Transcripts For KQED BBC World News America 20240712

Life well planned. The freeman foundation. By judy and Peter Blum Kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for americas neglected needs. And by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Katty im katty kay in washington and this is bbc world news america. How to fight the pandemic china embarks on testing an entire city in just fi days and we will be live in sweden to find out if that countrys controversial approach was the right one. Confirmation hearings begin for u. S. Supreme Court Nominee Amy Coney Barrett is the controversy surrounding her legal, political, religious or all three . We report from the devastated region of nagornokarabakh as a ceasefire comes under pressure. Welcome to world news america on pbs and around the globe. As the u. S. And u. K. Struggled to test even a fraction of their populations, china today embarks on the ambitious goal of testing an entire city this week. They launched an Aggressive Campaign after just a hanul of new cases were discovered 9 Million People will be tested over the next five days. The response comes after 12 new cas were reported on sunday. Most of the latest cases were linked to a single hospital. Earlier this year, china completed a similar mass testing in wuhan, saying 11 Million People had been tested in 10 days. The country had been recording low levels of infection since imposing strict containment measures. With a population of 1. 4 billion, they have reported only 90,000 confirmed cases from the start of the pandemic and recorded just under 5000 deaths. Our china correspondent has more. Reporter what we are seeing right now is chinas new approach to the coronavirus. Any outbreak, no matter how small, is met with mass testing. In this case, a dozen people, half of them do not have symptoms. 9 Million People are going to be tested as a result. There has been this approach of serious, targeted lockdowns, or it might be a certain housing block or community hotspot if there is a cluster of cases, a local lockdown. Having these targeted lockdowns has enabled the authorities to impose quite strict measures without having to shut down an entire city. In beijing, for example, we had an outbreak here, it went into a wholesale food market. Tens of thousands of people work there, many more visit every day. 80 of the citys food comes from there, yet they were able to control the outbreak using this method, by tracing everyone who had been into the market, where do they live, who do they associate with . Testing those people and the various Little Pockets of beijing, which had the worst little clusters, that is where the strictest measures were imposed. Beijing never had a citywide shut down during that outbreak and itorked. They reigned in within a month. What they are hoping is they can do the same thing here and control it. Katty it is quite an undertaking to test a whole city like that. China was the first country to take a hardline lockdown approach to the pandemic. Sweden is at the opposite end of the spectrum. It never really locked down and has been a source of fascination and controversy ever since. Officials adopted a series of public recommendations to flatten the curve. The government has actively discouraged people from Wearing Masks, even some doctors. Here are how the countries comparison tots. China has seen less than 5000 deaths and 91,000 cases. Swedens death toll is close to reaching 6000 and has recorded 98. 5 thoand cases. But when you compare the numbers to the size of the population, there is an enormous difference. China has a maturity mortality rate of. 74 some Health Experts have agreed with the government policies. Joining me now is a clinical epidemiologist researching global health. Thank you for joining me. I remember when sweden first started tackling the pandemic and it was the only country in europe that didot go into full lockdown. I remember interewing epidemiologists around the world saying sweden is going to be a basket case. Its going to be terrible, the mortality rates will be high, is is not going to work, is not the right way to go. Does it look now like sweden actually got it right . Guest i must say it is too early to say. We cant really this is what everyone has been saying, this is a marathon and we are probably not even halfway through. Its too early to say. Katty but you have the same death rate per capita as the u. S. And a slightly lower death rate per capita than the u. K. How has sweden done it . Guest first of all, i think what you can say that sweden has done is we did manage to curb the socalled first wave without a lockdown. If you just look at the curves, it looks quite similar to the u. K. Curve. But without a lockdown. So it is possible to get down to very low numbers without a strict lockdown. So that, we have shown. How did we do that . As you just said, we had a series of recommendations. These recommendations included what everyone else has been hearing since the pandemic started wash your hands, keep your physical distance from people, and stayathome if you have any symptoms. Lately, also get tested as soon as the Testing Capacity was ramped up, avoid public transport and work from home if you can. Katty may i ask about Wearing Masks . Here in america, it is a big deal, Wearing