How Australia halts local COVID-19 vaccine development due to false HIV positives By Paulina Duran

SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia cancelled the production of a locally made vaccine against COVID-19 after trials showed it could interfere with HIV diagnosis, with the government instead securing additional doses of rival vaccines.

Antibodies generated by the vaccine being developed by the University of Queensland (UQ) and biotech firm CSL, one of four candidates contracted by the Australian government, were found to lead to some false positive HIV test results, the makers said.

While the vaccine had elicited a “robust” immune response to the novel SARS-COV-2 virus without serious adverse effects in a Phase 1 trial with 216 participants, re-engineering a fix could take another 12 months, they sai

CSL and the Australian government had together decided to stop Phase 2 and Phase 3 trial

“While this is a tough decision to take, the urgent need for a vaccine has to be everyone’s priority,” said UQ professor Paul Youn

CSL, which had a contract to produce 51 million doses of the UQ vaccine, will instead produce an extra 20 million doses of the Oxford vaccine being developed with Britain’s AstraZeneca, taking the total to 53 millio

The government said it has also secured additional doses of Novavax vaccine

s.n.g.s.d. vaccines.

Australia & New Zealand chosen to host 2023 women's World Cup

(AFP) - Australia and New Zealand will host the 2023 women's World Cup after the countries' joint bid was chosen by FIFA on Thursday.

The overwhelming favourites won ahead of their only rival Colombia, with Japan having withdrawn its own bid earlier in the week and Brazil, Argentina, South Africa and a joint Korean proposal already having fallen by the wayside.

The 2023 tournament is set to be the first 32-team women's World Cup, up from the 24 nations who competed at last year's finals in France, won by the United States.

It will be the ninth women's World Cup.

"WE DID IT! LETS GO AUSTRALIA & NZ! WORLD CUPS COMING HOME", said Chelsea's Sam Kerr, the leading star of Australian women's football, in a celebratory Instagram post.

The joint proposal by Australia and New Zealand will see games played in 13 venues across 12 cities in July and August 2023, with the opening match at Eden Park in Auckland and the final in Sydney.

Seven cities in Australia will host games, and five in New Zealand. There will be two stadiums in Sydney. Four groups will be based in each country during the first phase.

Thursday's vote came at a video-conference meeting of the 37 members of the FIFA Council as football, and global sport in general, struggles to get back on its feet in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Australia and New Zealand bid was given the highest score, of 4.1 out of five, in an evaluation by world football's governing body published earlier this month.

It was followed by Japan, on 3.9, but the Japanese bid was withdrawn on Monday, with the head of the country's football association, Kozo Tajima, noting that key support was moving towards Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, he admitted that Japan's focus was on hosting next year's Olympics in Tokyo.

FIFA's evaluation report gave Colombia a score of just 2.8 out of five as it raised doubts about the ability to provide investment required to carry out "necessary improvements" and also highlighted security worries in the South American country.

Australia and New Zealand both have considerable experience when it comes to hosting major international sporting events.

Australia hosted the men's Asian Cup in 2015, with New Zealand hosting the men's under-20 World Cup in the same year.

In addition, Australia has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in Melbourne in 1956 and Sydney in 2000.

Both countries have recently hosted the men's Rugby World Cup having also jointly organised the first edition of that competition in 1987.

They also jointly staged the 1992 and 2015 Cricket World Cups.

Australia are seventh in the current FIFA women's world rankings, but the Matildas have never been beyond the quarter-finals at the World Cup and lost on penalties to Norway in the last 16 last year.

New Zealand's "Football Ferns" have never been beyond the group stage and in 2023 will be hoping to win a game at the finals for the first time.

AFP

Australian PM says virus 'most likely' came from Wuhan market

WHO, Fauci and intel sources reject China lab theory

Australian prime minister Scott Morrison says the origin of the Covid-19 virus was most likely a wildlife wet market in Wuhan, China after both US president Donald Trump and secretary of state Mike Pompeo claimed, without providing evidence, that the virus could have originated in a Wuhan laboratory. UK Guardian reported on Tuesday.

Morrison added it remained paramount for a transparent review to be conducted into the origins of the coronavirus to avoid similar situations in the future.

Speaking to the press, Morrison refused to rule out any possibilities as he was asked if it was possible for the virus to have originated in a laboratory in Wuhan.

The Australian prime minister went on to say: "What’s really is important that we have a proper review, an independent review that looks into the sources of these things in a transparent way so we can learn the lessons to make sure were there to be a virus ... that could originate anywhere else in the world, we can learn lessons from that, and that’s what Australia is focused on. I have written to all the G20 leaders about that."

Earlier, a leaked document from Five Eyes (FVEY), a group of intelligence agencies of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the US, showed that FVEY believes China is hiding information on the virus outbreak.

Against all the claims by the "Five Eyes", Dr. Anthony Fauci, a renowned U.S. infectious disease expert on Monday said that there is no scientific evidence to back the theory that the coronavirus was made in a Chinese laboratory. And he "doesn't entertain" the alternate theory that the virus was leaked from a laboratory after being brought in from the wild.

Fauci's comments came in an interview with National Geographic published on Monday. "If you look at the evolution of the virus in bats and what's out there now, [the scientific evidence] is very, very strongly leaning toward this could not have been artificially or deliberately manipulated," he said.

