Why Trump's latest COVID-19 comments have doctors furious

Spencer Platt/Getty Images

BY HOPE NGO/OCT. 26, 2020 

Here's a statistic we almost never see. Back in August, The Guardian reported that nearly 1,100 healthcare workers in the United States have died from COVID-19 and its complications. Many of the workers were Black, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, or Native American. And of those profiled, just over 30 percent were immigrants, born outside of the United States (via KHN). By the end of September, the National Nurses United reported that number had risen to more than 1,700.

"These deaths were avoidable and unnecessary due to government and employer willful inaction. Nurses and health care workers were forced to work without personal protective equipment they needed to do their job safely. It is immoral and unconscionable that they lost their lives," Zenei Cortez, R.N., one union president said (via Fierce Healthcare).

So it was jarring for physicians to hear President Donald Trump to take to the campaign trail during the weekend, and claim that "doctors get more money, and hospitals get more money" if they inflate COVID-19 death rates (via Twitter). Doctors were rendered speechless by the accusation, before medical associations came forward to defend their members.


ACEP: To imply that physicians inflate deaths from the pandemic is offensive

John Moore/Getty Images

The American College of Emergency Physicians released a statement saying, "On behalf of the nation's emergency physicians, ACEP is appalled by President Trump's reckless and false assertions that physicians are overcounting deaths related to COVID-19. Emergency physicians and other health care workers have risked their lives day in and day out for almost a year battling the greatest public health crisis in a generation—all while watching countless patients die alone, going to work without sufficient protection equipment, and struggling with crushing anxiety about getting sick or spreading the virus to their loved ones."

The statement continued, "To imply that emergency physicians would inflate the number of deaths from this pandemic to gain financially is offensive, especially as many are actually under unprecedented financial strain as they continue to bear the brunt of COVID-19."


Health care workers are struggling financially: ACP

John Moore/Getty Images

The American College of Physicians pointed out that the death toll wasn't over-reported, but in fact, the opposite was true. "ACP notes that several recent studies suggest that the actual number of people who have died from COVID-19 is much higher than the terrible toll of 220,000 deaths officially attributed to the virus. Alleging that COVID-19 deaths instead are overcounted undermines the work by physicians and public health authorities to remind the public of the seriousness of the pandemic and to recommend steps to reduce transmission of the virus, cases, and deaths."

The group continued in its statement, "ACP has been aggressively advocating on behalf of internists and their patients during the COVID-19 pandemic to support their need for adequate PPE, for appropriate funding and payments to help sustain their practices so they can continue to provide patient care, and has called for following evidence-based science in fighting the pandemic. In reality, many internists and other physicians are struggling financially during this time but continue to put themselves and their families and loved ones at risk in the name of their profession and duty to their patients and communities."

Physicians and patients are making sacrifices: AMA

John Moore/Getty Images

The American Medical Association also reacted strongly to the allegations, saying, "At a time when physicians and other health care professionals are providing care to a number of COVID-19 patients amidst a third wave, there is misinformation about how patients are counted. Let's be clear physicians are not inflating the number of COVID-19 patients. Research published in JAMA and in CDC reports indicate that the US had significantly more deaths in 2020 than in previous years (excess deaths). Physicians and patients are making remarkable sacrifices and we continue urging all to wear a mask, physical distance, and wash your hands to reduce suffering, illness, and death."

Per The New York Times, the number of new coronavirus cases hit a daily high of 78,702 cases over the weekend — and now more than 8.7 million have been infected with coronavirus; over 225,000 people have died. Some of the worst spikes have been seen in rural counties, with states like Illinois, Tennessee, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Utah reaching new records.

It's exhausting to have a president working against us: doctors

Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Doctors have taken to Twitter to express their anger over the president's campaign remarks. One tweeted, "TBH most of us took pay cuts." Another said: "For the first time ever, last spring I was scared to go to work. I was scared of being infected, infecting my family, of what was happening to my patients and whether hospitals had the capacity to care for them. This is what HCWs are concerned about, not cheating the system." A third healthcare worker tweeted: "I can't describe to you how inaccurate, dangerous, and vile this is. It's just... wrong."

Perhaps the most heartbreaking words came from one public health expert who said: "For healthcare workers, it's really exhausting to have a president constantly working against us — instead of with us — in the middle of a pandemic."


Read More: https://www.thelist.com/267347/why-trumps-latest-covid-19-comments-have-doctors-furious/?utm_campaign=clip

 

1 in 12 parents say their teen has attended a demonstration about racism or police reform

The majority of parents support teen's involvement with demonstrations; Black parents more likely to discuss racism and police brutality in-depth with teens, new national poll suggests.

MICHIGAN MEDICINE - UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN

Research News

 

IMAGE: PARENTS' TOP CONCERN INVOLVING TEENS PARTICIPATING IN DEMONSTRATIONS IS THEIR TEEN'S SAFETY. view more 

CREDIT: C.S. MOTT CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NATIONAL POLL ON CHILDREN'S HEALTH AT MICHIGAN MEDICINE

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A growing number of demonstrators taking to the streets to protest police brutality and racial injustice may include teenagers, a new national poll suggests.

