DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 3

USA WORLD AUSTRALIA

Trump escalates claims China releases images of moon Censored post disappoints

President Donald Trump stood before A Chinese spacecraft landed on the The Australian government is a White House lectern and delivered a moon this week to bring back lunar disappointed a Chinese social media 46-minute diatribe against the election rocks to Earth for the first time since company has censored a post by the results that produced a win for Democrat the 1970s, the government announced. prime minister. Scott Morrison used Joe Biden, reiterating his baseless claim China’s National Space Administration WeChat to respond to an offensive tweet that he really won. said Chang’e 5 “successfully landed” at its by a senior Chinese government official. designated site shortly after 1500GMT after making a powered descent from its orbiter.

UK EUROPE NEW ZEALAND

‘Challenges’ with vaccine rollout Putin’s ‘large-scale’ vaccination New cases for NZ, five historical

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned President Vladimir Putin ordered a “large- Nine new cases of Covid-19 in managed of the “immense logistical challenges” scale” COVID-19 immunisation campaign isolation facilities are being reported by in distributing the newly approved to start by late next week, with doctors the Ministry of Health today, including coronavirus vaccine as it emerged that and teachers set to be first in line to get a five historical cases. most care home residents will need to Russian-designed vaccine that has yet to wait for their jab. complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols.

1 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

YOUR DAILY TOP 12 STORIES FROM FRANK NEWS

FULL STORIES START ON PAGE 6

WORLD WORLD AUSTRALIA

SKoreans take exam amid virus announces vaccine plan Tasmania opens up borders

Hundreds of thousands of masked Turkey’s health minister has announced Tasmania is open to all states and students in South Korea, including 35 a vaccination plan starting with an territories for the first time in nine confirmed COVID-19 patients, took the experimental “” later months after dropping border highly competitive university entrance this month to combat the COVID-19 restrictions with South Australia. Arrivals exam despite a viral resurgence that pandemic amid a surge in infections and from SA no longer have to quarantine, as forced authorities to toughen social deaths. of 12.01am on Thursday. distancing rules.

USA UK NEW ZEALAND

Controversial jet in the air Royal Navy detonates WWII mine Positive news for finances

American Airlines is taking its long- A Second World War mine found by The government’s finances are in much grounded Boeing 737 Max jets out of divers in the Firth of Clyde has been better shape than expected, with strong storage, updating key flight-control detonated by the Royal Navy. The domestic spending propping up the tax software, and flying the planes in “pristine” mine, confirmed as being a take. Official figures show a deficit of preparation for the first flights with German submarine-laid device, still $3.8 billion for the four months ended paying passengers later this month. contained about 350kg of explosives. October, less than half the amount forecast before the election.

2 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

- AAP Boris Johnson. - PA

USA UK Trump escalates election ‘Challenges’ with vaccine claims rollout

President Donald Trump stood before a White House Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of the lectern and delivered a 46-minute diatribe against the “immense logistical challenges” in distributing the newly election results that produced a win for Democrat Joe approved coronavirus vaccine as it emerged that most Biden, reiterating his baseless claim that he really won. care home residents will need to wait for their jab.

Trump called his address, released only on social media and The UK became the first country in the world to give the go- delivered in front of no audience, perhaps “the most important ahead to the vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech on Wednesday, speech” of his presidency. But it was largely a recycling of the paving the way for vaccinations to start next week. same unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud that he has But the recommendation from the Joint Committee on been making for the past month. Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises ministers, “The constitutional process must be allowed to continue,” he that care home residents and staff should be the top priority said. cannot yet be fully carried out. “We are going to defend the honesty of the vote by ensuring Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said the that every legal ballot is counted and that no illegal ballot jab has to be stored at such low temperatures that it can only is counted. This is not just about honoring the votes of 74 be moved a few times. Each pack of doses cannot be easily million Americans who voted for me, it’s about ensuring that split and the 975 doses they contain would be too many for Americans can have faith and this election and in all future individual care homes, meaning the vaccine would be wasted. elections.” Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Johnson Trump, who spoke from the Diplomatic Room, kept up his acknowledged the “immense logistical challenges”, adding: “It pushback against the election even as state after state certifies will inevitably take some months before all the most vulnerable its results and as Biden presses ahead with shaping his Cabinet are protected – long, cold months. in advance of his inauguration on January 20. “So it’s all the more vital that as we celebrate this scientific Biden received a record 80 million votes compared to achievement we are not carried away with over-optimism or fall 74 million for Trump. The Democrat also won 306 electoral into the naive belief that the struggle is over.” votes compared to 232 for Trump. The Electoral College split Sir Simon told a Downing Street briefing that the first people matches Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton four years ago. to receive the jab from 50 hospital hubs next week would be Trump dug further into his contention of a “rigged the over-80s, care home staff and others identified by the JCVI election” even though members of his own administration, who may already have a hospital appointment. including Attorney General William Barr, say that no proof of GP practices will then operate local vaccination centres widespread voter fraud has been uncovered. Courts in multiple as more vaccine becomes available and, if regulators give battleground states have thrown out a barrage of lawsuits filed approval for a safe way of splitting packs, care homes will on behalf of the president. ■ receive stocks, he added. Sir Simon said it would take until March or April for the entire at-risk population to be vaccinated. But later in the briefing, he insisted the NHS was “raring to go” to vaccinate people in care homes, hopefully this month. ■

