World News

French scientist says return to normal life after COVID may not occur until 2023

A return to normal life following the COVID-19 virus outbreak may not occur until 2022 or even 2023, said professor Jean-Francois Delfraissy, who advises the French government. Delfraissy also told…

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Vaccinations slowing spread of COVID-19 cases in Spain

ain's vaccine rollout has begun to slow the spread of COVID-19 infections and the country is getting ready for a booster third dose, Health Minister Carolina Darias said on Friday.…

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UK to launch daily COVID tests in food sector to tackle ‘pingdemic’

Daily contact testing will be rolled out to workplaces in Britain's food sector so staff who have been 'pinged' by the COVID-19 app can keep working if they test negative…

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Rhine re-opens to shipping in south Germany as water drops

Germany's Rhine river has re-opened to shipping as water levels fell from recent highs in the last southern stretches blocked after last week's record rains, authorities said on Friday. Shipping…

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U.S. warns Poland about licence renewal for Discovery-owned news channel

Future American investments in Poland could be jeopardised if the country does not renew the licence of 24-hour news channel TVN24, U.S. State Department Counselor Derek Chollet said on Thursday,…

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France rejects UK Brexit renegotiation request

France's Europe minister Clement Beaune rejected Britain's request to renegotiate the Brexit deal governing trade with Northern Ireland, dismissing British accusations of European dogmatism as a "tall tale". Britain on…

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Photo Story: Forest fire in Catalonia

Flames rise during a forest fire that started in Massis del Montgri area, in Girona, Catalonia, Spain, late Thursday. Some 60 firefighting teams are working to extinguish the fire broke…

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EU seeks two-month delay in talks on Hungary recovery plan

The European Union is seeking a two-month delay in talks on Hungary's pandemic recovery plan, with funding likely to be delayed over contested issues as part of an "ideological war"…

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German pharmacies stop issuing COVID vaccine passes after security breach

German pharmacies have stopped issuing digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates after hackers created passes from fake outlets, the industry association announced, the latest blow to the inoculation drive. Germans who have…

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France’s Macron changes phone in light of Pegasus case

French President Emmanuel Macron has changed his mobile phone and phone number in light of the Pegasus spyware case, a presidency official revealed, in one of the first concrete actions…

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Belgium raises flood death toll to 37, further six missing

Belgian authorities raised the death toll from last week's burst rivers and flash floods to 37, with a further six people missing. Belgium's crisis centre, which is coordinating the rescue…

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Greece searches for missing migrants off Crete

Greece was searching for migrants who went missing after their sailing boat sank off the island of Crete, its shipping ministry announced. A nearby vessel spotted the boat after it…

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Spain evaluates measures to cut power bills as prices hit record levels

The Spanish government is considering additional measures to lower rapidly ballooning electricity bills, Consumer Rights Minister Alberto Garzon said as power prices neared record highs, alarming consumer groups. A heat…

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Preparing to bow out, Merkel too busy to think about life after office

Germany's Angela Merkel made clear on Thursday she would keep working on issues such as climate change till her last day as chancellor but, inscrutable as ever, gave little away…

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Russia disconnected from global internet in tests

Russia managed to disconnect from the global internet during tests in June and July, the RBC daily reported on Thursday, citing documents from the working group tasked with improving Russia's…

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Britain unveils plan to return NatWest to majority private control

Britain's government on Thursday unveiled a blueprint for returning NatWest to majority private ownership within a year, more than a decade since bailing out the lender at the height of…

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Merkel urges Germans to get vaccinated as coronavirus cases rise

Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday the rise in coronavirus cases in Germany was worrying and she urged people to get vaccinated. "We all want our normality back," Merkel told…

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Italy introduces mandatory GreenPass vaccine passport for restaurants, gyms, shows , exams, fairs and other events

A COVID Green Pass vaccine passport will be needed to get into Italian eateries indoors, open-air shows, spas, swimming pools, gyms, fairs, congresses and competitive examinations, sources at the conference…

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Bulgaria’s interim government offers to revamp budget and raise pensions

