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Nicaragua: Ortega Tightens Grip on Power in Farcical Election Landslide

2021-11-08 FreeNews

A woman walks in front of a billboard with a picture of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega — **Daniel Ortega has been president since 1997, and led Nicaragua between 1979 and 1990**

Preliminary results from the Nicaraguan general election suggest that incumbent President Daniel Ortega has won by a landslide.

With about half of the ballots counted, Mr Ortega has secured around 75% of the vote. But as the BBC’s Central America Correspondent Will Grant reports, the result hardly comes as a surprise.

As the Nicaraguan president, Daniel Ortega, stepped back from casting his ballot, his supporters lining the polling station broke into supposedly spontaneous applause.

Holding his thumb in the air to show off the voting ink, he and his wife, Vice-President Rosario Murillo, drank in the noise for the state television cameras before being whisked away in a silver Mercedes-Benz.

He might as well have declared himself the victor there and then.

This was an election in which the result was never in question. In fact, the outcome in Nicaragua was decided months before a vote was even cast or counted.

From the moment on 2 June when police appeared at the home of his main rival, Cristiana Chamorro, and placed her under house arrest for alleged money-laundering, it was clear that President Ortega would be re-elected for another five-year term.

In the following days and weeks, there was a slew of further detentions of presidential hopefuls – seven of them in total – including a former Nicaraguan ambassador to the US, Arturo Cruz Jr, and Cristiana Chamorro’s cousin, Juan Sebastián Chamorro. Even her brother, Pedro Joaquín, a journalist in his 70s, was arrested for merely voicing interest in running during an interview.

Three hours after uttering those words, the police arrived at his door too.

Image caption,

Exiled activist Alexa Zamora called on Nicaraguans to boycott the election

The clampdown has shocked Latin America for its speed and ruthlessness. Most of the detained candidates and many other Ortega critics have been charged under a controversial treason law.

Addressing the nation after voting, Mr Ortega again likened the round-up of his opponents to the trials in the United States of those who stormed the Capitol on 6 January.

“They have as much right as we do to open trials against terrorists,” he said, adding that the “immense majority of Nicaraguans voted for peace and not terrorism or war”.

Unsurprisingly, the president’s claims did not wash with the exiled Nicaraguans who turned out to protest in Costa Rica’s capital, San José. Instead they urged their compatriots to boycott the election in an effort to further delegitimise the vote.

“This is a consummate fraud, and all Nicaraguans are aware of it,” said Alexa Zamora of the National Blue-and-White Unity group, an opposition alliance.

“We’re calling on the international community not to recognise this vote and on Nicaraguan citizens still inside the country to stay away from the voting stations,” she yelled above the chanting and bullhorns.

Image caption,

Lionel Hernández is resigned to the outcome of the election, saying “only God can remove a king”

Even before polls had closed, the White House issued the kind of statement the protesters were hoping for, calling the vote “a pantomime election that was neither free nor fair, and most certainly not democratic”.

A vote, then, with no meaningful rivals, no independent election observers or foreign media. At a Costa Rican border crossing of Peñas Blancas, several international journalists, including from the BBC, were denied permission to enter the country to cover the vote.

But while we could not get in, thousands are desperate to leave. Droves of Nicaraguans have fled the Ortega government since the crackdown began, often crossing into Costa Rica via blind spots along the jungled border.

Lionel Hernández charges the migrants a handful of dollars to make the illegal journey across his land. A Nicaraguan, Mr Hernández said he intended to cross back into the country to cast his ballot but was resigned over the outcome.

“Every country in the world has corrupt elections, even the United States. And only God can remove a king,” he shrugs.

For those who no longer want to live as subjects under the reign of Daniel Ortega and his courtiers, their options are limited. Hundreds of Nicaraguans are currently making their way through southern Mexico as part of a migrant caravan slowing heading north.

People pictured walking though a forest in Mexico — Image caption,

Hundreds of Nicaraguan migrants are making their way through Mexico

Among them is Carla – not her real name – who used to work for the Sandinista government. When she became disillusioned and tried to leave the party, she was intimidated by armed pro-Ortega radicals who turned up at her house.

“It’s getting worse and worse,” she said under a thatched roof of a temporary shelter.

“Murders are going up, there are paramilitary groups who kill people. You can hardly go out, you can’t express yourself. If you do, you’ll be killed. Everyone knows these groups are controlled by the government.”

Daniel Ortega is perhaps the last Cold War warrior. As Washington’s nemesis during the Reagan Administration, he was second only to the late Cuban leader, Fidel Castro.

Following Mr Ortega’s return to power in 2007, he has thrown off all the vestiges of his leftist guerrilla past. Behind a façade of pseudo-evangelical language, particularly from Rosario Murillo, there is an iron ruthlessness to the couple’s will to remain in power until the bitter end.

Their supporters will claim another five-year term is somehow the will of the majority of Nicaraguan people. In reality, President Ortega’s rule is increasingly repressive, autocratic and dynastic – and this controversial vote only further consolidates his control over his fiefdom.

The post Nicaragua: Ortega Tightens Grip on Power in Farcical Election Landslide appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

New Caribbean Airline to Serve Guyana, Barbados

2021-11-08 FreeNews

A new passenger airline, interCaribbean Airways, has entered the local airspace and will be offering 12 round trips between Guyana and Barbados starting December 17.

InterCaribbean Airways is a regional airline that offers flights to some 27 destinations within the Caribbean. Currently, a base in Barbados serves as a hub to other Eastern Caribbean destinations and now, Guyana.

The airline was launched by Guyana’s Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill on Friday where he explained that with ties between Guyana and Barbados becoming stronger, the direct route was discussed in great detail with the airline.

Importantly, Edghill noted that Guyanese can have as many as three different times they can fly to Barbados on specific days.

“You can go to Barbados in the morning and come back in the evening,” Edghill declared.

The minister also alluded to the addition of other travel routes eventually. But, he charged the airline to provide world-class service to the people of Guyana who are expecting long-lasting, quality services.

“We want you to stay in the market, we want you to grow even if there are other competitors,” Edghill stated, noting that there is a growing need for aviation services in Guyana.

Meanwhile, the Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar noted that two of the airways’ planes will be stationed in Guyana and interCaribbean is expected to create about 20 jobs. Importantly, too, the airline will be working alongside locally-owned Roraima Airways.

Indar also highlighted the growing aviation sector and the need for additional carriers to facilitate the travel of tourists, business people and workers.

The airline’s Chairman Lyndon Gardiner said that interCaribbean aims to provide easier intra-regional travel, recognising that there is a dearth of such services. Importantly, he said that he planned to establish this airline in each major Caribbean city with an airport by 2025 before the COVID-19 pandemic slowed those plans.

