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Jumat, 26 Juni 2020

Over US$30b needed to develop COVID-19 tests, treatments, vaccines: WHO - CNA

GENEVA: The World Health Organization said on Friday (Jun 26) that a global initiative to speed up the development and production of COVID-19 tests, vaccines and treatments will require more than US$30 billion over the next year.

Providing details of the so-called ACT accelerator, launched in April and aimed at pooling international resources to conquer the pandemic, WHO said "the costed plans presented today call for US$31.3 billion in funding".

So far, US$3.4 billion of that had been pledged, the UN health agency said, pointing out that an additional US$27.9 billion was needed over the next 12 months, including nearly US$14 billion to cover immediate needs.

READ: Singapore scientists to start human trials of COVID-19 vaccine in August

The announcement came ahead of a major pledging event in Brussels in support of the ACT accelerator, set to take place on Saturday.

"This is an investment worth making," Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, a special envoy for the ACT accelerator, told a virtual briefing.

"If we don't rally now, the human costs and the economic pain will deepen," she said.

"Though these numbers sound big, they are not when we think of the alternative. If we spend billions now, we will be able to avoid spending trillions later.

"The time to act is now, and the way to act is together," the former Nigerian finance minister said, stressing the need for equal access for all to any safe and effective vaccines and treatments developed.

UNPRECEDENTED SPEED

Her comments came as the world counts nearly 490,000 deaths from COVID-19 and over 9.6 million cases since the new coronavirus emerged in China late last year, according to an AFP tally from official sources.

"It's clear that to bring COVID-19 under control, and to save lives, we need effective vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics, in unprecedented quantities and at unprecedented speed," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the briefing.

He stressed though that a core principle of the initiative is to ensure equal access for all.

"Vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics are vital tools," he said.

"But to be truly effective they must be administered with another essential ingredient, which is solidarity."

The funds requested should make it possible to deliver 500 million tests and 245 million courses of treatment to low and middle-income countries by mid-2021.

They also aim to deliver two billion vaccine doses by the end of next year.

Soumya Swaminathan, the WHO's chief scientist, pointed out during a separate briefing on the vaccine pillar of the project, known as COVAX, that antibody studies indicate that "a large, large proportion of the world's population, 90 per cent, continues to be susceptible."

"The best bet we have really if we are going to end it... is to have a vaccine as soon as possible."

READ: Europe faces COVID-19 upsurge as cases soar in Americas

VACCINATE THE MOST VULNERABLE

There are currently around 220 vaccine candidates, with 15 in clinical trials, and experts are hoping a handful of them will prove successful.

The problem is that investing in vaccine development can be risky, since 80 per cent of vaccines in early stage development fail before reaching clinical trials.

And since there will be a need to produce billions of doses quickly, manufacturing capabilities need to be scaled up before it is even clear whether a candidate will be successful.

To address this obstacle, COVAX is aimed at pooling financial and scientific resources, making it possible to hedge the risk of backing an unsuccessful candidate, and ensuring that lower-income countries receive equal access to successful vaccines.

"The critical issue (is) speed. If we lose a month now, that could mean 200 million fewer doses in 2021," Seth Berkley, head of the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, told reporters.

Even producing two billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021 will be far from enough to vaccinate everyone.

Experts therefore insist on the need to guarantee that vulnerable groups and health workers worldwide receive the first jabs.

"Having a subset of populations of high risk vaccinated around the world is the best way to control the pandemic," Berkley said.

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2020-06-26 15:56:15Z
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GE2020: PAP not the only party with female SAF officers - here's PSP's Kala Manickam - AsiaOne

Looks like the People's Action Party's Gan Siow Huang and Poh Li San are not the only female Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officers contesting in the upcoming general election.

Kala Manickam has joined the political fray after being unveiled as a candidate during Progress Singapore Party's (PSP) press conference this morning (June 26).

The 52-year-old was in SAF's pioneer batch of female commissioned officers and became a platoon commander of the Women Wing in the Officer Cadet School.

After seven years in the military, she left as a lieutenant to become an adult educator for 15 years.

Her journey was far from smooth. Manickam recalled during the online event that her parents had wanted to stop her education at O-levels, but she pleaded with her mother to let her continue.

While there was the notion in a conservative Indian family that a woman's role is that of a homemaker, the upbringing by her parents instilled a different mindset in Manickam.

Out of the five siblings in her family, she was the one who placed a heavy emphasis on education. She struck a deal with her parents to let her continue school by working part-time to support her family as well as her studies.

