Civilian protection urged after Ethiopia’s ultimatum

An Ethiopian woman carries her child in a refugee camp in Gendaref, Sudan, on Friday. The United Nations urged Ethiopia on Monday to ensure the protection of civilians, a day after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gave Tigrayan forces 72 hours to surrender before a military offensive on the regional capital of Mekelle. Hundreds, possibly thousands, have been killed in fighting that erupted on November 4 between Ethiopian federal forces and Tigray’s regional army, sending more than 30,000 refugees into neighboring Sudan.SD-Agencies

G20 urges global COVID-19 vaccine access

Leaders from the Group of 20 nations urged greater global cooperation on Saturday to ensure coronavirus vaccines reach beyond the wealthiest regions as promising U.S. vaccines appear closer to approval.

The comments draw clear contrasts with the Trump administration’s go-it-alone approach, including its break with the World Health Organization. The appeals also struck at questions over whether U.S.-made vaccines would become widely available beyond commercial deals once Joe Biden takes office — even as the United States struggles with the world’s highest death toll from the coronavirus.

Japan’s travel campaign to be partially suspended

Japan will partially suspend the country’s “Go-To” domestic travel campaign in areas where coronavirus cases are increasing, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said.

Suga didn’t specify the places where the campaign will be suspended. About 40 million people used the Go-To-Travel program between July 22 to October 31, according to the tourism agency.

Suga and Cabinet members gathered on Saturday to discuss the effort, which had been a boost to the local economy with subsidies provided on travel and dining.

Rocket attack strikes downtown Kabul, killing 8

A barrage of rockets struck a handful of neighborhoods in the heart of the Afghan capital on Saturday morning, killing eight people and wounding 31. The rockets slammed into small businesses, a school, residential buildings and one embassy, sending plumes of smoke and dust into the air.

The rocket attack, the largest for Kabul in years, comes as security is deteriorating in the Afghan capital, despite a peace deal signed between the United States and the Taliban and ongoing peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan Government in Doha. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was in the Qatari capital on Saturday meeting with both negotiating teams.

The Taliban issued a statement denying any involvement. The group in a tweet said it does “not allow indiscriminate strikes in populated areas.”

US coronavirus deaths surpass 250,000

U.S. COVID-19 deaths surpassed 250,000 on November 18, according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

With the national caseload topping 11.4 million, the death toll across the United States rose to 250,029 as of 5:25 p.m., according to the CSSE data.

New York state reported 34,173 fatalities, at the top of the U.S. state-level death toll list. Texas recorded the second most deaths, standing at 20,147. The states of California, Florida and New Jersey all confirmed more than 16,000 deaths.

US withdraws from Open Skies treaty

The United States has formally withdrawn from the Treaty on Open Skies, a decades-old pact meant to reduce the chances of an accidental war by allowing mutual reconnaissance flights by parties to the 34-nation agreement.

The exit comes six months after President Donald Trump first announced his intention to withdraw, saying Russia has been violating the pact.

“We are now no longer a party to this treaty that Russia flagrantly violated for years,” White House national security adviser Robert C. O’Brien said. (SD-Agencies)