3 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

- AP Russian President Vladimir Putin. - AP

WORLD EUROPE China releases images of Putin orders ‘large-scale’ moon landing COVID vaccination

A Chinese spacecraft landed on the moon this week to President Vladimir Putin ordered a “large-scale” bring back lunar rocks to Earth for the first time since COVID-19 immunisation campaign to start by late next the 1970s, the government announced. week, with doctors and teachers set to be first in line to get a Russian-designed vaccine that has yet to complete China’s National Space Administration said Chang’e 5 the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness “successfully landed” at its designated site shortly after and safety in line with established scientific protocols. 1500GMT after making a powered descent from its orbiter. It released footage filmed by cameras onboard the Putin’s action came hours after Britain became the first country spacecraft, showing the barren scene at the landing site and in the West to authorise the use of a vaccine against the the lander’s shadow. coronavirus developed by US drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s The probe, launched on November 24 from the tropical BioNTech. southern island of Hainan, is the latest venture by a Chinese Russia touted its domestically developed vaccine, Sputnik space program that sent its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, V, as the world’s “first registered COVID-19 vaccine” after has a spacecraft en route to Mars and aims eventually to land the government gave it regulatory approval in early August. a human on the moon. However, giving the shots the go-ahead drew considerable It is expected to spend about two days drilling into the lunar criticism from experts, because at the time the Sputnik V only surface and collecting two kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rocks and had been tested on several dozen people. debris. The Russian leader said at the time that the early vaccine The samples will be lifted up into orbit and transferred to recipients included one of his daughters. a return capsule for the trip to Earth, where it is to land in Putin said that more than two million doses of the Sputnik V China’s northern grasslands in mid-December. ■ jab “has been produced or will have been produced in the next few days.” “This gives us the opportunity to start if not mass, but large- scale vaccination, and of course, as we agreed, first of all of the two risk groups – doctors and teachers,” Putin told government officials. He tasked Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova to “organise the work in such a way so that large-scale vaccination starts by the end of next week.” Golikova said that the shots will be voluntary and free of charge, and that the government was looking to include other demographic groups in the vaccination campaign. The two-shot Sputnik V vaccine was developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Institute. An advanced study among 40,000 volunteers was announced two weeks after the vaccine received government approval. The trial is still ongoing. ■

4 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. - AAP - RNZ

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Censored post New cases for NZ, disappoints Australia including five historical

The Australian government is disappointed a Chinese Nine new cases of Covid-19 in managed isolation social media company has censored a post by the prime facilities are being reported by the Ministry of Health minister. today, including five historical cases.

Scott Morrison used WeChat to respond to an offensive tweet In a written statement, the ministry this afternoon said there by a senior Chinese government official. were no new community cases. But the platform blocked his post, saying it distorted The nine cases in managed isolation included two members historical events and would confuse the public. of the Pakistan cricket squad who were reported yesterday as The ugly diplomatic spat centres on allegations of war crimes under investigation. against Australian troops who served in Afghanistan. The team is set to have its day nine tests today. Josh Frydenberg is disappointed China deliberately stoked The ministry said they had been identified as historical cases, tensions with the inflammatory propaganda post. along with a person who arrived from Germany via Singapore “What the prime minister did in his WeChat message before on 17 November and two people who travelled independently it was disappointingly deleted was he made it very clear and arrived from Netherlands via Singapore on 18 November. Australia is proud of its servicemen and women who wear the Those three people all tested positive in day-12 testing. uniform,” the treasurer said. The active cases include a person who arrived from the “We have established a transparent process to deal with United Kingdom on 29 November and tested positive in those matters. day-three testing, two people who arrived from Qatar on 21 “Despite the challenges in the bilateral relationship, that in November and tested positive on day 12, and a person who no way diminishes our respect and admiration for the Chinese arrived from the United States on 30 November and tested Australian community, but also the people of China.” positive on day three. Frydenberg, who also has to manage deteriorating trade ties, With the recovery of another 11 cases New Zealand has 70 said the bilateral relationship between Australia and China was active cases of Covid-19, and 1713 total confirmed cases. critical. Laboratories completed 5843 tests yesterday, bringing the He rejected suggestions the prime minister overreached in total tests to date to 1,291,609. demanding an apology for the incendiary tweet. This morning, Minister for Covid Response, Chris Hipkins, Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said the broken Chinese told Morning Report it was unlikely the government would relationship was causing Australian exporters and industry use emergency provisions to push it through as fast as other groups immense anxiety. countries. “I think it is self-evident the relationship is not in good His comments followed news the UK government became condition,” he said. the first nation in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech “It is an especially low ebb for the relationship between our coronavirus vaccine for widespread use. countries.” Hipkins said New Zealand was not under any humanitarian National accounts figures suggest the Australian economy pressure to fast-track vaccines and that those drugs would only could be fully recovered from the coronavirus recession by the be approved after he was 100 percent sure of safety after trials end of next year. ■ were complete. ■

