Countries around the world are responding to news of a new coronavirus variant carrying an unusually large number of mutations. Photograph: Michele Spatari/AFP/Getty Images
“The World Health Organization will meet on Friday to assess a new variant detected in South Africa that is feared to be the worst Covid-19 variant yet identified.
The meeting will determine if the B.1.1.529 variant should be designated a variant of ‘interest’ or of ‘concern’. The variant, which was identified on Tuesday, initially attracted attention because it carries an ‘extremely high number’ of mutations.
Some world leaders have hastily responded by issuing new precautions and travel restrictions, while markets around the world saw falls sparked by the uncertainty.
Indian health officials on Friday put states on alert, asking them to carry out ‘rigorous screening and testing’ of travellers who had arrived from South Africa, Botswana and Hong Kong, and to trace and test their contacts.
Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan urged all states to ensure that samples from Covid-positive travellers were swiftly sent to genome sequencing labs for testing.
Singapore, a major transit hub, said on Friday it would restrict arrivals from South Africa and countries nearby. All non-Singaporean or non-permanent residents with recent travel history to Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe will be denied entry or transit through Singapore, its health ministry said.
Italy announced a similar entry ban on Friday. ‘Our scientists are studying the new B.1.1.529 variant. In the meantime, we will adopt the greatest possible caution,’ health minister Roberto Speranza said.
Japan, too, will clamp down on border controls for visitors from South Africa and five other African countries, the Jiji news service reported.
New Zealand is also closely monitoring global advice on the new variant, the ministry of health said. The deputy prime minister, Grant Robertson, said the new variant was ‘a real wake-up call for all of us, that this pandemic is still going’ and reiterated the need to continue with caution.” Read more at The Guardian
“Michigan is now leading the country in new Covid cases and hospitalizations, accounting for about one in 10 new cases in the US, even though the state represents only 3% of the country’s population.
Cases across the US have risen by 18% in the past week, but some states have seen much more dramatic increases. In Michigan, new cases have gone up by 67% and new hospitalizations by 46% in the past two weeks.” Read more at The Guardian
“Republicans are locking in newly gerrymandered maps for the legislatures in four battleground states that are set to secure the party’s control in the statehouse chambers over the next decade, fortifying the G.O.P. against even the most sweeping potential Democratic wave elections.
In Texas, North Carolina, Ohio and Georgia, Republican state lawmakers have either created supermajorities capable of overriding a governor’s veto or whittled down competitive districts so significantly that Republicans’ advantage is virtually impenetrable — leaving voters in narrowly divided states powerless to change the leadership of their legislatures.
Although much of the attention on this year’s redistricting process has focused on gerrymandered congressional maps, the new maps being drafted in state legislatures have been just as distorted.
And statehouses have taken on towering importance: With the federal government gridlocked, these legislatures now serve as the country’s policy laboratory, crafting bills on abortion, guns, voting restrictions and other issues that shape the national political debate.” Read more at New York Times
“The second Black Friday of the pandemic is officially underway. After weeks of early sales, Friday marks the official shopping holiday that Americans expect to bring great deals. Stores opened early – Walmart, Best Buy, Old Navy, Dick's Sporting Goods, JCPenney and Kohl's – were first at 5 a.m. Bed Bath & Beyond, Macy's, Home Depot and Lowe's opened an hour later. Target, GameStop and HomeGoods were among the retailers opening at 7 a.m. Hours can vary by location.Some stores will continue sales throughout the weekend ahead of Cyber Monday. Shoppers are expected to pay on average between 5% to 17% more for toys, clothing, appliances, TVs and others purchases on Black Friday this year compared with last year, according to Aurelien Duthoit of Allianz Research. How did Black Friday begin? The day has a rich, but decidedly mixed, history, USA TODAY writer Michelle Shen explains.” Read more at USA Today
“Joe Biden’s colonoscopy last week found that the president had a benign but potentially pre-cancerous polyp, his physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor has said. O’Connor said the routine procedure conducted under general anesthetic turned up a single 3-millimeter polyp which tests had shown to be a slow growing tubular adenoma. Biden had a similar lesion removed 13 years ago. Biden, 79, handed over presidential power to Kamala Harris for 85 minutes last week when he went under anesthesia. The doctor said Biden was ‘fit to successfully execute the duties of the president’ but added that he wanted to further investigate an ‘increasing frequency and severity of ‘throat clearing’ and coughing during speaking engagements’ and his walking style, which, he said, was ‘perceptibly stiffer and less fluid than it was a year or so ago.’ Biden was advised to have another colonoscopy in 7 to 10 years.” [Daily Beast] Read more at CNN
“Stephen K. Bannon, the former Trump White House adviser, has filed an opposition to the U.S. district court’s standard protective order for discovery, which prohibits either side from releasing documents or evidence publicly.
