World
S’Korea’s New Covid-19 Cases Remain Over 600 For 2nd Day
South Korea’s daily new virus cases remained over 600 for the second day on Friday.
The country has therefore extended its social distancing measures against the coronavirus amid concerns of another wave of the pandemic.
The country reported 661 more Covid-19 cases, including 642 local infections, raising the total caseload to 122,007, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) said.
The latest tally was slightly down from 679 new cases the previous day, after reaching 769 cases on Wednesday on a growing number of untraceable cases.
The country added three more deaths, raising the total to 1,828.
As of 6 p.m. Friday, the country added 503 more cases, up five from the same time Thursday, according to health authorities and local governments.
A medical worker administers a Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine shot at a vaccination centre in Gwangju, 329 kilometers south of Seoul, on April 30, in this photo provided by the city’s Buk District office.
Amid fears over another wave of the pandemic, health authorities decided to maintain the country’s social distancing measures and ban on large private gatherings, originally set to expire Sunday for three more weeks.
Currently, the greater Seoul area, where more than half of the country’s 52 million people reside, is under Level 2 social distancing, the third highest in the five-tier scheme, with the rest of the country under Level 1.5.
Gatherings of five or more people are banned nation-wide, with exceptions for family members.
Acting Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki said the extensions were necessary, considering the upcoming two holidays next month, Children’s Day and Buddha’s Birthday, which could potentially heighten infection risks.
Health authorities said they would also apply a revamped social distancing system from July if the average daily caseload remained under 1,000 by the end of June.
Based on the trend of infections then, the country also plans to revise its restrictions on private gatherings and operating hours of restaurants and bars.
South Korea has been grappling with sporadic cluster infections, coupled with the rising number of cases with unknown trans-mission routes.
The proportion of virus cases with unknown transmission routes stood at 29.9 per cent over the past two weeks as of Wednesday, the highest since the country began compiling related data in April last year.
Amid fears of another wave of the pandemic, the country is accelerating its vaccination drive.
Since the country started its vaccination programme on Feb. 26, a total of 3,056,004 people had received their first shots of Covid-19 vaccines, including 241,967 the previous day.
AstraZeneca’s vaccine had been given to 1,640,570 people, while 1,415,434 had received that of Pfizer.
The KDCA said 198,734 people have received two doses.
A total of 15,499 cases of side effects after vaccinations have been reported, up 499 from a day earlier, but 98.1 per cent were mild symptoms, including muscle pain and fever.
A total of 73 deaths after vaccinations have been reported, unchanged from the previous day.
Authorities, however, said the exact causes of the deaths remained unknown as they could not determine causality.
Authorities said they aimed to vaccinate three million people by the end of this month and 12 million by the end of June.
The country targets inoculating around 70 per cent of the country’s population with the first dose of the vaccine by September and achieving herd immunity by November.
As the vaccination campaign picks up steam, health authorities said they would allow those who were fully vaccinated to make in-person visits to nursing homes.
Authorities had partially allowed non-contact visits to nursing homes early last month, although some visitors were allowed in-person meetings under strict conditions.
From May 5, those who have been fully inoculated here would also be exempt from the mandatory 14-day isolation measures when arriving from overseas or when they were found to have come into contact with Covid-19 patients.
Of the newly confirmed locally transmitted cases, 222 came from Seoul, 148 from Gyeonggi Province and 14 from Incheon, 40 km west of the capital.
There were 19 additional imported cases, raising the total to 8,322.
The total number of people released from quarantine after making full recoveries was 111,422, up 635 from a day earlier.
Pope Francis expressed concern about “the increasingly concrete threat of a world war at a New Year’s reception for foreign ambassadors to the Holy See.
The head of the Catholic Church called on diplomats to engage in dialogue, even with difficult interlocutors.
Dialogue he said is the only way to break the chains of hatred and vengeance that bind and to defuse the explosive power of human selfishness, pride and arrogance, which is the root of every destructive determination to wage war.
He said his wish for 2025 was for the war in Ukraine to end, and repeated his appeal for a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict.
The 88-year-old pontiff also warned of the dangers of the spread of fake news, which not only distorts facts but also perceptions.
“This phenomenon generates false images of reality, a climate of suspicion that foments hate, undermines people’s sense of security and compromises civil coexistence and the stability of entire nations,” he said.
Since 2013, Pope Francis has been the leader not only of some 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, but also the head of the Vatican City State.
The smallest state in the world maintains diplomatic relations with 184 countries.
United States President Joe Biden has promised Israel “ironclad” United States support amid fears that Tehran could launch reprisals for an attack that killed senior Iranians.
Mr Biden warned that Iran is threatening to launch a “significant attack” after Israel struck the Iranian consulate in Syria 10 days ago.
“We’re going to do all we can to protect Israel’s security,” he added.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iran’s leader said the Israeli attack in Damascus was equivalent to an attack on Iran itself.
“When they attacked our consulate area, it was like they attacked our territory,” Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a televised speech.
“The evil regime must be punished, and it will be punished.” It is not yet clear what form any reprisal attack would take.