Still, he said that expansion was a crucial consideration and Guyana’s attractiveness as a business destination was all the more inviting for the company.

The post New Caribbean Airline to Serve Guyana, Barbados appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

US: Pandemic End in Sight, States Vaccine Rebellion, Summary, World Stats

2021-11-08 FreeNews

END IN SIGHT? GOTTLIEB SAYS PANDEMIC COULD BE OVER IN US BY JANUARY

Former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said Friday that he thinks the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States could be over by January, transitioning to a lower-level “endemic” presence.

“I think the bottom line though is that these mandates that are going to be put in place by Jan. 4 really are coming on the tail end of this pandemic,” Gottlieb said on CNBC, referring to President Biden’s deadline for a vaccine or test mandate for businesses with at least 100 employees. “By Jan. 4 this pandemic may well be over at least as it relates to the United States after we get through this delta wave of infection. And we’ll be in more of an endemic phase of this virus.”

It’s not totally going away: The coronavirus is not expected to disappear entirely, but it could settle into a lower-level, constant presence that does not cause the disruption and harm of the past year and a half.

New treatments: In addition to vaccines, Gottlieb, who is on the board of Pfizer, also pointed to results from new treatments, including a pill from Pfizer that the company said Friday was found to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 by 89 percent.

“Once we get through this delta wave of infection over the course of the next two months, I think that this therapeutic and the other innovations that we’ve seen coming to market really mark the end of the pandemic in the United States,” Gottlieb said. “We need to think about how we put that victory sign on the side of the White House.”

26 states push back on Biden vaccine rules

More than two dozen states are balking against the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine-or-test mandate for businesses that have at least 100 employees, setting up the latest legal challenge between Republicans and the White House.

Several coalitions — which include 25 attorneys general and one solicitor general — filed petitions with federal appeals courts asking for the mandate to be blocked.

One group, led by Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt and including 10 others, filed a lawsuit in the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, claiming that the requirement is “unconstitutional, unlawful, and unwise.”

The lawsuit alleges that the Biden administration did not have the constitutional authority to implement the mandate which “unconstitutionally infringes on the States’ powers.”

“Its unlawful mandate will cause injuries and hardship to working families, inflict economic disruption and staffing shortages on the States and private employers, and impose even greater strains on struggling labor markets and supply chains,” the attorneys general allege in the lawsuit, which requested that the court stay the requirement pending review.

Another challenge: A separate coalition of Republican attorneys general also filed a petition with the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals, also arguing that OSHA has neither the constitutional or statutory authority to implement the rule.

“OSHA’s vaccination mandate represents a real threat to individual liberty,” West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a statement on Friday. “As we have seen throughout the country, it is also a public policy disaster that displaces vulnerable workers and exacerbates a nationwide shortage of front-line workers, with severe consequences for all Americans.

DEMOCRATIC GOVERNOR COMES OUT AGAINST VACCINE MANDATE

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, said she doesn’t think having a coronavirus vaccine mandate is the “correct” or “most effective” move.

Kelly, who is up for reelection next year, said she appreciates “the intention to keep people safe” but doesn’t think the administration’s vaccinate-or-test requirements serve as a “solution for Kansas.”

“It is too late to impose a federal standard now that we have already developed systems and strategies that are tailored for our specific needs,” she said.

Her disapproval of the administration’s move comes as many Republican governors and attorneys general have voiced their opposition to the vaccine-or-test requirements for businesses.

The administration predicts the latest federal mandate will save thousands of lives and prevent more than 250,000 hospitalizations in its first six months. Kansas has seen more than 6,400 COVID-19 deaths and beyond 15,000 hospitalizations throughout the pandemic.

Kansas is ranked in the middle of the pack for its vaccination rate, with the state government reporting 53.7 percent of the total population have gotten at least one dose, while less than half are fully vaccinated.

HHS parts ways with Emergent

A contract between the Biden administration and Emergent BioSolutions, a vaccine contractor who has struggled with production failures during the pandemic, has been canceled.

Emergent unveiled in its earnings report that the Department of Health and Human Services and the company ended the $650 million contract in a “mutual agreement.”

The company said they had agreed to forego about $180 million of the contract’s $650 million total.

Flashback: The contract was signed at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 under the Trump administration’s Operation Warp Speed, but the administration stopped payments after the spring of this year when issues at the company’s Maryland plant were disclosed.

This past spring, the plant was forced to destroy the equivalent of tens of millions of doses of Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine because of suspected contamination with an ingredient for the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Production was halted by the Food and Drug Administration after the contamination, delaying the rollout of J&J’s vaccine. The plant was eventually allowed to reopen after an inspection in August.

Emergent executive: In an op-ed for The Baltimore Sun, Kramer directed blame for the failures of the contracts toward the government.

“The original intent of this partnership was to create a facility that could produce 50 million dose-equivalents of influenza vaccine drug substance in four months in the event of a pandemic,” Kramer said. “Facility expansion was only a first step. To build and maintain a state of readiness, continued investment is a necessity. The government maintained that they would provide us with the necessary drug development work to build and maintain those capabilities. That didn’t happen.

Nov 8 (Reuters) – Here’s what you need to know about the coronavirus right now:

Global COVID-19 cases hit 250 million

Global COVID-19 cases surpassed 250 million on Monday as some countries in eastern Europe report record outbreaks, even as the Delta variant surge eases elsewhere and many countries resume trade and tourism. The daily average number of cases has fallen by 36% over the past three months, according to a Reuters analysis, but the virus is still infecting 50 million people every 90 days due to the highly transmissible Delta variant.

Infections are still rising in 55 out of 240 countries, with Russia, Ukraine and Greece at or near record levels of reported cases since the pandemic started two years ago, according to a Reuters analysis. More than half the world’s population has yet to receive a single dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according to Our World in Data, a figure that drops to less than 5% in low-income countries. read more

Australia begins vaccine booster rollout as more curbs ease

Australia began administering booster shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine on Monday as millions of people in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid an accelerating immunisation drive. There are now no limits on the number of fully vaccinated guests at homes, while restaurants and entertainment venues can allow more patrons. Stadiums can operate at full capacity. read more

After more than 18 months of some of the world’s strictest containment policies, border restrictions have started to ease, setting in motion a plan to reopen the country to travellers amid a gaping hole in the market for casual workers. read more

U.S. braces for surge of vaccinated international travelers

The United States is expecting a flood of international visitors crossing its borders by air and by land on Monday after lifting travel restrictions for much of the world’s population first imposed in early 2020 to address the spread of COVID-19. read more

Passengers will need to show an “official source” showing vaccination status, and airlines will need to match the name and date of birth to confirm the passenger is the same person reflected on the proof of vaccination. read more

UK to roll out COVID-19 antiviral drug trial this month

Britain will start to roll out Merck’s molnupiravir COVID-19 antiviral pill through a drug trial later this month, Susan Hopkins, Chief Medical Adviser at the UK Health Security Agency said on Sunday. read more

Last week Britain became the first country in the world to approve the potentially game-changing COVID-19 antiviral pill, jointly developed by U.S.-based Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics. read more

German coalition parties to table coronavirus draft law on Monday

The three German parties working to agree on a coalition government by early December will present proposals to combat a raging fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country on Monday, daily newspaper Die Welt said.