Bannon, 67, pleaded not guilty last week to contempt-of-Congress charges, and his legal team previously argued that the case would be more complicated by agreeing to the prosecution’s protective order for discovery” Read more at Washington Post
International
“KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that a group of Russian and Ukrainians is planning to stage a coup d’etat in Ukraine next month and that the plotters are trying to enlist the help of the country’s richest man, Rinat Akhmetov.
Zelensky, speaking at a ‘press marathon’ for local and international media, said that audio recordings, obtained by Ukraine’s security services, caught plotters discussing their plans and mentioning Akhmetov’s name. Akhmetov was not involved in the actual coup plot, however, Zelensky said.
‘I believe [Akhmetov] is being dragged into the war against Ukraine,’ Zelensky said. ‘This will be a big mistake, because it is impossible to fight against the people, against the president elected by the people of Ukraine.’
Zelensky said the alleged coup was being planned for Dec. 1 or 2. He did not provide further details, however.
Putin is testing U.S., NATO with buildup along Russia-Ukraine border, defense minister says
Ukrainian media in recent weeks have commented on the growing tensions between Zelensky and Akhmetov. Zelensky has launched a ‘de-oligarchization’ campaign to reduce the political influence of Ukraine’s richest people, who control key sections of the economy.” Read more at Washington Post
“MOSCOW — A Russian prosecutor Thursday called on the Supreme Court to abolish one of Russia’s most prominent human rights groups, the International Memorial Society, part of a comprehensive crackdown on all such groups in the country.
The International Memorial Society is renowned for researching and memorializing the Soviet-era executions and imprisonment of dissidents. Its human rights wing, Memorial Human Rights Center, exposes the current abuses by Russian authorities and played a leading role in revealing military atrocities during the two Chechen wars in the mid-1990s and early 2000s.
Under the tightening authoritarian rule of President Vladimir Putin, Memorial has been under pressure for years, but the bid to close it down shocked global human rights advocates and observers of Russia.
Russia’s ‘foreign agent’ law now threatens rights group that survived even Soviet pressures
Both wings of the organization have been declared ‘foreign agents,’ and must meet onerous requirements, including putting ‘foreign agent’ warnings on all published materials, as well as tough reporting rules on finances.” Read more at Washington Post
“A gas buildup at a Siberian coal mine killed at least 52 people in Russia’s worst mining disaster in over a decade, officials said.” Read more at New York Times
“SAO PAULO (AP) — Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the head of the Brazilian Olympic Committee for more than two decades, was sentenced to 30 years and 11 months in jail for allegedly buying votes for Rio de Janeiro to host the 2016 Olympics.
The ruling by Judge Marcelo Bretas became public Thursday.
Nuzman, who also headed the Rio 2016 organizing committee, was found guilty of corruption, criminal organization, money laundering and tax evasion. The 79-year-old executive won’t be jailed until all his appeals are heard.
He and his lawyer did not comment on the decision.” Read more at AP News
“TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Five US lawmakers met with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen Friday morning in a surprise one-day visit intended to reaffirm the United States’ ‘rock solid’ support for the self-governing island.
The bi-partisan group of lawmakers from the U.S. House of Representatives arrived in Taiwan on Thursday night and were planning to meet with senior leaders including Tsai, said the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto embassy. No further details were provided about their itinerary.
The visit comes as tensions between Taiwan and China have risen to their highest level in decades. Taiwan has been self-ruled since the two sides split during a civil war in 1949, but China considers the island part of its own territory.” Read more at Boston Globe
“Sweden chose its first female prime minister. She was in office for seven hours.” Read more at New York Times
“An explosion outside a school in Somalia’s capital killed at least eight people. A drought and an election crisis are gripping the country.” Read more at New York Times
“The NFL has reached a settlement agreement with the city of St. Louis over the relocation of the city’s former team, the Rams, which moved to Los Angeles in 2016. The league and the city have been locked in a four-year legal battle in which the city accused the league of breaking its own rules to favor the team even after municipal authorities spent $17 million on designs for a new stadium. The owner of the Rams, Stanley Kroenke, who also owns the U.K. soccer team Arsenal, is expected to pay the league back for footing the massive bill. Kroenke already paid the NFL $550 million to allow the Rams to relocate.” [Daily Beast] Read more at The New York Times
“WASHINGTON — President Warren Harding’s blue silk pajamas. Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves. The Star Spangled Banner, stitched by Betsy Ross. Scripts from the television show “M*A*S*H.”
Nearly two million irreplaceable artifacts that tell the American story are housed in the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution, the biggest museum complex in the world.
Now, because of climate change, the Smithsonian stands out for another reason: Its cherished buildings are extremely vulnerable to flooding, and some could eventually be underwater.
Eleven palatial Smithsonian museums and galleries form a ring around the National Mall, the grand two-mile park lined with elms that stretches from the Lincoln Memorial to the U.S. Capitol.
