World News

Philippines seals deal for 40 mln Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 doses

The Philippine government has signed a supply agreement for 40 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE in its biggest coronavirus vaccine deal to…

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Swiss to start inoculating youngsters against COVID-19 as early as next week

Switzerland plans to allow 12- to 15-year olds to receive vaccinations against COVID-19 as soon as next week, government vaccine chief Christoph Berger told Swiss newspaper NZZ in an interview…

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Israel says COVID-19 vaccines rejected by Palestinians were safe

COVID-19 vaccines delivered by Israel and then rejected by the Palestinian Authority (PA) over their expiration date were fine, the Israeli health ministry said on Saturday. Israel and the PA…

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Brazil passes half a million COVID-19 deaths

Brazil's death toll from COVID-19 surpassed the 500,000 on Saturday as experts warn that the world's second-deadliest outbreak may worsen due to delayed vaccinations and the government's refusal to back…

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UK reports another 10,321 coronavirus cases and 14 deaths

The UK has reported 10,321 new coronavirus cases and 14 more deaths, according to official daily figures. Cases have now been above 10,000 for three consecutive days. Today's figures compare…

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Italy reports 28 new coronavirus deaths, 1,197 cases

Italy reported 28 coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday against 35 the day before, the health ministry said, while the daily tally of new infections was up to 1,197 from 1,147. Italy…

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UPDATED: Israel says COVID-19 vaccines rejected by Palestinians were safe

COVID-19 vaccines delivered by Israel and then rejected by the Palestinian Authority (PA) over their expiration date were fine, the Israeli health ministry said on Saturday. Israel and the PA…

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Turkey steps up COVID-19 vaccinations

Turkey has sharply accelerated COVID-19 vaccinations this week, delivering more than 1 million a day since Monday, raising hopes of a strong economic performance in the second half of the…

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BioNTech shots have stronger antibody response than Sinovac, Hong Kong study shows

People who are vaccinated against COVID-19 with BioNTech's vaccine were found to have "substantially higher" levels of antibodies than those who received Sinovac's jab, the South China Morning Post reported…

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Shenzhen airport tightens COVID-19 measures as China logs 30 new cases

The airport in China's southern city of Shenzhen said on Saturday that anyone entering the premises must show a negative virus test taken within 48 hours before entry. The instruction…

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Dutch say face masks can go as COVID-19 cases drop

Face masks will no longer be required in the Netherlands as of June 26 as long as people respect social distancing rules, Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. As COVID-19 vaccinations…

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Spain to scrap mandatory outdoor masks from June 26

Spain will lift a blanket obligation to wear masks outdoors from June 26, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. Spain's announcement follows a decision in neighbouring France to end the mandatory…

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Italy’s Draghi urges Italians to get fully vaccinated against coronavirus

Prime Minister Mario Draghi urged Italians on Friday to get fully vaccinated against coronavirus, acknowledging that a government decision to ban AstraZeneca doses for people aged over 60 had created…

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Delta COVID variant becoming globally dominant

The Delta variant of COVID-19, first identified in India, is becoming the globally dominant variant of the disease, the World Health Organization’s chief scientist said on Friday. Soumya Swaminathan also…

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Africa COVID trajectory is ‘very concerning’, WHO official says

The trend of COVID-19 cases in Africa is very concerning, a senior World Health Organization official said on Friday. Absolute numbers do not make Africa look in bad shape, said…

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Merkel and Macron urge EU coordination on reopening borders

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron called on Friday for European Union countries to coordinate their COVID-19 border reopening policies and guard against new variants of the…

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Health experts warn India should brace for third COVID-19 wave by October

A third wave of coronavirus infections is likely to hit India by October, and although it will be better controlled than the latest outbreak the pandemic will remain a public…

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Kremlin blames ‘nihilism’ as Moscow sees record COVID-19 infections

The Kremlin on Friday blamed a surge in COVID-19 cases on "nihilism" and reluctance to have vaccinations after a record 9,056 new infections in Moscow, mostly with the new Delta…

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WHO chief scientist disappointed by CureVac trial

The World Health Organization's chief scientist said on Friday that results from the CureVac COVID-19 vaccine's initial trial were disappointing. German biotech firm CureVac' vaccine proved only 47% effective in…

