COVID-19 vaccines a shoo-in? Medicine opens Nobel season - CNA

STOCKHOLM: The Nobel season opens on Monday (Oct 4) with the pioneers of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and immune system research tipped for the medicine prize, which kicks off a week of awards against the backdrop of the pandemic.

Breakthroughs in breast cancer, new approaches to rheumatology treatments, as well as research into epigenetics, cell adhesion and antibiotic resistance are also believed to have good chances of winning, experts polled by AFP said.

Two names stand out in particular this year, given the ongoing pandemic: Hungary's Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman of the United States, pioneers of messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines and professors at the University of Pennsylvania.

Their discoveries, published in 2005, paved the way for the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, which have already been injected into more than a billion people worldwide.

The technology has also shown promising results for use against other diseases.

The creator of the prizes, Swedish dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, laid out in his will that the awards should go to those who have conferred the "greatest benefit to humankind" - making the pair an obvious choice to some.

"It would be a mistake for the Nobel committee not to give the prize to the mRNA vaccine this year, even if it is a bit risky," said Ulrika Bjorksten, head of Swedish public radio's science section.

She noted the pair's work could also be worthy of the Nobel Chemistry Prize, to be announced on Wednesday.

COMMITTEE'S CONSERVATISM

However, many believe the duo - who hold senior positions at German laboratory BioNTech - may have to wait for the accolade.

The various committees tasked with selecting winners for the science prizes are known for allowing years or even decades to pass so that a discovery's true impact can be evaluated before the Nobel is bestowed.

In theory, Nobel's will also specified the prizes should go to work done in the past year, but this has rarely been heeded.

"I don't think it will happen. I just think of the conservatism of the committee's choice. Certainly they would be considered in future years but I'm doubtful for this year," David Pendlebury of Clarivate Analytics, which publishes a list of likely laureates.

Pendlebury said he instead believed the prize would likely go to American Max Cooper, 88, and French-Australian Jacques Miller, 90, for their discovery that white blood cells essential to the human immune system were divided into two categories, B and T lymphocytes.

T-cells have also played a role in understanding immunity to COVID-19.

In 2019, the two received the prestigious Lasker Prize - often seen as a precursor to the Nobel.

But the fact that they have yet to receive a Nobel is widely seen as an anomaly.

"For these two, there must be something we don't know," Pendlebury said.

Other researchers believed to be worthy of a Nobel include pioneers in the field of cell adhesion, such as Japan's Masatoshi Takeichi, US-Finnish scientist Erkki Ruoslahti and British biologist Richard Hynes.

The study of how behaviour and environment can cause changes that affect how genes work - a field known as epigenetics - is also seen as a possibility, with American David Allis and American-Romanian Michael Grunstein mentioned.

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2021-10-04 03:04:42Z
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Facebook whistleblower reveals identity, says firm chooses 'profit over safety' - CNA

During the 2020 US presidential election, she said, the company realised the danger that such content presented and turned on safety systems to reduce it.

But "as soon as the election was over they turn them back off, or they change the settings back to what they were before, to prioritise growth over safety, and that really feels like a betrayal of democracy to me", she said.

"No one at Facebook is malevolent," she said, adding that the incentives are "misaligned".

"Facebook makes more money when you consume more content ... And the more anger that they get exposed to, the more they interact, the more they consume."

Haugen did not draw a straight line between that decision to roll back safety systems and US Capitol riot on January 6, though 60 Minutes noted that the social network was used by some of the organizers of that violence.

"LUDICROUS"

Earlier Sunday, Facebook dismissed as "ludicrous" suggestions it contributed to the Jan 6 riot.

Facebook's vice president of policy and global affairs Nick Clegg also vehemently pushed back at the assertion its platforms are "toxic" for teens, days after a tense congressional hearing in which US lawmakers grilled the company over its impact on the mental health of young users.

The New York Times reported Saturday that Clegg sought to pre-empt Haugen's interview by penning a 1,500-word memo to staff alerting them of the "misleading" accusations.

Clegg pressed the case in an appearance on CNN.