But that land was once marsh. And as the planet warms, the buildings face two threats. Rising seas will eventually push in water from the tidal Potomac River and submerge parts of the Mall, scientists say. More immediately, increasingly heavy rainstorms threaten the museums and their priceless holdings, particularly since many are stored in basements.
At the American History Museum, water is already intruding.
It gurgles up through the floor in the basement. It finds the gaps between ground-level windows, puddling around exhibits. It sneaks into the ductwork, then meanders the building and drips onto display cases. It creeps through the ceiling in locked collection rooms, thief-like, and pools on the floor.
Staff have been experimenting with defenses: Candy-red flood barriers lined up outside windows. Sensors that resemble electronic mouse traps, deployed throughout the building, that trigger alarms when wet. Plastic bins on wheels, filled with a version of cat litter, to be rushed back and forth to soak up the water.
So far, the museum’s holdings have escaped damage. But ‘We’re kind of in trial and error,’ said Ryan Doyle, a facilities manager at the Smithsonian. ‘It’s about managing water.’” Read more at New York Times
“A white teenager was beaten and called the n-word in a high school football hazing ritual that left him with brain damage, a lawsuit alleges. The unnamed teen was a player for Mater Dei High School and the lawsuit claims that, in February, he played a ritualistic game called ‘Bodies’ in which two students punch each another until one of them surrenders. The plaintiff took multiple blows to the face and head and now has a ‘traumatic brain injury’ which causes ‘pain, slurred speech and cognitive dysfunction,’ the complaint alleges. It also claims team coach Bruce Rollinson told the victim’s father after the alleged incident: ‘If I had a hundred dollars for every time these kids played ‘Bodies’ or ‘Slappies,’ I’d be a millionaire.’ In a letter Wednesday, Father Walter Jenkins, the president of Mater Dei, told students: ‘Please know that we take the matter seriously and commit to you that all aspects will be handled consistently and in accordance with the core values of our institution.’ [Daily Beast] Read more at The Los Angeles Times
“Lives Lived: Inspired by double Dutch jump rope moves she saw growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950s, Kariamu Welsh developed an influential dance technique based on archetypes found in African art. She died at 72.” Read more at New York Times
“Allyn Walker, the Old Dominion University (ODU) professor who sought to challenge ‘assumptions’ around ‘minor-attracted people,’ has agreed to step down. Walker published a book in June which said it challenged ‘widespread assumptions that persons who are preferentially attracted to minors—often referred to as ‘pedophiles’—are necessarily also predators and sex offenders.’ Walker’s views provoked outrage from protestors who claimed their language destigmatized sex offenders. Walker said in a statement: ‘That research was mischaracterized by some in the media and online, partly on the basis of my trans identity… As a result, multiple threats were made against me and the campus community generally.’ A petition started by an ODU student against Walker attracted 14,000 signatures. However a letter signed by more than 60 professors in sexual abuse prevention, mental health, human sexuality and criminology supported Walker, saying their research was part of the ‘daunting goal’ of ‘creating a world without child sexual abuse’ which required ‘a complete understanding of the issue.’ [Daily Beast] Read more at The Washington Post
“The fifth edition of ‘Capital One's The Match’ will feature rivals Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau facing off in a head-to-head, 12-hole match at the Wynn Golf Club in Las Vegas on Friday (4 p.m. ET, TNT and TBS). One key question going into the event is: Do they or don't they despise each other? The two golfers have taken potshots at each other for months. The bad feelings melted away between the two, we are told, during the Ryder Cup, when the golfers actually offered to play together for the good of the United States team. The two even shared a short hug after the U.S. defeated Europe. But the pair seem to have resumed their trolling of each other in recent weeks.” Read more at USA Today
“Things to be grateful for may or may not include Eric Trump’s wife Lara, who performed some impressive mental gymnastics on Fox News Thursday when she linked rising inflation to a liberal plot to get rid of Thanksgiving. Appearing on a panel discussion, Trump told host Pete Hegseth that the inflation which has pushed up the price of a turkey might suit the liberal agenda, because to ‘transform’ America, ‘You have to take away our traditions.’ She said that while ‘it might seem a little funny and a little ridiculous’ the deeper liberal message was: ‘Don’t have a turkey, then people won’t come over.’ President Trump’s daughter-in-law also suggested that last year’s coronavirus lockdowns were part of the same plot, saying: ‘Last year, remember, they didn’t want us to get together, so I guess we’re lucky they’re letting us have Thanksgiving this year. At really, the core of this, they want to divide Americans up. They don’t want us to have any common ground. They don’t want us to have any shared traditions like Thanksgiving.’ [Daily Beast]
Read more at Mediaite
“OR93, a gray wolf that grabbed the attention of biologists for its historical journey died after being hit by a vehicle in California, authorities said.” Read more at USA Today