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WHO Europe head warns of the spread of the more transmissible delta variant

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned European countries against becoming complacent in their efforts to put an end to the coronavirus pandemic. Across the continent, governments have been increasingly…

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Israel to give Palestinians 1 mln COVID vaccine doses in exchange deal

Israel will give at least 1 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to the Palestinian Authority (PA) under a deal to share shots, officials said on Friday, in a boost for the…

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Austria to provide a million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Western Balkans

Austria will provide a million doses of coronavirus vaccine to the countries of the Western Balkans in addition to the doses it is funnelling towards the region on behalf of…

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Germany removes France, Greece, parts of Spain from COVID risk list

Germany has removed popular summer holiday destinations France, Greece, Switzerland and parts of Spain from its list of coronavirus risk areas, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said…

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Norway relaxes COVID restrictions as infections plummet

Norway will begin on Sunday the third major phase of its plan to reopen society from the pandemic as COVID-19 infections continue to decline, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on…

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Italy imposes quarantine on UK visitors, opens door to USA, Canada, Japan and EU

Italy is introducing mandatory testing and a five-day quarantine for visitors from Britain, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday, as concerns grow over the spread of a highly contagious…

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UPDATED: AstraZeneca says EU loses legal bid for more vaccine supplies by end-June

AstraZeneca said on Friday the European Union had lost a legal case against the pharmaceutical firm over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, with a court in Brussels rejecting an EU…

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COVID-19 cases surge in Africa, less than 0.8% of people fully vaccinated

COVID-19 cases rose by over 20% week-on-week in nearly two dozen African countries and progress on vaccinating Africans is proceeding slowly, with just 0.79% of people on the continent fully…

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Moscow extends coronavirus restrictions until June 29

Russia's capital will extend COVID-19 restrictions imposed this week until June 29, mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Friday, after a fresh spike in daily cases. The measures include bans on…

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Sydney reinstates masks to contain Delta COVID-19 variant

Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) reverted on Friday to making the wearing of masks mandatory on public transport in Sydney, as a cluster of the highly-infectious coronavirus Delta variant expanded…

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Travel in and out of Lisbon banned after Portugal cases surge

Residents of the Lisbon region will not be allowed to leave the area at weekends as authorities scramble to control a spike in COVID-19 infections, the government said. People living…

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Global COVID-19 death toll exceeds 4 million

Coronavirus-related deaths worldwide passed a grim milestone of 4 million on Thursday, according to a Reuters tally, as many countries struggle to procure enough vaccines to inoculate their populations. While…

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UK reports biggest daily rise in COVID cases since February 19th

Britain reported its biggest daily rise in new cases of COVID-19 since Feb. 19 on Thursday, according to government figures which showed 11,007 new infections, up from 9,055 the day…

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EU drug regulator EMA records 415 cases of possible rare blood clotting

The EU drug regulator said on Thursday it has received reports of 415 possible cases of rare blood clotting with a low platelet count in the European Economic Area, out…

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Shocked by COVID deaths, young Indians rush for life insurance

Like many other twenty-somethings in India, Beverly Coutinho kept postponing buying a life insurance policy, until a surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths made her confront her own mortality. "I…

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UPDATED: France and Austria to allow nightclubs to reopen in July, minister says

The French and Austrian governments plan to allow nightclubs to reopen in July. In France, Health Minister Olivier Veran said allowing the industry to operate again for the first time…

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UPDATED: Denmark to immunize 12-15 year-olds against COVID-19 ahead of winter

Denmark will offer COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 12-15 after the adult population has been inoculated to boost its overall immunity against the virus ahead of the winter, health authorities…

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UPDATED: Hundreds of vaccinated Indonesian health workers get COVID-19, dozens in hospital

More than 350 doctors and medical workers have caught COVID-19 in Indonesia despite being vaccinated with Sinovac and dozens have been hospitalised, officials said, as concerns grow about the efficacy…

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UPDATED: Britain, facing airline pressure, considers easing restrictions for vaccinated travellers

Britain is considering easing travel restrictions for double vaccinated people, a move which would placate airlines who are threatening legal action against the government's strict curbs on trips abroad. Pressure…