One in 12 parents say their teen has attended an event about racism or police reform this year, according to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine.

And while many parents are addressing the national issue with their children at home, the Mott Poll report indicates racial differences between families when it comes to these interactions.

Three quarters of parents say they've talked with their teen about the ongoing protests. But Black parents are more likely than white parents to report in-depth discussions (39% vs 29%) and to say their teen has attended an event about racism (16% vs 6%).

"Many families are engaging around the topic of racism and what's been happening in the country over recent months, with one in three white parents and two in five Black parents having deep conversations about the protests with their teens," says Mott Poll co-director Sarah Clark, M.P.H.

"Parents may have seen their teen showing a more complex interest in the world around them and a substantial number of these young people appear to have moved beyond discussion to taking action."

Meanwhile, 43% of parents surveyed have had some discussion with teens and 27% say they've had minimal or no conversations about the demonstrations with their kids.

Concerns about teen's safety at demonstrations

The vast majority of parents whose teen attended a demonstration or other event about systemic racism supported their teen's involvement (55 % enthusiastically and 38 % with some reservations); 5% of parents disapproved and 2% did not know about the teen's attendance, according to the report.

White parents are nearly twice as likely than Black parents (57% vs 31%) to believe teens do not belong at these demonstrations.

Parents' top concern is their teen's safety: 73% of parents worry the demonstrators may become violent while 58% are concerned the police may use force against protesters. Concern about demonstrators becoming violent is higher among white parents (76% vs 62%), while concern about police use of force is more common among Black parents (77% vs 49%).

Almost half of parents (45%) say they are worried that their teen does not understand the risks of participating in demonstrations. This includes concern that teens attending demonstrations could get arrested (39%) and don't know their legal rights (35%).

"We saw substantial racial differences involving views on who might instigate violence at a demonstration," Clark says. "Black parents are much more concerned than white parents about the use of force by police while white parents are more concerned about the demonstrators becoming violent.

"This may reflect parents' own experiences, as well as the influence of media portrayals of the demonstrations and the events leading up to them."

More white parents than Black parents believe that teens are too immature to understand the real challenges that police face (46% vs 21%) and that demonstrations show a lack of respect toward police (46% vs 13%).

Black parents were also more likely to say the topic is stressful for their teen, who may have a higher risk of encountering police brutality. Half of Black parents say thinking about police brutality and racism causes stress for their child compared to a quarter of white parents.

"The higher stress level reported by Black parents is understandable. The demonstrations highlighted numerous Black victims of police violence, and Black teens may see themselves at risk," says Clark. "Many Black parents have difficult conversations with their children from early on about how racism may impact their lives.

"Our poll findings reflect families' different lived experiences and perspectives. These experiences will likely shape parents' views on their teens being involved in demonstrations and other actions to address systemic racism."

The national-representative poll is based on 1,025 responses from parents of teens 13-18 years who answered questions about their views on teen involvement in demonstrations.

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Concrete structure's lifespan extended by a carbon textile

Construction costs reduced by 40%, while improving fire resistance

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Research News

 

IMAGE: FAILURE TEST OF A CONCRETE SLAB STRENGTHENED WITH TRM PANEL view more 

CREDIT: KOREA INSTITUTE OF CIVIL ENGINEERING AND BUILDING TECHNOLOGY (KICT)

The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) has announced the development of an effective structural strengthening method using a noncombustible carbon textile grid and cement mortar, which can double the load-bearing capacities of structurally deficient concrete structures and increase their usable lifespan by threefold.

More than 90% of infrastructures in South Korea, such as bridges and tunnels, as well as residential buildings were initially constructed out of concrete. For deteriorated or structurally deficient concrete structures in need of structural strengthening, carbon fiber sheets are typically applied to the surface of the concrete structure using organic adhesives. However, organic adhesives are susceptible to fire and cannot be applied to structures with wet surfaces. These carbon fiber sheets may detach and fall from the structure if they are exposed to moisture.

A research team in KICT, led by Dr. Hyeong-Yeol Kim, has developed an effective as well as efficient strengthening method for deteriorated concrete structures. With the developed method, thin precast textile reinforced mortar (TRM) panels, which are made of a carbon textile grid and a thin layer of cement mortar, are used. Furthermore, the TRM strengthening method can be applied in the form of cast-in-place construction. Employing KICT's method, 20 mm-thick TRM panels are attached to the surface of the existing structure, and then the space between the existing structure and the panels is filled with cement grout, with the cement grout serving as the adhesive.

Both the carbon textile and cement mortar are noncombustible materials that have a high resistance to fire, meaning that they can be effectively used to strengthen concrete buildings that may be exposed to fire hazards. The construction method can also be applied to wet surfaces as well as in the winter, and the panels do not fall off even in the event of water ingress. Additionally, unlike steel reinforcing bars, the carbon textile does not corrode, and thus it can be effectively used to strengthen highway facilities and parking buildings, where deicing agents are often used, as well as to strengthen offshore concrete structures that are exposed to a chloride-rich environment.

