Tag Archives: caribbean

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Nicaragua Arrests Two More Possible Challengers to Daniel Ortega

BBC- Authorities in Nicaragua have arrested two more potential presidential challengers to veteran leader Daniel Ortega in elections later this year.

Felix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastián Chamorro have been accused of terrorism and plotting against Nicaragua’s sovereignty and independence.

They were held under a controversial new security law passed in December by Mr Ortega’s government. Two other opposition leaders have been arrested in recent days.

The US branded Mr Ortega “a dictator” following Tuesday’s arrests.

Last week, opposition leader Cristiana Chamorro was placed under house arrest for alleged money laundering, which she denies.

And on Saturday another opposition figure, Arturo Cruz, was detained at Managua airport as he arrived from the US.

President Ortega, 75, is seeking a fourth consecutive term in November’s election.

On Tuesday, Mr Maradiaga, 44, was summoned to the public prosecutor’s office in Managua and after being questioned he left the building, saying: “I am going to stay in the running for the presidential candidacy.”

According to reports, police then stopped him and his lawyer in their car. An opposition spokesman said Mr Maradiaga had been beaten by police during the arrest and that his whereabouts were unknown.

Police officers escort the vehicle of Felix Maradiaga in Managuaimage copyrightReuters
Police escorted Felix Maradiaga’s car after he was questioned at the public prosecutor’s office

Shortly afterwards, Juan Sebastián Chamorro – a cousin of Cristiana Chamorro – was detained at his home outside Managua.

Separate police statements said the arrests were carried out for the same reasons – for “carrying out acts that undermine independence, sovereignty, and self-determination, inciting foreign interference in internal affairs, and calling for military interventions”.

File image of Juan Sebastián Chamorroimage copyrightAFP
Juan Sebastián Chamorro was arrested at his home (file image)

The men are also accused of using “financing from foreign powers to carry out acts of terrorism and destabilisation”.

Tweeting after Mr Maradiaga’s arrest, the top US diplomat for Latin America, Julie Chung, said the move “should resolve any remaining doubts about Ortega’s credentials as a dictator”.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet on Twitter
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José Miguel Vivanco, the Americas director for Human Rights Watch, also took to Twitter, saying: “In the last 30 years, I’ve never seen anything like it. Multilateral efforts are urgently needed to stop Ortega.”

The charges stem from a law passed in December that targets “those who ask for, celebrate and applaud the imposition of sanctions against the Nicaraguan state”.

Its backers say it is to defend Nicaragua’s sovereignty against hostile foreign influence but critics say it is designed to stop opposition politicians from standing in the election.

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Daniel Ortega: Nicaragua’s veteran leader

Nicaraguan leader Daniel Ortega in the 1980s and in 2018image copyrightGetty Images and Reuters
Daniel Ortega in the 1980s and in 2018
  • First took power in 1979 as the head of the leftist Sandinista rebel movement, ousting dictator Anastasio Somoza
  • Defeated in 1990 election after economic failures resulting from US sanctions and war against US-backed right-wing rebel groups known as Contras – then loses two more elections
  • Accused of sexual abuse by own stepdaughter in 1998
  • Re-elected in 2006 after rebranding as Christian socialist
  • Allowed to stand for re-election in 2011 and 2016 following constitutional changes, and re-elected
  • Resisted calls to step down after violent suppression of uprising in 2018

From revolutionary leader to opposition hate figure

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The US and the European Union have both imposed sanctions against Mr Ortega and his government.

Arturo Cruz, 67, is being held in pre-trial detention while prosecutors investigate allegations of “provocation… and conspiracy to commit harm to national integrity”.

Journalist Cristiana Chamorro Barrios, daughter of former President Violeta Barrios de Chamorro (1990-1997), speaks during a press conference at the headquarters of the Citizens for Freedom party (CXL), in Managua, Nicaragua, 01 June 2021.image copyrightEPA
Cristiana Chamorro is under house arrest

Cristiana Chamorro, 67, was placed under house arrest days after announcing that she would seek to become the presidential candidate for the opposition Citizen’s Alliance.

She is seen by many in the opposition as their best hope of defeating Mr Ortega at the ballot box. Her mother Violeta Chamorro beat him in the 1990 presidential poll.

