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Americans plan widespread protests if Trump interferes with election

Dozens of activist groups who claim to represent millions of Americans from both political parties plan to hit the streets next week, if President Donald Trump appears to be interfering with vote counting or manipulating poll results after Election Day. Participants are prepping to demonstrate "as early as the afternoon on Wednesday, November 4," the day after Election Day, and await a SMS message. "We can’t assume that Donald Trump will respect the peaceful transfer of power" said Sean Eldridge, the founder and president of Stand Up America, which started organizing the coalition in June.

Analysis: U.S. drugmakers, bracing for price cuts, shift election support toward Democrats

The U.S. pharmaceutical industry, long a supporter of Republicans, is giving almost half its political donations to Democratic candidates in this year’s election, as companies look to fend off a threat to drug prices if Democrats gain power. The industry moved less dramatically toward Democrats in 2018 during the congressional elections.

Domestic violence survivors need more help than ever during pandemic

Somy Ali’s cellphone doubles as a lifeline for domestic violence survivors.

Activists urge 'Big Pharma' to be transparent on COVID-19 vaccine costs

Activists called on pharmaceutical companies on Thursday to be transparent about the costs and terms of providing COVID-19 vaccines, saying they must be available and affordable for all. French drugmaker Sanofi and Britain's GlaxoSmithKline said on Wednesday they would supply 200 million doses of their COVID-19 candidate vaccine to the global COVAX vaccine facility backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the GAVI vaccine alliance. Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) demanded the two companies provide details around price, supply and distribution of any vaccine proven safe and effective.

Fired Buffalo police officer who contends she stopped another cop from choking a man finds new support — in Chicago

CHICAGO — The arts collective at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network on Chicago's Southwest Side supports artists from across the country, encouraging them to inspire change through storytelling. But the details of Cariol Horne's story, shared there during a summer of intense national conversation over police abuse, struck an unusually troubling note — Horne has maintained for 15 years that ...

China's Kangtai starts mid-stage trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate

China's Shenzhen Kangtai Biological Products has begun a mid-stage human trial of its experimental coronavirus vaccine, clinical trial registry data shows. Kangtai's candidate is among more than 10 potential vaccines Chinese scientists have brought into various phases of clinical trials in efforts to counter the virus that has killed more than 1.1 million people globally. The company plans to test the vaccine's safety and ability to trigger immune responses in a Phase 2 clinical trial expected to recruit 1,000 participants, according to the latest record published on the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on Wednesday.

Singapore firm invents coronavirus breathalyser with results in seconds

A company in Singapore has developed a breathalyser test for the new coronavirus which it says will enable people to know whether they are infected in under a minute. Breathonix, a startup firm from the National University of Singapore, says its test achieved more than 90% accuracy in a pilot clinical trial of 180 people in the city-state and hopes to get regulatory approval early next year. Countries worldwide are looking to develop alternative tests to the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) nasal swab, which is invasive and in short supply in some places where demand has outstripped manufacturers' production capacity.

Merkel decries populists who say coronavirus is harmless

Populists who purport the coronavirus is harmless are dangerous and irresponsible, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday, defending a circuit break lockdown announced on Wednesday that is aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. "It is only with solidarity and transparency that we will be able to confront the pandemic," she told the Bundestag lower house of parliament, adding the pandemic was a challenge to the democratic system. "Lies and disinformation, conspiracy theories and hatred damage not only the democratic debate but also the fight against the virus," she said during a speech in which she was at times heckled, adding this put human lives in danger.

LVMH and Tiffany end luxury battle, cut price on $16 billion takeover

France's LVMH will pay slightly less to acquire U.S. jeweler Tiffany & Co after the two companies agreed to end a bitter dispute triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and salvage the luxury sector's biggest-ever deal. "We are as convinced as ever of the formidable potential of the Tiffany brand and believe that LVMH is the right home for Tiffany and its employees during this exciting next chapter," Arnault said in the statement.

UK COVID researcher says any lockdown should come sooner not later

Britain should act sooner rather than later if it is going to follow Germany and France and take nationwide steps to slow a second wave of the coronavirus, said Steven Riley, author of an Imperial College study into the spread of the disease. The spread of the coronavirus continues to increase across all parts of England with cases doubling every nine days, according to the new study by Imperial College.

New French COVID lockdown may have to go beyond December 1: government adviser

France's new national lockdown, aimed at curbing the resurgence of COVID-19, may have to be extended beyond its initial deadline of Dec. 1, government scentific adviser Professor Jean-François Delfraissy said on Thursday. President Emmanuel Macron said late on Wednesday that France might start to ease back lockdown measures once COVID infections fell back to about 5,000 per day from around 40,000 per day at present.

