1. Trump’s impeachment case: Trump avoids conviction with 57-43 votes in Senate
2. The historical contraction in the Japanese economy
3. Boris Johnson: More than 15 million people vaccinated in the UK is a major milestone

Trump’s Impeachment Case: Trump Avoids Conviction with 57-43 Votes in Senate

Trump’s Impeachment Case: Trump Avoids Conviction with 57-43 Votes in Senate

Former President Donald Trump, who was tried for dismissal at the Senate General Assembly due to the Congressional raid on January 6 in the USA, was found not guilty on the 5th day of his trial in the Senate.

In the voting made after the closing presentations at the Senate General Assembly, 57 senators voted against Trump, while 43 senators voted that Trump is not guilty.

Thus, Trump, who required 67 votes to be found guilty in the 100-seat Senate, was cleared of his impeachment charge entitled “inciting the people to revolt”.

In the voting, it was noteworthy that in addition to 50 Democratic senators, 7 Republican senators also voted against Trump.

Richard Burr, Bill Cassidy, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Mitt Romney, Ben Sasse, and Patrick Toomey, who previously made negative statements against Trump, were the names that acted with the Democrats in the vote.

The dismissal trial, which was completed in a total of 5 days, was recorded as the fastest dismissal process in US history. Trump, who was the first president to be dismissed for the second time in the history of the United States, thanked his lawyers and members of the Senate and House of Representatives representing the constitution, in his written statement after he was found not guilty in the impeachment trial in the Senate.

Trump, unrepentant, welcomed his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement “has only just begun.” He slammed the trial as “yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of our country.”

US President Joe Biden stated that although former President Donald Trump, who was charged with inciting the Congressional raid on January 6, was acquitted in the Senate, the accusation would not be controversial and said, “This sad part of our history reminded us that democracy is fragile and must always be defended.”

After Trump was found not guilty in his impeachment trial in the Senate, Biden said he believed that opponents of the sage, including Senate Minority Leader Republican Mitch McConnell, “ shamefully abused ” Trump’s post.

Emphasizing that there is no room for violence and extremism in the USA, Biden said, “As Americans and especially as leaders, each of us has a duty and responsibility to defend the truth and overcome lies. That is how we end this uncivil war and heal the very soul of our nation. That is the task ahead. And it’s a task we must undertake together.”

The Historical Contraction in the Japanese Economy

The Historical Contraction in the Japanese Economy

Japan’s economy, the world’s third-largest after the United States and China, grew 3 percent during the October to December period, for an annualized growth rate of 12.7 percent. It was the country’s second consecutive quarter of growth.

Still, the past two-quarters of growth did not make up for the damage wreaked by the pandemic. The economy ended down 4.8 percent for the year, the second-largest contraction in its history.

According to Kantei preliminary data, the volume of GDP in 2020 fell from 555 trillion yen in 2019 to 529.19 trillion yen ($ 5 trillion). “A decline in GDP appears unavoidable in Q1 2021 due to the state of emergency declared by the government in a number of Japanese prefectures,” said Naoya Oshikubo, senior economist at Sumi Trust, in a note published ahead of Monday’s figure.

The Japanese economy had entered 2020 in a weakened state brought about by a rise in the national consumption tax, a stark drop in trade with China, and a devastating typhoon. The pandemic then struck a major blow. As other economies crashed, Japan shrank in its worst performance since 1955, when the country began using the gross domestic product to measure its economy. But thanks in large part to the country’s efforts to keep the pandemic under control, Japan avoided the worst of the economic damage that savaged the United States and much of Europe.

Private capital expenditures decreased by 5.8 percent and housing investments by 7.1 percent. Public investments rose 3.5 percent and central government spending rose 2.7 percent. Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan’s GDP, fell by 5.9 percent. Private consumption caused a decline as a result of “stay at home” calls to combat Covid-19.

Yasutoshi Nishimura, Cabinet Member Responsible for Covid-19 Measures and Economic Recovery, said in a statement on the subject that the 2020 GDP remained serious and the last quarter displayed “potential resistance”.

According to estimates based on experts by the Kyodo agency, negative growth is expected in the first quarter of 2021 as a result of the state of emergency applied in 10 states across the country, including the capital Tokyo, against Covid-19.

Japan’s Nikkei stock index has surged to a 30-year high, lifted by better-than-expected growth figures overnight and Covid-19 vaccine hopes. The Nikkei closed over the 30,000-point mark for the first time in 1989. Japan is expected to start administering the Covid-19 vaccine this week, giving stock prices a boost.

Boris Johnson: More than 15 Million People Vaccinated in the UK is a Major Milestone

Boris Johnson: More than 15 Million People Vaccinated in the UK is a Major Milestone

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that as of today, the number of people who have received at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine has exceeded 15 million. Johnson said this was “an important turning point in the extraordinary success”.

The government aimed to vaccinate the four priority groups in the vaccination ranking by mid-February. A press conference on the subject is expected tomorrow.

Boris Johnson, who posted a video today, congratulated the nationwide effort and added:

“But nobody should be complacent. We have a long way ahead and we will inevitably encounter some obstacles. Only thanks to what we have achieved so far, we can act confidently.”

Sir Simon Stevens, director of the National Health System, said that what has been achieved in the last 10 weeks after the first vaccine is “a great joint success”. “Our vaccination program is the largest and fastest in Europe.”

Health Minister Matt Hancock stated that one in four adults is now immune to this disease. But he cautioned: “There is so much more to do and I urge anyone eligible to step forward and take up their appointment. The vaccine is our route to freedom – we will beat this virus jab by jab.”

So far. the vaccination program has been aimed at the top four priority groups, including NHS frontline staff, care home residents and workers, over-70s, and people deemed clinically extremely vulnerable. These groups have accounted for 88 percent of the UK’s Covid-19 deaths so far, according to the Department of Health and Social Care, and are estimated by the JCVI to be some 15 million people.

From today on, the vaccination program enters a new phase, with over-65s and the clinically vulnerable being invited to book a jab.

The UK is currently administering the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines. The vaccine of the US company Moderna has also been approved in the country, but this vaccine is not expected to reach the country before April.

Earlier, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab rejected calls from MPs in his party to put a date on when England’s lockdown measures will be eased, saying the government will be “cautious”.

On Saturday, the prime minister said he was “optimistic” he will be able to set out plans later this month for a “cautious” easing of England’s lockdown, citing “huge progress” made with the vaccine rollout.