VICE-PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE: HARRIS TILTS AT TRUMP OVER VIRUS; PENCE TARGETS
TAXES
US Vice President Mike Pence and his Democratic challenger Kamala Harris
squared off in the first and only vice presidential debate ahead of the US
polling day on November 3. While sparks flew from both sides on issues
ranging from the coronavirus pandemic to trade, the debate was markedly less
chaotic and more disciplined than the one between President Donald Trump and
former Vice President Joe Biden last week.
Harris, sometimes ignored the questions she was asked. Pence routinely paid
them even less attention.
Harris condemned the Trump administrations handling of the pandemic as the
worst failure in U.S. government history. The American people have
witnessed what is the greatest failure of any presidential administration in
the history of our country," the California Democrat said of Trumps
response to the coronavirus outbreak.
This administration has forfeited their right to re-election," she said in
the running mates only debate of the campaign.
Vice-President Mike Pence endorsed the whole of President Donald Trumps
response to the virus. Since February, more than 7 million Americans have
been infected, more than 212,000 have died and last week, the president
himself contracted Covid-19.
From the very first day, President has put the health of America first,
Pence said.
He later insisted that Harris explain Joe Bidens plans to raise taxes and
his position on the Green New Deal, a plan to fight climate change that
Republicans say would be economically destructive. He also demanded to know
whether she and Biden planned to pack the Supreme Court with additional
justices, a question the Biden campaign has consistently refused to answer.
While the two candidates were largely cordial, there was friction over
police and racial issues.
After Pence called presumptions of systemic racism among police a great
insult to the men and women who serve in law enforcement, Harris, a former
prosecutor, responded sharply. I will not sit here and be lectured by the
vice president about what it means to enforce the laws of this country,
said Harris.
LOUISE GLÜCK WINS NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE
This year's Nobel Prize for Literature has been awarded to the US poet
Louise Glück.
Glück was recognised for "her unmistakable poetic voice, that with austere
beauty makes individual existence universal" said the Swedish Academy, which
oversees the award.
The Academy added she was "surprised" when she received their phone call.
Glück, born 1943 in New York, lives in Massachusetts and is also professor
of English at Yale University.
She is the fourth woman to win the prize for literature since 2010, and only
the 16th since the Nobel prizes were first awarded in 1901. The last
American to win was Bob Dylan in 2016.
FRENCH COURT: GOOGLE MUST OPEN PAYMENT TALKS WITH PUBLISHERS
A French appeals court upheld an order for Google to open negotiations with
French publishers over payments to use their news content. The Paris Court
of Appeal sided with Frances competition authority, which had ordered the
US tech company to discuss compensation with publishers and news agencies
for reusing their material online.
French regulators had argued that Google must sit down for talks under a
neighbouring rights law adopted after the European Union overhauled the
blocs copyright rules, which include allowing news companies to demand
payments when search engines display snippets of their stories.
Google had balked and threatened last year to stop displaying snippets and
thumbnail photos in its search results but French regulators said in April
that the company was likely abusing its dominant position. Google argued it
shouldn't have to pay because news companies benefit from the millions of
readers it sends to their websites.
The company also unsuccessfully argued that the competition watchdog
overstepped its authority.
Google has at the same time been in more narrowly focused talks on digital
copyright with French newspapers and said a day earlier it's on the verge of
reaching a deal.
Our priority remains to reach an agreement with the French publishers and
press agencies, the company said.
We appealed to get legal clarity on some parts of the order, and we will
now review the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal.
TRUMP REJECTS NEW DEBATE RULES, REFUSES TO PARTICPATE
U.S. President Donald Trump has pulled out of the second debate partly due
to fears he will be cut off during the session.
The debate organizers have declared that as a result of the president
contracting coronavirus, that the debate will be done virtually.
"That's not acceptable to us," Mr Trump told Fox Business,
"I'm not going to waste my time on a virtual debate, that's not what
debating is all about."
"You sit behind a computer and do a debate - it's ridiculous and then they
cut you off whenever they want," the president said.
Mr Trump's rival, democratic candidate Joe Biden said he would adhere to the
guidelines. "We don't know what the president's going to do. He changes his
mind every second," he said.
MALI STRONGMAN FREES POLITICAL AND MILITARY FIGURES
A dozen political and military figures arrested during Mali's coup have been
released, including former prime minister Boubou Cisse, the transition
authorities announced.
New army strongman Assimi Goita issued an official statement late Wednesday
saying "the political and military personalities arrested on August 18 have
been set free".
They would however "remain at the disposition of the courts if needed".
Former national assembly speaker Moussa Timbine was among those released as
were eight generals.
