Share of UK workers on furlough at highest since June, as second lockdown hits



By David Milliken

LONDON (Reuters) - The proportion of British workers on furlough has jumped to its highest level since late June following the introduction of a temporary four-week lockdown across England to reverse a second wave of COVID cases, official figures showed on Thursday.

Businesses reported that 15% of staff on average were on furlough between Nov. 2 and Nov. 15, up from 9% in the previous survey which covered the second half of October, the Office for National Statistics said.

Britain’s government placed England under a four-week lockdown which started on Nov. 5 which closed restaurants, pubs, non-essential retailers and most other businesses open to the public.

Finance minister Rishi Sunak had intended to terminate the furlough programme at the end of October, but the second wave of COVID cases forced him to extend it until the end of March.

At its peak in May, the programme supported 8.9 million jobs - almost a third of all employees - and it has been the single most expensive part of Britain’s COVID economic support programme, costing 43 billion pounds ($57 billion) so far.

On Wednesday, the Office for Budget Responsibility forecast that take-up in November would rise to 21% of the workforce due to lockdowns in England and other parts of the United Kingdom, before declining to 12% in early 2021 as restrictions eased.

Without the programme, Britain would see a significantly bigger rise in unemployment than the peak of 7.5% pencilled in for next year, the OBR said.


Reporting by David Millikenl, Editing by Paul Sandle

Factbox: Debretsion Gebremichael, head of Ethiopia's Tigrayan forces


By Maggie Fick

(Reuters) - Former guerrilla radio operator Debretsion Gebremichael is leading Tigrayan forces fighting Ethiopia’s military for control of the mountainous northern region.




FILE PHOTO: Debretsion Gebremichael, Tigray Regional President, attends the funeral ceremony of Ethiopia's Army Chief of Staff Seare Mekonnen in Mekele, Tigray Region, Ethiopia June 26, 219. Picture taken June 26, 2019. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri/File Photo/File Photo

The 57-year-old has cast the conflict as resistance to a push by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to centralise power, which the government denies, accusing his movement of revolt.

He is leading the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a former rebel movement that spearheaded the toppling of a Marxist dictatorship in 1991 before going on to dominate a coalition government until Abiy’s appointment in 2018.

Here are some facts on Debretsion and the three-week old conflict:

FOUNDER OF ‘REVOLUTION’ RADIO

Debretsion joined the TPLF as a teenager and was sent to Italy to learn communications and technology.

He led the team behind “Dimtsi Woyane” (“Voice of the Revolution” in the Tigrinya language) radio around 1980, which the bush fighters used to connect with people as they endured aerial bombings, according to a 2018 book.

The radio broadcast propaganda, reports on the Marxist-Leninist rebel movement’s meetings, and programmes ranging from basic medicine to agriculture and literacy.


Debretsion and his colleagues carried portable equipment to avoid detection, moving it on donkeys and camels and hiding it in caves, academic Nicole Stremlau wrote in her book “Media, Conflict, and the State in Africa”.

SURVEILLANCE AND TELECOMS

After the TPLF took power in 1991, Debretsion obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Addis Ababa University. He entered high-level politics in 2005.

He chaired Ethio Telecom, the state telecoms monopoly, after serving as deputy director of the national intelligence agency - underscoring the agency’s grip on communications, Human Rights Watch noted in a 2014 report.

He also led a programme that rolled out government technology services and gave the state access to email accounts and personal information of civil servants, the rights watchdog said.

As communications and information technology minister and later as deputy prime minister, he signed agreements with Chinese companies ZTE and Huawei.

POWER, NILE DAM

During the same period, he also chaired the state-run Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation and tried to modernise the creaking power sector that now serves 115 million people.

He oversaw the construction of hydropower dams, the biggest of which is the $4 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam under construction on the Blue Nile river. Both Egypt and Sudan fear the dam may limit their access to the Nile’s waters.

