UNITED STATES: Democrat Jill Karofsky scored a shock victory yesterday as she ousted Justice Daniel Kelly from his seat in the Wisconsin Supreme Court, reducing the conservative majority to 4-3.
Mr Kelly, who was backed by President Donald Trump, is only the second incumbent in the state’s top court to be ousted since 1967.
The election went ahead despite Democrats’ pleas for it to be postponed or held by postal vote due to the coronavirus pandemic.
CHINA: Health authorities have approved human clinical trials of two potential vaccines for Covid-19.
One was developed by the Wuhan Institute of Virology and Sinopharm and will be tested on 1,396 volunteers in its first two phases, ending in November 2021.
The other vaccine results from the work of a pool of companies led by Sinovac Research & Development. Results are not expected until next year.
BRAZIL: Health workers took to the streets to protest against far-right President Jair Bolsonaro’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, warning of a lack of protective wear and staff shortages.
Doctors and nurses paid tribute to colleagues who have died treating coronavirus patients but warned that long working hours increased fatigue and reduced their immunity to Covid-19.
Brazil has more than 22,000 cases of coronavirus and 1,220 deaths.
RUSSIA: The trial of former US marine Paul Whelan, charged with spying after allegedly being caught “red-handed” with state secrets, started in Moscow yesterday.
He was arrested in a hotel in the Russian capital 18 months ago in possession of a USB flash drive that intelligence officials said contained secret information.
Mr Whelan insists it was planted by an old friend. If found guilty he faces 20 years in prison.
