World Monday, August 31, 2020 07

Global coronavirus cases pass 25 million Brazil surpasses 120,000 AFP with 78,761. said Christovam Barcellos, a 100 days without local trans- Paris Even nations such as New ● At least 25,029,250 researcher at public health in- mission before the current clus- COVID-19 deaths Zealand and South Korea, people have been infected stitute Fiocruz. “And Brazil still ter emerged. RIO DE JANEIRO: Just over six months after registering its first Global coronavirus infec- which had previously brought isn’t past the peak.” And tightened virus curbs case of the new coronavirus, Brazil crossed the grim threshold tions soared past 25 million on their outbreaks largely under with the respiratory More than 843,000 people kicked in on Sunday in South of 120,000 people killed by COVID-19 on Saturday, with no end Sunday, as countries around control, are now battling new disease, of whom some have died of COVID-19 glob- Korea, which is also battling in sight to the crisis. The country of 212 million people has now the world further tightened re- clusters of infections. 843,778 have died ally, and with no vaccine avail- fresh clusters -- including in the registered 120,262 deaths from the virus and 3,846,153 infec- strictions to try to stop the ram- On the other side of the able yet, governments have greater Seoul region, home to tions, the health ministry said in its daily update. paging pandemic. world, Latin America -- the ● A million additional been forced to resort to some half the country’s population. Brazil is just the second country to surpass a death toll of A million additional cases worst-hit region -- is still strug- cases have been detected form of social distancing and Despite the grim numbers, 120,000 in the pandemic, after the United States, where the have been detected globally gling with its first wave, with globally roughly every four lockdowns to stop the spread of there has been steady opposi- number killed is now more than 182,000. roughly every four days since COVID-19 deaths in Brazil days since mid-July the virus. tion to lockdowns and social Unlike in Europe and Asia, where the virus hit hard and then mid-July, according to an crossing 120,000, second only Masks will become manda- distancing measures in many subsided, Brazil’s outbreak is advancing at a slow but devas- AFP tally, with India on Sun- to the United States. tory from Monday on public parts of the world, often be- tating pace, said Christovam Barcellos, a researcher at public day setting the record for the Brazil’s curve “has stabi- ous level: nearly 1,000 deaths transport and flights in New cause of their crushing eco- health institute Fiocruz. (AFP) highest single-day rise in cases lised now, but at a very danger- and 40,000 cases per day,” Zealand, which went more than nomic cost.

Huge protest demands Trump presses ‘law and order’ resignation of Belarus leader on 66th birthday DPA Videos and images from Minsk the rally also showed uni- message as protest turns deadly formed men leading away Tens of thousands of people in mainly male protesters. There fire,” viewing it as helpful to his Belarus flooded into the streets were screams and protesters One killed as Trump re-election. on Sunday to demand the res- shouted “Shame!” at the police. Trump spent Sunday ignation of the country’s em- The Interior Ministry said supporters clash morning tweeting and retweet- battled authoritarian leader Al- more than 140 people had been with Black Lives ing dozens of posts purporting exander Lukashenko, who on arrested in Minsk alone by the to show violence in Democrat- the same day marked his 66th afternoon. Many other peo- Matter protesters ic-run cities, and especially birthday. ple were reportedly taken into Portland. Security forces were pre- custody at other protests in the AFP The president has repeat- sent in large numbers in the country. San Francisco edly threatened to send fed- capital Minsk, where the main Earlier, officials had eral government forces into Independence Square had warned that the Minsk demon- A MAN was shot dead in the the west coast city if Mayor Ted been cordoned off with metal stration had not been author- protest-hit US city of Portland, Wheeler does not crack down. barriers. ised and threatened violence. police said on Sunday, during Trump attacked Wheeler, But that did not stop the The pro-democracy move- clashes between Black Lives a Democrat, for refusing help demonstrators from trying to ment ignored the threats and Matter activists and supporters from the National Guard, move in, leading to confronta- said that as Lukashenko cel- of President Donald Trump. which he said “could solve tions. Some officers repeatedly ebrated his 66th birthday on Detectives said they had these problems in less than 1 attacked peaceful demonstra- Sunday, he should see that the opened a homicide investiga- hour.” tors, according to a DPA re- people were against him after tion after the victim was hit in “Wheeler is incompetent, porter at the scene. ruling for 26 years. the chest as gunfire broke out much like Sleepy Joe Biden,” Other uniformed men tried Protests erupted in