Masks. I dont leave my house without one, everyone wears a mask everywhere and there is a fine in washington if i dont wear a mask. In sweden, i have heard it is frowned on to our masks. Are you looking at different science . Guest i would not say it is frowned on. Maybe it is by some people. It is very uncommon. I live in stockholm and if i just look on the streets of stockholm, i would say maybe it is one in 50 who does wear a mask. I would rather say if you see someone wearing a mask, you understand it is someone who is a bit more worried, so you keep your distance. It works well if you want a double seat on about transport, for instance. Katty do you think other countries should try and do now what sweden has done from the beginning . Guest i think it is not black and white. It is complex, as we all are learning. There are things that can be learned from the swedish situation and there are things we should learn from other countries and that we are learning. Just last week, there was a new recommendation that the Public Health agency came up with saying that Family Members of someone with covid19 need to stay at home. Thats a new recommendation, something we did not have in place. It was they were encouraged to go to work even though you had a Family Member encouraged to stay. Katty do you think you will manage to avoid a second wave . Guest we already know we are not avoiding it. Cases have started to pick up in the past few weeks. With Colder Weather and more people staying indoors. However, we are yet to see an increase in i see you cases. There are still about 25 people in all of sweden and icus, so that is no low levels. But there is a lag to this and numbers will increase. Hopefully not as much as during the spring and also i dont think so. The increase is much much slower than it was during this swing during the spring. Thank you katty thank you for joining us. Very interesting to compare how differentountries are dealing with it. Sweden has been so controversial, yet there are things people can learn from. Judge Amy Coney Barrett is softspoken and deliberate. The political furor surrounding her appointed to the Supreme Court is anything but. Democrats are incensed at a nomination process that today they called shameful, while republicans can barely contain their lee at getting the chance to tilamericas highest court for years to come. Reporter if confirmed, Amy Coney Barrett will play a huge role in changing society for her seven children and generations of americans to come. The stakes are that high. There a publican chair of the Senate Committee making the decision once promised not to confirm a Supreme Court justice in the last year of a president ial term. But he has reneged on that. This is going to be a long, contentious week. I would just ask one thing of the committee to the extent possible, lets make it respectful. Reporter in their opening statement, democrats focused on what they called extremist views held by amy ney barrett, which they said would threaten the Health Care Provision for millions of americans and many other aspects of american life. With this nomition, equal justice under law is at stake. Our Voting Rights are at stake. Workers rights are at stake. Consumer rights are at stake. The right to a safe and legal abortion is at stake. Reporter one man is dead set on ensuring Amy Coney Barrett is appointed before the election, heavily tilting the Supreme Court conservative. The gathering he had to announce her nomination just over two weeks ago is now thought to have been a coronavirus super spreader event. Controversially, some of those who tested posive there participated in the hearing today. Thank you mr. Chairman. Welcome, judge barrett. Reporter democrats said for Health Reasons alone, it should have been postponed, but they kept returning to the way Amy Coney Barrett would shape policies. Something she said would not be her job. The courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life. The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches, elected by an accountable to the people. Reporter her nomination comes after the death of ruth bader ginsburg, the iconic and pioneering progressive justice. Some of those protesting the new nomination feel strongly the American People who have already voted in their millions should be the ones to decide whether the next justice is conservative or liberal. Republicans say the public already recorded their view. They voted for donald trump four years ago. Katty Supreme Court confirmation to have in cent years becomeore tense. Three weeks before an election, this one is especially so. There has been more violence between Ethnic Armenian forces and Azerbaijani Forces around the region of nagornokarabakh. Just days after a ceasefire was brokered, both sides have accused each other of breaking the truce. Though recognized as azerbaijani territory, Ethnic Armenians controlled the region. We got this report or our reporter has been speaking to People Living under cotant shelling. Reporter when you drive in, the first thing you notice is the beauty of the place. It is different than the towns. What you see here are signs of war. In this town, this man shows me his house, or what is left of it. Despite the ceasefire, a shell landed here and killed his father. He blames