For Iran to strike Israel directly would risk an even greater escalation in the conflict, and analysts have said Iran does not have the military capability for a significant confrontation.
A possible alternative is an attack via an Iranian proxy like Hezbollah, which frequently carries out smaller strikes on Israel from neighbouring Lebanon.
Yesterday an Iranian official warned Israel’s embassies were “no longer safe”, suggesting a consulate building could be a possible target.
Experts have also suggested Iran could target Israel with a cyber attack.
How might Iran seek to hurt Israel after the general’s killing?
Can US pressure deliver Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza?
Biden pressure on Israel not enough, say dissenting US officials
Thirteen people were killed in the 1 April attack on the Iranian consulate building, including senior Iranian military leaders.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but is widely considered to have been behind it.
United States and Israeli forces in the region have been put on high alert in the days since.
Mr Biden’s remarks came as he was speaking to journalists at the White House last Wednesday alongside Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“As I told Prime Minister Netanyahu, our commitment to Israel’s security against these threats from Iran and its proxies is ironclad — let me say it again, ironclad,” Mr Biden said.
His comments come one day after Mr Biden, in an interview, called for a ceasefire in Gaza and said he disagreed with Mr Netanyahu’s war strategy.
“I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” he said in an interview with Univision that was recorded a week ago.
It also comes nearly a week after a tense phone call between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu in the wake of the Israeli killing of seven humanitarian aid workers in Gaza.
Mr Biden has sharpened his rhetoric over Israel’s conduct in the nearly six-month-old war sparked by Hamas’s 7 October attack, and voiced his growing frustration with Mr Netanyahu.
US officials have been attempting to send a message to the Iranians that, despite differences of opinion between Mr Biden and Mr Netanyahu, any attack on Israel will met with an aggressive US response.
In an effort to ease tensions, the Foreign Ministers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iraq spoke to their Iranian counterpart this week, according to Axios.
The Ministers were asked to convey a message from Mr Biden’s senior Middle East advisor, Brett McGurk, about the need to de-escalate.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, more than 33,000 people – mostly women and children – have been killed in the Israeli incursion.
The conflict was sparked by Hamas’s killing of more than 1,200 people in Israel and the taking of 253 hostages in its October attack.
Compiled by King Onunwor
Officers of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have excelled and emerged the best at the just-concluded United Stated Special Programme for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) team mission at Amman, Jordan.
The training, which commenced on March 10, 2024, and concluded on April 3, 2024, was designed to enhance the team’s skills in responding to various emergencies and tactical situations.
The programme was conducted by the US Navy Seals and covered a wide range of topics, including several tactical drills and assessments, ensuring a well-rounded and thorough learning experience.
Speaking at the end of the training, the Nigeria team lead, Squadron Commander 23PMF, ACP Itse Daniel Amah,.
“Today marks a significant milestone in the journey of our 20 brave Mobile Police officers attached to the US Consulate General, Lagos, who have completed a course offered by the SPEAR on protection of national leadership tactical support team (PNLTST), here in Jordan International Policing Training “, he said
Officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) have excelled and emerged the best at the just-concluded US Special Program for Embassy Augmentation Response (SPEAR) team mission at Amman, Jordan.
The training, which commenced on March 10, 2024, and concluded on April 3, 2024, was designed to enhance the team’s skills in responding to various emergencies and tactical situations.
The programme was conducted by the US Navy Seals and covered a wide range of topics, including several tactical drills and assessments, ensuring a well-rounded and thorough learning experience.
“This feat is not just a demonstration of their commitment and hard work but also a reflection of the solid and enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
“On behalf of the IGP Kayode Egbetokun, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the United States government and, in particular, the US Consulate General, Lagos, for their unwavering support and dedication to this program. The SPEAR initiative is a shining example of how collaboration between nations can enhance peace and security, not just for our respective countries but for the global community.
“The training our officers have received is invaluable and will undoubtedly play a crucial role in their mission to protect diplomatic personnel and ensure the safety of our leaders. As they return to their duties, I am confident that they will apply the skills and knowledge gained here to make a positive impact and continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.”
Also, Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said: “the NPF is incredibly proud of these gallant men for their commitment and hard work throughout the training program as they were lauded as the best set to ever be trained.
“This achievement not only demonstrates their dedication to professional growth but also strengthens the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force towards improved service delivery and sustainable national security and safety.”
“This feat is not just a demonstration of their commitment and hard work but also a reflection of the solid and enduring partnership between Nigeria and the United States.
“On behalf of the IGP Kayode Egbetokun, I want to extend our deepest gratitude to the United States government and, in particular, the US Consulate General, Lagos, for their unwavering support and dedication to this program. The SPEAR initiative is a shining example of how collaboration between nations can enhance peace and security, not just for our respective countries but for the global community.
“The training our officers have received is invaluable and will undoubtedly play a crucial role in their mission to protect diplomatic personnel and ensure the safety of our leaders. As they return to their duties, I am confident that they will apply the skills and knowledge gained here to make a positive impact and continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and excellence.”
“This achievement not only demonstrates their dedication to professional growth but also strengthens the capabilities of the Nigeria Police Force towards improved service delivery and sustainable national security and safety”.