When it comes to the alternative theory that some "scientists found the virus outside the lab, brought it back, and then it escaped," Fauci responded with indifference, saying that "[the virus] was in the wild to begin with. That's why I don't get what they're talking about [and] why I don't spend a lot of time going in on this circular argument."

Similarly, On Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) also stated that they haven't received evidence to support "speculative" claims by the U.S. president that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab.

"We have not received any data or specific evidence from the United States government relating to the purported origin of the virus – so from our perspective, this remains speculative," WHO emergencies director Michael Ryan told a virtual briefing.

It is also reported that the Five Eyes network, an alliance between the UK, U.S., Australia, New Zealand and Canada, believes that "there is no current evidence to suggest that coronavirus leaked from a Chinese research laboratory."

According to The Guardian, the sources also insisted that a "15-page dossier" highlighted by the Australian Daily Telegraph, said "there is nothing to indicate a leak from the lab could have caused the pandemic."

And the report suggested that the Australian government's position is that "the virus most likely originated in the Wuhan wet market," which contradicts the Trump administration's "Chinese lab theory."


Five Eyes Spies Have NO EVIDENCE That Coronavirus Emerged From Wuhan Lab, Report Suggests Creating A U-Turn On Previous Leaks

Five Eyes spies have NO EVIDENCE that coronavirus emerged from Wuhan lab, report suggests creating a U-turn on previous leaks

There is no evidence to substantiate the Trump administration’s claims that Covid-19 came from a Chinese laboratory, according to intelligence sources, raising questions about a leaked dossier blaming Beijing for the pandemic.

Sources that spoke to the Guardian said that a 15-page dossier which accused China of carrying out a cover-up to hide its role in the global health crisis was not based on intelligence taken from the infamous ‘Five Eyes’ network, which includes spy agencies from the UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Beijing could have been more forthcoming about what was happening in Wuhan – the original epicenter of the pandemic – but pressing the issue could risk a dangerous escalation between the West and China, Five Eyes agencies believe, according to the Guardian report.

Over the weekend, the Australian Sunday Telegraph claimed it saw a dossier, allegedly compiled by “concerned Western governments,” which claimed that the Five Eyes intelligence agencies are probing Beijing’s involvement in the Covid-19 outbreak.

The leak coincided with incendiary remarks from US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who claimed there was a “significant amount of evidence” that the virus came from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Although it’s still not clear how Covid-19 emerged, Washington has promoted the theory that China is to be blamed for the health crisis.

The UK has taken a different approach to determining the cause of the crisis. Downing Street has resisted assigning blame for Covid-19, though it has stressed that questions need to be answered about the origin and spread of the virus in order to better prepare for future global pandemics.

Beijing has strongly denied any involvement in the spread of the illness, and has challenged Pompeo to produce the evidence purportedly showing its links to the pandemic. The secretary of state is engaged in the spread of a dangerous “political virus,” China has said.

Source

Virus death toll tops 100,000 as locked down Easter kicks off

(AFP), The global coronavirus death toll topped 100,000 Friday as Easter celebrations around the world kicked off in near-empty churches with billions of people stuck indoors to halt the pandemic's deadly worldwide march.

The grim milestone came as the World Health Organization issued a dire warning that prematurely lifting lockdown restrictions -- which have kept more than half the world's population in lockdown -- could spark a "deadly resurgence" of the disease.

The extraordinary measures from New York to New Delhi to Naples have seen businesses and schools closed in a desperate bid to halt the virus's relentless spread and the International Monetary Fund said the world now faces the worst downturn since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

More than 1.6 million people have been infected around the world and the death toll hit 100,661 on Friday -- nearly 70 percent in hard-hit Europe.

The United States, which has quickly emerged as a virus hotspot, clocked more than 1,700 new deaths on Thursday -- bringing its toll to second highest after Italy -- with more than 500,000 infections, by far the most of any country.

But even as deaths and infections continued their upward climb, officials in the United States and Europe expressed some hope the curve could be starting to flatten.

Weekend Easter celebrations that would normally see churches around the world packed with parishioners were replaced by an eerie emptiness Friday as lockdown orders kept millions from leaving their homes.

Even such hallowed traditions as the pope's Easter message are being revamped -- Pope Francis will live-stream from the seclusion of his private library.

"We have to respond to our confinement with all our creativity," the pontiff said. "We can either get depressed and alienated... or we can get creative."

Worshippers in Germany embraced social distancing orders to celebrate Good Friday -- at a drive-in service held in the western city of Duesseldorf.

"It was a sad feeling at first because I would have liked to be in my church," Catholic priest Frank Heidkamp told AFP, as hundreds of congregation members gathered in a parking lot for the service.

"With this car service we're trying to create a little bit of community," he added.
- 'Deadly resurgence' -

More than four billion people are confined to their homes across swathes of the globe as governments imposed never-before-seen measures to halt the virus's deadly global march.

This week, China started to ease months-old lockdown orders in Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in December.

Governments in Europe are facing pressure to strike a balancing act between keeping their populations safe without battering economies already bruised by widespread shutdowns.

The World Health Organization on Friday issued a stern warning about lifting lockdown measures.

"I know that some countries are already planning the transition out of stay-at-home restrictions. WHO wants to see restrictions lifted as much as anyone," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

"At the same time, lifting restrictions too quickly could lead to a deadly resurgence. The way down can be as dangerous as the way up if not managed properly."

Some countries, especially in Asia, are worried about a possible second wave of infections imported from travellers as life creeps back to normal.
- Boris Johnson walking -

In some countries, glimmers of hope may be emerging.