azerbaijan. In the last war and the 1990s, he lost two brothers. It is politicians who make war, he says, and ordinary people who suffer. Suddenly, air raid sirens. We had for cover. Head for cover. Officially, nagornokarabakh is part of azerbaijan, but it is controlled by Ethnic Armenians. Affiliate has spent more than two weeks down in the shelter. My house was destroyed and there is bombing every day, she says. Where else can i go . The graves of our grandparents and greatgrandparents are here, says vladimir. We are not leaving. I asked this lady could she imagine peace betwn armenians and azerbaijanis . Thats impossible, she says. We have lost so many young people, sons and brothers. In this conflict, theres a lot of history. A lot of raw emotion as we have been hearing. And a lot of violence. There isnt much of a what there isnt much of is trust. Until that can somehow be created and built between armenians and azerbaijanis, this is a conflict thats going to be very difficult to resolve. And in this conflict, the other side is grieving as well. A women and her husband were killed in a missile attack azerbaijan blames on armenia. The ceasefire between them is not in ruins just yet, but is extremely fragile. Building a lasting peace in the south caucuses is a huge challenge. Katty that conflict seems far away and difficult to understand, but for the People Living in it it is all too present and deadly. A quick look at other news supporters of President Trump have been gathering in florida at ahead of his first event away from the white house since he came ill with covid19. He is planng to visit for key battleground states in the next four days. Mr. Trump says he is now immune to the virus, but people at monday nights events will be asked to our masks. Facebo is banning any content that denies the holocaust. Mark zuckerberg says its responding to a rise in antisemitism and an alarming level of egner ands about the holocaust, especially among young people. You are watching bbc world news america. Keeping the arts alive the Royal Academy of dance is one of a number of organizations being given government money in the u. K. Trying to survive. Extra troops are being deployed in southern afghanistan as Government Forces there try to stop taliban militants who have advanced into key urban areas in the region is without electricity after a Power Substation was damaged that was built with international aid. Reporter these are the most significant clashes since the peace talks began a month ago and are taking place in the strategic Southern Province of hell monde. Our sources there say the taliban have moved in to at least two of the districts in the provincial capital. The government describes this as a tactical retreat. They are hitting back with their forces, backed up by u. S. Airstrikes. But the top. S. And role in afghanistan has condemned the taliban for trying to undermine these peace talks. But the taliban are clearly trying to gain some leverage at the lego sheeting table, boost the morale at their the negotiating table, and boost the morale of their fighters at the end of the fighting season. Katty two prominent opponents of the baylor receipt and president have been released from jail on the same day hundreds of activists were detained. Security forces used power to break up crowds demanding a new president ial election. Reporter still, the protesters come onto the streets in minsk. They have taken to the street every week to demand president lukashenko step down and allow for new elections to be held. They are fired on with tear gas, Water Cannons and there is heavyhanded policing. Police officers wearing back men black medic, was dragged protesters into vans. President lukashenko has been in power since 1994. He denies his electoral win in august came as a result of cheating. He defeated the opposition candidate, who claims to be the true winner. The most recent violence followed a meeting between lukashenko and a detained and detained opposition leaders in jail. This led to the release of two men. They are now under house arrest. She was forced into exile and with the wayne you and was allowed a phone call with her jailed husband. She stood as president after her husbands detention meant h could not. I can only thank the belarusians. I know we cannot retreat and we will never do it until we are all freed and get new elections. The eu and u. S. Have refused to recognize lukashenkos inauguration for a sixth term and condemned the alleged abuse. They have also hit ellerys with sanctions. After the latest protests, police in minsk said they detained several dozen people, but a Rights Group Says the number was closer to 330 arrests. There have been nearly 13,000 to hit 13,000 tensions since the elections. Katty education is frequently held up as the best way for developing countries to help their populations create a future for themselves. So in the covid pandemic forced schools to close, the effects were devastating. It is welcome news that in africa, tens of thousands of schools were finally able to reopen on monday. Our senior africa correspondent has this story from nairobi. Reporter it is back to school in kenya after more than seven months at home. Things have completely changed here. Only a few classes have reopened. Finally your students in primary and secondary schools and fourthgrade pupils. Teachers are taking no chances. This is perhaps the most important lesson of all they go over it again and again. Many children are just happy to be back. They looked forward to seeing their friends and hoped to play game. But they have to do things differently now. How they fare will determine if other classes reopen. The culture of schools during the covid19 closurof schools during covid19 meant 1. 