Debretsion was replaced as chair of the state power utility in late April 2018, shortly after Abiy took office.

ELECTION

Debretsion is known within his party, which elected him as chairman in 2017, as a shy workaholic. He cemented his position as the region’s leader when it decided to hold an election in September in defiance of the federal government, which postponed voting nationwide due to due to COVID-19.

The TPLF won more than 98% of the vote.

Abiy’s government declared the vote illegal and has set up a transitional administration in parts of Tigray taken by federal troops since Nov. 4.

Debretsion is on a list of TPLF leaders whom the government says must surrender or be captured before any negotiations to end the conflict can begin.

“We are people of principle and ready to die in defence of our right to administer our region,” Debretsion said in a text to Reuters this week.

A WARNING

The TPLF accuses Abiy, who is of mixed Oromo-Amharic parentage, of singling out high-level Tigrayan officials in a crackdown on past abuses and corruption. Abiy’s office denies that and says the prime minister has tried to work with the TPLF but was rebuffed.

“Youth of Tigray, be prepared for all eventualities,” local media quoted Debretsion as saying at an event in the Tigray regional capital Mekelle in December 2018, less than a year after Abiy took office.

Asked by Reuters what the comment meant, TPLF spokesman Getachew Reda said Debretsion was not implying that conflict was inevitable but that “if push comes to shove, we don’t have to scramble for crash military training.”


Reporting and writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Timothy Heritage

Baby chimp gives hope for Guinea's famous ape tribe

Issued on: 26/11/2020 - 

Cogito ergo sum? A chimp at the Bioparco Zoo in Rome during a heatwave in August this year Tiziana FABI AFP



Conakry (AFP)

A dwindling tribe of chimpanzees in Guinea that leapt to prominence for uncanny abilities to use tools has a glimmer of hope after its last fertile female gave birth.

The tiny community of apes lives in a forest around the village of Bossou, in the far southeastern corner of the country.

Scientists have trekked to the remote location for decades to study the chimps' remarkable use of tools.

They include the use of a stone hammer and anvil to crack open nuts -- the most sophisticated act ever observed of humanity's genetically closest relative.

But the number of chimps at Bossou has slumped to single figures.

The tribe is dying off and cannot be replenished by neighbouring chimp communities because forest destruction has left it isolated.

But after years of sad decline, there has been good news, said Aly Gaspard Soumah, director of the Bossou Environmental Research Institute.

Guides last week spotted the group's last fertile female, Fanle, clutching a tiny baby on her belly, Soumah told AFP.

"There's no doubt about it," he said by phone.

"Three days ago we were able to confirm the (baby's) sex using binoculars, because they were in the trees at the time -- it's a female."

The Bossou apes have a unique relationship with the village population.

The animals live in the wild but share the territory and its resources with the locals, who protect the chimps, believing them to be the reincarnation of their ancestors.

Bossou is part of the Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, a UNESCO-listed site located on the borders with Ivory Coast and Liberia that rises above the surrounding savannah.

The famous apes live in a forest of 320 hectares (790 acres).

But they are cut off from other chimps, on the slopes of Mount Nimba, by deforestation.

Locals practice a traditional slash-and-burn form of agriculture.

Until 2003, the number of Bossou chimps were relatively stable, with around 21 individuals, Soumah said.

But seven died of influenza in 2003, and others passed away in the following years, leaving just three adult males and four adult females before the latest birth.

Of these, three are aged over 60, while the youngest is an eight-year-old male. Fanle, aged in her 30s, is the last fertile female.

The big question now is about what to name her baby.

"We are going to invite prominent figures, the local authorities, partners we work with, to find one for her," Soumah said.

© 2020 AFP

LEFT WING 

Covid protests halt public transport in Athens

Issued on: 26/11/2020 - 

Scores of motorcyclists briefly demonstrated outside the labour ministry. The sign reads "Riot police everywhere, ICUs nowhere" 

 Aris MESSINIS AFP

Athens (AFP)

Athens city buses, metro lines and trams ground to a halt Thursday with public workers pressing for better protection against coronavirus as Greece extended Covid-19 restrictions until December 7.