The plan, which includes the reintroduction of free tests, comes from the SPD, Greens and Free Democrats, which together hold a parliamentary majority, and will be discussed by the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament, later this week. It is aimed to come into force before a national state of epidemic emergency expires on Nov. 25. read more

Compiled by Karishma Singh; Editing by Lincoln Feast

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WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

250,717,817

view by country

Deaths:

5,066,907

Recovered:

226,940,295

#	Country, Other	Total Cases	New Cases	Total Deaths	New Deaths	Total Recovered	New Recovered	Active Cases	Serious, Critical	Tot Cases/ 1M pop	Deaths/ 1M pop	Total Tests	Tests/ 1M pop	Population
	World	250,717,817	+118,193	5,066,907	+2,386	226,940,295	+103,239	18,710,615	75,978	32,165	650.0
1	USA	47,336,577		775,218		37,332,949		9,228,410	11,227	141,887	2,324	709,417,394	2,126,408	333,622,477
2	India	34,366,614		461,043		33,753,488		152,083	8,944	24,577	330	616,071,949	440,583	1,398,309,456
3	Brazil	21,880,439		609,484		21,069,794		201,161	8,318	101,960	2,840	63,776,166	297,188	214,598,567
4	UK	9,301,909		141,805		7,594,199		1,565,905	1,034	136,058	2,074	338,310,440	4,948,420	68,367,364
5	Russia	8,834,495	+39,400	248,004	+1,190	7,587,560	+25,582	998,931	2,300	60,502	1,698	213,400,000	1,461,454	146,018,963
6	Turkey	8,231,679		72,127		7,709,004		450,548	1,405	96,206	843	99,476,468	1,162,606	85,563,348
7	France	7,217,484		117,910		6,972,199		127,375	1,049	110,244	1,801	151,204,954	2,309,582	65,468,526
8	Iran	5,987,814		127,299		5,601,764		258,751	3,687	70,080	1,490	36,278,187	424,590	85,442,889
9	Argentina	5,296,781		116,104		5,163,900		16,777	608	115,763	2,537	25,380,778	554,706	45,755,353
10	Spain	5,025,639		87,504		4,877,922		60,213	386	107,433	1,871	66,213,858	1,415,454	46,779,233
11	Colombia	5,015,042		127,533		4,858,390		29,119	342	97,163	2,471	27,073,018	524,523	51,614,533
12	Italy	4,808,047		132,391		4,578,669		96,987	398	79,680	2,194	107,339,124	1,778,853	60,341,753
13	Germany	4,780,569		97,059		4,380,000	+14,500	303,510	2,332	56,813	1,153	77,993,513	926,887	84,145,628
14	Indonesia	4,248,165		143,545		4,093,795		10,825		15,313	517	48,401,808	174,468	277,425,538
15	Mexico	3,826,786	+1,382	289,734	+60	3,189,985	+2,381	347,067	4,798	29,266	2,216	11,465,960	87,687	130,760,226
16	Poland	3,111,534	+7,316	77,760	+3	2,753,325	+9,010	280,449	872	82,336	2,058	22,561,469	597,012	37,790,630
17	Ukraine	3,088,501	+13,068	72,557	+473	2,520,956	+8,200	494,988	177	71,198	1,673	14,876,584	342,946	43,378,803
18	South Africa	2,923,956		89,332		2,818,103		16,521	546	48,476	1,481	18,724,313	310,431	60,317,223
19	Philippines	2,805,294	+2,087	44,521	+91	2,728,696	+3,510	32,077	1,292	25,149	399	23,259,723	208,518	111,548,019
20	Malaysia	2,506,309		29,291		2,412,395		64,623	554	76,121	890	35,106,792	1,066,256	32,925,282
21	Peru	2,207,510		200,438		N/A	N/A	N/A	880	65,717	5,967	19,345,563	575,911	33,591,223
22	Netherlands	2,201,010		18,561		2,000,371		182,078	295	128,069	1,080	18,498,260	1,076,352	17,186,062
23	Iraq	2,062,863		23,344		2,014,862		24,657	167	49,782	563	15,937,990	384,620	41,438,231
24	Thailand	1,975,591	+7,592	19,703	+39	1,857,463	+7,495	98,425	1,997	28,208	281	14,913,135	212,934	70,036,452
25	Czechia	1,819,158	+2,996	31,053	+12	1,691,936	+40	96,169	386	169,448	2,892	41,245,370	3,841,851	10,735,806
26	Canada	1,730,509		29,150		1,676,438		24,921	570	45,315	763	46,679,607	1,222,342	38,188,670
27	Japan	1,724,200	+162	18,310	+1	1,702,435	+174	3,455	101	13,689	145	26,806,898	212,832	125,953,490
28	Chile	1,709,189		37,862		1,622,510		48,817	529	88,387	1,958	24,006,390	1,241,435	19,337,620
29	Romania	1,706,882		50,755		1,496,473		159,654	1,868	89,533	2,662	15,120,485	793,130	19,064,310
30	Bangladesh	1,571,013		27,895		1,534,825		8,293	1,380	9,413	167	10,473,600	62,753	166,903,015
31	Belgium	1,414,463		26,131		1,230,086		158,246	384	121,333	2,242	22,225,317	1,906,490	11,657,712
32	Israel	1,334,342	+157	8,123		1,319,888	+126	6,331	164	143,078	871	30,066,409	3,223,934	9,326,000
33	Pakistan	1,277,160	+449	28,547	+9	1,225,880	+517	22,733	1,235	5,634	126	21,143,023	93,276	226,671,991
34	Serbia	1,183,025		10,405		1,060,369		112,251	266	136,139	1,197	6,455,396	742,868	8,689,831
35	Sweden	1,177,094		15,024		1,143,389		18,681	34	115,580	1,475	13,398,797	1,315,638	10,184,260
36	Portugal	1,097,557		18,203		1,045,668		33,686	64	108,064	1,792	20,033,212	1,972,442	10,156,551
37	Vietnam	968,684		22,531		840,402		105,751	3,280	9,832	229	62,212,978	631,474	98,520,311
38	Cuba	955,981		8,262		945,021		2,698	74	84,471	730	10,668,223	942,649	11,317,280
39	Kazakhstan	949,630	+1,031	12,259	+9	901,843	+1,080	35,528	528	49,772	643	11,575,012	606,668	19,079,649
40	Morocco	947,396		14,713		928,641		4,042	347	25,263	392	10,186,270	271,629	37,500,675