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US: Fauci Urges Vaccination for Delta, Cases Drop for Older Vaccinated Americans, World Stats

COVID-19 variants: Fauci urges vaccination to protect against Delta variant from India

White House chief medical adviser Anthony Fauci said on Tuesday that more than 6 percent of the sequenced COVID-19 infections in the U.S. trace to the highly transmissible Delta variant that was first found in India.

The Delta variant, known by the scientific name B.1.617.2, has spread from where it was first discovered in India to 60 countries, including the U.K., where it has become the dominant strain making up more than 60 percent of cases.

Fauci warned the Delta variant is “essentially taking over” the U.K. as its transmissibility “appears to be greater” than the Alpha strain, also known as B.1.1.7, that had been the most prevalent in the country after it was first discovered.

What this means: The Alpha strain, that was originally found in the U.K., became the dominant strain in the U.S. by April, which suggests the Delta strain could follow.

“We cannot let that happen in the United States,” Fauci said during a press briefing, calling on people to get vaccinated, including the second dose, to combat the spread of the variant.

Evidence for second dose: Fauci, who is the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or AstraZeneca vaccine “appear to be effective” against the Delta variant.

But three weeks after the first dose of the vaccines, both were 33 percent effective against symptomatic infections from the Delta strain.

Pfizer starting test of COVID-19 vaccine in children under 12

Pfizer and BioNTech announced on Tuesday that they will begin to test the effectiveness of their coronavirus vaccine in children younger than 12.

According to Reuters, the companies will conduct a study among nearly 4,500 children across more than 90 clinical sites located in the United States, Poland, Spain and Finland. The study will also follow a specific dosing regimen for certain age groups.

The companies plan to give children between the ages of 5 and 11 a dose of 10 micrograms and children and infants ages 6 months to 5 years a dose of 3 micrograms, the news outlet reported.

In March, Pfizer and BioNTech found their COVID-19 vaccine to be 100 percent effective in children ages 12 to 15. In a clinical trial of 2,260 adolescents, the vaccine was found to generate robust antibody responses.

White House: ‘Small fraction’ of COVID-19 vaccine doses will be unused

White House officials on Tuesday said they were not concerned about the potential for states to have unused Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses go to waste, adding that the federal government is working on strategies to extend the vaccine’s shelf life.

“Our first goal and our first opportunity is that every dose that’s been ordered by a governor in a state gets used,” White House COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt told reporters.

“There is a very very small fraction of doses that have been sent out to states that will ultimately not be used. These will be fractional amounts. And really, will not have any significant bearing on our ability to commit to distribute vaccines globally,” Slavitt said.

Context: Slavitt was responding to a question about Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R), who issued an urgent plea Monday evening for vaccine providers to distribute as many doses as possible as quickly as possible.

DeWine said the state has 200,000 doses that will expire by June 23, and he does not have legal options for sending the vaccine elsewhere, either to other states or other countries.

Study: Older Americans saw larger declines in COVID-19 cases, deaths after vaccines became available

Older Americans experienced larger declines in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths after the vaccine became available compared to those aged 18 to 49, according to a CDC study.

The study published on Tuesday examined the downward trend in cases, emergency department visits, hospital admissions and deaths among those 65 and older since before the vaccine was authorized in December.

The ratio of cases, emergency department visits, hospital admissions and deaths among those 65 and older compared to 18- to 49-year-olds decreased across the board since the time period when vaccines were not available.

At the same time, a higher portion of the older population, 82 percent, had received at least one dose of a vaccine by May 1, compared to 42 percent of 18- to 49-year-olds.

Conclusions: The CDC concluded that the difference among the age groups shows the effectiveness of the vaccines after the population with a higher rate of vaccinations saw a greater decline in cases, hospitalizations and fatalities.

“From November 29, 2020, to May 1, 2021, COVID-19 incidence, ED visits, hospital admissions, and deaths declined more in older adults, who had higher vaccination coverage, than in younger adults, who had lower coverage,” the study reads.

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WORLD STATS

Coronavirus Cases:

174,770,391

Deaths:

3,763,628

Recovered:

158,185,207
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

June 9 (GMT)

Updates

  • 10,407 new cases and 399 new deaths in Russia [source]
  • 904 new cases and 10 new deaths in

 

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Active COVID cases grows to 66

Active cases of COVID-19 have now hit 66 with Chief Medical Officer Dr Hazel Laws noting they recorded 19 additional cases on Monday evening and an additional six on Tuesday

That brings the total of active cases to 119, 66 of which are active and four hospitalisations.
Dr Laws also noted that all four cases who are in the hospital are stable and that there are no COVID-19 related deaths.
She said among the most recent cases include an imported case from the Dominican Republic and one case from the Tyrell Williams Primary School.
“One case, in particular, is also responsible for transmitting the virus to nine contacts. Such a case is referred to as a super spreader.”
She continued, “A significant number of recent cases are involved in the gaming sector. Approximately seven entities have been impacted through the contact tracing process. Approximately 1400 individuals have been engaged by the Ministry of Health Through the contact tracing process 870 of these individuals have been released from self-quarantine and a remaining 590 are to be tested before release.”