Spain, the third hardest-hit country, saw its lowest day toll in 17 days, after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the "fire started by the pandemic is starting to come under control".

France reported close to 1,000 new deaths Friday -- but said the number of patients in intensive care fell for the second day in a row.

Italy's toll stood at more than 18,000 Friday, the highest in the world, but daily rises in new infections have slowed dramatically.

Still, the government said Friday it would extend lockdown orders until May 3.

Britain's toll climbed too, with 980 new deaths, and the government resisted calls to lift lockdown measures.

But spirits were lifted there Friday when virus-stricken Prime Minister Boris Johnson showed signs of recovery after a three-day stay in intensive care following his COVID-19 diagnosis at the end of March.

"The Prime Minister has been able to do short walks, between periods of rest, as part of the care he is receiving to aid his recovery," a Downing Street spokesman said.

In the US, Anthony Fauci, the government's top pandemic expert, said the country was "going in the right direction" after a slight drop in the US daily death rate from Wednesday's record toll of 1,973.
- Great Depression -

The fallout is shaking every corner of the financial world, and the IMF, which has $1 trillion in lending capacity, said it was responding to calls from 90 countries for emergency financing.

"We anticipate the worst economic fallout since the Great Depression," said IMF chief Kristalina Georgieva, urging governments to provide lifelines to businesses and households.

EU finance ministers agreed the 500-billion-euro rescue package after late-night talks Thursday, aiming to reduce the pain across the 27-nation bloc, especially in Italy and Spain.

"Europe has decided and is ready to meet the gravity of the crisis," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire tweeted.

The US Federal Reserve also threw a lifeline to Americans -- some 17 million people there have already lost their jobs -- and chairman Jerome Powell announced a $2.3-trillion financing measure "to provide as much relief and stability as we can".

And major oil producers except Mexico agreed to cut output after a dramatic slump in demand caused by the virus, exacerbated by a Saudi-Russia price war, sent prices crashing to a near two-decade low.

Despite hopeful signs in Western nations and China, there are fears the worst is still to come in much of the developing world.

War-torn Yemen, which has been experiencing one of the world's most acute humanitarian crises, on Friday reported its first case.

Brazilian authorities confirmed the first deaths in the slums of Rio de Janeiro, where overcrowding and poor sanitation have raised fears of a catastrophe.

There are similar fears in India, where hundreds of millions of poor people are becoming increasingly desperate.

"I keep hearing that the government will do this and that. No one has even come to see if we are alive or dead," Rajni Devi, a mother of three, told AFP in a slum on the outskirts of New Delhi.

Source

COVID-19: Global coronavirus cases surpass 1.5 mln

The officially confirmed number of COVID-19 cases globally has exceeded 1.5 mln, as seen from data collected by Russian news agency TASS correspondents based on statements by officials and experts from countries hit by the outbreak.

The number of coronavirus cases topped 1 mln on April 2.

The deadly virus which the World Health Organization (WHO) declared pandemich since March was first discovered in China by late December 2019 and since then, cases of the novel coronavirus - named COVID-19 by the WHO - have been reported in every corner of the globe, including Russia. 

The cases outside China have proved to be  more severe as Italy, US, Spain, France,South Korea, Iran, UK have been hardly it by the virus. More that 80,000 deaths have been recorded globally as many countries and territories are also announcing the presence of the pandemic infections in their domain.

United States currently has the highest number of infected people and second death toll after Italy as more that 15,000 Americans have died so far with over 300,000 on sick beds, Italy has recorded more than 17,000 fatalities.

Cardinal Pell freed after winning appeal over child sex abuse

Cardinal George Pell was released from prison Tuesday, hours after Australia's High Court quashed his conviction for child sex abuse, bringing to an abrupt end the most high-profile paedophilia case faced by the Catholic Church.

The 78-year-old left Barwon Prison near Melbourne after the court overturned five counts of sexually abusing two 13-year-old choirboys in the 1990s.

Pell, who had steadfastly maintained his innocence throughout a lengthy court process, left the jail where he has been held for the last year and issued a statement saying that a "serious injustice" had been remedied by the decision.

A jury convicted Pell in December 2018, and that decision was upheld by a three-judge panel in Victoria state's Court of Appeal last August in a split verdict.

But Australia's High Court found there was "a significant possibility that an innocent person has been convicted because the evidence did not establish guilt to the requisite standard of proof".

The seven justices unanimously found a lower court had "failed to engage with the question of whether there remained a reasonable possibility that the offending had not taken place".

Pell's legal woes, however, may not be at an end, as he faces possible civil action, including from the father of one of the alleged victims -- now deceased -- who is planning to launch a claim for damages.

The prosecution's case had relied heavily on the testimony of Pell's surviving accuser, who told a closed-door hearing that Pell had sexually assaulted the two boys in a Melbourne cathedral while he was archbishop of the city.

- 'Utter disbelief' -

The second choirboy -- who is not known to have ever spoken of the abuse -- died of a drug overdose in 2014. Neither man can be identified for legal reasons.

Lisa Flynn, the lawyer for the deceased man's father, said her client was "disgusted" and "in utter disbelief" at the outcome.

"He is struggling to comprehend the decision by the High Court of Australia. He says he no longer has faith in our country's criminal justice system," she said.

"He is furious the man he believes is responsible for sexually abusing his son was convicted by a unanimous jury only to have that decision overturned today."

