News Wrap: Sudan Prime Minister detained, 7 protesters killed in military coup

• Judy Woodruff:

  In the day's other news: Moderna says that its half-dose COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective for children ages 6 to 11. That comes as FDA advisers prepare to meet tomorrow to discuss Pfizer's COVID vaccine for kids.

  Meanwhile, the Biden administration revealed details of its new COVID travel policy. Beginning November 8, most foreign adult travelers flying to the U.S. will need to be fully vaccinated. Those who are unvaccinated must show proof of a negative test within a day of travel.

  Drought-stricken California is enduring a new bout of severe weather, as so-called bomb cyclone and atmospheric river storms converge. They're moving into the southern part of the state a day after the north was pummeled with torrential rain that shattered several single-day records. Flash flooding inundated the San Francisco Bay Area. And north of Sacramento, heavy rainfall triggered rockslides on land recently charred by wildfires.

  In the North African nation of Sudan, the military seized power today in an apparent coup, detaining the country's prime minister and deposing a governing council that included civilian leaders. As news of the takeover spread, thousands of protesters filled the streets to demonstrate against a return to authoritarian rule. The Sudanese doctors association reported security forces fired on the crowds, killing at least seven protesters and wounding 140 others.

  On the streets of Khartoum today, protesters shouted the country belongs to them, rejecting a return to autocratic rule.

• Al-Mikdad Merghany, Pro-Democracy Protester (through translator):

  They arrested the ministers. They detained members of the sovereign council. This is a full-fledged coup. And we reject it completely.

• Judy Woodruff:

  Demonstrators burned tires and blocked main roads after the military seized power from a transitional government.

  In a televised address today, the military's top general, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, declared a state of emergency. He said a new government would lead the country until elections in 2023.

  Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Chair, Sovereignty Council of Sudan (through translator): Let's all work to improve people's lives and ensure their safety and security and to create the suitable environment for political parties in order to reach a specified date for elections.

• Judy Woodruff:

  In a Facebook post earlier today, Sudan's Information Ministry said military forces pressured Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok to release a pro-coup statement.

  When he refused, the ministry said Hamdok was moved to an unknown location. Soon after, the ministry announced Internet connections had been cut from the country's mobile phone networks. In a statement today, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned — quote — "the ongoing military coup d'etat and all actions that could jeopardize Sudan's political transition and stability."

  In 2019, after months of protests, thousands celebrated the overthrow of Sudan's longtime autocratic leader and accused war criminal Omar al-Bashir. Military and civilian leaders created a transitional government to lead the country to democracy for the first time in three decades.

  For months, Sudan's transitional government was under threat of military coup. A failed coup plot last month set off infighting between military and civilian groups.

  The U.S. State Department reacted by announcing it's suspending $700 million in emergency economic aid to Sudan. The funds were supposed to be used to help Sudan transition to a fully civilian government.

  The world's greenhouse gas levels hit a record high last year. A new U.N. report revealed that emissions increased at a faster rate in 2020 than the annual average for the last decade. That's despite a temporary reduction during COVID lockdowns. This comes days before the start of a U.N. climate change conference in Scotland.

  Microsoft sounded a new warning today that the Russia-backed hackers who perpetrated the 2020 SolarWinds breach are still waging cyber-assaults. They have been attacking the global technology supply chain by targeting cloud service resellers and other companies, breaching as many as 14 companies since the summer. Their new strategy is to impersonate cloud service resellers to gain access to their customers.

  A federal civil trial got under way today in Charlottesville, Virginia, to determine whether organizers of a 2017 white nationalist rally will be held responsible for the violence. Clashes erupted after hundreds of white nationalists massed in the city to protest plans to remove a Confederate statue. An Ohio man is already serving life in prison for killing a woman and injuring dozens more when he drove his car into a crowd.

  And stocks surged on Wall Street today amid a string of strong company profit reports. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 64 points to close at 35741, a record high. The Nasdaq rose 136 points, and the S&P 500 added 21 to notch its own new record.

from:pbs