Bulgaria's interim government proposes to amend the 2021 fiscal budget and use surplus revenue to boost state pensions and prepare the Balkan country for any upsurge in the COVID-19 pandemic,…

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Germany to list Spain, Netherlands as COVID high incidence areas

Germany plans to declare Spain and the Netherlands COVID-19 high risk areas, meaning that incoming travellers who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine, the Funke group of newspapers reported on…

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Britain, free of COVID curbs, could see revival of local stores – Barclays

Britain's retailers could open thousands of local high street stores over the next 12 months as people start to step out again after months of coronavirus curbs, according to research…

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Gamma coronavirus variant detected in Russia

The Gamma variant of the novel coronavirus, first found in Brazil, has been detected in small quantities in Russia, the Interfax news agency cited the developer behind Russia's EpiVacCorona vaccine…

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Photo Story: One dead in minibus crash in Capri, Italy

A view of the scene of an accident, where a minibus carryng a dozen people veered off a road and crashed, on Capri island, Naples, southern Italy, 22 July 2021.…

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UK’s Johnson urges EU to consider post-Brexit proposals seriously

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday to consider seriously Britain's proposals to change what he called the "unsustainable" way a Brexit deal…

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Merkel does not see Turkey joining EU

German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday praised Turkey for hosting large numbers of Syrian refugees as part of an agreement with the European Union and said she wanted close relations…

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Thousands pay last respects to Dutch reporter Peter de Vries

Thousands of people queued for hours outside the Carre Theatre in Amsterdam to pay their last respects at the coffin of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries on Wednesday. Mourners shed…

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Photo to mark eighth birthday of Prince George

is pictured sitting on a Land Rover - the car closely associated with his great-grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh - in a new photograph to mark his eighth birthday. It…

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Merkel calls on EU to establish common asylum policy

German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on European Union states to establish a common asylum policy that focused on taking in people who face persecution at home, preferably in collaboration with…

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UK citizen arrested in Spain for role in 2020 Twitter hack

A 22-year-old British citizen was arrested in Spain on Wednesday in connection with a July 2020 Twitter hack which compromised the accounts of high-profile politicians and celebrities, the U.S. Justice…

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UK food supply chains ‘on the edge of failing’, meat industry warns

Britain’s food supply chains are “right on the edge of failing” as absence related to COVID-19 has aggravated a critical shortage of labour, a meat industry body said . The…

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Political furore in Italy after League councillor kills Moroccan

A member of Italy’s rightist League party was placed under house arrest on Wednesday after shooting dead a Moroccan immigrant following an altercation in a bar. Massimo Adriatici, a League…

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Polish justice minister says Warsaw cannot comply with EU’s court ruling

Poland’s justice minister said it was not possible to comply with a ruling by the top European Union court that the country’s new system for disciplining judges broke EU law…

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UPDATED: Hungary to hold referendum on child protection issues by early 2022 -PM aide

Hungary plans to hold a referendum on legislation that limits schools' teaching about homosexuality and transgender issues late this year or early next year, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief of…

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UPDATED: ‘Pingdemic’ grips Britain as fears of food shortages grow

British supermarkets said on Thursday that some products were in short supply and petrol stations had been forced to close after the official health app told hundreds of thousands of…

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Norway marks ten years since Breivik’s deadly attacks

Norway on Thursday marks 10 years since anti-immigrant extremist Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people in the worst act of violence in the country since World War Two. Breivik detonated…

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UPDATED: Britain tells EU on Brexit deal: it wasn’t going to last forever

British Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said on Thursday the European Union had been inflexible over renegotiating the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit divorce accord and cautioned Brussels that it…

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German floods cause insured losses of over $1.2 bln

The record floods that have devastated parts of Germany and killed at least 170 in the country are estimated to have caused more than 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) in…

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Royal Mail UK parcel volumes fall, outlook uncertain as COVID-19 curbs ease

Royal Mail Plc said Britons are having fewer parcels delivered to their homes as pandemic curbs are lifted and it withheld from offering an annual outlook for its UK business…

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Health service staff in England to get 3% pay rise

LONDON, July 21 (Reuters) - Staff in England's National Health Service (NHS), who have been in the frontlines of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic, will receive a 3% pay…

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COVID keeps Swiss gold exports to India subdued in June

Swiss exports of gold to India edged higher in June, although they remained far below levels earlier this year, and shipments to mainland China fell, Swiss customs data showed on…

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Germany commits to action if Russia uses energy as weapon -U.S.