Shipping also closed for a day in the coastal nation, disrupting maritime trade as well as transport linking its numerous islands.

A second wave is raging through Greece, with daily infections now between 2,500 and 3,000 compared with 667 on October 20. The death toll has just crossed 1,900 and more than 500 people are in intensive care.

Scores of motorcyclists briefly demonstrated outside the labour ministry in Athens shouting slogans such as "Riot police everywhere, intensive care units nowhere".

Medical workers also called for a rally outside the health ministry to demand Christmas bonuses and better health protection, including increased testing for those on the frontline.

Some 200 far-left activists defied pandemic curbs to rally in central Athens before being dispersed by police, deployed in full force in the capital to prevent lockdown breaches.

Greece also extended virus curbs initially set to end this month to December 7.

People must get official permission by SMS to leave their homes and all businesses are closed apart from shops selling essential items as well as pharmacies and supermarkets.

Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Thursday that the restrictions had to be prolonged in view of the continued high rate of infections.

"There are the first signs of a reduction," he said, adding: "If this continues, the pressure on the health system will decline and we can envisage a return to a certain normalcy."

© 2020 AFP

Coronavirus pandemic: Covid pushing more in France into poverty

Issued on: 26/11/2020 - 


As many as one million people could be plunged into poverty by the pandemic. Charities have also been impacted. Here is a closer look at the economic damage wrought by the coronavirus in France

'Vidas Negras Importam': Killing of black man on eve of Brazil's Black Consciousness Day sparks protests
Issued on: 26/11/2020 - 

The death of a black man after being beaten by supermarket security guards in the city of Porto Alegre on the eve of Black Consciousness Day has sparked outrage across Brazil. The protests echoes this past year's demonstrations in the US. FRANCE 24's Pierre Le Duff and Laura Damabe report from Porto Alegre.

Zimbabwe mine shaft collapse leaves dozens trapped

Issued on: 26/11/2020 - 

Rescuers pump water out of a flooded main shaft in a bid to open up a passageway to the trapped miners 

Jekesai NJIKIZANA AFP

Bindura (Zimbabwe) (AFP)

Around 40 informal miners have been trapped underground in northeastern Zimbabwe after a shaft in a disused gold mine collapsed, the country's miners' federation said Thursday.

The disaster occurred late Wednesday in the town of Bindura, around 70 kilometres (43 miles) north of the capital Harare, said Wellington Takavarasha, head of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation.

AFP journalists witnessed rescuers pumping water out of a flooded main shaft hoping to open up a passageway to the miners.

"We understand there were some organised mining syndicates who were mining here," Nathan Nkomo, director of the state rescue agency known as Civil Protection Unit, told AFP at the scene.

"After blasting some of the pillars, that is when the whole mine collapsed," he said, adding that the exact "numbers are not yet established".

Takavarasha told AFP that the miners were working inside the disused Ran Gold Mine when a shaft caved in.

Six miners have since been pulled out and taken to hospital.

"Those who were rescued said there were about 40 people in the mine shaft at the time of the incident," Takavarasha said.

As rescuers worked, hundreds of people gathered on mounds close to the mining area, which is dotted with holes and crevices that miners dig to extract ore.

Some were relatives, sitting under trees as they waited for updates from the authorities.

Funeral companies pitched tents at the site.

"I am waiting for my brother's son who is trapped underground," Patience Jacob said.

"The rescue team is assisting but I think they are not that effective... I doubt they will be retrieved alive," she said.

- Driven underground -

Ran Mine was closed 10 years ago and retrenched workers remained behind to informally mine for residual gold.

Mining is a major source of foreign currency for Zimbabwe, where gold alone accounts for 60 percent of exports.

The gold sector provides jobs to nearly 10 percent of the country's population, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG), a key source of employment in the struggling economy.