A failure test conducted in KICT indicates that the failure load of concrete structures strengthened with the TRC panel increased by at least 1.5 times compared to that of an unstrengthened structure. Furthermore, the chloride resistance of the TRM panel has been evaluated in order to assess its service life in a chloride-rich environment. The durability test and analysis of the TRM panel indicates that the lifespan of the panel is more than 100 years. This increase can be attributed to the cement mortar, developed by KICT, which contains 50% ground granulated blast furnace slag, an industrial byproduct generated at ironworks. The cement mortar, which has a higher fire resistance than conventional cement mortar, is also advantageous because its cost is half that of conventional mortar. In terms of economical efficiency, the newly developed method can reduce construction costs by about 40% compared to existing carbon sheet attachment methods.

The newly developed strengthening method uses thin TRM panels that are very versatile and can be used as building facades, repair and strengthening materials, and in other applications. In the future, if the panels can be fabricated with thermal insulators, it is expected that they will replace building insulation materials that are susceptible to fires.

Dr. Kim said, "For easier production and shipping, the TRM panels are manufactured in a relatively small size of 1 m by 2 m and must be connected at the construction site. A method for effectively connecting the panels is currently being developed, and performance tests of the method will be conducted by the end of 2020."

###

The Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) is a government sponsored research institute established to contribute to the development of Korea's construction industry and national economic growth by developing source and practical technology in the fields of construction and national land management.

This research project is funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) (FY 2018-2020). The outcomes of this project were published in the international journal Materials in September 2020, and the developed strengthening technology was registered at the European Patent Office (EP 3 486 403 B1) in August 2020.

- Journal Paper

Strengthening of Concrete Element with Precast Textile Reinforced Concrete Panel and Grouting Material. Published date: September 1, 2020.

Materials 2020, 13(17), 3856; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13173856

- Patent

Concrete Structure Reinforcement Method Using an Embedded Grid, and Related Repairing and Strengthening Method. European Patent Office: Publication No. EP3486403B1. Published date: Aug. 20, 2020.

Disclaimer: AAAS and E

 

Liver cancer diagnoses and deaths impacted by geography and household income

WILEY

Research News

 

An analysis of information from a large U.S. cancer database indicates that patients with liver cancer from rural regions and lower income households often have more advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis and face a higher risk of death compared with other patients. The findings are published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society (ACS).

Screening for liver cancer is important for detecting tumors at an early stage, when treatment is most effective. To explore the impact of different factors on liver cancer stage at the time of diagnosis and on survival of patients with the disease, Robert J. Wong, MD, MS, of the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and Stanford University School of Medicine, and his colleagues analyzed the most recently updated Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) cancer database from the National Cancer Institute. This database includes information from 21 U.S. regions, representing approximately 35 percent of the U.S. population.

From 2004 to 2017, there were 83,237 adults with liver cancer, among which 49.1 percent had localized disease at the time of diagnosis and 14.4 percent had advanced disease that had spread.

The team found that compared with patients in large metro areas with a population of more than 1 million people, patients in more rural regions had 10 percent higher odds of having advanced liver cancer at the time of diagnosis and 5 percent higher odds of dying. Also, compared with patients with an annual household income of at least $70,000, patients with an annual household income below $40,000 had 15 percent higher odds of having advanced cancer at the time of diagnosis and 23 percent higher odds of dying.

"While our study could not specifically investigate the reasons for the worse liver cancer outcomes, we hypothesize that patients living in more rural regions and among lower income households likely experience healthcare disparities leading to sub-optimal access to high quality liver disease care, including timely receipt of liver cancer surveillance and access to liver disease specialists," said Dr. Wong. "Our study highlights the need to focus on understanding the drivers of poor liver cancer outcomes among underserved and vulnerable populations, including those in rural geographic regions or among low income households, so that targeted quality improvement interventions can more specifically address the needs of these populations. We also hope that our findings will raise greater awareness of challenges and limited resources that contribute to sub-optimal liver disease care experienced by patients from low-income and rural households."

October is Liver Cancer Awareness Month.

###

Additional Information

NOTE: The information contained in this release is protected by copyright. Please include journal attribution in all coverage. A free abstract of this article will be available via the Cancer News Room upon online publication. For more information or to obtain a PDF of any study, please contact:

Dawn Peters +1 781-388-8408 (US)
newsroom@wiley.com
Follow us on Twitter @WileyNews

Full Citation:

"Hepatocellular carcinoma patients from more rural and lower income households have more advanced tumor stage at diagnosis and significantly higher mortality." Robert J. Wong, Donghee Kim, Aijaz Ahmed, and Ashwani K. Singal. CANCER; Published Online: October 26, 2020 (DOI: 10.1002/cncr.33211).