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Cruise Ships Return to Barbados with Vaccinated Tourists

By Amelia Robinson, CNW Reporter

 
Photo: Associated Press

Barbados welcomed back cruise ships to its shores starting with all passengers on board being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This was disclosed by tourism Minister Lisa Cummins on Saturday.

“We are preparing…to welcome back for the first time in over 15 months’ cruise ships to Barbados.

“It has been over a year of discussions, negotiations, and engagement at the level of the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), the European Union (EU) healthy sail guidelines, working through the Americas Crews Task Force, …chaired by the President and CEO of Royal Caribbean, Michael Bailey, and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados.”

Cummins pointed out that all arriving passengers must have a valid negative PCR test three days prior to arrival.

“There is testing that is going to be taking place on board the ships that will make sure that people are continually kept safe, but there are multiple different scenarios, and we want to spend some time just talking you through what that looks like.  So, everybody’s comfortable that we have been robust and rigorous in the assessment of what the parameters need to be, what the risk is going to be, what risks are going to be posed, and what measures need to be put in place,” she stated.

The minister also outlined the plans in place to receive cruise ships and passengers to the island.

“There are at least three different types of parameters that we needed to consider for cruising …people are going to be flying in; they’re going to have to meet the requirements first for boarding an aircraft, which would be a negative PCR test before they land in Barbados, and they’ve taken via sterile corridor directly to the port, where they then have to be subjected to further screening in order to embark on the ship, which is homeported here in Barbados,” she said.

She said that bubble tours will be made available for passengers.

“What that means is that we’re restricting what types of activity can be undertaken at this stage because despite our best efforts, and despite the level of rigour that we have put into developing these protocols, this is still the first ship.  We need to take small, confident but careful steps,” the tourism minister said.

The Celebrity Millennium will set sail from St. Maarten, visiting the islands of Aruba, Barbados and Curacao.

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A&B PM Wants Regional Governments to Cut Airline Taxes

CMC- Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister, Gaston Browne, says the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has provided the Caribbean governments with the opportunity to implement tax cuts for airline tickets across the region.

“Now is the time for us to cut the taxes even by 50 per cent and I do accept that you may not be able to determine the elasticity of pricing on travel demand because naturally regional and intra-regional remain relatively low during this period of COVID,” the prime minister stated.

“But the fact that you are not collecting, or you hardly collecting anything at this time it is not revenue you are giving away. You can’t give away what you are not earning,” said Browne, who intends to his use chairmanship of the regional integration movement, CARICOM, next month to push the initiative.

He said the leaders of the sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) are supportive of the initiative since there are other financial benefits to be obtained as a result.

“I have said to my colleagues within the OECS that now is the time. I can tell you that my colleagues are looking at it seriously and I believe we should be able to convince them to do something now,” Browne said, adding that the cut in taxes could be for a temporary period.

“It could even be for a temporary period. If we say, look between now and the end of the year to 12 months I have no doubt that one, it will result in incremental revenue and at the same time it will also give us some idea…maybe the price elasticity of these tickets…that carry a heavy component in terms of government taxes.”

He continued: “I am of the view too that is one of the ways to incentivize fully vaccinated persons. We can have a bubble involving fully vaccinated persons to allow them to check travel intra-regionally and without any quarantine.

“So there are multiple benefits by introducing such a policy. I do accept it is something that should have been done before but I believe that again COVID has given us the opportunity to do it now and we ought not to do so.”

Many regional countries are now reopening their borders as they emerge from the impact of the coronavirus on their respective economies. They had closed down their borders in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus that has killed and infected thousands in the English-speaking Caribbean region.

In May last year, the airline trade group, IATA, urged Caribbean governments to cut passenger taxes if they wanted to benefit from the post-pandemic recovery.