The Blue Knot Foundation, a victim support group, said the decision would be "crushing" for survivors of abuse.

"The child sexual abuse pandemic within the Catholic Church has threatened the safety of millions of children, the adults they become and the very moral fibre of what it means to be human," said Blue Knot president Cathy Kezelman.

"Pell now has his freedom, but many abuse victims have never been free -- trapped in the horror of the crimes which decimated their lives."

In his statement, Pell thanked his lawyers, supporters and family and said he held "no ill will" toward his accuser.

"I do not want my acquittal to add to the hurt and bitterness so many feel; there is certainly hurt and bitterness enough," he said.

"However my trial was not a referendum on the Catholic Church; nor a referendum on how Church authorities in Australia dealt with the crime of paedophilia in the Church.

"The point was whether I had committed these awful crimes, and I did not."

Local media footage showed Pell being driven from prison to a Carmelite monastery in suburban Melbourne.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said even the "discussion of these topics brings back great hurt" for victims, and his thoughts were "always with them".

"But the High Court, the highest court in the land, has made its decision and that must be respected," he said.

Coronavirus restrictions meant the verdict was delivered to a near-empty Brisbane courtroom -- in stark contrast to earlier hearings that drew large crowds of his supporters and detractors, the world's media and members of the legal profession.

Pell's lawyers had argued there were "compounding improbabilities" in the case, including that Pell would not have had the time or opportunity to molest the boys in the sacristy after Mass, when he would usually be on the cathedral steps greeting members of the congregation.

Pell's trial was held under a court-ordered veil of secrecy, but at the same time was quietly removed from top Church bodies -- although the Vatican resisted launching an internal investigation.

The former Vatican treasurer remains in the priesthood, but his future role in the church remains unclear.

Source

COVID-19: Australia bans non-residents from arrival: PM

All foreigner travellers will be banned from entering Australia from 9:00pm AEDT tomorrow. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced the enhanced border measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.

It applies to all non-citizens and non-residents. Australians will still be able to return from overseas but they will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. The Government had previously banned foreign nationals from coming to Australia from China, Iran, Italy and South Korea.

New Zealand had already announced plans to close its borders to foreign nationals from midnight tonight.

Mr Morrison said he had consulted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern about Australia's new travel ban prior to announcing it.

"The New Zealand arrangement, in the same way as it has in the past, doesn't apply to Australians living in New Zealand as New Zealand residents," he said.

"Equally for New Zealanders living in Australia as Australian residents, these are the same rules that apply in both countries.

"We have worked today to align what we're doing and I appreciate that openness."

The ban means people with student and working holiday visas, who are currently out of the country, will be unable to enter Australia for the foreseeable future.

Visa holders already in Australia can remain in the country.

The Prime Minister said the earlier travel bans had already reduced travel to Australia to one-third of normal levels.

But he said it was crucial to go further in a bid to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"About 80 per cent of the cases we have in Australia are either the results of someone who has contracted the virus overseas or someone who has had direct contact with someone who has returned from overseas," Mr Morrison said.

"So, the overwhelming proportion of [coronavirus] cases in Australia have been imported.

"Measures we have put in place have obviously put an impact on that and this is a further measure now that can be further enhanced."

The travel ban came after Qantas and Virgin announced major cuts to flights and staff, both domestic and internationally.

Mr Morrison thanked Qantas for working with the Government to maintain flights needed to bring Australians homes.

"Those Australians who are overseas, we have been encouraging them to return to Australia," he said.

"Those in remote parts of the world, that can prove challenging but for those in other places, it is our intention to ensure we can maintain flights to enable them to come home as soon as possible."

Source

Australian index suffers largest-ever drop, closes down 9.7%

Australia's share market has suffered its worst loss in history as the coronavirus epidemic worsens, with another $182 billion in value wiped from the books.

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 finished down 537.3 points, or 9.7 per cent, to 5,002, eclipsing an 8.3 per cent drop back on October 10, 2008, during the height of the global financial crisis.

The plunge put the index back to levels last seen in April 2016, and came despite the US Federal Reserve dropping its benchmark interest rate to zero in an emergency stimulus measure.

The ASX200 has now lost 30.5 per cent of its value in the three and a half weeks of tumultuous trading since February 20.

The broader All Ordinaries index meanwhile sank 532.5 points, or 9.52 per cent, to 5,058.

"It's just chaos today, isn't it," said IC Markets general manager Nick Twidale.

"Not what we wanted for a nice quiet Monday."

The plunge wiped out hopes that the market had hit bottom on Friday morning, a day that started with the market dropping 8.1 per cent cent only to rebound in the afternoon and close up 4.4 per cent.

Markets seemed to turn around early on Monday morning after the Federal Reserve made its announcement, which also included buying $US700 billion worth of bonds and mortgage-backed securities, with Dow futures pointing to a big drop when the market opened later on Monday.

"You would have hoped that after the Fed cut and cut hard would stimulate global markets, but Australia is a case in point that it hasn't worked that way," Mr Twidale said.

Traders may be wondering if governments know more than they do about how bad the outbreak is, he said.

Six of the ASX's 11 official sectors were down more than 10 per cent, with energy the worst hit, falling 13.5 per cent as Woodside Petroleum plunged 14.4 per cent to a 15-year low of $17.96.

The financial sector was down 11.1 per cent as the big four big banks plunged again, even as the Reserve Bank of Australia moved to give the banking system extra liquidity through its market operations.