An estimated 1.5 million people have turned to artisanal mining as a safety net, the ICG said in a report published this week, adding that poverty and the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic will likely drive more people towards the sector.

Last year, artisanal and small scale miners were responsible for 63 percent of the recorded gold production, according to official statistics.

Small-scale miners often operate illegally to avoid selling their bullion to the state-owned buyer, Fidelity Printers and Refiners, as they are paid only 55 percent in foreign currency.

The remaining 45 percent is paid in Zimbabwean dollars, which is notoriously weak and volatile.

burs-sch-sn/dl

© 2020 AFP

Africa lacks preparedness for virus vaccine roll-out : WHO

Issued on: 26/11/2020 -

The African region is so far only 33 percent ready to roll out Covid-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said

 SIPHIWE SIBEKO POOL/AFP

Johannesburg (AFP)

The World Health Organization on Thursday urged African countries to improve their capacity to vaccinate populations against Covid-19, warning the continent was still "far from ready" for mass immunisation.

With three coronavirus vaccines now showing efficacy rates of 70 percent or more, the UN body called on Africa to "ramp up" preparations for "the continent's largest ever immunisation drive".

The African region is so far only 33 percent ready to roll out Covid-19 vaccines, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a statement.

That figure, based on data provided by 40 countries on a series of "readiness criteria", is well below a desired 80 percent benchmark.

"Planning and preparation will make or break this unprecedented endeavour," WHO Africa Director Matshidiso Moeti said during a virtual press briefing.

The main concerns are a lack of adequate funding plans, monitoring tools and community outreach.

"There are key logistical and financing gaps where international solidarity will be imperative," Moeti said.

The WHO estimates that rolling out a Covid-19 vaccine to just priority populations in Africa will cost around $5.7 billion (4.8 billion euros).

African countries will be partially subsidised by the COVAX global Covid-19 distribution scheme.

The World Bank has also set aside $12 billion (10.1 billion euros) to help developing countries finance their immunisation programs.

Moeti said the aim was to vaccinate three percent of Africa's population by March 2021, and 20 percent by the end of the year.

- Africa-based research -

Other health experts at the briefing said additional research was needed to develop vaccines more suitable to the continent.

They noted that a promising vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, which tested at a 95 percent success rate at its latest trial, must be kept at -70 degrees celsius -- all but impossible for most hospitals in Africa.

"We really should be doing some of this vaccine research in the African region," said Helen Rees, chair of the WHO's Africa immunisation advisory group.

So far only Egypt, Morocco, Kenya and South Africa have active Covid-19 vaccine trials.

Moeti said it was important for the continent not to fall behind on global preparations for Covid-19 vaccinations even though coronavirus infections had somewhat plateaued.

She noted that Africa has been relatively spared compared to the rest of the world, with over 2.1 million cases and 50,000 deaths recorded to date.

But some countries are beginning to see localised infection surges, particularly in South Africa and the Maghreb.

"We are starting to see an uptick and that gives us a lot of concern," Moeti warned. "The curve is once again trending upwards a little bit."

sch/pma

© 2020 AFP

LatAm governments facing vaccine distribution challenges

Issued on: 26/11/2020 - 

Getting vaccines to Amazon rainforest residents poses a special challenge for Brazilian healthworkers, who performed a rapid Covid test on Chief Domingos from the Arapuim tribe in July in Para state TARSO SARRAF AFP

Montevideo (AFP)

Cash-strapped Latin American governments face severe geographical, economic and social challenges in trying to ensure life-saving Covid-19 vaccines are made available to vulnerable populations, experts say.

Megacities like Sao Paulo, mountain ranges like the Andes as well as the vast Amazon basin pose just a few of the geographical problems for distributors, given the vital need to maintain the cold chain to preserve the vaccines.

Transporting vaccines "to the most distant parts of the big cities and to peripheral neighborhoods, with the need to conserve the cold chain, will be the first major challenge," Colombian epidemiologist Carlos Trillos told AFP.