5 million children around the world have been out of school. Experts fear some of these children might never retn to school, particular those in poor households like here in niobium here in nairobi. Many of these children are exposed to exportation and abuse and girls are more vulnerable because of chain as because of teenage pregnancy. The epidemic has only come back has only compounded the problems they face. Katty my daughter is going back to School Tomorrow and im very happy, as is she. When the u. K. Government ordered many nonessential parts of its government to close, they offered Financial Support to affected industries. Even though many businesses have reopened, the arts are still largely shut. The British Government is offering some new moy. Will it be enough . Our arts editor has the story. Reporter students of the Royal Academy of dance or put through their paces. And breathing a sigh of relief at the news of a 600,000ound emergency Funding Grant from the government. It will enable the institution to stay open this winter. This is a lifesaver. To know all these teachers who come here have a chance now to have a career as dance teachers, to inspire the next generation of wonderful studentmy kids out there who get so many attributes from what dance has not just physical wellbeing, but Mental Wellbeing as well. Reporter the culture secretary was pleased with the funding. Its really important moment for arts in the country. Reporter but not pleased with an unrelated government approved advert that some say it considered being a belly dancer not a proper or valued job. I saw that. It certainly did not cross my desk as a minister and i understand its from a partner organization. I accept that was crass and not the message we are trying to get out. Reporter among the 1300 plus beneficiaries are the National Maritime museum in cornwall, the Concert Society in manchester, the Beamish Living Museum of the north, and the john peel center of Creative Arts and stone market. The Bristol Old Vic where Daniel Day Lewis started his career was awarded a 610,000 pound grant. It is transformative for our business. Without it, we would not have been able to sustain and would have to go through a second round of largescale redundancies. Reporter good news for those on the receiving end like the yorkshire sculpture park, but a major disappointment for the arts organizations that had their applications rejected with a combined requirement of 113 million pounds. For them, the future is not looking so bright. Katty before we go, there is a five day operation in poland that has forced 750 people to evacuate their homes as divers attempt to diffuse a world war ii bomb. The tall, dubbed the earthquake, as you can see its nose sticking out is six meters long and weighs almost five and a half tons. It was dropped by the british airport dish air force in 1945. Its embedded at a apps of 12 meters at the bottom of a shipping canal. The tallboy needs to come up and let people live their lives quietly after all these years. Im katty kay. Thank you for watching bbc world news america. See you back here tomorrow. Narrator funding fothis presentation of this program is proded by. Language specialists teaching spish, french and more. Raymond james. The freeman foundation. By judy and Peter Blum Kovler foundation; pursuing solutions for americas neglected needs. And by contributions to this pbs station from viewers like you. Thank you. Narrator youre watching pbs. Vo ready to watch the best of anytime, anywhere, on nearly any device . Its easy with the pbs video app. Simply download the pbs video app on your mobile or streaming device. Now you can watch the latest pbs episodes, or catch up onhe shows you missed. And when you support your local station, you can get pbs passport, giving you access to more episodes, more specials, more of what you love get the pbs video app now and stream the best of pbs, anytime you want, anywhere you are. A platform where. People can go to in order to share their experiences. When i was 18 and joined the marine corps. And its been an amazing journey ever since. This projectan help bring us together. To understand what it ally means to be an american. To join in. Go to pbs. Org americanportrait join us, and be a part of history. Captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc woodruff good evening, im judy woodruff. On the newshour tonight. gavel banging the hearings begin the senate opens proceedings for President Trumps third supreme Court Nominee, judge Amy Coney Barrett, amid a deep partisan divide. Then, the campaign continues. Despite his coronavirus diagnosis, President Trump holds a rally at the white house as joe biden maintains his lead in national polls. Plus, united in protest Indigenous Peoples worldwide show their support for the black lives Matter Movement and highlight their shared trauma