Calling herself a risk-taker, Manickam had done five parachute jumps by the age of 17 as a member of her school's National Cadet Corps. Her experience in the organisation fuelled her passion for the army and after A-levels, she joined the SAF.

Apparently, it runs in the family. Her eldest brother is in the air force, her second brother is in the navy and her third brother is in the army.

In a Facebook post on May 21, she wrote that she is thankful to the SAF for grooming her to be strong physically, mentally and emotionally. It was a steep learning curve that prepared her to face the challenges in her career and personal life.

[embed]https://www.facebook.com/mjkala19/posts/127688615591464[/embed]

Manickam said this sense of adventure made her leave the SAF after her bond ended to join the private sector to "see the world out there".

She later joined the Singapore General Hospital and the National Heart Centre during the Sars outbreak. It was this period that unlocked her compassionate side, seeing the struggles that people faced.

Manickam felt that there was a need for her to make a difference, and as an MP, the most important aspect is to serve the people with your heart.

"Singapore is my home. This is my home that I need to protect."

trining@asiaone.com

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2020-06-26 11:34:30Z
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GE2020: Workers' Party introduces five more prospective candidates - CNA

SINGAPORE: The Workers’ Party on Friday (Jun 26) introduced five more candidates that it plans to field in the 2020 General Election.

There are three familiar faces, including former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Dennis Tan, as well as Dylan Ng and Ron Tan who both contested in the 2015 polls.

The other two are new to elections: 44-year-old associate professor of economics Jamus Lim and 26-year-old social activist Raeesah Khan, who is the party’s youngest candidate.

This was the WP’s second candidate introduction session. At the first session on Thursday, it unveiled four candidates, including former NCMP Yee Jenn Jong and advertising associate director Nicole Seah who ran in the 2011 election under the National Solidarity Party.

Two others were first-time candidates: 33-year-old equity research analyst Louis Chua Kheng Wee and 33-year-old gig economy worker Muhammad Azhar Abdul Latip.

READ: Nicole Seah among Workers’ Party's prospective candidates for GE2020

The WP said it will be contesting two Single Member Constituencies (SMC) and four Group Representation Constituencies (GRC) for a total of 21 seats in Parliament come Jul 10. The constituencies are Hougang SMC, Punggol West SMC, Aljunied GRC, East Coast GRC, Marine Parade GRC and Sengkang GRC.

The WP had also said its former party chief Low Thia Khiang and his fellow Aljunied GRC team member Chen Show Mao, as well as former Hougang MP Png Eng Huat will not be standing as candidates in GE 2020. This is as the party pushes ahead with renewal.

Former NCMPs Gerald Giam and Leon Perera will stand in Aljunied GRC in the coming polls, while the party's organising secretary and former NCMP Dennis Tan is the prospective WP candidate for Hougang SMC.

READ: GE2020: Workers' Party to contest 4 GRCs, 2 SMCs; Low Thia Khiang, Chen Show Mao and Png Eng Huat to step down

Speaking at the virtual press conference on Friday, party chief Pritam Singh said he will stand in Aljunied, together with party chairman Sylvia Lim and Mr Faisal Manap.

WP will unveil its election manifesto this weekend, Ms Lim said in response to a question.

WP has not announced where any of the other candidates will be fielded. Mr Singh has said this will be made known “in days to come”.

DENNIS TAN

Shipping lawyer Dennis Tan, 48, first ran under the WP flag in 2015 when he was fielded in Fengshan SMC. He lost to the People's Action Party's (PAP) Cheryl Chan after garnering 42.5 per cent of the votes. But as one of the best performers among the losing candidates in the 2015 polls, he secured a seat in Parliament as an NCMP and has spoken out on issues ranging from public transport to climate change.

He said his time as an NCMP has made him even more convinced that PAP's “super majority in Parliament is bad for Singapore and Singaporeans”.

The world after the pandemic will be a “brave new world”, he said, adding that a diversity of ideas and a more balanced Parliament will be needed to deal with issues such as jobs, cost of living, retirement adequacy and the future economy.

Mr Tan said he began assisting Mr Png in Hougang three years ago with the running of the estate and constituency matters.

“I just want to say that Hougang constituency knows more than any other constituency in Singapore the importance of having an alternative voice in Parliament.

“I will continue to persuade as many Hougang voters as possible in this coming election, including new residents who have moved in,” he said.