NAB dropped 12.4 per cent to $16.12, its lowest level since 1997; ANZ fell 12.5 per cent to a 15-year low of $16.45; Westpac dropped 11.8 per cent to $15.98, its lowest level since 2008; and Commonwealth dropped 10.0 per cent to $59.72, its lowest level since 2012.

CSL fell 10.4 per cent to $281.34 and Cochlear dropped 19.3 per cent to $174.51.

In the heavyweight mining sector, BHP dropped 5.7 per cent to a three-year low of $25.20, while Rio Tinto fell 4.3 per cent to a two-year low of $77.65.

Star Entertainment was the worst hit ASX200 component, falling 23.6 per cent to an all-time low of $2.01.

Just three of the ASX200 were in positive territory, including Telstra, which rose 1.8 per cent to $3.38.

Dreamworld owner and ASX300 component Ardent Leisure plunged 52 per cent to an all-time low of 17.5 cents.

The Aussie dollar meanwhile sank to 60.96 US cents, its lowest level against its US counterpart since 2003.

Just after 5pm AEDT Monday it had rebounded slightly, buying 61.60 US cents, down from 62.98 US cents as the market closed on Friday.

ON THE ASX:

The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Monday down 537.3 points, or 9.7 per cent, at 5,002 points.
The All Ordinaries closed down532.5 points, or 532.5 per cent, at 5,058.2 points.
After 5pm AEDT, the SPI200 futures index was up five points, or 0.1 per cent, at 5,053 points.

CURRENCY SNAPSHOT:

One Australian dollar buys:

61.59 US cents, from 62.98 US cents on Friday
65.46 Japanese yen, from 66.42 yen
55.32 euro cents, from 56.24 cents
49.87 British pence, from 50.15 pence
101.97 NZ cents, from 102.71 cents.

Australian Associated Press

COVID-19: Australian home affairs minister says has #coronavirus

A senior Australian politician tested positive for the new coronavirus and was quarantined in hospital on Friday, days after returning from Washington where he met Ivanka Trump and US Attorney General William Barr.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton was in the United States last week for a meeting with members of the FiveEyes intelligence alliance -- Australia, the United States, Britain, Canada and New Zealand -- that included Barr.

He also met with US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka on March 6, according to a photo posted by the Australian embassy in Washington, which shows the pair standing close together.

It is not yet known when Dutton contracted the virus.

"This morning I woke up with a temperature and sore throat," said Dutton, an influential member of the government and a key architect of Australia's controversial immigration laws.

"It is the policy of Queensland Health that anyone who tests positive is to be admitted into hospital and I have complied with their advice."

Dutton said he feels "fine" but his diagnosis will raise concerns about whether other members of the cabinet and Prime Minister Scott Morrison may have been infected.

Australia has seen around 184 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and three fatalities.

Source

Two Haas F1 team staff tested for coronavirus in Melbourne

Three Formula One team staff members have been isolated at the Australian Grand Prix while tests are conducted for the new coronavirus, officials said Wednesday, casting a shadow over the opening race of the year.

Two were from the Haas F1 team and one from McLaren.

"Two personnel were showing some symptoms so they got themselves checked out and have put themselves into self-isolation, as they should, while they await results," a Haas official told AFP.

A McLaren official added: "We can confirm that one team member has self-isolated in the hotel as a precaution, in line with our policy, after showing symptoms similar to coronavirus. "We expect to receive the results overnight.

The team is operating as per our normal schedule.

They were tested at the Albert Park circuit in Melbourne as the teams prepare for the race on Sunday. It is not clear what it might mean for the grand prix if the results are positive.

Victorian state Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday said it was only a matter of time before large sporting and cultural events were cancelled, but that that stage had not been reached yet.

Earlier this week, Australian Grand Prix Corporation boss Andrew Westacott ruled out the race following the lead of Bahrain by barring spectators, with hundreds of thousands expected over the weekend.

The Chinese Grand Prix is the only race to be postponed so far, although the first three stops on the MotoGP calendar, in Qatar, Thailand and the United States, have been either delayed or cancelled.

- Selfie ban - All Formula One teams are in Australia, including powerhouse Ferrari and AlphaTauri from their bases in Italy, which is now in lockdown to halt the spread of the disease.

Australia banned travel from Italy Wednesday and opened a US$1.6 billion healthcare war chest in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus, as locally detected infections hit 124.

Three people have died. Victoria state, where the race is being held, has 21 infections. With concerns growing, race chiefs said drivers would not take part in autograph sessions or pose for selfies, while Renault's Daniel Ricciardo and Esteban Ocon pulled out of scheduled press conference Wednesday.

"Our drivers were supposed to be with us for this event but due to the situation we've excused them for the occasion... I hope you understand why we are taking such measures," team principal Cyril Abiteboul said.

Over the weekend, Formula One's governing body, the International Automobile Federation, said it was establishing what it called a "crisis cell" to meet every two days to monitor the rapidly increasing global threat posed by the virus.

"The FIA will evaluate the calendar of its forthcoming competitions and take any action required to help protect the global motor sport community and the wider public, including the postponement of competitions where necessary," it said. It had no immediate comment on Wednesday's developments.

Source

Cardinal Pell's final appeal against child sex conviction opens in Australia

(AFP), Lawyers for disgraced Cardinal George Pell claimed the senior cleric's conviction for child sex abuse was based on "improbabilities", as they launched a last-ditch appeal in Australia's top court Wednesday.