Australian scientists find huge new healthy coral reef off northern coast

Australian scientists found a detached coral reef on the Great Barrier Reef that exceeds the height of the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower, the Schmidt Ocean Institute said this week, the first such discovery in over 100 years. The "blade like" reef is nearly 500 metres tall and 1.5 kilometres wide, said the institute founded by ex-Google boss Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy. It lies 40 metres below the ocean surface and about six kilometres from the edge of Great Barrier Reef.

Walter Wallace: Philadelphia police to release body-cam footage as son blames 'racist white cops' for death

Shooting of Wallace on Monday night has sparked violent clashes in city

Novartis buys Vedere Bio, whose founders helped blind mice see

Swiss drugmaker Novartis is buying Vedere Bio, hoping gene therapy technology that has helped blind mice to see will produce similar results in people with inherited conditions that cause them to lose their sight. Novartis is paying $150 million upfront for the U.S. biotechnology company, with the remainder in milestone payments for a total of $280 million. Novartis, which ploughed into gene therapy with its $8.7 billion acquisition of AveXis in 2018, is deepening its push into the segment with Vedere Bio, with a pair of early-stage programmes that rely on viruses to deliver genes to people with blindness-causing diseases like retinitis pigmentosa.

Japan's Takeda to import 50 million doses of Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, raises profit forecast

Japan's Takeda Pharmaceutical Co said on Thursday it would import and distribute 50 million doses of Moderna Inc's novel coronavirus vaccine candidate. Takeda will be responsible for securing regulatory approval for the vaccine, known as mRNA-1273, with supply starting in the first half of 2021, Takeda said in a release. The companies were previously in talks to supply 40 million or more doses of the vaccine in Japan.

What you need to know about the coronavirus right now

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel ordered their countries back into lockdown, as a massive second wave of coronavirus infections threatened to overwhelm Europe before the winter. World stock markets went into a dive in response to the news that Europe's biggest economies were imposing nationwide restrictions almost as severe as the ones that drove the global economy this year into its deepest recession in generations. "The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated," Macron said in a televised address.

US focused on disrupting finances for Somalia's al-Shabab

The United States strongly backed efforts to disrupt the illegal financing methods used by Somalia’s al-Shabab extremist group, which according to U.N. experts raised more than the $21 million it spent last year on fighters, weapons and intelligence. U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft told the Security Council on Wednesday the Trump administration is committed to partnering with other countries and using U.N. sanctions to counter al-Shabab's “financing of terrorism” and the threat from homemade bombs the group is making.

India passes bleak landmark of 8 million coronavirus infections

India crossed a grim milestone of 8 million coronavirus cases on Thursday, with a daily rise of 49,881 infections, health ministry data showed. The world's second most populous nation also has the second highest tally of infections after the United States, which has recorded 8.8 million. Cases in India have dipped sharply from September's peak, but experts warn the current festival season could bring another spike.

Next crop of COVID-19 vaccine developers take more traditional route

The handful of drugmakers dominating the global coronavirus vaccine race are pushing the boundaries of vaccine technology. The world will need several different vaccines to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, given the sheer size of global need, variations in effects on different populations, and possible limits of effectiveness in the first crop. Many leading candidates now in final-stage testing are based on new, largely unproven technology platforms designed to produce vaccines at speed.

Australia's COVID-19 hotspot state reports one case after four month city lockdown lifted

Australia's COVID-19 hotspot state Victoria reported only one new infection on Thursday, a day after it lifted a four month lockdown in the city of Melbourne. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews said that while there were three positive cases of COVID-19 detected in the past 24 hours, two may be old infections. "This is another good day," Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

Japan's Shionogi readies COVID-19 vaccine for December trial: CEO

Shionogi & Co is planning clinical trials by year-end for what may be one of Japan's first domestically produced COVID-19 vaccines to reach the market, as the globe races to secure enough doses to battle the pandemic. The company plans to put its vaccine candidate into Phase 1 clinical trials in December and shift into Phase 2 by January and apply for tentative approval from the government, Shionogi chief executive Isao Teshirogi told Reuters in an interview. Shionogi's plan to have enough doses to inoculate 30 million people by the end of next year means its impact will be much larger than that of first mover Osaka-based AnGes Inc, which expects to have its first doses ready by March.

More sex assault charges filed against adult film actor Ron Jeremy

The seven new counts, which add to others previously filed, involve six victims dating to 1996, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office said.

Nevada dad accused of throwing newborn baby off balcony during argument

Clarence Martin, Jr. allegedly suffered from “mental issues.” A newborn was allegedly thrown from the second-floor balcony by her father on Saturday around 4 a.m. in  Las Vegas. Clarence Martin, Jr. was arguing with the infant’s mother, Nicole Poole, when he snatched her away to the balcony of their apartment and didn’t return with her moments later, according to People.

Mexico's confirmed coronavirus death toll passes 90,000

Health officials have said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases. On Sunday, the ministry said the true death toll from Covid-19 may be around 50,000 higher.