The Hougang seat has been held by a WP MP since Mr Low Thia Khiang won it in 1991. When Mr Low moved to Aljunied GRC in 2011, Mr Yaw Shin Leong retained the seat but later stepped down due to a personal indiscretion, triggering a by-election. Mr Png won the seat in the 2012 by-election and again at GE2015.

RAEESAH KHAN

Raeesah Begum Bte Farid Khan -1 — Workers' Party candidate for GE2020 Raeesah Khan. (Photo: Workers' Party)

Ms Raeesah Khan, 26, is the founder and director of Programs at Reyna Movement, a non-profit organisation that seeks to empower underprivileged women. The youngest candidate for WP has been spotted helping out at Sengkang GRC.

She is the daughter of one-time presidential hopeful Farid Khan, who had wanted to run in the 2017 Presidential Election but did not qualify for the contest.

Ms Khan credited her parents, who came from a humble background and worked hard to provide for the family, for her decision to become an activist and now, run for elections.

"Because of what they taught me growing up, I've always known that for far too many people hard work alone isn't enough to get past the hurdles they face."

She said she has worked with people from all walks of life, including underprivileged families, survivors of sexual abuse, youth activists and migrant workers.

Through her course of work, she often wondered why it is "getting disproportionately harder for working class families to live a decent life" and why do "only the elites get a seat at the table" when it comes to planning the future of Singapore after the COVID-19 pandemic.

She hopes for Singapore to become a country where the marginalised are cared for, with accessible housing for all and better protection for workers.

DYLAN NG FOO ENG

The 45-year-old will be running under the WP flag for a second time come Jul 10.

Mr Ng joined WP eight years ago as a volunteer and was fielded as part of the party's slate of five candidates for Marine Parade GRC. The WP team garnered 35.9 per cent of votes cast and lost to the ruling PAP.

Asked what he has learnt from his campaigning experiences in the past, he said: “Basically it’s about having the heart to serve the residents, once you have the heart to serve and you hear their pain points, you can truly empathise with them … It’s about having a listening ear.”

The potential candidate said he hopes for a “balanced” parliament with diverse views and voices, and one that engages in robust policy debate.

Mr Ng has spent the past 20 years in the banking and finance sector. He is currently a director in a wealth advisory firm.

JAMUS LIM

Jamus Jerome Lim Chee Wui-1 — Workers' Party candidate for GE2020 Jamus Lim. (Photo: Workers' Party)

Dr Jamus Lim, 44, is Associate Professor of economics at Essec Business School. He had been a lead economist with the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and a senior economist with the World Bank before that.

His academic credentials include two doctorates from Harvard University and the University of California, a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Queensland.

Dr Lim has been seen on the ground in the newly formed Sengkang GRC.

During the press conference, he spoke about the local education system which he described as a “pressure cooker” and questioned what this focus on outcome has meant in terms of opportunities for Singaporeans.

“I believe that we have allowed superficial success in our educational system to blind us to the fact that this system isn't working and our education system is not preparing our children to actually take on and create good jobs for the future,” he said.

“I want to ask these kind of questions for the sake of my eight-month-old daughter but I also want to ask them for the sake of all children."

RON TAN JUN YEN

Mr Tan, 34, is a senior assistant manager at the NUHS Research Office.

He began volunteering with WP in Hougang in 2012 before becoming involved in constituency matters at Aljunied in 2017. He has been Mr Low's legislative assistant since 2017.

Mr Tan was part of the 5-member WP team that contested Nee Soon GRC in the 2015 polls, but lost to the People’s Action Party.

Mr Tan said it is a “bittersweet” moment for him to be Mr Low’s last legislative assistant.

“The last three years have been very meaningful serving as Mr Low’s (legislative assistant),” he said.

“The best lesson I learned from him is that you have to be responsible to your residents, you’re elected to take on the responsibility to look after them, to be the voice for them in Parliament and to assist them with their day-to-day issues.”

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of GE2020 and its developments

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2020-06-26 08:36:12Z
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Kamis, 25 Juni 2020

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong says he will be 'prime target' of China's new security law - CNA

HONG KONG: Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong believes he will be a "prime target" of Beijing's move to impose national security legislation on the city that critics say will crush its much coveted freedoms.

The law aims to tackle separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, although it is unclear what activities would constitute such crimes and what the punishment would be.

READ: Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam reassures on national security legislation

Wong has rallied support for the pro-democracy movement overseas, meeting politicians from the United States, Europe and elsewhere, drawing the wrath of Beijing, which says he is a "black hand" of foreign forces.

