applicable, as established by Mexico’s resolution approved at the United Nations,” Lopez Obrador added…reports Asian Lite News

Health as “a fundamental human right”, should not be subject to the pursuit of profit, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador while addressing the G20 Summit.

“Health is a fundamental human right that the state must guarantee, putting aside the profit motive,” which has been made clear by the raging Covid-19 pandemic, Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying on Saturday.

“Medical care, vaccines and medicines must be free and universally applicable, as established by Mexico’s resolution approved at the United Nations,” Lopez Obrador added.

In his four-minute message to the virtual summit, the Mexican leader pointed out that another lesson learned from the pandemic is that healthy eating habits should be promoted as a way to prevent disease and that those suffering from hypertension, diabetes and obesity are most vulnerable to the deadly virus.

Mexico has one of the world’s worst Covid-19 outbreaks, with more than 1 million infections and over 100,000 deaths, according to local health authorities.

Hosted by Saudi Arabia, which holds the rotating presidency of the G20, the two-day summit is focused on fighting the pandemic and recovering economic growth.

Lopez Obrador attended the summit via video link from the National Palace in the capital of Mexico City, accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard, and ministers of economy, health and finance.

As of Sunday, Mexico’s overall coronavirus caseload and death toll stood at 1,025,969 and 100,823, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Also read:Mexico reaches 100k Covid-19 deaths

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-Top News World News

Colombian President urges all to utilise tax-free day

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism reported initial results of a more than 30 per cent uptick in sales, which are expected to top 5 trillion pesos ($1.3 billion)…reports Asian Lite News

Colombian President Ivan Duque has urged the public to utilize the year’s third and final VAT-free Day to re-energize the country’s pandemic-hit economy.

For 24 hours, the value-added tax (VAT), which in Colombia is set at 19 per cent, was suspended on all retail sales on Saturday, reports Xinhua news agency.

“It is a very important day to reactivate our economy and to do it responsibly,” said Duque, calling on people to shop for the holidays and avoid crowds, wear face masks and maintain social distancing.

The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism reported initial results of a more than 30 per cent uptick in sales, which are expected to top 5 trillion pesos ($1.3 billion).

The previous VAT-free Days were in June and July.

The National Administrative Department of Statistics reported on Tuesday that the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the third quarter of 2020 dropped 9 per cent year-on-year following the Covid-19 pandemic.

As of Sunday, Colombia’s overall coronavirus caseload and death toll stood at 1,240,493 and 35,104, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Also read:Twitter Set To Hand Over @POTUS To Biden On Jan 20

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-Top News Business COVID-19

Italy Allocates More Funds To Reboot Economy

New funds were allocated in Italy to feed existing relief measures for economic activities, as the restrictions to slow down a second wave of the coronavirus pandemic continued to be implemented across most of the country, the cabinet said.

Contained in a decree passed in the early hours of Saturday, the fresh funds amounted to 1.95 billion euros ($2.3 billion) in 2020, according to a cabinet’s statement.

Some 1.45 billion euros will be allocated as non-repayable financial aid to business activities affected by the restrictive anti-Covid measures imposed earlier this month, reports Xinhua news agency.

Another 400 million euros would go to mayors in order to implement “urgent food aid measures” to struggling households in their cities.

The remaining 100 million euros were destined to Extraordinary Commissioner for the Coronavirus Emergency Domenico Arcuri, who is in charge of the country’s national procurement process in the pandemic, for Covid-19 drug purchases.

The latest provision followed an earlier decree aimed at refunding the economic activities that were ordered to shut down during the second pandemic wave, which was worth 2.8 billion euros and entered into force on November 9.

According to the latest statistics by the Health Ministry, Italy has recorded a total of 1,308,528 Covid-19 cases since the pandemic officially broke out here in late February.

The death toll stands at 49,261.

Along with the containment measures, authorities have recently confirmed a plan for a national vaccination campaign, starting with 1.7 million people by the second half of January.

Also Read-Portugal Announces Ban On Free Movement Between Municipalities

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-Top News Saudi Arabia

Saudi to boost economy with a new national investment strategy

Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Minister of Investment

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will launch a national investment strategy next year, according to a state media report.

Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih revealed in Riyadh at a media briefing ahead of the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit that the strategy grants full ownership rights to Saudi and foreign investors, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

Despite a global pandemic, Saudi Arabia was not distracted from its strategy and Vision 2030, he said.

“In fact, we doubled down on it. We accelerated our reforms. We continued to diversify our economy, and commit our resources to make sure that Vision 2030 is not derailed by the Covid-19,” the Minister added.

He said that the strategy would ensure an increase in investment opportunities and involves the establishments of industrial cities and various economic zones.

The strategy will cover different sectors, including tourism, culture, sports, industries, Artificial Intelligence, technologies and health.

Also Read: G20 Summit: Saudi Calls For Equitable Access To Vaccines

Also Read: UAE lauds Saudi Arabia ahead of G20 summit

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-Top News COVID-19 USA

US Covid-19 cases reach 12 million

In its latest update on Sunday, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the country’s current caseload and death toll stood at 12,079,296 and 255,804, respectively…reports Asian Lite News

In yet another grim milestone, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the US has topped the 12 million mark, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

In its latest update on Sunday, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the country’s current caseload and death toll stood at 12,079,296 and 255,804, respectively.