41	Hungary	909,998	+17,834	31,398	+214	810,014	+5,294	68,586	434	94,523	3,261	7,628,027	792,340	9,627,220
42	Austria	892,065	+8,178	11,515	+13	804,003	+4,164	76,547	377	98,291	1,269	100,635,445	11,088,377	9,075,760
43	Switzerland	887,446		11,290		835,095		41,061	99	101,538	1,292	11,834,947	1,354,107	8,740,037
44	Jordan	875,804		11,128		840,282		24,394	639	84,702	1,076	11,199,602	1,083,156	10,339,791
45	Nepal	814,558		11,448		795,397		7,713		27,295	384	4,451,614	149,167	29,843,115
46	Greece	784,904		16,295		708,328		60,281	470	75,805	1,574	27,781,275	2,683,072	10,354,278
47	Georgia	755,046	+2,191	10,509	+74	693,129	+4,348	51,408		189,766	2,641	10,575,249	2,657,882	3,978,825
48	UAE	740,432		2,140		734,888		3,404		73,663	213	95,157,574	9,466,925	10,051,582
49	Tunisia	713,308		25,276		686,886		1,146	58	59,514	2,109	3,097,624	258,449	11,985,454
50	Lebanon	646,629		8,546		619,701		18,382	200	95,315	1,260	4,780,275	704,623	6,784,156
51	Bulgaria	632,762		25,074		494,843		112,845	732	92,001	3,646	5,849,046	850,427	6,877,774
52	Belarus	613,927		4,745		590,252		18,930		64,999	502	9,847,321	1,042,582	9,445,126
53	Guatemala	605,664		15,437		586,605		3,622	5	32,984	841	2,953,137	160,827	18,362,198
54	Costa Rica	562,316		7,134		513,693		41,489	227	109,042	1,383	2,575,363	499,403	5,156,882
55	Saudi Arabia	548,930		8,804		537,858		2,268	50	15,443	248	30,558,607	859,720	35,544,839
56	Azerbaijan	547,281		7,269		507,756		32,256		53,328	708	5,284,216	514,906	10,262,488
57	Sri Lanka	545,256		13,856		515,183		16,217		25,320	643	5,500,800	255,442	21,534,452
58	Slovakia	521,650	+3,015	13,269	+40	444,202	+969	64,179	368	95,484	2,429	4,086,439	747,992	5,463,213
59	Ecuador	519,386		32,989		443,880		42,517	759	28,848	1,832	1,917,796	106,519	18,004,269
60	Bolivia	517,902		18,964		478,958		19,980	220	43,566	1,595	2,563,530	215,645	11,887,749
61	Myanmar	506,816		18,821		478,233		9,762		9,231	343	5,031,111	91,638	54,902,081
62	Croatia	501,327		9,500		459,827		32,000	248	123,144	2,334	3,180,957	781,357	4,071,065
63	Panama	473,416		7,329		464,453		1,634	49	107,440	1,663	4,103,490	931,270	4,406,339
64	Ireland	469,386		5,492		394,341		69,553	75	93,649	1,096	8,251,717	1,646,330	5,012,190
65	Paraguay	461,361		16,263		444,720		378	35	63,630	2,243	1,908,313	263,190	7,250,709
66	Lithuania	428,541	+1,411	6,135	+17	381,321	+560	41,085	222	160,445	2,297	5,724,282	2,143,162	2,670,951
67	Palestine	425,333		4,456		416,856		4,021	57	80,844	847	2,660,986	505,782	5,261,128
68	Venezuela	413,135		4,965		398,635		9,535	681	14,584	175	3,359,014	118,579	28,327,115
69	Kuwait	412,844		2,462		410,089		293	5	94,782	565	4,944,507	1,135,173	4,355,729
70	Denmark	402,561		2,738		373,929		25,894	40	69,172	470	87,109,521	14,967,943	5,819,739
71	Uruguay	395,268		6,086		386,869		2,313	24	113,258	1,744	3,899,449	1,117,326	3,489,983
72	Dominican Republic	388,165		4,150		379,992		4,023	250	35,305	377	2,265,706	206,073	10,994,674
73	S. Korea	381,694	+1,759	2,980	+13	347,799	+11,251	30,915	409	7,436	58	15,804,065	307,899	51,328,765
74	Honduras	376,281		10,309		116,109		249,863	120	37,193	1,019	1,098,345	108,565	10,116,981
75	Mongolia	367,412	+450	1,817	+8	313,256		52,339	192	109,693	542	4,030,048	1,203,193	3,349,461
76	Ethiopia	367,210		6,542		343,107		17,561	421	3,091	55	3,739,102	31,474	118,797,962
77	Libya	360,914		5,207		306,720		48,987		51,579	744	1,817,317	259,717	6,997,297
78	Slovenia	357,262	+1,282	4,842	+12	315,787	+696	36,633	130	171,816	2,329	1,783,238	857,605	2,079,324
79	Moldova	345,964		8,099		324,893		12,972	199	86,033	2,014	2,073,572	515,647	4,021,300
80	Egypt	337,485		19,076		283,225		35,184	90	3,216	182	3,693,367	35,197	104,935,461
81	Armenia	321,243	+810	6,700	+30	282,866	+1,916	31,677		108,136	2,255	2,183,118	734,878	2,970,721
82	Oman	304,375	+10	4,113	+1	299,776	+22	486	9	57,631	779	25,000,000	4,733,516	5,281,486
83	Bahrain	277,081		1,393		275,329		359	3	155,567	782	7,034,780	3,949,674	1,781,104
84	Bosnia and Herzegovina	257,401		11,717		192,218		53,466		79,121	3,602	1,319,130	405,481	3,253,249
85	Kenya	253,833		5,312		247,300		1,221	36	4,585	96	2,738,700	49,465	55,366,748
86	Qatar	240,098		611		238,091		1,396	8	85,511	218	2,870,571	1,022,354	2,807,805
87	Latvia	232,247	+423	3,515	+16	199,547		29,185	211	124,997	1,892	5,102,143	2,746,015	1,858,017
88	Singapore	218,333		497		192,049		25,787	64	36,928	84	20,982,378	3,548,857	5,912,432
89	Norway	216,855		922		88,952		126,981	40	39,583	168	8,212,842	1,499,119	5,478,446
90	Nigeria	212,713		2,906		204,379		5,428	11	999	14	3,340,313	15,681	213,019,097
91	Zambia	209,902		3,664		206,068		170	9	11,003	192	2,629,496	137,837	19,076,896
92	Algeria	207,156		5,945		142,186		59,025	15	4,612	132	230,861	5,140	44,918,250
93	North Macedonia	206,077		7,232		190,806		8,039		98,921	3,471	1,407,769	675,754	2,083,258
94	Estonia	205,883	+788	1,617	+7	176,107	+253	28,159	60	155,063	1,218	2,201,741	1,658,262	1,327,740