5 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

A student wearing a face mask prays before the start of the annual college entrance An American Airlines Boeing 737 Max. - AP examination amid the coronavirus pandemic at an exam hall in Seoul, South Korea. - AP

WORLD USA South Koreans take Controversial jet back in exam amid virus the air

Hundreds of thousands of masked students in South American Airlines is taking its long-grounded Boeing Korea, including 35 confirmed COVID-19 patients, took 737 Max jets out of storage, updating key flight-control the highly competitive university entrance exam despite software, and flying the planes in preparation for the a viral resurgence that forced authorities to toughen first flights with paying passengers later this month. rules. The airline invited press reporters and photographers on About 493,430 students were taking the one-day exam board one of the planes Wednesday to demonstrate its at about 1,380 sites across the nation, including hospitals confidence in the plane’s safety. and other medical facilities where the 35 virus patients and All Max jets worldwide were grounded in March 2019 after hundreds of other test-takers in self-quarantine sat separately the second of two crashes that together killed 346 people. Last from others, according to the Education Ministry. month, the Federal Aviation Administration approved changes The annual exam, called “suneung,” or the College Scholastic — mainly in flight-control software — that will allow airlines to Ability Test, is crucial for many students in the education- resume flying the plane. obsessed country, where job prospects, social standing and American flew journalists from Dallas to the airline’s even who you marry can often depend on which university you maintenance center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where crews graduate from. explained how they are bringing the planes out of storage and Defense and land ministries said they temporarily banned making FAA-required changes. military exercises and stopped air traffic to reduce noise during American is likely to be the first carrier to put passengers English-language listening parts of Thursday’s exam, as they did on Max jets, beginning Dec. 29 with once-a-day round trips in past years. Government offices and many private companies between New York and Miami. In the meantime, the airline asked their employees to come in late, and the country’s stock plans flights with employees on board. market delayed its opening to clear roads for test-takers. Some relatives of people who died in the crashes — and who This year’s exam had been originally scheduled for still believe the plane is unsafe — expressed outrage at both November but were delayed due to the virus outbreak. Experts Boeing and American over what they termed a publicity stunt. say on-and-off online classes have widened the gap between Zipporah Kuria, a British citizen whose father died in the high achievers and low performing students due to reduced second Max crash, said Boeing and the FAA should instead interaction with teachers, digital distractions and technical turn over documents on changes made to fix the plane difficulties. and how they were tested. The company has withheld the “If the exam had been delayed again, our kids would have documents, saying they cover trade secrets. felt much more psychological pressure ... I think it’s fortunate “I feel like Boeing is using the press to leverage public trust the exam is taking place now,” said Kim Sun-wha, mother of a instead of actually genuinely earning public trust,” she said. “I’m test-taker. “I hope everyone would avoid making mistakes, do really disgusted by the whole thing and the fact that American their best and get good results.” Airlines would pay for that. Their focus is more about the profit Mothers hugged their children and patted their backs before and corporate interest than it is about consumer safety.” ■ they entered a temporary exam site set up at a high school in Seoul. One shouted, “Don’t be nervous! Do Well!” and another screamed “Cheer up!” ■

6 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

A health worker administers the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine currently on phase III - PA clinical trials to Cem Gun at the Acibadem Hospital in Istanbul. - AP

