Stories for October 22nd 2020

Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:35 UTC
Death of Brazilian volunteer in clinical trials of Oxford Covid-19 vaccine triggers controversy

A volunteer taking part in clinical trials of the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Oxford University has died in Brazil, officials announced on Wednesday, though media reports said he had received a placebo, not the test vaccine.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:29 UTC
Bolsonaro in political controversy rejects purchase of the Chinese vaccine

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Wednesday rejected the announced purchase of 46 million doses of a potential vaccine against the coronavirus being developed by a Chinese company and tested in a state governed by a political rival, prompting some to question if he was allowing politics to steer public health decisions.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:28 UTC
Colombian organizations take over the center of Bogotá to protest against government

Protesters filled a historic square in Colombia’s capital on Wednesday to demonstrate against the government’s handling of a wide range of issues including the economic fallout of the pandemic and implementation of the peace accord.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:24 UTC
Venezuela plans massive immunization with Russian and Chinese vaccines

Venezuela plans to vaccinate citizens with Russian and Chinese coronavirus vaccines, which could arrive in the South American nation in December or January, President Nicolas Maduro said.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:20 UTC
Bolsonaro's conservative candidate to the Supreme Court receives Senate approval

The Brazilian Senate approved, by 57 votes in favor and 10 against, the appointment of conservative Judge Kassio Nunes Marques, 48, to become minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court). He will take over for Dean Celso de Mello, who retired this month.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:18 UTC
Spain becomes first Western Europe to exceed a million coronavirus infections

Spain became the first Western European country to exceed 1 million coronavirus infections on Wednesday (Oct 21), doubling its tally in just six weeks despite a series of increasingly stringent measures to control the second wave.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:09 UTC
Obama on the campaign trail in support of Biden who is preparing for the debate with Trump

Former President Barack Obama returned to the campaign trail on Wednesday, launching a blistering attack on Donald Trump with less than two weeks to go before the Republican president’s Election Day face-off with Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:04 UTC
US Export-Import bank signs deal to finance US$ 1 billion in trade with Brazil

Brazil and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding to forge closer trade links, a step that could see U.S. Export-Import Bank finance up to US$1 billion of exports to and projects in the Latin American nation.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:01 UTC
Pope Francis agrees same-sex couples should be protected by civil union laws

Pope Francis has said that same-sex couples should be protected by civil union laws in some of the clearest languages he has used on the rights of gay people since his election seven years ago. He made his comments in a new documentary “Francesco” by Oscar-nominated director Evgeny Afineevsky that was released on Wednesday.
Thursday, October 22nd 2020 - 09:00 UTC
Chilean voting centers on Sunday will de disinfected with copper nanoparticles

Chile, the world’s largest producer of copper, will use nanoparticles of the metal to disinfect voting centers ahead of this weekend’s referendum on changing the constitution, the government said Wednesday.