URL Upon Publication: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/cncr.33211

Author Contact: Laura C. Hutcheson, of the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's Public Affairs Office, at Laura.Hutcheson@va.gov or +1 650-493-5000, ext. 65402

About the Journal

CANCER is a peer-reviewed publication of the American Cancer Society integrating scientific information from worldwide sources for all oncologic specialties. The objective of CANCER is to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the exchange of information among oncologic disciplines concerned with the etiology, course, and treatment of human cancer. CANCER is published on behalf of the American Cancer Society by Wiley and can be accessed online.

Follow us on Twitter @JournalCancer

About Wiley

Wiley drives the world forward with research and education. Through publishing, platforms and services, we help students, researchers, universities, and corporations to achieve their goals in an ever-changing world. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to all of our stakeholders. The Company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

These Tiny, Little-Winged Dinosaurs Were Probably Worse at Flying Than Chickens


Drawing of Yi qi with the background extended. (Emily Willoughby/CC BY 4.0/ScienceAlert)

NATURE



JACINTA BOWLER
26 OCTOBER 2020

The discovery of two small dinosaurs with bat-like wings a few years ago was a palaeontologist's dream. Just how flight evolved in birds is something we're still trying to nail down, and looking at this early evolution of bat-like wings in dinosaurs could give us a clue.

But a team of researchers has now pointed out that just because you have wings, it doesn't necessarily mean you're actually any good at flying.

Yi qi and Ambopteryx longibrachium are two species of theropod dinosaurs that lived around 160 million years ago, both of which had unusually elongated fingers, and a skin membrane stretching between them, similar to a bat's wing.

This is an entirely different kind of wing to the one theropod dinosaurs evolved to fly with – the dinosaurs that eventually became birds. And, unlike them, after only a few million years, Yi and Ambopteryx became extinct, which is the first hint that these unusual wings could not match those birds-to-be.

However, weird wings on extinct critters mean it's likely multiple types of wings (and therefore flight) evolved over the years, and that Yi and Ambopteryx's attempts were not the winning strategy.

But before you can write off Yi and Ambopteryx as complete evolutionary flight failures, you have to know how good (or bad, as the case may be) the two species were at flight.


In 2015, when Yi was found, that team of researchers suggested that the size of its wings and other flight characteristics could mean it was a gliding creature – however it's unlike any other glider we know of, and its centre of mass might have made even gliding difficult. We just weren't sure.

A new study, by researchers in the US and China, has now looked into the flight potential of Yi and Ambopteryx in a lot more detail, and come to the conclusion that they really weren't good at getting their little feet off the trees they lived in.

"Using laser-stimulated fluorescence imaging, we re-evaluate their anatomy and perform aerodynamic calculations covering flight potential, other wing-based behaviours, and gliding capabilities," the team writes.

"We find that Yi and Ambopteryx were likely arboreal, highly unlikely to have any form of powered flight, and had significant deficiencies in flapping-based locomotion and limited gliding abilities."

The team's analysis of the fossils (Yi pictured below) was able to pick up tiny details in soft-tissue that you can't see with normal light.

Fossil of Yi qi. Look how fluffy it is! (kmkmks/Flickr/CC BY SA 2.0)

Then the team modelled how the dinosaurs might have flown, adjusting for things such as weight, wingspan, and muscle placement (all stuff we can't tell just from the fossils).

The results were… underwhelming.


"They really can't do powered flight," says first author, biologist Thomas Dececchi from Mount Marty University.

"You have to give them extremely generous assumptions in how they can flap their wings. You basically have to model them as the biggest bat, make them the lightest weight, make them flap as fast as a really fast bird, and give them muscles higher than they were likely to have had to cross that threshold. They could glide, but even their gliding wasn't great."

Soft-tissue map of Yi qi. (Dececchi et al., iScience, 2020)

So, according to Dececchi and his team's model, we're looking at flying capabilities considerably worse than a chicken, perhaps worse than the flightless New Zealand parrot, the kakapo, which is also mostly limited to gliding from trees, but can at least flap to control descent.

But although it's a bit sad for the Yi and Ambopteryx, it's good news for us – the findings give even more evidence that dinosaurs evolved flight (or at least tried to) multiple times.

As the team points out, considering all the types of bats, gliders, flying squirrels, and other gliding or flying mammals, maybe it shouldn't be a surprise.

"We propose that this clade was an independent colonisation of the aerial realm for non-avialan theropods. If true, this would represent at least two, but more likely three or more attempts at flight (both powered and gliding) by small pennaraptoran theropods during the Mesozoic," the team writes in their paper.

"Given the large number of independent occurrences of gliding flight within crown mammals, this should perhaps be unsurprising, but it does create a more complex picture of the aerial ecosystem."

Seems like some things don't change much, even in a hundred million years.

The research has been published in iScience.

CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M BANK ROBBERS

Wall Street is living up to its bad reputation

Felix Salmon, author of Capital

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios


Recent headlines will have you convinced that Wall Street is hell-bent on living up to all of its stereotypes.