sev- on Saturday evening in the Or- Trump tweeted. “This is not to push back the people with eral places in Minsk. After be- egon city, an epicentre of near what our great Country wants. off-road vehicles that had high ing thwarted at Independence nightly demonstrations for Portland police hold back a man who was with the victim of a fatal shooting as he reacts in minutes after They want Safety & Security, metal grilles attached on the Square, thousands of protest- three months. the incident in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday. (AFP) and do NOT want to Defund front bumper. ers then headed across the The shooting followed a our Police!” Pictures showed women city to Lukashenko’s working week of nationwide protest counter-protesters, although ● Wheeler had shared an lying down in front of them in residence, the Independence -- including the cancellation police did not say whether Trump spent Sunday morning tweeting and retweeting open letter to Trump on Fri- the street. Palace. of numerous sporting events the shooting, around 8:45 pm dozens of posts purporting to show violence in Democratic- day denouncing the president’s -- over the police shooting in (0445 GMT Sunday), was con- run cities, and especially Portland “politics of division and dema- Kenosha, Wisconsin of African nected to the rally. ● goguery.” American Jacob Blake. Photographs from the The president presents himself as the ‘law and order’ “Portlanders are onto you. Officers answered reports scene showed the victim wear- choice and characterises his Democratic challenger Joe We have already seen your of gunfire as violence erupted ing a hat with a logo for “Pa- Biden as weak on violent crime reckless disregard for human during a pro-Trump rally in- triot Prayer,” described by local life in your bumbling response volving hundreds of vehicles media as a far-right group at accused 17-year-old Kyle Rit- cratic challenger Joe Biden as to the Covid pandemic,” he “caravaning throughout down- the centre of multiple Portland tenhouse of shooting dead two weak on violent crime. wrote. town Portland.” demonstrations that have end- men and wounding another Biden, who has condemned “And we know you’ve “They responded and lo- ed in violence. who were protesting against violent protests, was due to de- reached the conclusion that cated a victim with a gunshot Police said they made 10 ar- Blake’s shooting. liver a speech Monday noting images of violence or vandal- wound to the chest. Medical re- rests, although they didn’t spec- Anti-racism protests roiling that “chaos has unfolded” on ism are your only ticket to re- sponded and determined that ify whether the detainees were US cities have become a major Trump’s watch, according to election.” the victim was deceased,” Port- pro-Trump demonstrators or issue in the campaign for No- The New York Times. Wheeler described protests land Police said in a statement. counter-protesters. vember’s presidential election, In an interview with MSN- as part of a “proud progressive OregonLive reported The Portland clashes fol- with Trump presenting himself BC last week, he said Trump tradition” in Portland but he A protester speaks with a Belarusian serviceman as opposition sup- “clashes” and “tense moments” lowed unrest in Kenosha, as the “law and order” choice was “rooting for the violence” also condemned violence and porters rally to protest against disputed presidential elections results between demonstrators and Wisconsin, where prosecutors and characterising his Demo- and “pouring gasoline on the vandalism. in Minsk on Sunday. (AFP)

News in brief French doctors concerned about school starting as infections rise DPA doctors wrote in an open let- current measures, including a school form has to close. Hong Kong opposition calls for boycott Paris ter published in the daily Le Since Friday, authorities mask-wearing rule for people Blanquer said the thresh- of coronavirus testing plan Parisien on Sunday. have reported an ‘exponen- aged 11 and older, in an inter- old was to be determined by HONG KONG: A collection of pro-democracy advocacy groups, Doctors in France have ex- The doctors called for a tial’ rise in infections, with view with newspaper Journal local health authorities, with local politicians and activists in Hong Kong called for a boycott pressed concern about pupils mandatory mask-wearing pol- 7,000 new cases registered Du Dimanche. hard-hit regions like Marseille of the government’s universal coronavirus testing plan due to returning to school next week, icy for everyone above the age “Everything cannot be or Paris able to introduce commence on September 1. as the number of coronavirus of six, adding that established within 24 hours overshadowed by the pre- stricter measures. At a press briefing on Sunday, vice-chairman of the Hospi- cases keeps surging. measures were not sufficient sent health reality,” Blanquer Since Friday, authorities tal Authority Employees Alliance, Ivan Law, said they opposed “The rules planned for the to halt the current rise in in- day, some after many months said. have reported an “exponen- companies compelling their employees to take the tests, which start of school on September 1 fections. at home. Another point of conten- tial” rise in infections, with have been touted as voluntary by the government. do not safeguard neither staff Twelve million pupils are Health Minister Jean- tion is how many pupils need 7,000 new cases registered Roy Tam, chair of the Neo Democrats, told reporters they nor pupils and their families,” to return to school on Tues- Michel Blanquer defended the be infected before a whole within 24 hours. had been informed of nine cases of employees being forced to take part in the testing. (DPA)