95	Botswana	192,935		2,407		188,000		2,528	1	79,870	996	1,828,618	757,003	2,415,602
96	Albania	189,125		2,955		178,111		8,059	3	65,816	1,028	1,328,650	462,372	2,873,553
97	Uzbekistan	188,169	+245	1,340	+2	184,242	+273	2,587	23	5,514	39	1,377,915	40,381	34,123,259
98	Kyrgyzstan	181,882	+52	2,689	+3	176,246	+61	2,947	131	27,272	403	1,787,059	267,953	6,669,297
99	Australia	181,617	+1,310	1,827	+12	158,932		20,858	149	7,013	71	44,559,195	1,720,500	25,898,976
100	Finland	164,492	+2,016	1,200	+16	46,000		117,292	34	29,626	216	7,550,158	1,359,815	5,552,342
101	Afghanistan	156,397		7,284		128,902		20,211	1,124	3,899	182	776,247	19,353	40,109,206
102	Mozambique	151,368		1,934		149,299		135	32	4,667	60	950,505	29,306	32,433,987
103	Montenegro	148,579		2,148		140,960		5,471	51	236,526	3,419	848,741	1,351,126	628,173
104	Zimbabwe	133,187		4,685		128,050		452	12	8,789	309	1,527,760	100,811	15,154,665
105	Ghana	130,391		1,188		127,702		1,501	40	4,082	37	1,873,852	58,655	31,946,776
106	Namibia	129,009		3,563		125,206		240		49,563	1,369	759,213	291,677	2,602,922
107	Uganda	126,625	+55	3,228	+1	96,898	+20	26,499	165	2,655	68	1,846,902	38,732	47,684,234
108	Cyprus	124,225		577		90,755		32,893	27	101,889	473	9,477,138	7,773,116	1,219,220
109	Cambodia	119,160	+68	2,835	+6	115,519	+72	806		6,997	166	2,657,551	156,042	17,030,987
110	El Salvador	116,258		3,690	+8	98,091		14,477	247	17,803	565	1,385,010	212,087	6,530,382
111	Cameroon	104,348		1,731		80,433		22,184	152	3,803	63	1,751,774	63,850	27,435,597
112	Rwanda	99,947		1,334		45,516		53,097	1	7,467	100	3,222,080	240,732	13,384,536
113	China	97,823	+89	4,636		91,985	+56	1,202	28	68	3	160,000,000	111,163	1,439,323,776
114	Jamaica	89,681		2,275		59,039		28,367	11	30,108	764	648,667	217,775	2,978,614
115	Maldives	88,817		245		86,559		2,013	23	160,500	443	1,623,756	2,934,273	553,376
116	Luxembourg	82,842		849		79,684		2,309	13	129,500	1,327	3,608,314	5,640,573	639,707
117	Senegal	73,935		1,880		72,043		12	2	4,264	108	848,428	48,935	17,337,923
118	Angola	64,674		1,720		60,016		2,938	28	1,889	50	1,133,560	33,105	34,241,662
119	Malawi	61,815		2,302		58,002		1,511	67	3,123	116	428,944	21,669	19,795,459
120	Ivory Coast	61,421		699		60,251		471		2,253	26	1,092,753	40,090	27,257,810
121	Trinidad and Tobago	59,304		1,772		52,010		5,522	22	42,191	1,261	406,263	289,030	1,405,606
122	DRC	57,605		1,098		50,930		5,577		618	12	306,299	3,286	93,224,814
123	Réunion	55,125		376		54,058		691	33	60,983	416	1,303,606	1,442,146	903,935
124	Guadeloupe	54,737		744		2,250		51,743	23	136,769	1,859	523,309	1,307,566	400,216
125	Fiji	52,247		674		50,045		1,528		57,718	745	446,787	493,572	905,212
126	Suriname	49,602	+52	1,117	+3	29,504	+2	18,981	18	83,544	1,881	150,075	252,769	593,724
127	Laos	47,056		82		6,558		40,416		6,344	11	687,708	92,709	7,417,917
128	Eswatini	46,457		1,244		45,182		31	10	39,492	1,057	375,301	319,033	1,176,370
129	French Guiana	45,028		315		11,254		33,459	18	145,672	1,019	432,719	1,399,909	309,105
130	Syria	44,191		2,590		26,652		14,949		2,445	143	103,566	5,730	18,073,136
131	Madagascar	43,632		964		41,322		1,346	3	1,523	34	249,510	8,709	28,649,434
132	Martinique	43,496		692		104		42,700	1	116,029	1,846	376,921	1,005,466	374,872
133	Sudan	40,238		3,099		32,905		4,234		890	69	238,579	5,275	45,228,093
134	French Polynesia	40,178		636		33,500		6,042	7	141,922	2,247	26,355	93,094	283,100
135	Cabo Verde	38,256		349		37,804		103	23	67,814	619	211,166	374,320	564,133
136	Malta	37,904		462		36,680		762	3	85,537	1,043	1,211,456	2,733,855	443,131
137	Mauritania	37,703		801		36,206		696	22	7,832	166	488,283	101,426	4,814,188
138	Guyana	36,180		942		32,592		2,646	11	45,701	1,190	363,732	459,446	791,675
139	Gabon	36,174		254		29,241		6,679	24	15,752	111	1,344,158	585,317	2,296,461
140	Papua New Guinea	31,791	+192	407		29,243	+494	2,141	7	3,465	44	218,952	23,863	9,175,416
141	Guinea	30,681		385		29,571		725	24	2,254	28	567,389	41,682	13,612,289
142	Belize	27,894		509		25,063		2,322	10	68,476	1,250	317,921	780,448	407,357
143	Tanzania	26,196		725		N/A	N/A	N/A	7	422	12			62,024,005
144	Togo	26,114		243		25,784		87		3,058	28	555,478	65,044	8,540,034
145	Benin	24,804		161		24,346		297	5	1,976	13	604,310	48,150	12,550,680
146	Haiti	24,073		685		20,431		2,957		2,077	59	132,422	11,426	11,590,014
147	Somalia	22,693		1,294		10,767		10,632		1,376	78	262,138	15,897	16,490,008
148	Bahamas	22,485		657		21,312		516	9	56,450	1,649	158,661	398,331	398,314
149	Seychelles	22,220		119		21,952		149		224,062	1,200	21,504	216,842	99,169
150	Lesotho	21,685		659		12,804		8,222		10,015	304	243,604	112,511	2,165,166
151	Mayotte	20,651		185		2,964		17,502		73,314	657	176,919	628,087	281,679
152	Burundi	20,136		38		773		19,325		1,628	3	345,742	27,956	12,367,300
153	Barbados	20,069		180		12,448		7,441		69,720	625	401,721	1,395,591	287,850
154	Timor-Leste	19,799		122		19,674		3		14,641	90	169,501	125,344	1,352,285