Driving the news: Goldman Sachs is the biggest and the boldest, paying more than $5 billion in fines in the wake of the 1MDB scandal, in which billions were stolen from the people of Malaysia.

Goldman Sachs pleaded guilty to bribing Malaysian officials, among others, a total of $1.6 billion in order to get deal mandates in the bond and stock markets.

That's the largest set of bribes ever prosecuted under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

In a very Goldman twist, the $1.6 billion was not paid from Goldman's own funds. Instead it came out of other people's money — it was skimmed off of bond-issue proceeds that were supposed to belong to the Malaysian people.

Gary Cohn, who was Goldman's chief operating officer when the bribes were paid, cashed out all of his bonuses when he joined the Trump administration in 2017.

 He's the one former Goldman official who hasn't agreed to repay a chunk of his 2011 bonus, as the board has requested.

Wells Fargo paid a $3 billion fine for taking advantage of millions of customers by opening accounts in their names that they weren't even aware of.

JPMorgan, which lost billions in the "London whale" trading scandal, paid $920 million in fines to settle charges that it manipulated futures markets in Chicago.

Citigroup, which has been considered "too big to manage" since at least the financial crisis, was fined $400 million for its management's failure to effectively stay on top of its operations.

Morgan Stanley paid a relatively modest $60 million fine for failing to protect its customers' data. According to a pair of lawsuits, the bank failed to remove sensitive data from computers it decommissioned — including Social Security numbers, passport numbers, and account numbers.

Bank of America has kept its nose relatively clean of late, although Waqas Ali, who worked as a client relationship manager for the bank in Boston, did plead guilty to embezzling $1.5 million from one of his Texan clients.

According to the complaint, Ali said that he targeted the family in question because they hadn't pressed charges when they were stolen from in the past.

The bottom line: In a sign of how deep the rot runs, hundreds of bank employees have been fired from Wells Fargo and JPMorgan Chase for abusing the government's coronavirus relief programs. So far, there's little sign that banks are shedding their reputation for being greedy to the point of criminality.

Coronavirus: Germany warns against 'vaccine nationalism'

Nations must work in a spirit of cooperation rather than selfishness in the fight against coronavirus, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stressed. His appeal came at the start of the World Health Summit in Berlin.


Germany's president on Sunday urged nations to work together and avoid selfishness in working to tackle coronavirus — in particular when it comes to the development of an effective vaccine.

Steinmeier's message against "vaccine nationalism" came in a video appeal at the opening of the three-day World Health Summit in Berlin.

"No-one is safe from COVID-19; no-one is safe until we are all safe from it. Even those who conquer the virus within their own borders remain prisoners within these borders until it is conquered everywhere."

"If we don't want to live in a world after the pandemic in which the principle 'Everyone against each other and everyone for themselves' gains even more ground then we need the enlightened reason of our societies and our governments," said the president.

Steinmeier said the rapid spread of the virus had resulted in an enormous worldwide mobilization of resources and a growing spirit of ingenuity. However, he said the trend of nations reserving large quantities of vaccines for their populations could prove unhelpful.

Read more: Beating the coronavirus — Be quicker than your test

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Instead, Steinmeier urged countries to work together to tackle the pandemic more effectively.

"COVID-19 challenges us all. The virus knows no borders. It is indifferent to the nationality of its victims. It will continue to overcome every barrier in the future if we do not confront it together. In the face of the virus, we are undoubtedly a global community. But the crucial question is: are we able to act as such?"

Steinmeier drew particular attention to the United States — the worst-affected country in the world with more than 225,000 deaths from more than 8.6 million cases. He urged Washington to join the COVAX initiative to help develop and distribute vaccinations for the coronavirus internationally.

"No country has been as lacking success in the efforts it has made so far as the United States of America," he said. "I therefore appeal to the next US government, whoever that may be from January 20, to join the COVAX initiative."

Watch video 02:15  https://p.dw.com/p/3kQQc

Pandemic remains in spotlight ahead of US election

Steinmeier's comments were echoed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Read more: Germany commits €100 million amid UN vaccine access drive

"Developed countries must support health systems in countries that are short of resources," said Guterres, adding that the international community had been found wanting in its response to the virus. "The COVID-19 pandemic is the greatest crisis of our age," he said.

Head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghenreyesus said the only way to recover from the pandemic was by making sure poorer countries had fair access to a vaccine. He also tweeted his support for Steinmeier's message.

"I hope the world hears President Frank-Walter Steinmeier's call for global solidarity to end the COVID-19 pandemic," the WHO chief wrote.


In her video address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she believed it was the bloc's duty to play a leading role.

"I believe this can be a test case for true global health compact. The need for leadership is clear and I believe the European Union must assume this responsibility."

Read more: Global race to buy coronavirus vaccine: What you need to know

Globally, more than 42 million people have been infected with the virus and more than a million have died of COVID-19.