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - Germany has committed to take steps to curb Russia's ability to export energy should Moscow pursue aggressive actions against Ukraine or use energy as a…

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Spanish holiday rental bookings in August exceed pre-pandemic levels

Spanish holiday rentals for August are more heavily booked than before the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to domestic tourism and a perception that rented properties are safer than hotels, Spain's leading…

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Germany’s COVID incidence may surpass 400 per 100,000 people in September

The number of infections per 100,000 people over seven days in Germany will reach more than 400 in September if case numbers keep rising at their current pace, Health Minister…

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UK’s Next smashes sales forecast

British fashion retailer Next said it had soundly beaten its expectations for full-price sales, with a rise of 19% in the last 11 weeks compared with two years ago, and…

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Push to get wary Russians vaccinated leaves some COVID clinics short

Alexander tried three times over 10 days to get his first dose of Russia's Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in his home town of Vladimir. Twice, supplies ran out as he…

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Photo Story: Belgium celebrates National Day

King Philippe (2-R) and Queen Mathilde (L) of Belgium attend the National Day Ceremony in front of the Royal Palace in Brussels, Belgium, 21 July 2021. The Belgian National Day…

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France calls Turkish-Cypriot move on ghost town a ‘provocation’

France on Wednesday criticised as a "provocation" a move by Turkish Cypriot authorities to partially reopen an abandoned town in Cyprus for potential resettlement, in the latest critique from the…

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Poland postpones contested media law debate amid coalition splits

Poland's ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party postponed a parliamentary debate over a new media law, a senior lawmaker said on Wednesday, amid a split with allies over amendments that…

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What is Britain demanding on Brexit?

Britain is demanding the European Union agree to rework the post-Brexit rules governing trade with Northern Ireland, saying it had considered taking unilateral action but would try once more to…

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Belgrade residents tell rights court of nightlife noise ‘torture’

Serbia's capital is vibrating with nightlife again after over a year of pandemic restrictions. Cafes, bars and fun-hungry customers are celebrating a summer boom in business and entertainment options, but…

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UK opposition leader Starmer is self-isolating

The leader of Britain's opposition Labour Party, Keir Starmer, is self-isolating after one of his children tested positive for COVID-19, his spokesperson said. "One of Keir’s children tested positive for…

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Delta variant is the majority COVID-19 variant in France, PM says

The Delta variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 is now the majority variant of the virus circulating in France, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Wednesday. Castex told…

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England may have to reimpose Covid rules in August, scientists warn

Face masks and other Covid restrictions could be reintroduced in England in as little as three weeks if hospital admissions rise above anticipated levels, scientists advising the government have warned.…

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UPDATED: UK demands new deal on post-Brexit trade for N.Ireland

Britain on Wednesday demanded a new deal from the European Union to govern post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland, saying it already had cause to step away from parts of the…

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Photo Story: Birthday bouquet for Angela Merkel

German chancellor Angela Merkel receives a flower bouquet on the occasion of her 67th birthday prior to the weekly meeting of the German Federal Cabinet, Berlin, Germany, 21 Jul 2021.…

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Full Brexit checks risk becoming ‘incendiary’ in N.Ireland, M&S says

The introduction of full customs checks between Britain and Northern Ireland risks becoming "incendiary" when prices rise and favourite products fail to get through, one of the country's biggest retailers…

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UPDATED: Germany sets out flood relief funding, hopes of finding survivors fade

A relief official dampened hopes on Wednesday of finding more survivors in the rubble of villages devastated by floods in western Germany, as a poll showed many Germans felt policymakers…

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