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Delta variant fuelled 50% rise in English COVID prevalence -study

The rapid spread of the Delta coronavirus variant has driven a 50% rise in infections in England since May, a large prevalence study led by Imperial College London found on…

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Australia recommends AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine only for people over 60

Australia will recommend AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines only for people aged 60 years and over, while Pfizer shots will be offered to others, Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Thursday. Australia…

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Travel curbs may be eased for fully vaccinated Britons

Fully vaccinated Britons could be allowed to travel to countries on the government's 'amber list' without quarantining when they return home, The Daily Telegraph reported. Under the current traffic light…

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UK reports 9,055 new coronavirus cases

The UK has reported 9,055 new COVID cases, the highest daily total since February. As Sky points out the figures compare with 7,673 cases and 10 deaths announced on Tuesday,…

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Vaccinated visitors to Disney’s U.S. parks can ditch face masks in most areas

Fully vaccinated visitors to Walt Disney Co's U.S. theme parks will not be required to wear face masks in most areas starting on Tuesday, the company said, as the country's…

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Mexico to step up border vaccinations to get frontier back to normal

Mexico aims to roll back pandemic-induced restrictions on its shared frontier with the United States by speeding up vaccinations ofits border population against COVID-19, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said.…

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Covid outbreaks in Chinese ports could cause global goods shortages

An outbreak of Covid-19 in southern China has combined with the rapid reopening of the world economy and a shortage of shipping containers to cause a surge in transport costs…

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‘Totally hopeless’: British PM lambasted his health minister, ex-adviser says

Boris Johnson's former chief adviser reignited a campaign of criticism of the government on Wednesday, publishing a text message exchange in which the British leader branded his health minister's coronavirus…

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EU wants faster vaccine production in “age of pandemics”

The European Union plans to boost its early warning system and have a permanent capacity to produce about 300 million vaccines in the first six months of any new health…

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India’s famed Taj Mahal re-opens for tourists as COVID-19 curbs ease

India's iconic Taj Mahal re-opened to the public on Wednesday as the country, still reeling from a disastrous second wave of the pandemic, rushes to lift restrictions in a bid…

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Sydney records first local COVID-19 case in more than a month

Australia's most populous city Sydney has recorded its first locally acquired case of COVID-19 in more than a month, stoking concerns of a fresh wave of infections on Wednesday. New…

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Moscow authorities make COVID-19 vaccination compulsory for some workers

Authorities in Moscow will make vaccination against COVID-19 compulsory for 60% of employees in the services sector, a decree published on Wednesday showed, as coronavirus cases continued to tick up…

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EU approval of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine delayed

European Union approval of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine will be delayed because a June 10 deadline to submit data was missed, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters,…

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UPDATED: Regeneron’s antibody therapy cuts deaths among some hospitalised COVID-19 patients -study

A COVID-19 antibody cocktail developed by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc and Roche reduced deaths in hospitalised patients whose own immune systems had failed to produce a response, a large British study…

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Melbourne to end mandatory masks wearing outdoors, despite stubborn virus outbreak

Australia's second largest city will allow its five million residents to travel more than 25 kms (15 miles) from home and end mandatory masks wearing outdoors from Friday, despite the…

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UPDATED: Italy approves vaccine mix for under-60s, Codogno is Covid free for first time

Italian medicines agency AIFA has approved giving people people a mix of different COVID-19 vaccines after the government decided to stop using the AstraZeneca jab with under-60s. This means that…

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UK ministers to be advised against mass vaccination for children

Ministers will be advised against the mass rollout of COVID-19 vaccinations to children below the age of 18 in the UK until scientists obtain more data on the risks, The…

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New York governor lifts remaining COVID-19 restrictions, calls it a ‘momentous day’

New York is lifting all state-mandated coronavirus restrictions after reporting that 70% of the state's adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced. "It…

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Astra antibody cocktail fails to prevent COVID-19 symptoms in large trial

AstraZeneca said on Tuesday a late-stage trial failed to provide evidence that its COVID-19 antibody therapy protected people who had contact with an infected person from the disease, a small…

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