The 78-year-old former Vatican treasurer, who is serving a six-year sentence for sexually assaulting two choirboys in the 1990s, was not present for the two-day hearing in Canberra.

But supporters gathered outside the High Court building, waving Australian flags and carrying signs that read "keep the faith Cardinal Pell".

Pell, who once helped elect popes, is the highest-ranking Catholic Church official ever convicted of child sex crimes.

He was found guilty by a jury in December 2018 on five counts of abusing the 13-year-old choirboys at a Melbourne cathedral when he was archbishop of the city.

That verdict was upheld in August 2019 by a three-judge panel that was split in a 2-1 decision.

Prominent Australian barrister Bret Walker, acting for Pell, told the High Court Wednesday there were "compounding improbabilities" in the case that had pitted the powerful clergyman against a former choirboy victim now in his 30s.

Among these, he said, were that the "shocking allegations" of sexual abuse were said to have taken place in a crowded cathedral and another public space, which he argued was "quite different" from typical sexual offending that tended to occur in "covert" settings.

Walker accepted that the trial jury and majority of appeal judges believed the victim's account, though Pell's lawyers have previously contended it was a fabrication.

The lawyer argued that belief "does not eliminate" reasonable doubt the offence occurred -- saying the victim's evidence conflicted with witnesses who placed Pell outside the cathedral greeting churchgoers at the time he was said to be abusing the boys.

Walker also said the judges who upheld the guilty verdict had effectively required Pell to establish his innocence, rather than simply raise doubt about the case against him.

"That amounts to a reversal of onus and, most importantly, a misapplication of the essential protection provided by the requirement of proof beyond reasonable doubt," Walker said.

The prosecution has not yet presented its response, but in written submissions to the court called the appeal "problematic", saying the defence argument "glosses over evidence" that supports the victim's account.

The case relied solely on the testimony of Pell's surviving victim, as the other -- who is not known to have ever spoken of the abuse -- died of a drug overdose in 2014. Neither man can be identified for legal reasons.

A full bench of seven judges, including Chief Justice Susan Kiefel, is hearing the appeal.

They could quash the appeal immediately, wait several months to hand down their ruling, or even send the case back to a lower court to reconsider.

The high-profile case is being closely watched by Australia's legal fraternity, the public and the world's media, with a large queue forming outside the courtroom before the building opened Wednesday.

Pell has been removed from top Church bodies by the Vatican but remains in the priesthood.

The Vatican previously said it would avoid launching an investigation into his conduct until after all legal avenues are exhausted.

The father of the dead victim said he was eager to avoid dragging out an already lengthy process even further.

"This process continues to take a toll on his physical and mental health," his lawyer Lisa Flynn said Tuesday.

"If the High Court allows George Pell to walk free from jail, our client says he will lose all faith in our legal system," she added.

Source

Saudi Arabia creates new tourism, sports, investment ministries: royal decrees

Saudi Arabia announced on Tuesday the creation of three new ministries for tourism, sports and investment, according to royal decrees that also unveiled a sweeping cabinet reshuffle.

King Salman upgraded the government bodies overseeing the three portfolios to individual ministries, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Under the changes, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority is transformed into a ministry with the name of Ministry of Investment while the General Sports Authority is renamed as the Ministry of Sports and the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage becomes the Ministry of Tourism.

The king also announced plans for the Ministry of Civil Service to be joined to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development to become The Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development while the Ministry of Commerce and Investment has been renamed as the Ministry of Commerce.

A royal order appointed Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal Al Saud as Minister of Sports while Ahmed bin Aqeel Al-Khateeb was named Minister of Tourism and Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih was appointed Minister of Investment.

In another royal order, Turki bin Abdullah Al-Shabanah was relieved of his post as Minister of Media, to be replaced by Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi as Acting Minister of Media in addition to his post as Minister of Commerce.

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Australian coronavirus vaccine goes into test production

A factory in Melbourne has started producing a test dose of a potential coronavirus vaccine which scientists will begin testing on animals this week.

The test vaccine was developed in just six weeks by University of Queensland researchers using world-first molecular clamp technology invented in Australia.

The blueprint for the test vaccine was sent to a CSIRO manufacturing lab in Clayton on Thursday night. On Friday morning vaccine production began.

The University of Queensland team say they have not perfected their design yet, and more tweaking will be done over the next week.

The batch being brewed at Clayton is merely the first test dose, a process done in part to trial the factory's systems.

Nevertheless, it shows the incredible progress made by the researchers – less than two months after the first recorded coronavirus death, a test vaccine is in production.

After emerging in Wuhan in December, COVID-19 has spread rapidly around the world.

More than 76,000 people have been infected, including 15 in Australia, and more than 2245 killed so far.

The University of Queensland team began work on their vaccine on January 11, when the first coronavirus genome – its DNA blueprint – was uploaded to the internet by Chinese scientists.

“We did not need the virus itself. All we needed was the sequence,” said Professor Paul Young.

They quickly identified a section of the virus, known as a spike protein, they would need to target.

To do this, they are using "molecular clamp" technology, an invention developed at the Queensland University by Dr Keith Chappell, Dr Daniel Watterson and Professor Young seven years ago.

The clamps are designed to hold the complex, changing the shape of the spike protein so the human immune system can get a good look at it – and learn to kill it.

“It is a fascinating and quite amazing technology,” said Upulie Divisekera, a molecular biologist at the University of Auckland who is not involved in the project.