"I think the assertion (that) January 6th can be explained because of social media, I just think that's ludicrous," Clegg told the broadcaster, saying it was "false comfort" to believe technology was driving America's deepening political polarisation.

The responsibility for the insurrection "lies squarely with the people who inflicted the violence and those who encouraged them -- including then-president Trump" and others who asserted the election was stolen, he added.

POLARISATION

While everyone "has a rogue uncle" or old classmate whose extreme views may be visible on Facebook, Clegg reportedly wrote in his memo, "changes to algorithmic ranking systems on one social media platform cannot explain wider societal polarisation."

Facebook has encountered criticism that it fuels societal problems, attacks Clegg said should not rest at Facebook's feet. But he acknowledged that people with pre-existing issues may not benefit from social media use.

"I don't think it's intuitively surprising if you're not feeling great about yourself already, that then going on to social media can actually make you feel a bit worse," he told CNN.

He also disputed reporting in an explosive Wall Street Journal series that Facebook's own research warned of the harm that photo-sharing app Instagram can do to teen girls' well-being.

"It's simply not borne out by our research or anybody else's that Instagram is bad or toxic for all teens," Clegg said, but added Facebook's research will continue.

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2021-10-03 23:49:00Z
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Pandora Papers: Major leak allegedly links politicians and celebs to secret wealth - The Straits Times

WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - A massive leak of financial documents was published by several major news organisations on Sunday (Oct 3) that allegedly tie world leaders to secret stores of wealth, including King Abdullah of Jordan, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis and associates of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The dump of more than 11.9 million records, amounting to about 2.94 terabytes of data, came five years after the leak known as the Panama Papers exposed how money was hidden by the wealthy in ways that law enforcement agencies could not detect.

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, a Washington-based network of reporters and media organisations, said the files are linked to about 35 current and former national leaders, and more than 330 politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories.

It did not say how the files were obtained, and Reuters could not independently verify the allegations or documents detailed by the consortium.

Jordan's King Abdullah, a close ally of the United States, was alleged to have used offshore accounts to spend more than US$100 million (S$136 million) on luxury homes in the United Kingdom and the US.

DLA Piper, a London law office representing King Abdullah, told the consortium of media outlets that he had "not at any point misused public monies or made any use whatsoever of the proceeds of aid or assistance intended for public use".

The Washington Post, which is part of the consortium, also reported on the case of Ms Svetlana Krivonogikh, a Russian woman who it said became the owner of a Monaco apartment through an offshore company incorporated on the Caribbean island of Tortola in April 2003 just weeks after she gave birth to a girl. At the time, she was in a secret, years-long relationship with Mr Putin, the newspaper said, citing Russian investigative outlet Proekt.

The Post said Ms Krivonogikh, her daughter, who is now 18, and the Kremlin did not respond to requests for comment.

Days ahead of the Czech Republic's Oct 8-9 parliamentary election, the documents allegedly tied the country's prime minister, Mr Babis, to a secret US$22 million estate in a hilltop village near Cannes, France.

Speaking during a television debate on Sunday, Mr Babis denied any wrongdoing.

"The money left a Czech bank, was taxed, it was my money, and returned to a Czech bank," he said.

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2021-10-03 20:48:21Z
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Blast kills at least two civilians near Kabul mosque - CNA

KABUL: Taliban supporters and senior figures held their first mass rally near Kabul on Sunday (Oct 3), but the show of strength was overshadowed by a bomb blast targeting mourners inside the Afghan capital.

No foreign government has yet recognised the Islamist former rebels' rule, though their hold on power within the country is becoming stronger, seven weeks after they took Kabul.

But in a sign that the Taliban victory has not brought an end to violence after Afghanistan's 20-year conflict, an explosion killed at least five and wounded several more outside Kabul's Eid Gah mosque.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had said on Saturday that a prayer ceremony would be held at the mosque for his mother following her recent death. He made no reference to this on Sunday as he tweeted that the blast had killed several civilians in the area.

People in bloodied clothing were seen by AFP arriving at the nearby Kabul Emergency Hospital.

A cultural commission official, who asked not to be named, told AFP that five people died and 11 were wounded, adding that the casualties included both civilians and Taliban members.