Several dozen potential vaccines are currently being tested in clinical trials, with ten of those are in the most advanced "phase 3" stage. The EU, the US, Britain, Japan, and a number of other nations have already placed large orders with the companies involved.

Thailand: Protesters keep up pressure ahead of parliamentary debate

Demonstrators chanted "Prayuth Out" after the prime minister ignored a deadline set for his resignation. Parliament is also set to hold a special session to address the months of protests on Monday.



Thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets of Bangkok again on Sunday, in the first demonstration since Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha ignored the protesters’ deadline to resign.

The demonstration also marked the first major show of force since Prayuth lifted the October 15 emergency measures that had been put in place to stop three months of protests against the government and monarchy.

Watch video 02:29 https://p.dw.com/p/3kPcV
Thailand moves to block messaging app Telegram

Read more: Thailand protesters look to Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement for inspiration

The rally took place in the heart of the capital's shopping district, which usually draws large weekend crowds. The demonstration was not as large as previous rallies, however, as another had already been called for Monday evening outside the German Embassy.

In addition to calling for the prime minister’s resignation, the protesters’ core demands include a more democratic constitution and reforms to the monarchy.

"If he doesn't resign, then we must come out to ask him to quit in a peaceful way," protest leader Jatupat "Pai" Boonpattararaksa said.

Prayuth has said the demands should be discussed in parliament, which is due to hold a special session on Monday and Tuesday. ''The only way to a lasting solution for all sides that is fair for those on the streets as well as for the many millions who choose not to go on the streets is to discuss and resolve these differences through the parliamentary process,'' he said last week.

However, critics have said it is unlikely that the protesters’ demands will be sufficiently addressed in a parliament filled with Prayuth’s supporters.

Watch video02:38 https://p.dw.com/p/3kPcV
Protesters in Thailand defy government order

‘No use of force’

There was no sign of a major police presence around the demonstration at the Ratchaprasong Intersection — the same location where security forces initiated a bloody crackdown against protesters in 2010.

A government spokesman said there would be no use of force and called on demonstrators to remain peaceful.

A group of drag queens also gathered to put on a show. Later on, police at the site read out an announcement that the event violated a public gathering law and asked protesters to leave within an hour. However, the protest continued and officials did not make an immediate effort to break up the gathering.

At midnight, pro-democracy activists ended a two-day occupation outside Bangkok Remand Prison, where some of the main pro-democracy protest leaders were being held. Meanwhile, a pro-government counter-demonstration was held near the parliament on Sunday.

Read more:Thailand's protests and their digital dimension 

Protests planned at German Embassy

Protesters are due to gather outside the German Embassy on Monday, as the Thai king, Maha Vajiralongkorn — one of the world’s wealthiest monarchs — spends most of his time in Bavaria rather than in Bangkok.

Protesters have become increasingly openly critical of the monarchy, despite lese majeste laws that stipulate a prison sentence of up to 15 years for insulting or criticizing members of the royal family. However, criticism of the king has sparked a backlash among conservative royalists.

Read more: Thailand's king should not reign from German soil, Berlin says

Self-proclaimed ''defenders of the monarchy'' mobilized last week online and in rallies in several cities, in many cases led by local civil servants. On Wednesday, a small royalist rally in Bangkok broke into violence when a few attendees attacked anti-government student activists.

lc/mm (AP, dpa, Reuters)

'Thailand doesn't need you': ultra-royalists push back against protesters


Issued on: 26/10/2020 - 

Thailand has for months been rocked by student-led protests calling for democratic reforms -- but royalists are now pushing back Madaree TOHLALA AFP

Bangkok (AFP)

Pictures of coffins and guns, and threats of death and violence: protests targeting Thailand's government and monarchy have hardened feelings amongst ultra-royalists, who are pushing back with aggressive abuse online.

The messages, some of which have got thousands of likes, are a danger sign for some, who point to the violent confrontations that have rocked Thailand in the past.

The threatening rhetoric follows months of student-led rallies that have drawn tens of thousands of people, calling for democratic reform and changes to the monarchy -- previously a taboo subject.

"People who insult the monarchy deserve to die!" wrote one Facebook user, hurling insults at prominent activist Anon Numpa -- a key figure pushing for royal reform.

"Thailand doesn't need people like you!"

Some memes circulating on social media threaten violence -- from a rifle-wielding man claiming the monarchy must be "defended at all costs" to a picture of a coffin photoshopped next to an activist.

Former MP Warong Dechgitvigrom, who founded pro-monarchy group Thai Pakdee (Loyal Thais), insists his compatriots are peaceful.

"We have no intention of using violence," the 59-year-old retired gynaecologist tells AFP.

The monarchy is necessary for stability, he insists, slamming Thailand's "brainwashed" youth.

"They don't want to reform royalty, they want to destroy it," Warong says.

"Without a monarchy, there would be a civil war."

- 'Very brave. So good' -

King Maha Vajiralongkorn sits at the apex of Thai power, flanked by the military and the country's billionaire business elite.

His influence -- and that of his late father Bhumibol Adulyadej, who reigned for 70 years -- permeates every aspect of Thai society.