The CSIRO’s Clayton factory started manufacturing a pilot dose on Friday morning.

This is done in huge fermenters filled with cells. The cells read DNA instructions and produce the proteins that will go into the vaccine.

"This is the first candidate of possibly many," said Professor George Lovrecz, research team leader at CSIRO’s manufacturing division.

Once the team's vaccine is finished, it will be tested on animals, first for safety and then for effectiveness.

If the vaccine is both safe and effective, human trials can begin.

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COVID-19: Australia to allow return of some 760 Chinese students

The Australian government said it will allow the return of some Chinese high school students who have been blocked from entering the country due coronavirus restrictions.

Australian officials said the targeted easing of the ban would allow about 760 Chinese high school students - none from Hubei province, which is the epicentre of the outbreak - to apply to return.

"It is incredibly important that we bring some normality back to the international student market," Education Minister Dan Tehan told reporters. "It is a small step we are taking, it is a precautionary step."

Total accumulated number of confirmed cases in mainland China has so far reach 76,288, and  the total death toll from the outbreak in mainland China reached 2,345 as of the end of February 21.

The step by the Australian authorities marked the first positive turn of event in favour of the virus ravage China since the outbreak. 

Countries banned Chinese visitations and canceled tour groups and events involving Chines nationals, airlines suspended flights to and fro with China and the neighboring countries including Russian closed their land borders to contain the spread of the mysterious but deadly virus  

Australia train crash – Carriages packed with 160 people derail ‘leaving passengers trapped in wreckage’

Two confirmed dead in horror Wallan train derailment

An Australian TRAIN travelling between Sydney and Melbourne and carrying 160 passengers has reportedly derailed near the town of Wallan.

Two people on board a Sydney-Melbourne have been confirmed dead in a horror train derailment outside Wallan.

The Herald Sun reported that up to four carriages on the Sydney-Melbourne service derailed near Wallan, about 47km north of Melbourne.

The accident is reported to have happened at around 7.50pm, 30 miles north of Melbourne, news.com.au reported.

A Sydney-Melbourne train with 160 passengers on board has derailed in Wallan. It is unknown how any passengers have been injured.

@hippychicky55
Derailed train near Wallan station. Lots of emergency response. Photos I found on Facebook.

A statement from Victoria emergency services read: "Rescue service, along with other emergency services, are responding to an incident near Wallan Train Station. The Sun reported.

"We can confirm the XPT train has derailed north of the station, near Epping-Kilmore Road.

"Paramedics are en-route.

"At this time it is unknown what has caused the derailment, with two carriages said to be involved."

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau confirmed that some of the 160 passengers onboard the interstate service had been injured, but couldn’t say how many.

“We did a notification and we are gathering more information about what happened,” ATSB spokesman Vik Chaudhri said.

“There has been injuries and the train did derail.”

It is not yet known how many passengers have been injured, or how badly, but a triage centre has been established at a nearby petrol station.

At the triage centre set up at the BP, customers had been alerting staff that a train had gone off the rails.

None of the affected passengers have come through the service station with emergency services set up at the back.

@vline_seymour
The 17:20 Albury - Southern Cross will be terminating early due to an investigation with NSW Train Link service near Wallan. Customers may consider replacement road coaches to complete their journey.

All bushfires in hardest-hit Australia state now contained: firefighters

Sydney (AFP), All the blazes in Australia's hard-hit state of New South Wales have been brought under control, firefighters said on Thursday, signalling the end of a months-long crisis that claimed 33 lives nationwide.

"As of this afternoon, all fires in New South Wales have now been contained," a Rural Fire Service spokesman told AFP, as fresh rainfall helped extinguish blazes that have burned along the east coast since September. "It is very good news."

Blazes scorched more than 10 million hectares in the country's east and south, killing at least 33 people and an estimated one billion animals while destroying more than 2,500 homes.

The crisis cloaked major cities like Sydney in smoke for weeks on end, saw towns cut off and prompted the deployment of the military to rescue stranded citizens.

The fires were exacerbated by prolonged drought and worsened by climate change in the country's hottest and driest year on record.

But days of rainfall -- the heaviest in 30 years -- have extinguished the largest fires and brought those that remain under control.

Beleaguered volunteer firefighters have fought the blazes day-in-day-out in what has been described as Australia's "black summer".

"After what's been a truly devastating fire season for both firefighters and residents who've suffered through so much this season, all fires are now contained in New South Wales," New South Wales Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner Rob Rogers said in a Twitter video.

"Not all fires are out, there's still some fire activity in the far south of the state but all fires are contained so we can really focus on helping people rebuild."

In the Australian Capital Territory around Canberra firefighters are still trying to bring one fire under control, but the blaze was not said to be threatening. AFP

Invest Today or Pay More Later: WHO calls for $675 million to fight coronavirus global health emergency.

World Health Organization in a statement calls for $675 million to fight the #coronavirus global health emergency. "Invest today or pay more later," says @WHO

The disease emerged from a market selling exotic animals in Wuhan, China, late last year.

The World Health body in a statement said to fight further spread of the mysterious coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China and globally, and protect states with weaker health systems, the international community has launched a US$675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February through to April 2020.

The global body called for urgent reports to protect vulnerable countries from outbreak. Aside China which is the epicentre of the outbreak, 191 cases have contracted the virus in more that twenty other countries.

WHO has been working with the travel and tourism industry to discuss real and perceived risks experienced in the industry, measures put in place for customers and employees, and challenges faced due to the #2019nCoV.