IATA’s regional VP for the Americas, Peter Cerda, said some regional countries risk losing market share when travel resumes and that some airlines will be reluctant to return to some Caribbean destinations if pricing is not competitive.

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India’s Daily COVID-19 Cases Below 100,000 First Time Since April

NEW DELHI: India’s daily coronavirus infections have dipped below 100,000 for the first time in more than two months, as an overall downturn prompted some states to ease restrictions.

The 86,498 cases added in the past 24 hours pushed India’s total past 29 million on Tuesday (Jun 8), second only to the United States, which has more than 33 million.

The health ministry also reported 2,123 new fatalities in the past 24 hours, raising the overall death toll to 351,309.

India peaked at adding more than 400,000 cases a day in May, but new infections and deaths have declined across the country since then.

The downturn has led some states to ease restrictions on commercial activities to spur consumption. Multiple states have, however, extended lockdowns and have been reluctant to reopen.

Meanwhile, the federal government has said it will take over vaccine procurement from the states and ensure vaccines are provided free of cost to every adult Indian.

India’s vaccination drive has been marred by delays and shortages. Less than 5 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

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Biden Nears His Vaccination Goal Date

President Biden has less than a month left to reach perhaps his toughest coronavirus vaccination goal yet.

Biden’s objective is to give 70 percent of the U.S. adult population at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine by July 4, even as the pace of vaccinations slows and those without their shots are increasingly hesitant to get them or are harder to reach.

“I don’t think it is against the odds,” said William Galston, a senior fellow of governance studies at the Brookings Institution who also served as a policy adviser in the Clinton White House. “It’s what’s known in the business community as a ‘stretch goal.’ If the administration is very well organized and focused, there’s a pretty good chance they can get there.”

At the same time, the White House has also turned its attention to the arduous task of vaccinating the globe, which experts say is necessary to stop the virus and its dangerous variants from circulating.

The president has thus far been rewarded by the public for his coronavirus response, which has been his administration’s principle focus since he took office. Biden had set realistic, achievable vaccine goals in the first months of his administration as a way to measure his response to the virus.

And there has been good news on the virus front with large numbers of Americans getting vaccinated: COVID-19 cases and deaths fell to their lowest levels since March 2020 over the past week.

About 63 percent of the U.S. adult population has received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

Approximately the same percentage of Americans approve of Biden’s response to the coronavirus crisis, according to an average of polling from FiveThirtyEight.

“I think the American people are right to give him high marks,” Galston said. “There were a few glitches in the beginning — no surprise there. But it’s been a no drama, high achievement effort.

The White House is now ramping up efforts to incentivize vaccinations, address concerns about the shots and make it as easy as possible for Americans to get vaccinated as it looks to reach the remainder of the population.

“I give the administration tremendous credit for what they have done to date. The challenge we have is now, this really is almost a person-by-person recruitment effort,” said Michael Osterholm, a prominent epidemiologist who served on Biden’s coronavirus advisory board during the transition. “It takes a lot of work to get this last percentage of people vaccinated, and we know there will be a core group of people who will just under no circumstances get vaccinated.”

As part of a “national month of action” in June, the White House is partnering with a variety of organizations and businesses to reach the holdouts. Major day cares will offer free child care for parents getting vaccinated, Black-owned barbershops and beauty salons will offer information on vaccines and host vaccination events and Vice President Harris will spearhead a national tour to promote vaccinations.

The White House has also promoted private-sector initiatives, such as sweepstakes launched by Kroger, CVS and United Airlines for vaccinated individuals.

Officials have raised concerns about low vaccination levels in the South, where Harris will focus her travel. Poll after poll shows a partisan divide on vaccinations, with Republicans less likely to seek the shot.

“The greatest challenge is the polarization challenge,” said Democratic strategist Joel Payne. “Getting vaccinated has almost become like a political test.”

Payne said Biden needs “Republican validators” in former President Trump’s orbit to help with vaccination.

The White House, he added, has “to make sure that the efficacy of the message isn’t wearing off.”

A number of prominent Republicans have encouraged vaccines, including former President George W. Bush and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). Trump has also endorsed the vaccine while indicating he respects people’s “freedom” to choose whether to get vaccinated.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Thursday that the administration would do everything in its power to reach Biden’s July 4 goal. Asked about the low vaccination rates in the South, she said that local leaders, such as physicians and clergy, are the best messengers for those wary of the vaccine.