The royal family is protected by one of the world's harshest royal defamation laws: any perceived criticism can land a person in jail for up to 15 years per charge.

But the student demands for reform have shattered those norms, with some demonstrators carrying "Republic of Thailand" signs at rallies.

Many protesters even failed to kneel earlier this month when a royal motorcade passed -- as dictated by centuries-old tradition -- and instead brandished a defiant three-finger salute.

While he has not publicly commented on the protest movement, the king has made recent public appearances among supporters -- a rare charm offensive for the monarch, who spends long stints away in Europe.

On Friday after an official ceremony, the king and his wife, Queen Suthida, broke with royal protocol to praise a supporter who held up a portrait of the king's late parents at a pro-democracy rally.

"Very brave. So good. Thank you," the king told the man, according to video footage posted on Facebook.

That quote was trending as a hashtag on Twitter over the weekend, along with #fightonmajesty.

- 'We love the king' -

Some ultra-royalists have called for further action against the growing pro-democracy movement.

Describing protesters as "garbage who need to be disposed of", a former military general has launched a Facebook group targeting those who have called for reform.

"I am willing to go to jail for my actions because I need to protect the monarchy at any cost," Rienthong Nanna writes on his page, in a message that drew 13,000 likes and was shared 850 times.

Such online aggression could easily spill over into real life, worries Patrick Jory, an academic with Australia's University of Queensland who has studied previous democratic movements in Thailand.

"Whenever the monarchy has felt threatened, (the state) has always responded with violence," he says, noting patterns of turmoil in the 1970s, 1990s and 2010.

Thailand's powerful military and billionaire clans have every incentive to ensure the status quo goes unchanged, he adds.

"All of the interests that are guaranteed by the monarchy, and actually their own personal status in Thai society", would be under threat if there is real royal reform, he tells AFP.

But painting all royalists as wealthy or part of an elite establishment is unfair, said royalist Sirilak Kasemsawat, a tour guide from Ubon Ratchathani province.

"I'm an ordinary person," she told AFP as she waited to pay her respects to the royal motorcade earlier this month.

"We want to show that we love the king."

© 2020 AFP

Fresh protests erupt in Belarus ahead of national strike ultimatum

Issued on: 25/10/2020 - 

People attend an opposition rally to reject the Belarusian presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus October 25, 2020.présidentielle, le 25 octobre 2020. © Stringer, Reuters

Text by:NEWS WIRES

Tens of thousands of people marched through Minsk and other cities on Sunday, keeping pressure on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko a day before the opposition threatens to launch a national strike if he refuses to resign.

Crowds streamed through the capital shouting "strike", waving red-and-white opposition flags and beating drums on the 11th straight weekend of mass protests since a disputed election plunged the country into turmoil.

Twelve metro stations were closed, helmeted riot police patrolled the streets and mobile internet services were disrupted in Minsk. Two journalists were detained ahead of the protest, a local journalists' association said.

Tens of people were detained and security forces used tear gas in the western town of Lida, the Russian news agency RIA quoted the regional branch of the interior ministry as saying.

A former Soviet collective farm manager, Lukashenko has ruled Belarus for more than a quarter of a century and has shown little inclination to quit, buoyed by loans and the offer of military support from traditional ally Russia.

The president's main opponents have been jailed or fled into exile following the Aug. 9 election, which Lukashenko's opponents accuse him of rigging to win a sixth straight term. He denies electoral fraud.

Nationwide strike ultimatum

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, his main electoral challenger, has led calls from exile for a national strike to begin on Monday if Lukashenko refuses to release all political prisoners and resigns to make way for a new election.

"Today at 23:59 the term of the People's Ultimatum will expire, and if the demands are not met, the Belarusians will start a national strike," she said in statement.

Lukashenko has signalled that he would ignore the ultimatum.

The United States, the European Union, Britain and Canada have imposed sanctions against a string of senior officials in Belarus accused of fraud and human rights abuses in the wake of the presidential election.

Lukashenko has accused Western countries of meddling in the internal affairs of Belarus and trying to instigate a violent uprising against him.

In a call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Saturday, he said Belarus and Russia were ready to respond jointly to external threats, Belarusian state television reported.

(REUTERS)  

Belarus: Over 100,000 protest against Lukashenko ahead of strike ultimatum

Police used stun grenades and reports say nearly 130 people were arrested. The rally drew more than 100,000 protesters, a day before the opposition's deadline for strongman Alexander Lukashenko to resign.


Watch video 02:50  https://p.dw.com/p/3kPsr

Tens of thousands rally again in Belarus

More than 100,000 Belarusians flooded the streets of the capital Minsk on Sunday, on the final day before a deadline set by the opposition for President Alexander Lukashenko to resign, following months of protests. 

People streamed in from different directions along Victors' Avenue to the Hero City Obelisk on a central square that commemorates World War II.