New record number of coronavirus Montenegro votes in tense election Czech delegation arrives in infections in Hungary amid opposition from China BUDAPEST: In Hungary, 292 new coronavirus infections were dominated by church row DPA ficial ever to visit Taiwan, will reported within 24 hours on Sunday, the highest daily increase AFP meet with the country’s Presi- since the pandemic began in the country in March. Podgorica dent Tsai Ing-wen, Legislative The day before, 158 new infections were recorded on the An 89-member delegation Yuan Speaker You Si-kun, Pre- government’s coronavirus website and 132 on Friday. Montenegrins went to the from the head- mier Su Tseng-chang and de- Until recently, the country with a population of 10 million polls on Sunday in an election ed by President of the Senate liver speeches. was characterised by a rather low infection rate. testing the three-decade dom- Milos Vystrcil arrived in Tai- The visit had been sched- On Friday, for the first time since April, more than 100 new ination of a pro-West party wan on Sunday for a six-day uled originally by Vystrcil’s cases were registered in a day, and on August 21, for the first which has faced protests and visit, amid opposition from predecessor, Jaroslav Kubera, time since May, more than 50 new cases were registered. high tension with supporters Beijing. who died of a heart attack in The number of infections per 100,000 inhabitants in the of the influential Orthodox At Taiwan Taoyuan In- January 2020. last seven days was 8.2 on Sunday, still far below that of other church. ternational Airport, Taiwan’s All delegation members countries in the region. (DPA) A dynamic reformist to foreign minister Joseph Wu provided Taiwan with docu- some and a corrupt autocrat welcomed the group, who had ments showing that they test- to others, President Milo Dju- flown directly from Prague. ed negative for the coronavirus 3-year-old girl in Taiwan safe after being kanovic has led the Adriatic Before the departure, Vystrcil before departure. pulled into sky by a kite nation for half of his life, tak- Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Amfilohije Radovic casts his ballot at said that the visit is to demon- The largest-ever Czech del- ing it from the end of com- a polling station in Cetinje on Sunday. (AFP) strate the belief held by former egation visiting Taiwan since TAIPEI: A 3-year-old girl in Taiwan was safe after being lifted munism in the 1990s to inde- Czech president Vaclav Havel, the 1989 “silk revolution” in- into the air by a large kite at a festival on Sunday, the state-run pendence from Serbia in 2006 that wants closer links with servant casting a ballot in that defending democracy cludes Senate Vice President Central News Agency reported. and more recently into NATO, Belgrade and Moscow. Podgorica. needs no approval from others. Jiri Ruzicka and the chairs of In videos of the incident, the 13 kilogramme girl partici- to the dismay of Russia. The run-up to the election “And we all hope that we “The visit will be certainly major senate committees as pating in the Hsinchu City International Kite Festival became His Democratic Party of has been marked by inflam- will start to live a little better, fruitful and further deepen well as Prague Mayor Zdenek entangled in a a long-tailed orange kite and then tossed around Socialists (DPS) has never lost matory rhetoric from both with more means,” he added. bilateral relations in vari- Hrib along with business lead- in the air for about 30 seconds, perhaps as high as several an election. sides, with police warning of The coronavirus pandemic ous fields including economic ers, university presidents, civic metres. The kite was lowered slowly and the girl was caught by But its majority in parlia- possible unrest on voting day. has pummelled Montenegro’s and trade,” Taiwan’s ministry organizations and news media. people on the ground, CNA reported. ment is razor thin, and this “I hope that everything tourism-dependent economy, spokeswoman Joanne Ou told The Czech Republic does not After being taken to hospital, the terrified girl was found to year the party faces a challenge will go well, without any putting the small nation on DPA on Sunday. have formal relations with Tai- have suffered only abrasions to her face. (DPA) from an emboldened right- problems,” said Branislav course for its worst contrac- In Taipei, Vystrcil, wan and the visit had drawn wing and pro-Serb opposition Sofranac, a 59-year-old civil tion in over a decade. the highest-ranking Czech of- ire from Beijing.