Texas reported the country’s most cases, standing at 1,117,583, followed by California with 1,098,061 and Florida with 923,418, reports Xinhua news agency.

Illinois registered 646,286 cases and New York confirmed 584,850 cases.

Other states with over 300,000 cases include Georgia, Wisconsin, Ohio, Tennessee, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the CSSE data showed.

By far, the US remains the nation worst hit by the pandemic, with the world’s most cases and deaths, making up more than 20 per cent of the global caseload.

US Covid-19 cases hit 10 million on November 9, and increased by 1 million within a week.

Starting from November 3, the number of daily cases have been surging above the threshold of 100,000, which has never been seen in past months.

On Friday, a total of 195,542 new cases were identified across the country, marking the highest daily rise in new cases since the pandemic began, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In a scientific brief updated on Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) noted masks are intended to reduce the emission of virus-laden droplets, especially for asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infected persons, who are estimated to account for more than 50 per cent of the transmissions.

As Thanksgiving approaches, the CDC released guidance on holiday celebrations.

Given the high risks of exposure to the coronavirus through travel and gathering, the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving is to celebrate at home with the people one lives with, according to the guidance.

Gatherings with family members and friends who live in other locations can increase the chances of getting or spreading Covid-19 or the flu, the agency warned.

Some experts recommended alternative holiday plans, including outdoor gathering, virtual dinner party, online shopping and watching parades, sports events from home.

Also read:Twitter Set To Hand Over @POTUS To Biden On Jan 20

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-Top News Arab News Economy

Egypt’s Al-Sisi lauds govt’s Covid-19 economic performance

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 25, 2019 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi attends a luncheon hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for the Heads of Delegation to the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 24, 2019. (Xinhua/Li Muzi/IANS)

On Thursday, IMF experts said in a statement that “the Egyptian economy has performed better than expected despite the pandemic”…reports Asian Lite News

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi praised the economic performance of his government despite the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, commending the positive outlook of the country’s economy as stated by world financial institutions, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The government’s efforts “were praised by major international financial institutions, foremost of which is the official announcement of the IMF experts that the performance of the Egyptian economy has exceeded expectations”, Sisi said in a statement on Saturday.

He hailed the ability of the Egyptian economy to deal with the pandemic, attributing it to “the accurate implementation of the economic reform program”, reports Xinhua news agency.

On Thursday, IMF experts said in a statement that “the Egyptian economy has performed better than expected despite the pandemic”.

  • Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi

“Containment measures, supported by the authorities’ effective crisis management, and strong implementation of their policy program helped mitigate the effects of the crisis,” it added.

The IMF team said it has reached a staff-level agreement with Egypt after the first review of the country’s economic program supported by an IMF 12-month $5.2 billion loan agreement approved in June.

The team noted that a tranche of $1.6 billion will be available to Egypt after the approval of the IMF executive board.

“Continued strong program implementation, including sustained progress in key structural reforms, is vital to build resilience. This will also ensure that investors remain confident in the outlook for Egypt,” said the IMF.

It added, however, that while domestic activity shows early signs of recovery and financial market conditions have improved in Egypt, “key sectors like tourism remain at an almost standstill and risks linger particularly amid a second global wave of Covid-19 infections”.

The IMF statement also projected Egypt’s growth rate to decline from 3.6 per cent in the fiscal year 2019/20 to 2.8 per cent in 2020/21 because of pandemic-related impacts.

Before the last agreement, the IMF already provided Egypt with a three-year $12 billion loan to help the country implement an austerity economic reform program that started in late 2016, implementation of which was later described by the IMF as a success.

Also read:Nile dam row: Egypt calls for ‘binding legal agreement

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-Top News COVID-19 EU News

Portugal Announces Ban On Free Movement

Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa has announced a ban on free movement between municipalities ahead of the two upcoming public holidays amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The country will observe the Restoration of Independence Day on December 1 and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, reports Xinhua news agency.

The two-phased ban from November 28 to December 2 and from December 4-9 is part of the government’s new set of measures to curb the pandemic under the “state of emergency”, Costa announced on Saturday.

According to the resolutions approved by the Council of Ministers, the new measures will go into effect on Tuesday when the “state of emergency” is renewed.

Another measure announced by Costa is the mandatory use of masks in workplaces and the suspension of teaching activities on November 30 and December 7, the eves of the two holidays.

“At work, viruses are transmitted and also at work, the mask protects against virus transmission.

“We still have a lot to strive for in order to achieve the desired result,” the Prime Minister said in a speech to the nation.

Saturday’s announcement came a day after President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa announced the renewal of the “state of emergency” in the country until December 8 aimed at the curbing the pandemic.

The President also warned of a possible third wave of the pandemic, saying: “A third wave is likely to occur between January and February, that will be even worse than we had now.”