"We have also arrested three people in connection with the blast," he said.

According to the official, the device was placed at the entrance to the mosque and detonated as mourners were leaving after offering condolences to Mujahid and his family.

Taliban fighters arriving at the hospital handed over their weapons and stripped off their body armour to go in to donate blood, and the hospital said on Twitter that four patients were being treated.

'LEAVE AFGHANISTAN TO AFGHANISTAN'

The blast, which could be heard across the centre of the capital, came shortly after the new Taliban "interim government" staged a rally just outside the capital, from which they were driven out in 2001 in a US-led operation launched after the 9/11 attacks.

A ban on unauthorised demonstrations has meant protests, many led by women, against Afghanistan's new masters have dwindled.

But Sunday's pro-Taliban rally in Kohdaman township in the hilly outskirts of Kabul was attended by 1,500 men and boys.

"This is the day we waited for," said Khalil Haqqani, the new minister for refugees who in 2011 was labelled a terrorist by the United States with a US$5 million bounty on his head. He is a prominent leader of the Haqqani militant network founded by his brother Jalaluddin.

"We have achieved our goal, but it requires protection," he told the gathering, with his rifle leaning against the lectern.

"My advice to the world is that they leave Afghanistan to Afghanistan."

Flanked by armed Taliban fighters in combat gear, leading officials and commanders addressed an audience sat in rows of chairs under awnings, celebrating victory over the United States and praising suicide bombers.

One speaker, introduced as Rahmatullah from nearby Mir Bacha Kot, said the Taliban's victory was "the result of those youths who stood in queues to register for suicide attacks".

PAKISTAN'S 'CRITICAL ROLE'

The United States, European nations and other powers that were major donors to the former Afghan government before the Taliban takeover have warned they will not recognise the new administration - made up largely of hardliners and no women - unless it becomes more inclusive.

Afghanistan's neighbour Pakistan has urged the world to engage with the Taliban, while stopping short of itself recognising the new regime.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman, who will be in Islamabad next week, has pressed for an inclusive government in Kabul, and said Washington looks to "Pakistan to play a critical role in enabling that outcome".

But while hundreds turned out for Saturday's rally, the Taliban have been loath to allow similar gatherings by those opposed to their rule.

Last Thursday, the Taliban violently cracked down on a small women's rights demonstration in eastern Kabul, firing shots into the air to disperse protesters and pushing the women back

Isolated anti-Taliban rallies - with women at the forefront - were staged in cities around the country after the group seized power, including in the western city of Herat where two people were shot dead.

But protests have dwindled since the government issued an order banning demonstrations that do not have prior authorisation, warning of "severe legal action" for violators.

Separately, the government of Qatar announced that a fifth evacuation flight had taken off from Kabul for Doha, carrying 235 people seeking to leave Afghanistan since the Taliban victory.

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2021-10-03 12:25:00Z
52781915595830

Philippines' Duterte says daughter running for president in 2022 elections: Media - CNA

MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's daughter would run for president in next year's election and her father's long-time aide, who filed his vice presidential candidacy, would be her running mate, broadcasting firm ABS-CBN news reported late on Saturday (Oct 2).

Sara Duterte-Carpio is currently mayor of Davao, the Philippines' third-largest city, and filed on Saturday to run for mayor again. She has previously said she would not run for national office next year.

ABS-CBN news based its report on an interview that Duterte had with a broadcast journalist right after he announced that he was retiring from politics while accompanying his closest loyalist, Senator Christopher "Bong" Go, who filed his vice presidential candidacy.

He was asked: "So is it clear, Sara-Go?"

"It is Sara-Go," Duterte said in response.

When asked to confirm what the president said, Duterte-Carpio's spokesperson, Mayor Christina Garcia Frasco told Reuters: "The extent of my knowledge is also what was reported in local news. We have no comment on the same."

Go did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.

ABS-CBN news said it obtained permission from the broadcast journalist to use the video showing Duterte outside a hotel in Manila where the registration of candidates was taking place, and that a transcript was also provided.

In the same clip, Duterte was asked when his daughter would file her candidacy for president. He said: "I really do not know. I do not have any idea at all".

