VOA NEWS
July 17, 2021
| This is VOA News. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd. A chorus of U.S. officials are warning about the spread of misinformation about coronavirus vaccines. AP's Jennifer King reports. Departing the White House, President Joe Biden spoke to reporters about social media platform's responsibility to curb the spread of misinformation contributing to vaccine hesitance. "... the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated." He echoed comments by CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky: "If you are not vaccinated you remain at risk." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki: "This is really becoming a pandemic of the unvaccinated." Just four U.S. states with low vaccination rates made up 40 percent of new cases last week and the rising numbers are being driven by large pockets of infection among more than 90 million Americans who have yet to get shots. Officials say cases of COVID-19 have tripled over the past three weeks and are expected to rise. Jennifer King, Washington. - 01:22 - The Biden administration issued a blanket warning Friday to U.S. firms about the risks of doing business in Hong Kong as China continues to clamp down on political and economic freedoms in the territory. Speaking at the White House briefing, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that businesses should be aware their security and reputations could be compromised. "The situation in Hong Kong is continuing to deteriorate, and we continue to see Beijing assault Hong Kong's autonomy and democratic institutions. We've seen authorities use the National Security Law to make politically motivated arrests." Four cabinet agencies - the Departments of State, Treasury, Commerce and Homeland Security - release the nine-page advisory that alerts companies about the shifting legal landscape in Hong Kong and the possibility that engaging with Hong Kong business could incur [招致，遭受] reputational and legal damages. For more on these stories and the rest of the day's news, visit our website. This is VOA News. - 02:55 - South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday those behind a week-long spree of violence and pillaging [（尤指在战争中）掠夺，掠夺] that has shocked South Africa sought a "popular insurrection [暴动；叛乱]" as the unrest death toll reached 212. Ramaphosa also acknowledged in a television address Friday night that "we were poorly prepared" for the disorder but vowed that "we will find those who have instigated the violence." "Over 2,550 people have been arrested in connection with the unrest, and special arrangements are being put in place to ensure that these cases are prioritized." Looters ransacked [洗劫，掠夺] shopping malls and warehouses in KwaZulu-Natal province and Johannesburg, stoking [拨旺火;煽起] fears of shortages and inflicting [造成；使遭受] a devastating [毁灭性的] blow to the already battered economy. The unrest followed protests triggered by the jailing of former President Jacob Zuma, who is serving a 15-month jail term for snubbing [冷落；使突然停止] a corruption investigation. - 04:26 - Rescuers in Germany and Belgium fear more deaths after catastrophic floods swept through the western regions, crushing homes and businesses, sweeping away villages and leaving hundreds of people dead, missing or homeless. In Germany at least 106 people have died, including 12 residents of a home for disabled people swept away by the rising waters. The death toll was the highest since a North Sea flood in 1962 killed 340 people. In Belgium, officials said there were at least twenty dead and another twenty missing. Belgium has declared an official day of mourning on Tuesday. By Friday evening, waters were receding across many of the affected regions but officials fear that more bodies might be found in cars and trucks that were swept away - 05:37 - An Associated Press investigation found that there were few voter fraud cases during the 2020 election in Arizona. AP's Ed Donahue reports. Donald Trump visited Arizona before Election Day and said, "The biggest problem we have is if they cheat with the ballots," and after the former president claimed the election was stolen. The AP investigation found fewer than 200 cases of potential voter fraud. More than 3 million ballots were cast in Arizona. So far only four cases have led to charges. No one has been convicted. Joe Biden won in Arizona by more than 10,000 votes. The AP findings go along with previous studies showing voter fraud is rare. But Arizona's GOP-led state Senate has for months been conducting what it describes as a "forensic audit [法务审计]" of results in Phoenix's Maricopa County. I'm Ed Donahue. Be sure to log on to our website voanews.com. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd, VOA News. - Thanks to - 新闻来源：https://www.voanews.com/node/4733266 视频生成：Shotcut https://shotcut.org/ |
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