Governments also face a race against time to provide training to those handling the doses throughout the cold chain, he said.

Amazon basin countries had an early taste of the geographical challenges ahead for their vaccination campaigns, after health workers struggled to provide care for three million indigenous people scattered throughout the rainforest, an area almost seven times the size of Spain.

Vaccine campaigners also worry about rampant disinformation in the continent worst-affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 12.5 million of the 630 million Latin Americans have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 435,000 have died, a third of the total number of deaths worldwide, according to AFP figures based on official data.

- Challenging and costly' -

The process will be "challenging and costly" said Jarbas Barbosa, deputy director of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

The organization expects to distribute vaccines in the region between March and May 2021 through Covax, a World Health Organization initiative to guarantee equal access for impoverished countries.

All Latin American and Caribbean countries have joined Covax, although some lack funds to purchase vaccines themselves, Barbosa said.

In any case Covax will only provide enough vaccines for 10 to 20 percent of the population, forcing many governments to sign separate bilateral agreements with laboratories and biotechnology companies.

Countries in the region are having to spend significant amounts of money on these pre-purchases just as they are experiencing historic economic contractions from the impact of the pandemic.

Lower-income countries like Bolivia, Haiti, Guyana and several Caribbean island states are betting on the Covax-eligible status to receive vaccines without contributing funds. So is El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, recently battered by Hurricanes Iota and Eta.

Covax's latest projections estimate that vaccinating just 20 percent of the region's population will cost more than $2 billion.

The vaccine will be free of charge, rolled out in a first phase for health professionals, essential workers and, in some cases, older people or those with conditions that put them at risk of developing a serious case of Covid-19.

- Complex logistics -

Storing and distributing the vaccines is emerging as the main obstacle.

Among the companies leading the vaccine race, Pfizer/BioNTech require their doses being stored at temperatures around -70 degrees Celsius -- meaning they can only be distributed in large cities, experts said.

Maintaining the cold chain "is a challenge for all countries" said Barbosa.

One positive is that "there are more than 100 vaccines in development ... the others that are closer to concluding clinical trials use the same cold chain that countries already use," he said, in ranges of - 15 to -25 Celsius and 2 to 8 degrees Celsius.

Argentina, which has signed agreements that so far guarantee vaccines for 28 of its 44 million inhabitants, will deploy the army to ensure doses are distributed.

- Crisis and disinformation -

Peru, the Latin American country with the most deaths per million inhabitants (1,081), has so far secured 9.5 million vaccines and is negotiating with laboratories to cover 24.5 million of its 31 million inhabitants.

Venezuela signed a deal with Russia to receive 10 million Sputnik V vaccines in the first quarter of 2021, and Caracas said mass vaccinations would begin in April.

However, according to Virgilio Vasquez, head of local NGO Doctors United, the problem in Venezuela goes far beyond doubts over the infrastructure and equipment to support the cold chain.

"Vaccines have to reach not only large hospitals but also outpatient clinics in remote areas," he said.

Even if health centers were to receive the necessary equipment to ensure safe vaccine storage, health workers "will still have serious electrical problems, with regions where the power goes out for hours every day."

Vasquez, a specialist in epidemiological data processing, also said Venezuela's vaccination campaigners will lack fuel to power vehicles needed to distribute the vaccine because of a severe gasoline shortage.

Brazil's vaccine campaign was well set "to reach the most remote areas," said Natalia Pasternak, microbiology professor at the University of Sao Paulo.

However, the major obstacle there could come from pandemic skeptic President Jair Bolsonaro "and the eventual resistance of the population" to vaccination, she said.

burs-ll/db/ch

© 2020 AFP

France migrants : controversy over treatment of asylum-seekers.

Issued on: 26/11/2020 


Daniel Tostado, immigration lawyer, comments on the controversial destruction of a camp of refugees in the center of Paris on November 23rd.