Read more:Lukashenko: Belarus and Russia will face external threats together 

Videos taken by bystanders at the demonstrations in Minsk showed a convoy of buses carrying security personnel to the city center, along with metal cordons. Meanwhile, officials shut 12 metro stations and restricted mobile internet in an effort to stop people from gathering. 

The Interior Ministry issued an advance warning that people should not attend demonstrations for which no permit has been issued.

Nearly 130 arrests

Human rights group Vesna-96 said 128 people were detained, and shared a list of their names online.

Journalist Hanna Liubakova told DW that, as with previous protests, police moved in toward the end of the day to make arrests.

"Riot police attacked peaceful protesters with stun grenades and we also heard shootings — police shot rubber bullets as well — and there is at least one confirmed wounded person," she said.

An interior ministry spokeswoman said it was too early to say how many people had been injured or detained. "We will only know by the morning if there are any injured people," Olga Chemodanova was cited by the Russian news agency RIA as saying.

Some journalists covering the protests were also arrested, local media reported. 

Several protesters were detained by police in the town of Lida in western Belarus, RIA cited the regional branch of the interior ministry as saying. Police reportedly fired tear gas at protesters. 

Read more:Belarus: Thousands turn out for protests despite police threat to open fire 

'Resign or face strike'

Exiled civil rights activist Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and opposition protesters this month gave embattled strongman Lukashenko a deadline of two weeks to resign, put an end to police violence and release political prisoners, warning that he would otherwise face a general strike. 

Although some members of the opposition have been released from prison, there are no more concessions in sight from Lukashenko's administration. 

Read more:Opinion: EU's Sakharov Prize for Belarus dissidents sends a strong signal 

Tsikhanouskaya said later in the day that the national strike would begin on Monday after the government responded with force to the protests.

"The regime once again showed Belarusians that force is the only thing it is capable of," she wrote in a statement. "That's why tomorrow, October 26, a national strike will begin."


Watch video 02:10  https://p.dw.com/p/3kPsr

EU agrees to target Belarus with new sanctions

Tsikhanouskaya fled Belarus after an August vote saw Lukashenko claim victory for a sixth term. During a visit to Copenhagen on Friday to meet Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod she called for a repeat ballot “as soon as possible,” and in a separate statement said a date for the next vote must be determined by the end of the year. 

Uniformed police have repeatedly cracked down on protesters, demonstrating against Lukashenko’s rule, following the vote which several western countries and officials denounced as rigged. 

Read more: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya on wanted list in Belarus, Russia 

Lukashenko: Belarus and Russia will face external threats together

Embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has told the US that his country and Russia are united against external threats. Opposition protesters gathered again to rally, and have called for a national strike.



President Alexander Lukashenko spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a phone call on Saturday, in which the Belarusian leader said his country and Russia were ready to respond jointly to external threats. 

The remarks, reported by Russia's Interfax news agency, come as protesters continue to call for Lukashenko's resignation and as he faces the prospect of a national strike that could begin on Monday.

Read more: Putin pledges a $1.5 billion loan while meeting Lukashenko in Sochi

"Russia does not interfere in the internal affairs of Belarus. At the same time, the countries are ready to jointly respond to emerging external threats," Lukashenko is said to have told Pompeo, according to Interfax which cited Belarus state television. 

"By mutual opinion, after Pompeo's February visit to Minsk, the situation has changed dramatically, new challenges have arisen and are emerging," the president said.

Read more: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya calls for German mediation in Belarus

The US has already imposed sanctions on Belarusian officials, following violent crackdowns at demonstrations in Minsk and across the country. 

During the call, the US State Department said it had urged Belarusian authorities to ''engage in a meaningful dialogue with genuine representatives of civil society,'' including Lukashenko's leading election opponent, opposition candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. 

The US also reiterated its "strong support for the independence and sovereignty of Belarus,'' the State Department said. 

Read more: Opinion: EU's Sakharov Prize for Belarus dissidents sends a strong signal

Watch video 05:12 https://p.dw.com/p/3kOYt 
Tsikhanouskaya reacts to Sakharov Prize win

Protests persist 

Hundreds of women marched across the capital, Minsk, in heavy rain on Saturday, as protesters continue to demand Lukashenko's resignation. The protests have been going on continuously since the disputed presidential election in early August.

Read more: Belarus opposition wins European Parliament rights award

The women carried umbrellas in the white and red colors of the opposition flag, holding placards that stated their professions and chanted ''Go away!'' as a demand for the president's resignation.

According to the Viasna human rights center in Belarus, some 10 protesters were arrested on Saturday. 

The Belarusian political crisis was triggered by official results of the August 9 presidential election, which gave Lukashenko a victory with 80% of the vote — a result the opposition has insisted was rigged.

Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, has blamed the US and its European allies of fomenting unrest in the ex-Soviet country.

Read more: Belarus: Thousands turn out for protests despite police threat to open fire

Watch video01:59 https://p.dw.com/p/3kOYt
Violent crackdown on Belarus protests

jcg/shs (Reuters, AP)