"I will probably be the prime target of the new law. But what makes me fear is not my potential imprisonment, but the gloomy fact that the new law will be a threat over the city’s future and not just my personal life," Wong told Reuters.

"Journalists, human rights groups, NGOs, and expats may fall prey to the new law since all dissenting voices can be charged with inciting subversion, like the situation in China."

The draft law has alarmed foreign governments and Hong Kong democracy activists, who are concerned that Beijing is eroding the high degree of autonomy granted to the former British colony when it was returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

READ: EU warns China over Hong Kong security law

READ: US Senate approves sanctions bill over Hong Kong

China says the national security law will target only a small group of troublemakers and people who abide by the legislation have no reason to worry.

The top decision-making body of China's parliament has scheduled a meeting for Jun 28 to 30 and the law, which will pave the way for the biggest change to the city's way of life since its handover in 1997, is expected to be enacted then.

READ: Hong Kong lawyers alarmed at plans for judges in national security trials

One of the most globally recognised faces in Hong Kong's democracy movement, Wong, 23, began his activism during secondary school when he led a hunger strike against a national education system and later became one of the protest leaders for the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement.

"I call on the world to stand with Hong Kong and urge China to pull back this evil law," Wong said.

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2020-06-26 01:30:08Z
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India accuses China of amassing troops along border in violation of agreements - CNA

NEW DELHI: China has deployed large numbers of troops and weapons along a disputed Himalayan border in violation of bilateral agreements, India's foreign ministry said on Thursday (Jun 25), accusing Beijing of escalating tensions and triggering a deadly clash last week.

"At the heart of the matter is that since early May the Chinese side had been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC," ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said in a briefing in New Delhi, referring to the Line of Actual Control, the de facto border.

"This is not in accordance with the provisions of our various bilateral agreements," he said, including a 1993 treaty that dictates that both sides will maintain limited border deployments.

China has blamed India for the clash - the deadliest between the two nuclear armed neighbours for at least five decades - and said Indian troops attacked Chinese officers and soldiers.

Responding to the heightened Chinese presence last month, India also deployed a large number of troops along the LAC, Srivastava said, leading to face-offs in the Ladakh region of the Western Himalayas.

On Jun 15, Indian and Chinese troops brawled for several hours in the Galwan Valley, using stones and sticks with nails embedded in them to beat each other, killing 20 Indian soldiers and injuring at least 76 more. China has not disclosed how many casualties its troops suffered.

After senior military commanders held parleys this week, both sides have since agreed to disengage their troops on the disputed border.

But in satellite images reviewed by Reuters, China appears to have added new structures near the site of the Galwan Valley clash that India says is on its side of the LAC. These include camouflaged tents or covered structures and a potential new camp under construction with walls or barricades.

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2020-06-25 16:07:41Z
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RP chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam issued stay-home notice after return from UK - TODAYonline

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2020-06-25 13:34:52Z
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GE2020: MOH rejects Reform Party chief Kenneth Jeyaretnam's request to waive stay-home notice - CNA

SINGAPORE: Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyaretnam must complete his 14-day stay-home notice like all other Singaporeans returning from the United Kingdom, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Elections Department (ELD) in a joint statement on Thursday (Jun 25).

The 61-year-old, who recently returned to Singapore from Britain, is one of the seven potential candidates the Reform Party has unveiled for the upcoming General Election. He had asked for a waiver of the stay-home notice issued to him upon his return to Singapore.

“For public health reasons, MOH is unable to accede to the request. Mr Jeyaretnam is therefore required to complete a 14-day stay-home notice at a designated stay-home-notice facility, and undertake a COVID-19 test before the end of his stay-home notice, similar to all other Singaporeans returning from the United Kingdom,” said the statement.

READ: GE2020: Constituency political broadcasts to start from Jul 3; keep safe distance when campaigning, says ELD

MOH and ELD said Mr Jeyaretnam is allowed to authorise a representative to deliver his nomination papers on Jun 30 in order to contest in the General Election.

He is also able to apply for his Political Donation Certificate and Minority Certificate and pay his election deposit online at the Elections Department’s website.

READ: GE2020: Reform Party won't contest in West Coast GRC, as it seeks to avoid 3-cornered fight

“MOH is prepared to grant Mr Jeyaretnam access to the persons required in order for him to issue the Power of Attorney, as well as to make his statutory declaration that the statements made in his nomination papers are true,” said the statement.

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of GE2020 and its developments

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2020-06-25 13:30:00Z
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