Body and dash camera video released in Waukegan police fatal shooting of Black man

The encounter killed 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette and wounded girlfriend Tafara Williams, who has said police harassed the pair prior to the shooting.

Body and dash camera video released in Waukegan police fatal shooting of Black man

The encounter killed 19-year-old Marcellis Stinnette and wounded girlfriend Tafara Williams, who has said police harassed the pair prior to the shooting.

Sunrise road rage turns to murder, police say. The suspect is still on the loose

Sunrise police are looking for a person they say killed a 21-year-old in a Friday shooting.

Florida teen sentenced to 25 years for crimes including fatally shooting K-9 dog

A Jacksonville, Florida teenager will spend more than two decades in jail after he was tried as an adult for a crime spree that included the death of a police dog. According to Jacksonville.com, Jhamel Paskel was 17 in 2018 when he carjacked two women at gunpoint at a gas station, kidnapped them, and made one drive to another location. When Paskel tried to flee, Fang, a K-9 dog, belonging to Ofc.

Mainland China reports 47 new COVID-19 cases vs 42 a day earlier

Mainland China reported 47 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Oct. 28, up from 42 a day earlier and marking the highest daily increase in more than two months, the country's national health authority said on Thursday. Of the new cases, 23 were local infections in Xinjiang involving previously asymptomatic patients following a mass infection reported in Kashgar. The increase in confirmed COVID-19 infections marks the highest since 49 cases were reported for Aug. 9, but still at a small fraction of what the country saw at the height of the epidemic in February.

Colombia extends selective quarantine until the end of November

Colombia will extend a so-called selective quarantine until the end of November, President Ivan Duque said in a nightly address on Wednesday. "I have given very clear instructions to the minister of health ... so that we will issue a decree on November 1, to extend the selective isolation with responsible individual distancing until November 30, therefore maintaining the current conditions," Duque said. Duque asked local authorities and citizens to exercise greater control in staying away from crowds to avoid outbreaks like those that are occurring in European countries.

England's COVID-19 infections doubling every nine days: Imperial College

The spread of the coronavirus continues to increase across all parts of England with cases doubling every nine days, according to a new study by Imperial College, putting pressure on the government to introduce more drastic lockdown restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson's strategy of local lockdowns to try to contain a second wave is failing to stem the number of infections. The infection rate is rising in all age groups with the highest spread of the disease in the northwest of England and Yorkshire and the Humber region, Imperial found.

Driver in deadly crash steals truck of Good Samaritan who tried to help, Texas cops say

The car of the driver who died was smashed into a bulldozer, police say.

U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump bid to block North Carolina absentee ballot extension

The justices left in place a lower court-approved agreement allowing the extension, rebuffing a request by Trump's campaign, the Republican National Committee and North Carolina Republican officials for an injunction to block it. The state election board, citing potential U.S. Postal Service mail delivery delays, opted to allow absentee ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrived up to nine days later.

Britain expects verdict on Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine before AstraZeneca's: Times

Britain believes that the vaccine, which Pfizer is co-developing with Germany's BioNTech SE, could be ready to distribute before Christmas, the report said. Pfizer's Chief Executive Albert Bourla has previously said the company could release data on whether or not the vaccine works as early as this month. The U.S. drugmaker said this week if trials are successful the company expects to file for emergency authorization of the vaccine candidate from U.S. regulators shortly after it has enough safety data in late November.

Kidnappers accused of holding billionaire for ransom face charges in Alabama, feds say

The pair got $250,000 from the man before they released him, according to court documents.

Hundreds of inmates test positive as COVID rips through New York prison

Nearly 40% of inmates housed at the Elmira Correctional Facility have tested positive for coronavirus.

U.S. corporate spending plans could stumble as risks rise

An expected rebound in capital expenditures for U.S. companies could be more at risk, as concerns over the economic recovery and a possible contested U.S. election mount. A resurgence in coronavirus cases both in the United States and in Europe has underscored concern about the impact on global growth which has been struggling to return to pre-pandemic levels. Next week's U.S. presidential election could remove some of the uncertainty for expenditures, although a contested election would add to concerns, investors and strategists said.

Opinion: The long, surprising history of Los Angeles district attorneys

Jackie Lacey became district attorney in 2012 after winning election to an open seat — a rarity over the last century.

Mom straps drugs to 13-year-old son to smuggle them over border, Texas officials say

The woman, a U.S. resident, had her two younger children in the vehicle as well.

'Please don't shoot my son': Man killed by police needed mental health help, family says

His relatives said they called 911 requesting an ambulance and hoped he could receive medical intervention. But police arrived first.

'Please don't shoot my son': Man killed by police needed mental health help, family says

His relatives said they called 911 requesting an ambulance and hoped he could receive medical intervention. But police arrived first.