“Ultimately, this is going to be up to individuals to get shots in their arms. We can take every creative step we possibly can take. We also understand we don’t have 100 percent control here, but we’re going to do everything we can from the federal government to reach that goal,” Psaki said.

Getting as many people vaccinated as possible is also important to hastening the economic recovery, which showed signs of accelerating during the month of May as more people returned to in-person activities and the U.S. economy added 559,000 jobs, a significant improvement over the disappointing April employment report.

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Biden argued in a speech on Friday that his agenda laid the groundwork for the jobs growth, while appealing for more Americans to get vaccinated.

“Now is the time to build on the foundation we laid because while our progress is undeniable, it is not assured,” he said, pushing for his $4 trillion economic plan. “This much is already clear: We’re on the right track. Our plan is working, and we’re not going to let up now.”

White House officials have highlighted the fact that a dozen states have already met or exceeded Biden’s goal for 70 percent of adults to have at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. And with enough vaccines in the domestic supply, the administration this week began shipping millions of doses overseas in order to help countries in need.

Osterholm described the goal as an aspirational but realistic benchmark to understand how the U.S. is doing nationally when it comes to the virus response and credited the Biden administration with far exceeding its initial goal of administering 100 million doses in the president’s first 100 days in office.

“In order to understand where we’re going, we have to have a goal,” he said.

Osterholm said that Biden’s next focus should be getting 70 percent of adults fully vaccinated, noting the dangers of a new variant against which studies show one dose is not as effective. He also described the administration’s move toward boosting global vaccinations as a critical first step in a long journey to ending the pandemic worldwide.

“From the global standpoint, you want to protect the integrity and protection of our vaccines, the last thing that you want is more variants to come out,” he said. “This is why it is so urgent to get the world vaccinated, not just some of the world.”

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More Than 800 Global Organized Crime Arrests After High Tech Sting Op.

Reuters

Global law enforcement agencies hacked into an app used by criminals and read millions of encrypted messages, leading to hundreds of arrests of organised crime figures in 18 countries, officials said on Tuesday.

The operation by Australian and European police and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation ensnared suspects in Australia, Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East involved in the global narcotics trade, the officials said.

Over 800 suspected members of organised crime gangs were arrested and $148 million in cash seized in raids around the world. Tons of drugs were also seized, the officials said.

Named Operation Trojan Shield by the FBI, it was one of the biggest infiltrations and takeovers of a specialised encrypted network.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the operation “struck a heavy blow against organised crime – not just in this country, but one that will echo … around the world”.

“This is a watershed moment in Australian law enforcement history,” Morrison told reporters in Sydney.

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw said police there had arrested 224 people, including members of outlawed motorcycle gangs, while New Zealand said it had detained 35 people.

In Europe, officials said 75 Swedish suspects were arrested and over 60 detained in Germany. Forty nine were arrested in Holland.

The operation was conceived by Australian police and the FBI in 2018, under which officials in the United States took control of the An0m messaging app used by organised crime networks.

When an Australian underworld figure began distributing customised phones containing the app to his associates as a secure means to communicate, police could monitor their messages. The gangs believed the system was secure because the phones did not have any other capabilities – no voice or camera functions were loaded – and the app was encrypted.

Criminal groups in more than 100 countries were given the phones, an FBI official said.

“We have been in the back pockets of organised crime,” Kershaw said at the media briefing. “All they talk about is drugs, violence, hits on each other, innocent people who are going to be murdered.”

The messages were brazen and there was no attempt to hide behind any kind of code, he said.

“It was there to be seen, including ‘we’ll have a speedboat meet you at this point’, ‘this is who will do this’ and so on.”

MARKED MAN

Kershaw said the Australian underworld figure, who had absconded from the country, had “essentially set up his own colleagues” by distributing the phones and was a marked man.

“The sooner he hands himself in, the better for him and his family,” he said.

One murder plot that authorities got to know of involved plans to attack a cafe with a machine gun, while a family of five was also targeted. Authorities said they were able to prevent these attacks.

Executing Australia’s largest number of search warrants in one day, police on Monday seized 104 firearms, including a military-grade sniper rifle, as well as almost A$45 million ($34.9 million) in cash. Around A$7 million was found in one safe buried beneath a garden shed in a Sydney suburb.

A total of 525 charges have been laid but authorities expect more in the coming weeks.