155	Mauritius	18,314		199		1,854		16,261		14,368	156	358,675	281,398	1,274,618
156	Congo	17,944		297		12,421		5,226		3,148	52	188,207	33,013	5,700,975
157	Curaçao	17,156		175		16,877		104	4	103,976	1,061	318,833	1,932,333	164,999
158	Tajikistan	17,086		124		16,960		2		1,739	13			9,826,189
159	Nicaragua	16,699		207		4,225		12,267		2,481	31			6,730,864
160	Taiwan	16,445	+3	847		15,496	+6	102		689	35	7,727,325	323,658	23,874,980
161	Mali	16,371		576		14,739		1,056		778	27	462,716	21,997	21,035,780
162	Aruba	16,006		172		15,687		147	14	149,062	1,602	177,885	1,656,624	107,378
163	Andorra	15,618		130		15,289		199	4	201,700	1,679	193,595	2,500,194	77,432
164	Burkina Faso	15,103		221		14,661		221		697	10	226,312	10,441	21,674,780
165	Iceland	14,255		34		13,125		1,096	5	41,411	99	1,159,361	3,367,964	344,232
166	Brunei	13,782	+40	93		12,603	+158	1,086	6	31,101	210	533,431	1,203,777	443,131
167	Channel Islands	13,684		100		12,733		851		77,739	568	1,024,026	5,817,503	176,025
168	Djibouti	13,491		186		13,273		32		13,392	185	239,062	237,312	1,007,373
169	Equatorial Guinea	13,407		168		12,918		321	1	9,152	115	242,340	165,422	1,464,979
170	Saint Lucia	12,688		260		12,118		310	4	68,673	1,407	88,064	476,640	184,760
171	South Sudan	12,453		133		12,008		312	2	1,095	12	247,059	21,728	11,370,746
172	Hong Kong	12,369		213		12,036		120		1,632	28	27,124,160	3,578,830	7,579,057
173	CAR	11,579		100		6,859		4,620	2	2,343	20	60,228	12,185	4,942,953
174	New Caledonia	11,350	+44	269	+1	55		11,026	18	39,246	930	42,756	147,842	289,201
175	Gambia	9,973		341		9,618		14	3	3,976	136	118,928	47,419	2,508,044
176	Isle of Man	9,970		60		9,483		427	1	116,418	701	132,267	1,544,454	85,640
177	Yemen	9,870		1,909		6,532		1,429	23	321	62	265,253	8,637	30,710,813
178	New Zealand	7,648	+192	32	+1	4,862	+1	2,754	5	1,529	6	4,298,145	859,268	5,002,100
179	Eritrea	6,948		46		6,775		127		1,923	13	23,693	6,558	3,612,610
180	Niger	6,511	+21	221	+1	6,138	+16	152	5	256	9	174,937	6,891	25,384,631
181	Sierra Leone	6,396		121		4,393		1,882		780	15	160,729	19,612	8,195,546
182	Gibraltar	6,153		98		5,822		233	5	182,706	2,910	391,808	11,634,290	33,677
183	Guinea-Bissau	6,150		143		5,737		270		3,029	70	103,820	51,127	2,030,641
184	Grenada	5,861		198		5,576		87		51,763	1,749	83,099	733,915	113,227
185	Liberia	5,815		287		5,458		70	2	1,114	55	128,246	24,579	5,217,774
186	Bermuda	5,677		106		5,512		59	1	91,613	1,711	606,909	9,794,068	61,967
187	San Marino	5,569		92		5,391		86	2	163,664	2,704	84,182	2,473,977	34,027
188	Chad	5,105		175		4,874		56		299	10	148,082	8,680	17,060,171
189	St. Vincent Grenadines	5,092		69		3,927		1,096	2	45,703	619	87,151	782,213	111,416
190	Dominica	4,961		32		4,566		363		68,686	443	94,316	1,305,827	72,227
191	Sint Maarten	4,510		75		4,412		23	10	103,600	1,723	62,056	1,425,493	43,533
192	Comoros	4,321	+6	147		4,102	+2	72		4,830	164			894,556
193	Antigua and Barbuda	4,091		105		3,852		134	9	41,314	1,060	17,674	178,484	99,023
194	Saint Martin	3,872		56		1,399		2,417	7	97,889	1,416	54,303	1,372,848	39,555
195	Sao Tome and Principe	3,729		56		3,633		40		16,600	249	14,689	65,388	224,644
196	Liechtenstein	3,674	+17	61		3,515	+26	98	3	95,987	1,594	49,126	1,283,467	38,276
197	Monaco	3,437		36		3,369		32	1	86,756	909	54,960	1,387,283	39,617
198	Turks and Caicos	3,017		23		2,935	+3	59	1	76,529	583	94,789	2,404,409	39,423
199	British Virgin Islands	2,725		37		2,649		39	7	89,335	1,213	82,570	2,706,947	30,503
200	Saint Kitts and Nevis	2,717		25		2,584		108	1	50,589	465	52,204	972,015	53,707
201	Cayman Islands	2,676		2		1,074		1,600	8	40,082	30	139,740	2,093,076	66,763
202	Bhutan	2,623		3		2,614		6		3,350	4	1,210,910	1,546,364	783,069
203	Faeroe Islands	2,615		5		1,928		682	7	53,243	102	508,000	10,343,283	49,114
204	Caribbean Netherlands	2,501		20		2,386		95		94,193	753	25,579	963,355	26,552
205	St. Barth	1,589		6		462		1,121		160,214	605	38,369	3,868,623	9,918
206	Anguilla	1,039		1		958		80		68,427	66	49,707	3,273,643	15,184
207	Greenland	859				790		69	2	15,096		90,235	1,585,769	56,903
208	Diamond Princess	712		13		699		0
209	Wallis and Futuna	445		7		438		0		40,554	638	20,508	1,868,951	10,973
210	Macao	77				75		2		116		5,008	7,573	661,272
211	Falkland Islands	72				68		4		19,912		7,747	2,142,423	3,616
212	Montserrat	41		1		38		2		8,207	200	1,408	281,825	4,996
213	Saint Pierre Miquelon	32				32		0		5,559		10,173	1,767,373	5,756
214	Vatican City	27				27		0		33,582				804
215	Solomon Islands	20				20		0		28		4,500	6,342	709,566
216	Western Sahara	10		1		8		1		16	2			617,115
217	MS Zaandam	9		2		7		0
218	Palau	8				8		0		439		11,133	611,367	18,210
219	Vanuatu	6		1		3		2		19	3	23,000	72,598	316,811
220	Marshall Islands	4				4		0		67				59,729
221	Samoa	3				3		0		15				200,193
222	Saint Helena	2				2		0		328				6,101
223	Micronesia	1				1		0		9				116,650
224	Tonga	1						1		9				107,311
	Total:	250,717,817	+118,193	5,066,907	+2,386	226,940,295	+103,239	18,710,615	75,978	32,164.8	650.0

