News Today Explored Friday 25th Feb, 2022
Rio Tinto lauds WA hard border for keeping operations going
CEO of global miner Rio Tinto, Jacob Stausholm, has praised Western Australian premier Mark McGowan for the way he has dealt with the pandemic, working closely with the mining industry to ensure production was not disrupted.
“We are very grateful for the support we have received and over the last two years we’ve been able to keep producing,” Mr Stausholm, said adding that the cooperation between the state government and the mining industry had been exemplary.
Exports of iron ore from WA ports returned underlying earnings of $US17.3 billion dollars in 2021. Though border restrictions limited access to certain specialist skills, clearly they did not disrupt output.
Covid cases have now started to creep into mining operations, as RAT tests replace PCR.
Russian citizens arrested for anti-war protests
Over 1700 people have been arrested in Moscow and St Petersburg during protests opposing the country's invasion of Ukraine .
Many public figures spoke out against the invasion, including imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny as bloody scenes were played out across the border.
'No to War' has been spraypainted on the Russian Parliament front gate.
Covid-19 deaths increase with Omicron
The US has seen more deaths per day than at any time during the pandemic as the highly transmissible Omicron strain sweeps the country.
There have been over 120000 deaths since December, with more than 1 in 5 deaths a result of Covid-19. Deaths are now more common in the under 65 age group with unvaccinated patients making up the majority of cases.
Malaysian oppostion party changes leader.
Mahathir Mohamad, former president of Malaysia, has handed leadership of his party Parti Pejuang Tanah to his son, after suffering an illness.
Dr Mahathir believes the party has a good chance in the upcoming polls, in which they will be contesting 42 seats.
Pejuang’s election manifesto is entitled “Aspiration for Johor”, and aspires to plans to close the economic gap between different districts across the state and increase boost Johor’s status as a southern economic hub.
Covid anti-mandate protest update NZ
A boat carrying 18 people has arrrived in Wellington to join the illegal occupation of parliament grounds, as the country case level rise and five more Covid deaths are reported. Police continue to push the protesters back, removing some children from the crowd. Protesters were seen practising with plywood shields against charges by riot police. It is the eighteenth day of the protest, which Police Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers said was was having an unreasonably negative impact on residents, workers and students.