The renewal of the state of emergency for another 15 days was approved by the Portuguese Parliament on Friday, requiring compulsory confinement or active surveillance of people infected, as well as the total or partial closure of establishments, services and companies.

Portugal has so far reported a total of 249,498 coronavirus cases and 3,762 deaths.

Also Read-JORDAN ASKS FOR EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES

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-Top News COVID-19

Jordan asks for equitable distribution of vaccines

King Abdullah II of Jordan has stressed the need to counter the global humanitarian and economic implications of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, especially its impact on food security, poverty, unemployment and education.

The Jordanian leader made his remarks on Saturday while participating as a guest of honour in the virtual 15th Group of 20 (G20) Leaders’ Summit at the invitation of King of Saudi Arabia Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, reports Xinhua news agency.

In an address at the event, the Jordanian king urged action to ensure the efficient and equitable distribution of Covid-19 vaccines to be available to all.

He added that Jordan’s pharmaceutical sector can contribute to mass production and distribution efforts.

The King stressed the need to protect vulnerable communities worldwide, including refugees and families living in poverty, from the repercussions of the global health crisis.

Also Read-Palestine to exclude US from Mideast Quartet

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-Top News Politics USA

Trump campaign’s lawsuit rejected in Pennsylvania

The lawsuit claimed that some counties in Pennsylvania allowed mail-in voters to fix problems with the ballots by casting provisional votes…reports Asian Lite News

A federal judge in the US state of Pennsylvania has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the re-election campaign of President Donald Trump seeking to block millions of mail-in ballots.

Trump’s campaign has so far declined to announce the President’s defeat to his rival, former vice President Democrat Joe Biden in te November 3 presidential election, saying a large number of mail-in ballots were cast illegally, reports Xinhua news agency.

The lawsuit claimed that some counties in Pennsylvania allowed mail-in voters to fix problems with the ballots by casting provisional votes.

Saturdays ruling by US District Court Judge Matthew Brann was made on the grounds that the lawsuit provided “strained legal arguments without merit and speculative accusations, unpled in the operative complaint and unsupported by evidence”.

He said the Trump campaign went too far.

“In the United States of America, this cannot justify the disenfranchisement of a single voter, let alone all the voters of its sixth most populated state,” wrote the judge, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama.

  • New York, Nov. 05 (Xinhua) — File photo taken on June 1, 2017 shows U.S. President Donald Trump leaves after delivering a speech at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he has decided to pull the United States out of the Paris Agreement, a landmark global pact to fight climate change. (Xinhua/Mike Theiler/IANS)

In his scathing and lengthy opinion, Brann said the Trump campaign asked him to “disenfranchise almost 7 million voters”, and that he could not find any case in which a plaintiff “has sought such a drastic remedy in the contest of an election”.

US media have projected that Biden has won 306 Electoral College votes, surpassing the 270 votes needed to clinch the presidency.

The watershed moment came on November 7, when Pennsylvania was called for Biden, who now leads Trump in the state by over 81,000 votes, a margin believed to be insurmountable even if those erroneously cast ballots were excluded.

While Biden has claimed victory, Trump launched a slew of litigations challenging the results in states that, in addition to Pennsylvania, also include Michigan, Georgia, Nevada and Arizona.

Most of those efforts have either been withdrawn by the campaign itself or rejected by the courts, which cited the lack of proof as the reason.

On Friday, Georgia certified the results of the election following the full hand recount, making it official that Biden won the state’s 16 electoral votes.

  • Combo photo shows U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump attend their respective events on different occasions. (Xinhua/IANS)

The recount of roughly five million votes found that the former Vice President received 12,284 more votes than the President in the traditional Republican stronghold.

Most counties saw only minor changes in their tallies, with the recount vote totals differing by single digits.

A federal law sets what is called the “Safe Harbor” deadline, falling on December 8 this year, the day by which states must submit the winner of the presidential election if they are to be insulated from legal disputes.

Electoral College representatives will meet six days later, on December 14, to formally select the next US President.

Also read:Trump will participate in virtual G20 Summit

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-Top News Asia News USA

Palestine to exclude US from Mideast Quartet

“Palestine proposed to Russia, the European Union, and the UN to hold a meeting, with the participation of other states but without the US, to discuss convening an international peace conference,” said Azzam el-Ahmad…reports Asian Lite News

A senior Palestinian official said that Palestine has proposed to exclude the US from the Middle East Quartet to advance the stalled peace talks with Israel.

“Palestine proposed to Russia, the European Union, and the UN to hold a meeting, with the participation of other states but without the US, to discuss convening an international peace conference,” Azzam el-Ahmad, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, told official Voice of Palestine radio on Saturday.

The current Middle East Quartet, with the mandate to facilitate the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, comprises the US, Russia, the European Union and the UN, reports Xinhua news agency.

However, el-Ahmad noted, Washington’s role in the Quartet could be reactivated after US President-elect Joe Biden administration takes office, depending on its support of the two-state solution.

“There is no alternative to the two-state solution,” he said.

“Implementing this vision requires fulfilling the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and establishing an independent state on 1967 borders.”

Also read:UN hails resumption of Israeli-Palestine coordination