Asked if he had given his daughter permission to run for president, he said: "Ah, no, actually we don't talk about politics, ever since we never talk about politics. I would say that it is for the better," Duterte was quoted as saying.

Duterte, 76, said on Saturday he was retiring from politics, a surprise move that fuelled speculation he was clearing the way for a presidential run by his daughter.

He had been expected to run for the No. 2 job, a plan most Filipinos oppose  as violating the spirit of the constitution which sets a one-term limit for the president to stop power being abused.

Duterte-Carpio's mayorial re-election filing, did little to douse speculation she has her eye on the presidency.

Political analysts were sceptical, noting that last-minute changes were still possible, as in 2015 when Duterte entered the presidential election race at the eleventh hour and won by a huge margin, and Duterte-Carpio, they said, could do the same.

Candidates have until Oct 8 to register, but withdrawals and substitutions are allowed until Nov 15, leaving scope for last-minute changes of heart.

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2021-10-03 01:08:00Z
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An innocent man was jailed for murder. It took 30 years to find the real serial killer - CNA

HWASEONG, SOUTH KOREA: There is a story behind why Yoon Sung-Yeo hangs two clocks in his home. A tale spanning 30 years, in fact, about the staggering miscarriage of justice against one man.

Time stopped when he was arrested and thrown into prison in 1989 for a murder he did not commit. He was then 22.

“If you are found with a clock in prison, you would be punished,” he said. “For 20 years, I didn’t see a clock. That’s why now, I have two clocks.”

Hwaseong, a rural area just south of Seoul, had been rocked by a string of murders from 1986. The victims, all women, ranged from their teens to 70s. All were sexually assaulted and strangled with their own clothing – garments such as stockings and underwear – in what came to be known as the killer’s signature.

Then in September 1988, teenager Park Sang-hee was murdered. Unlike the previous cases where the victims were killed outdoors, the 14-year-old student was found in her bed, sexually assaulted and strangled with her own clothes.

The killer had become more brazen, entering a victim’s home for the first time. The case, which sent shockwaves through the country, was the eighth in two years.

Under pressure to make headway in investigations, the police had nothing conclusive to link Yoon to the crime.

Yet, after a three-day interrogation where he was deprived of sleep and assaulted, Yoon confessed. When he was sentenced to life imprisonment, no one believed he was innocent, he recalled. A shadow continued to hang over him even after he was released on parole in 2009.  

It was only a full decade later, in 2019, that an incredible breakthrough led to him walking out of court a truly free man, innocent in the eyes of the world.

CNA’s two-part special, Catching a Killer: The Hwaseong Murders, traces the mistakes that robbed him of his freedom. (Watch the episodes here and here.)

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2021-10-02 22:02:02Z
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Eva Longoria Baston, Reese Witherspoon and Pink lash out at Texas abortion law - CNA

The celebrity reactions were among a flood of responses after the United States Supreme Court declined to block the bill at the eleventh hour.

The Texas law makes no exceptions for rape or incest. The only exception is if there is a danger to the woman's health.

While similar laws have passed in a dozen Republican-led conservative states, all had been stymied in the courts.

Pro-choice advocates say the refusal of the Supreme Court to step in to block the bill imperils rights that have been enshrined in US law since a landmark 1973 case.

"The Supreme Court's ruling overnight is an unprecedented assault on a woman's constitutional rights under Roe v. Wade, which has been the law of the land for almost fifty years," President Joe Biden said in a statement.

The law in Republican-dominated Texas is particularly controversial because it allows members of the public to sue doctors who perform abortions, with medics liable for up to US$10,000 for each procedure they perform.

Abortion is a touchstone issue in the United States, provoking strong responses on both sides.

The Texas law is among a raft of state-level measures coming to the fore as Republican-dominated legislatures seek to make rules that polls say a majority of Americans disagree with.

The appointment to the Supreme Court of three judges by former president Donald Trump has emboldened those on the right – particularly evangelical Christians – who see a chance to reverse a ruling they hold as counter to the will of God.

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2021-10-03 00:42:26Z
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