($1 = 1.2893 Australian dollars)

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World View:Pipeline Ransom Recovered, Israel City Tense, Capitol Riot Report, More

June 4, 2021

Alternate text

The Associated Press

The Rundown

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The chief executive of the massive fuel pipeline hit by ransomware last month is expected to detail his company’s response to the cyberattack and to explain his decision to authorize a multimillion-dollar payment when he testifies…Read More

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Democrats and voting rights groups scrambled Monday to figure out their next move after a key senator’s opposition seemed to doom a sweeping election overhaul bill and raise the prospect that no voting legislation would pass Congress amid what expe…Read More

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LOD, Israel (AP) — Israeli security forces guard the streets of Lod, weeks after rioters torched patrol cars, synagogues and homes. Attackers who killed an Arab and a Jewish resident are still at large. …Read More

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WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol has uncovered broad government, military and law enforcement missteps before the violent attack, including a breakdown within multiple intelligence agencies and…Read More

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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Six years had passed since Glenda Valdez kissed her toddler goodbye and left for the United States — six years since she held Emely in her arms. But here she was, at Texas’ Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, tearfully embr…Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Authorities in Australia and New Zealand said Tuesday they’ve dealt a huge blow to organized crime after hundreds of criminals were tricked int…Read More

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is more than half done, and U.S. officials say that while it could be completed by July 4, the final exit of equipment …Read More

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s parliament speaker has scheduled a vote for Sunday on a new government that would end Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 12-year rule, the longest …Read More

Here’s a collection curated by The Associated Press’ entertainment journalists of what’s arriving on TV, streaming services and music platforms this week. MOVIES — Summer mov…Read More

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Global Inequalities: ‘COVID-19 Crisis Demands Human-Centred Policies’- ILO Director-General

The ILO’s Director-General told delegates at the opening virtual plenary sitting of the International Labour Conference that human-centred policies, such as those outlined in the ILO Centenary Declaration, are key to a sustainable and inclusive global pandemic response

Geneva (ILO NEWS)  The “cataclysmic” effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the world of work has highlighted the necessity of human-centred recovery policies, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder has told delegates at the first plenary sitting of the 109th International Labour Conference  (ILC).

He underlined the consequences of the “multiple and growing inequalities in our societies” the pandemic has exposed and the past failure to address them over time.

“The sum of human suffering caused by the pandemic is all the greater for that collective failure. In this house of social justice we, more than most, need to draw conclusions from this,” he said.

Ryder acknowledged the efforts and commitment of governments to do whatever it takes to overcome the health crisis and mitigate its social and economic consequences. He told delegates that it was “extraordinarily important that this Conference takes place… as people across the globe hope and reach for a recovery that leads to a resilient, sustainable, fairer, and better future.”

The Director-General reminded delegates that the Centenary Declaration for the Future of Work , adopted by the ILC in 2019, gives an agreed and highly-valued roadmap for “constructing a human-centred recovery from the COVID-19 crisis .”

“The pandemic has highlighted just how inextricably health, social and economic, financial, trade, and intellectual property policy is really linked… We need to lever that realization to forge better multilateral system coherence on a permanent basis, just as the Centenary Declaration urged us to do.”

“The adoption by this Conference of an outcome document calling for, and shaping, a global response for such a human-centred recovery will be of the very greatest value,” he said.

The plenary sitting of the ILC was also addressed by the President of the Swiss Confederation, Guy Parmelin, who said the ILC was “particularly important… at a time when our labour markets are still in shock and when we must continue to support our economies, our jobs and our population.”

The President called upon delegates to “work tirelessly” to implement the ILO’s Centenary Declaration, which “guides us on the measures to be taken to ensure that the recovery of our economies takes a significant, social and human-centred approach.”

“Let us abandon the standstill, fear and fear of innovation to seize the opportunities that any crisis offers us. The crisis is forcing us to new interdependencies, particularly between health, environment, education, finance, digital, work and social. These interdependencies require more cooperation. Between governments first, but also with social partners,” he said.

At the first plenary sitting, the Chairperson of the Governing Body, Apurva Chandra, Secretary of Labour, India also presented his report, covering two years’ work. The Presidents of the ILC’s Employers and Workers groups, Renate Hornung-Draus, Germany and Catelene Passchier, Netherlands made opening statements.

During this session of the ILC, delegates will debate a COVID-19 outcome document that will provide guidance on policies for a human-centred recovery from the crisis. They will also discuss social protection, a critically important subject at a time when the inadequacies of current systems have been so cruelly exposed by the crisis.