WORLD UK Turkey announces Royal Navy detonates vaccine plan WWII mine

Turkey’s health minister has announced a vaccination A Second World War mine found by divers in the Firth of plan starting with an experimental “inactivated vaccine” Clyde has been detonated by the Royal Navy. later this month to combat the COVID-19 pandemic amid a surge in infections and deaths. The “pristine” mine, confirmed as being a German submarine- laid device, still contained about 350kg of explosives. Fahrettin Koca had previously announced an agreement with The alert was raised after it was discovered by a crew on a Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech for marine research boat near Wemyss Bay earlier this week. 50 million doses of CoronaVac, which is currently in Phase 3 The seven crew members were evacuated by Troon Lifeboat trials. Koca said in a statement late Wednesday that the first and Rothesay Coastguard Rescue Team while the boat, with shipment of the inactivated vaccine will arrive in Turkey after the mine onboard, was sailed to Ettrick Bay on the Isle of Bute December 11. where the Royal Navy’s Northern Diving Group (NDG) carried Inactivated vaccines are made by growing the whole virus out a controlled explosion. in a lab and then killing it. Safely brewing and then killing the Lieutenant Commander Mark Shaw, NDG commanding virus can take longer than newer technologies. But inactivated officer, said: “Considering it had been in the water for around vaccines give the body a sneak peek at the germ itself rather 80 years, its condition was remarkable. than just the single spike protein, which mediates the entry of “From the initial pictures we were able to easily identify the the coronavirus. mine type and importantly determine that the explosive fill was The minister said early use authorization would be granted intact and therefore presented a significant hazard. after Turkish labs confirm vaccine safety and initial results from “The vessel was diverted to Ettrick Bay and met by my team, Phase 3 trials are assessed. led by Petty Officer (Diver) Robert McCann, who safely dealt “If developments continue positively as we expect, Turkey with the situation.” would be among the first countries in the world to begin He added: “Items of this size are relatively uncommon, vaccinations in the early phase,” Koca said. however, NDG are approaching 100 call-outs this year In November, The Lancet published a study about the supporting civil authorities with all types of Explosive Ordnance efficacy of Sinovac’s vaccine candidate based on initial Phase Disposal, ranging from mines and torpedoes to hand grenades 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. The study said the efficacy was and improvised devices. determined to be moderate, and that the vaccine produced “On average, across the UK, Royal Navy clearance divers are lower levels of antibodies than those that have been found in tasked once a day for EOD assistance. recovered COVID-19 patients. “This highlights the remaining presence of historic ordnance. “The protective efficacy of CoronaVac remains to be “Even small items can be unstable and present an explosive determined,” the study said. hazard; carrying-out a controlled explosion is the only safe way Candidates from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna have of dealing with them and neutralising the hazard. said that they have more than 90% efficacy rates. The UK’s “If anyone comes across a suspected piece of ordnance AstraZeneca have an efficacy rate of 70-90%, again based on they shouldn’t interfere with it and immediately contact the limited clinical trials. ■ emergency services.” ■

7 DECEMBER 3 (GMT) – DECEMBER 4 (AEST), 2020

Tasmania is open to all Australian states and territories for the first time in nine months. Minister of Finance Grant Robertson. - RNZ / Dom Thomas - AAP

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND Tasmania opens up Positive news for borders finances

Tasmania is open to all states and territories for the first The government's finances are in much better shape time in nine months after dropping border restrictions than expected, with strong domestic spending propping with South Australia. up the tax take.

Arrivals from SA no longer have to quarantine, as of 12.01am Official figures show a deficit of $3.8 billion for the four months on Thursday. ended October, less than half the amount forecast before the The only exception is people who have visited two "high- election. risk" locations - the Intensive English Language Institute at The surge in consumer spending after the lockdowns has Adelaide's Flinders University and Woodville High School - in lifted GST revenue by more than $1.6 billion above forecast. November. Income and corporate tax revenue were also higher than People who've been to the venues need travel permission expected, which the Treasury said showed companies had not from Tasmania's deputy state controller. been as hard hit by COVID-19 as expected. It is the first time Tasmania has been open to all states and The government's expenses were lower than forecast with territories since the island shut its borders in March. $1.4 billion less being spent on the wage subsidy scheme. Tasmania reopened to SA in October, but was forced to Minister of Finance Grant Robertson said the stronger than close again in mid-November due to a COVID-19 outbreak in expected finances were a vindication of the government's Adelaide. response to the pandemic. All incoming travellers need to register and must be health "Overall, the government accounts are holding up well, screened and temperature checked before entering. which is a result of the government's action to support the Tasmania's last coronavirus case was more than 110 days New Zealand economy through a once-in-a-lifetime economic ago. ■ shock," he said. The net debt level grew to $97 billion, 31.5 per cent of the value of the economy compared to a forecast 32.5 per cent. The better than expected finances hold the prospect that the large budget deficits and debt levels forecast in the pre- election update in August will be reduced in the half-year economic update in two weeks. ■

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