Highlighted in green

= all cases have recovered from the infection

Highlighted in grey

= all cases have had an outcome (there are no active cases)

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Latest News

November 8 (GMT)

Updates

157 new cases in Israel [source]

1,282 new cases and 12 new deaths in Slovenia [source]

2,016 new cases and 16 new deaths in Finland [source] [source]

7,316 new cases and 3 new deaths in Poland [source]

10 new cases and 1 new death in Oman [source]

8,178 new cases and 13 new deaths in Austria [source]

55 new cases and 1 new death in Uganda [source]

8 new deaths in El Salvador [source]

3,015 new cases and 40 new deaths in Slovakia [source]

192 new cases in Papua New Guinea [source]

423 new cases and 16 new deaths in Latvia [source]

3 new cases in Taiwan [source]

The post US: Pandemic End in Sight, States Vaccine Rebellion, Summary, World Stats appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

headline

Nine Young Nevis Residents Receive Honors at Youth Impact 12 Awards Ceremony

2021-11-08 FreeNews

NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS — Nine young people n Nevis, three more than in 2020, have been honoured at the Youth Impact 12 Awards Ceremony. The event, hosted by the Department of Youth in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), was held virtually at the Nevis Performing Arts Centre (NEPAC) with the theme “Champions of Youth Work.”

Mervil Jahnel Nisbett was presented an award for Patriotism; Brendon Claxton for Education and Lifelong Learning; Diandra Archibald for Volunteerism; Maliqua Kamau for Volunteerism; Yahsulazie Flanders-Grant for Entrepreneurship; Javani Tyson for Sports Excellence; Jevon Claxton for Information Technology; Shakir Stapleton for Youth Development; and Davien Griffin for Youth in the Arts.

Mr. Keith Glasgow, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Community Development, lauded the awardees, describing them as champions.

“Youth Workers Week is being celebrated this week under the theme “Champions of youth work.” This theme has been borrowed by the Youth Department for this ceremony. I therefore wish to think of our youth awardees as champions in these different areas in which they will be awarded.

“I see you as champions of good character, champions in your chosen careers, champions for positive change, and champions within your communities…I extend congratulations to you awardees, on the work that you’ve done and the excellent work that you continue to do. May your work bring enduring benefits to your communities,” he said.

The permanent secretary noted that the Ministry of Youth and Sports endorsed the event and he commended the efforts of the Department of Youth.

“At this time, I also wish to commend the Director of Youth, the staff, the interviewers, the sponsors and all who have made this award ceremony a reality. You have been doing outstanding work,” he said.

Meantime, Ms. Kerdis Clarke, Director of the Department of Youth congratulated the awardees.

“Nine deserving, hardworking, dedicated and selfless champions will be awarded for their sterling contributions to nation building

“I wish to express heartfelt congratulations to each of you! We salute all of you for your remarkable contributions over the years. We adore you. We appreciate you,” she said.

Ms. Clarke thanked the Ministry of Social Development for continually supporting the undertakings of the department. She also expressed her profound gratitude to the sponsors of the awards ceremony for exercising their corporate responsibility by giving back to the community even during this challenging and financially strapped period.

The director also expressed gratitude to her staff for a job well done.It would be remiss of me to leave this podium without singling out the staff of the Department of Youth. The sacrifices, dedication, drive and passion for youth work have propelled this department to soar to higher heights

“Thank you, Miss Lanisa Burke, for your immeasurable service to the Department of Youth. We have full confidence that you will continue to brighten the corner wherever you may be. Thank you, Ms. Cordiesere Walters, Mr. Leandre Dyer and Ms. Kesharna Stapleton. You are appreciated,” she said.

Also present at the ceremony were Hon. Spencer Brand; and Ms. Michelle Liburd, Assistant Secretary in the Ministry of Social Development.

The post Nine Young Nevis Residents Receive Honors at Youth Impact 12 Awards Ceremony appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

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Swooping crows terrorising Gold Coast street stump experts

2021-11-09 FreeNews

A murder of crows has been terrifying pedestrians on the Gold Coast's Cavill Avenue, captured swooping at passersby in what experts are calling a rare display of aggression.

The three crows have been seen terrorising people and have been reported to the local council.

Behavioural ecologist Darryl Jones from Griffith University said the behaviour was incredibly rare.

"They don't seem to hit anybody, they are just scaring the crap out of people," Mr Jones said.

"It's not to be expected, it's still really unusual, but some crows have taken to doing it. Nobody really understands why."

He said the birds were highly intelligent and tend to hold grudges towards specific people.

"They will remember individual people, they will swoop them and probably give their lives hell. So if you're getting swooped by a crow, go a different direction until the crows have finished their breeding season," Mr Jones said.

While all reports of swooping birds are investigated by council, some are more difficult to catch and relocate than others.

"Crows are so insanely smart that they're virtually impossible to catch," Mr Jones said.

The most common swooping culprits over spring tend to be magpies defending their nests, with experts warning people to be aware of swoopers from July through to December.

Residents are recommended to avoid areas where it's evident a bird may be nesting.

Making eye contact with the bird may make it less likely to attack you, with sunglasses recommended to protect your eyes.

If you are being swooped, it's recommended to walk away, not run.