The ILC will further undertake its regular supervision of the application of international labour standards.

More than 4,300 delegates from 175 ILO Member States have registered to attend the ILC, which is being held virtually for the first time because of the COVID-19 crisis. The official Conference opening was held on 20 May, when the Conference Officers were elected. This segment will close on 19 June, and a second segment of the 109th ILC is scheduled for 25 November to 11 December 2021 when issues of inequalities and skills and lifelong learning will be discussed.

The ILC plenary sessions are being broadcast via the ILO’s website. Coverage is also being disseminated via YouTube, Twitter and LinkedIn.

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US FDA Approves New Alzheimer’s Drug

By Justine Coleman
The Hill

 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday granted approval for the first new Alzheimer’s treatment since 2003.

The decision comes as the debate over whether to approve Biogen’s drug Aducanumab has stirred controversy, with some Alzheimer’s experts and an independent advisory committee opposing approval saying there’s not enough evidence that the drug is effective.

In a statement, a top FDA official on Monday said it decided to use an “accelerated approval” process to make drugs and therapies available to patients enduring “serious diseases where there is an unmet need” and “an expectation of clinical benefit.”

“In determining that the application met the requirements for Accelerated Approval, the Agency concluded that the benefits of Aduhelm for patients with Alzheimer’s disease outweighed the risks of the therapy,” Patrizia Cavazzoni, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the statement.

The agency called the demand for treatments “urgent” as Alzheimer’s affects more than 6 million Americans and is the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S.

Aducanumab, also known by the brand name Aduhelm, is considered the first treatment to register progress in removing protein deposits called amyloid beta plaques in the brain at the onset of Alzheimer’s, slowing cognitive decline.

The FDA usually follows its advisory committees’ recommendations, but this time it strayed from the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee’s recommendation in November to overwhelmingly reject Biogen’s drug.

With the accelerated approval, Biogen will be required to conduct another trial to prove the clinical benefit of its drug. The FDA could take steps to remove the drug from the market if the benefit is not proven.

“We believe that the data supports accelerated approval, while holding the company accountable for conducting an additional study to confirm the benefits observed in one of the trials, which we fully intend to do,” Cavazzoni told reporters on a press call Monday.

Two earlier clinical trials examined by the FDA produced conflicting results regarding the efficacy of the drug.

The FDA acknowledged it is “well-aware of the attention surrounding this approval,” noting the uncertainties in the data about the clinical benefit of the drug.

“There has been considerable public debate on whether Aduhelm should be approved,” the FDA said. “As is often the case when it comes to interpreting scientific data, the expert community has offered differing perspectives.”

Biogen’s chief executive Michel Vounatsos said in a statement that Aducanumab “will transform the treatment of people living with Alzheimer’s disease and spark continuous innovation in the years to come.”

The drugmaker, along with Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai, announced a price for Aduhelm on Monday, saying the cost will amount to a yearly cost of about $56,000 per patient. The two partnering companies said they would not increase the price of Aduhelm over the next four years.

The FDA’s announcement on Monday drew mixed reactions from advocacy groups.

Alzheimer’s Association President and CEO Harry Johns celebrated the decision, calling it “a victory for people living with Alzheimer’s and their families.”

“It is a new day,” Johns said in a statement. “This approval allows people living with Alzheimer’s more time to live better. For families it means being able to hold on to their loved ones longer. It is about reinvigorating scientists and companies in the fight against this scourge of a disease. It is about hope.”

But Michael Carome, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, condemned the FDA’s decision, arguing the “close collaboration” between Biogen and the agency “dangerously compromised” the agency’s review process.

He said the decision warrants an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.

“The FDA’s decision shows a stunning disregard for science and eviscerates the agency’s standards for approving new drugs,” Carome said in a statement. “Because of this reckless action, the agency’s credibility has been irreparably damaged.”

The Hill has reached out to Biogen and the FDA for comment.

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), the ranking member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, tweeted that the approval gives patients and their families “renewed hope.”

She argued that the Democrats’ bill to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices, H.R. 3, would inhibit innovation and prevent new medicines similar to Aduhelm from reaching the public. 

“We need more biomedical innovation so patients have a fighting chance,” she posted. “That’s why we must stop Speaker Pelosi’s radical drug pricing scheme for #FewerCures. It would halt innovation in its tracks.

Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), assert that negotiated prices would make drugs more accessible and affordable. 

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