The rebels put in place a president and a transition government while
retaining a grip on power.
A transition government tasked with leading Mali back to civilian rule was
appointed on Monday, with numerous members of the junta occupying key posts,
including Goita as vice president.
West African regional bloc ECOWAS on Tuesday lifted its tough sanctions on
Mali after recording "notable advances towards constitutional
normalisation".
The 15-nation group called for the civilian and military figures detained
during the bloodless coup to be freed.
ECOWAS has also demanded the dissolution of the junta, which calls itself
the National Council for the Salvation of the People.
NZ PM JACINDA ARDERN POISED FOR BIG WIN IN ELECTION, POLL SAYS
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's party is projected to be one
seat short of a being able to govern alone, and has a double-digit lead over
its rival, with just over a week to the general election, an opinion poll
showed on Thursday.
The closely watched 1News-Colmar Brunton poll showed support for Ardern's
Labour party, which is seeking a second term in office, at 47%, unchanged
from the last poll on Sept. 28.
This means Labour, which is campaigning on its record of bringing the
coronavirus pandemic under control within New Zealand's borders, would have
60 seats in parliament, one short of the 61 seats needed to form a
government.
Support for its coalition partner the Green Party was at 6%, which would
give it eight seats.
New Zealand heads to the polls on Oct. 17 and advance voting began on
Saturday.
US TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN TO BE HOME BY CHRISTMAS: TRUMP
The Afghan Taliban on Thursday welcomed a tweet from President Donald Trump
in which he promised to have the last of US troops out of Afghanistan by
Christmas or at least by the end of the year. If that withdrawal happens,
it would be months ahead of schedule and the tweet made no reference to a
Taliban promise to fight terrorist groups a previous pre-requisite for an
American withdrawal.
In a tweet that seemed to contradict his national security adviser, Trump
said we should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women
serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas.
On Wednesday, NSA Robert OBrien, speaking of American forces in
Afghanistan, told an audience in Las Vegas that as of today, there are
under 5,000 and that will go to 2,500 by early next year.
Yet when asked about his tweet, Trump told Fox Business Channel: Were down
to 4,000 troops in Afghanistan. Ill have them home by the end of the year.
Theyre coming home, you know, as we speak. Nineteen years is enough.
Theyre acting as policemen, OK? Theyre not acting as troops.
KYRGYZSTAN'S PRESIDENT SOORONBAY JEENBEKOV MISSING AS POWER VACUUM PERSISTS
The whereabouts of Kyrgyzstan's pro-Russia President were unknown on October
8 as a power vacuum persisted after disputed parliamentary elections plunged
the Central Asian country into a new bout of political chaos.
Sooronbay Jeenbekov has not been seen in public since unrest began over
Sunday's vote which was won by his supporters but opponents as well as
monitors said was marred by widespread vote-buying.
Clashes have already left at least one dead and hundreds injured, with a
decision to annul the results of the polls doing little to ease the
tensions.
The crisis is the latest political turbulence to sweep through the volatile
ex-Soviet state bordering China which has seen two revolutions and three of
its Presidents either jailed or sent into exile since independence.
Mr. Jeenbekov has called for a return to a rule of law, but several
lawmakers in the Parliament have said that there is no way to solve the
growing impasse without his resignation or impeachment.
As of October 8, candidates from self-styled opposition parties claimed to
control the state prosecutor's office, the national security committee and
the Interior Ministry.
Kursan Asanov, who has positioned himself as acting Interior Minister, said
that Mr. Jeenbekov's location was "unknown" but added that police were not
searching for the Head of State.
The government-appointed Interior Minister Kashkar Junushaliyev, a rival of
Mr. Asanov, had "fled like a coward" when the unrest began, Mr. Asanov
claimed, without offering proof.
GANG WAR ERUPTS IN ROHINGYA REFUGEE CAMPS, AT LEAST 8 KILLED, THOUSANDS FLEE
A turf war raging between criminal armed groups in Rohingya refugee camps in
southern Bangladesh has forced thousands of people to flee and at least
eight have been killed in clashes in recent days, police and humanitarian
workers said on Thursday.
Authorities have arrested 12 people after days of gunfire, arson, and
abductions by gangs competing for dominance in the sprawling settlement, the
worlds largest refugee camp home to more than a million people.
A tense situation is prevailing there, Rafiqul Islam, an additional police
superintendent based in the nearest town of Cox's Bazar, told Reuters by
phone.
Two groups are trying to establish dominance in the area, he said, adding
that they were suspected drug and human traffickers.
The region is a crucible of the lucrative trade in methamphetamine, mostly
manufactured across the border in Myanmar.
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