The dreaded Coronavirus has been confirmed by WHO in China and 25 other countries globally.

According to an AFP latest reports, the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in China as at early morning of Thursday 6th of February 2020, has risen to more than 28,000 with over 560 deaths.

Full Statement:

US$675 million needed for new coronavirus preparedness and response global plan

To fight further spread of the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in China and globally, and protect states with weaker health systems, the international community has launched a US$675 million preparedness and response plan covering the months of February through to April 2020.

“My biggest worry is that there are countries today who do not have the systems in place to detect people who have contracted with the virus, even if it were to emerge,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Urgent support is needed to bolster weak health systems to detect, diagnose and care for people with the virus, to prevent further human to human transmission and protect health workers.”

The Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan (SPRP) for the new coronavirus lays out activities and resources needed by international health organizations globally, including WHO, to implement priority public health measures in support of countries to prepare and respond to nCoV-2019 for a period February-April 2020. The objectives of the plan are to limit human-to-human transmission of the virus, particularly in countries most vulnerable if they were to face an outbreak; identify, isolate and care for patients early; communicate critical risk and event information; minimize social and economic impact; reduce virus spread from animal sources; and address crucial unknowns.

The plan focuses on:
Rapidly establishing international coordination and operational support;
Scaling up country readiness and response operations;
Accelerating priority research and innovation.

“The effectiveness of outbreak response depends on the preparedness measures put in place before outbreaks strike,” said Dr Mike Ryan, head of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme. “That is why we are seeking resources to safeguard the most vulnerable countries to protect people from the new coronavirus before it arrives on the doorstep.”

As noted in the SPRP, WHO assesses that the outbreak poses a very high risk in China, and high risk regionally and globally. The risk assessment was based on factors including the likelihood of further spread, the potential impact on human health, and the varying levels of effectiveness in national preparedness and response measures. Accelerated action, as called for in the plan, can address these risks and areas requiring support.

As of 10 a.m. Central European Time on 5 February, 25 countries have reported confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including China, where 24,363 people had contracted the virus, or over 99% of all cases. In all other countries, 191 cases have contracted the virus.

Australia has confirmed its 14th case of the coronavirus

Dr Jeannette Young, the Australian chief health officer, said the latest case was the fourth confirmed positive test of novel coronavirus in Queensland. She said.

The 37-year-old man, a Chinese national from Wuhan (Hubei province), is currently isolated in the Gold Coast University hospital (GCUH).

The man is a member of the same tour group travelling with the previously confirmed cases – a 44-year-old man, a 42-year-old woman and an eight-year-old boy.
All four people who have been confirmed to have novel coronavirus are stable.

It's the state's fourth confirmed case of the virus, while there are four each in NSW and Victoria, and two cases in South Australia

Of those, three people have recovered and been released.The five others from the same tour group remain in isolation in GCUH.

The group flew to Queensland from Melbourne on January 27, and have spent the last week in isolation in the Gold Coast University Hospital.

More than 20 countries have confirmed cases of the virus, which has killed nearly 500 people and infected more than 24,000 in mainland China.

Two Australians on a cruise ship off Japan also contracted coronavirus after being exposed by a previous passenger.

The pair were among 10 people including three each from Japan and Hong Kong, one from the US and one Filipino crew member who tested positive aboard the Diamond Princess.

Japan has quarantined the vessel carrying 223 Australians among 2666 guests and 1045 crew at Yokohama, south of Tokyo.

Diamond Princess was due to depart Yokohama on an eight-day round trip but the vessel will remain in quarantine for two weeks while Japanese authorities attempt to contain further spread of the virus.

The outbreak has prompted the World Health Organization to declare a global health emergency, several governments to institute travel restrictions and airlines to suspend flights to and from China.

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Australia virus evacuees head for island quarantine

A flight carrying evacuees from the epicentre of the deadly China virus outbreak landed in Australia late Monday ahead of a 14-day quarantine at a notorious offshore immigration detention centre.

The Qantas charter flight carrying 243 passengers -- including 89 children -- touched down at an Air Force base near the remote Western Australian town of Exmouth.

The Australian citizens and permanent residents on board were due to be flown in smaller planes to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the flight was late leaving Wuhan due to a "very intensive process to manage the immigration and boarding arrangements" that also included medical checks.

Passengers will be quarantined for at least 14 days in an immigration detention centre which gained notoriety as the venue where asylum seekers who attempted to reach Australia by boat were detained.

Officials say the evacuees will be held separately from a Sri Lankan family of four fighting their deportation -- the only other residents of the facility.

"The plan is to cohort people in small family groups so that there won't be a full mingling, so that the whole group doesn't have to stay if someone does get unwell," chief medical officer Brendan Murphy said.

Australia is just the latest country to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan. Japan, the United States and France are among those that have already sent extraction flights.

Payne said the government was considering sending a second plane to Wuhan to evacuate more than around 300 other Australians.

Australia is also in talks with Pacific nations to help evacuate their citizens, but Payne said any foreign nationals that travelled on an Australian charter flight would also need to be quarantined on Christmas Island.

The virus has infected more than 14,000 people in China and killed more than 360. It has spread to more than 24 countries including Australia, where health officials have so far confirmed 12 cases.

Australia on Saturday barred non-citizens travelling from mainland China from entering the country for at least two weeks, while Qantas said it would suspend flights to Shanghai and Beijing starting February 9.

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