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Fossil Fuel Industry Has Largest Group at COP26 Cimate Summit, Summary So Far

2021-11-08 FreeNews

Edited by James Clarke

BBC

Campaigners led by Global Witness assessed the participant list

published by the UN at the start of this meeting.

They found that 503 people with links to fossil fuel interests had been accredited for the climate summit.

These delegates are said to lobby for oil and gas industries, and campaigners say they should be banned.

“The fossil fuel industry has spent decades denying and delaying real action on the climate crisis, which is why this is such a huge problem,” says Murray Worthy from Global Witness.

“Their influence is one of the biggest reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to real cuts in global emissions.”

About 40,000 people are attending the COP. Brazil has the biggest official team of negotiators according to UN data, with 479 delegates.

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Eastern states bracing for week-long drenching

2021-11-08 FreeNews

Thunderstorms and possibly large hail have been predicted for south-east Queensland today, as parts of Australia's east coast prepare for a soaking, including warnings of flash flooding and strong winds.

Millions of people across Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria have been told to brace for a week of heavy rain, and a storm-heavy Summer season.

Moist and unstable conditions are likely to see thunderstorms in Queensland's south-east most days this week.

https://omny.fm/shows/the-9news-lunch-podcast/nov-8-new-health-benefits-of-alcohol-with-a-catch/embed?style=cover

This week's stormy weather has been brought by a broad low-pressure trough which slowly crossed the region over south-east Australia during the weekend.

This system has now pushed further east and is contracting into Queensland and northern New South Wales.

Another round of wild weather is on the cards later this week as a further trough deepens over eastern Australia from Wednesday onwards.

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1457554439389200386

Weather Zone's Ben Domensino said this week's storms are due to three separate weather events, including a developing La Niña, which is driving airborne moisture and unusually warm water across the Pacific Ocean and towards Australia.

A negative Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) causing moisture-laden air to travel towards Australia from the northwest and a positive Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is also helping to push humid air across Australia from the east.

"These climate drives have collectively caused a huge mass of moisture-laden air to sit above Australia, which will fuel rain throughout the week," Mr Domensio said.

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1457536214156943364

Long-range weather forecaster and research director for the Bureau of Metrology, Hayden Walker, said wet conditions this week are only the start of what will be a particularly eventful storm season.

"We've certainly seen mother nature release a fury in relation to storm activity over the last month and we'll continue to see quite prevalent storm activity once again for the months of November, December January February," he said.

"That'll be concentrated in the south-east and then will start to head for the tropics.

"We've seen very intense storm activity which I say is savage, because we've seen a lot of destruction in the storm activity.

"It's going to occur again and people need to stay vigilant and be aware of what's happening in the next three or four months."

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1457536214156943364

Queensland

South East Queensland is bracing for a wet start to the week, including warnings of possible flash flooding.

The Bureau of Meteorology has also warned of strong marine winds along the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

A broad trough system over western and interior Queensland will move slowly eastward across central and south-eastern districts, leading to widespread showers and thunderstorms across much of the state over the next few days.

There is a risk of severe storms for south-eastern parts of the state, and regions around rivers in the south-west have been warned to brace for flooding, particularly along the Bulloo, Paroo and Diamantina River.

https://twitter.com/BOM_Qld/status/1457154805663768580

Brisbane is expected to receive a downpour of up to 35mm today, with a top temperature of 28C.

New South Wales

A low pressure trough continues to track slowly towards the northern coastline while weakening this morning.

There will be heavy showers and thunderstorms in the east, possibly severe about the northeast of the state and an area along the central and northern ranges.

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1457099185795342341?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

There are strong wind warnings for waters off Byron Bay, Coffs Harbour and Eden.

Sydney is headed for showers and a top temperature of 25C.

Victoria

After a weekend of heavy rain and flash flooding, Victoria is headed for calmer conditions today.

There is a chance of a light shower on and south of the ranges, mostly clearing for the afternoon. Isolated showers and possible thunderstorms in the morning and afternoon in the northeast of the state.

Flash flooding has wreaked havoc across Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs last night, with streets turning to rivers from Clayton to Dandenong.

A new low trough will build over eastern Victoria later tomorrow and bring further heavy rain across the state.

Melbourne is forecast to have a cool day with a top temperature of 17C.

Flash flooding wreaked havoc across Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs on Saturday. There were more than 300 calls made to the SES, including 50 in the Springvale, Mulgrave and Keysborough area.

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A wine or beer a day could keep the doctor away, new research reveals

2021-11-08 FreeNews

A glass of wine or beer a day could keep the doctor away, according to a major new study into alcohol consumption among older Australians.

The Monash University-led research has shown moderate alcohol intake in older Australians is better for heart and overall health than having no alcohol.

The study, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, looked at 18,000 adults in Australia and America, who had an average age of 74, for more than four years.

Two people toasting beer in a bar

It found those who drank between five and 10 standard drinks a week showed a much lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who had no alcohol.

However, the lead author of the study, Professor Johannes Neumann, has warned the findings need to be interpreted with caution.

The study participants were all initially healthy without prior cardiovascular disease or other severe conditions, and may have been more physically and socially active than the wider ageing population.

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Man armed with a bow and arrow arrested outside Victorian Parliament

2021-11-08 FreeNews

A man who stood on the roof of his car outside Victoria's Parliament House while armed with a bow and arrow has been arrested.

The 18-year-old man was seen standing on the roof of a parked car at the intersection of Spring Street and Bourke Street in Melbourne's CBD while holding a bow and arrow around noon.

A small number of protesters gathered on the steps of Parliament House hollered as a group of police officers took the bow from the man's grip and led him off the car, arresting him.

He was taken to hospital for assessment.

The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated.

The protesters gathered outside Parliament are believed to be speaking out against the state government's management of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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Man who allegedly threw missiles at police during Melbourne protests fronts court

2021-11-08 FreeNews

A Melbourne man accused of throwing missiles at police during the construction industry protests has faced court for the first time.

Steven Micallef, 47, fronted Melbourne Magistrates' Court today, facing 12 charges from the protests on September 21, including assaulting emergency workers, charging at a police vehicle and affray.

Police alleged the Hillside man was among the thousands of protesters who stormed the city on September 21 after the construction sector was shut down for two weeks.

Mr Micallef is accused of joining others in throwing rocks at officers when rioters swarmed the CBD and the West Gate Bridge, angry at COVID-19 vaccinations being mandated for construction workers.

Members of the crowds charged at police cars and damaged vehicles by kicking them.

Today the court heard CCTV and police bodycam footage would form part of the case against Mr Micallef.

Although hundreds of protesters were arrested at the multiple rallies held that week in September, the work for police is not yet over.

A taskforce has been set up to investigate criminal incidents, and 30 people have been identified since.