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Vaccine delays push European stocks to two-week low

Turkey’s economy to grow by 6% in 2021 – IMF

12,490 unemployed in December – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 26 January 2021

Italian President receives PM Conte’s resignation

Scarce niche syringes complicate U.S. plan to squeeze more COVID shots from Pfizer vials

China to conduct military drills in S. China Sea amid tensions with U.S

12,490 unemployed in December – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 26 January 2021

Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Malta: Family of construction accident victim demands public inquiry

Italian President receives PM Conte’s resignation

Scarce niche syringes complicate U.S. plan to squeeze more COVID shots from Pfizer vials

China to conduct military drills in S. China Sea amid tensions with U.S

Trump asked Justice Department to go to Supreme Court to overturn election – Journal

Trump will not attend Biden’s inauguration

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will not attend the inauguration of his successor, Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, later this month, he said in a tweet on Friday, hours after promising a peaceful transition of power. There have been discussions at the White House about T...

Trump calls for peace, tells protesters to go home

WASHINGTON, Jan 6 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday called for peace and told protesters to go home after hundreds of demonstrators stormed the U.S. Capitol building and sought to force Congress to undo his election loss. Trump, in a video on Twitter, repeated an unsupported c...

26th January 2021

Vaccine delays push European stocks to two-week low

European shares closed at two-week lows on Monday as a slump in German business morale underscored the damage from tighter COVID-19 restrictions, while investors feared a slow vaccine rollout could further delay an economic recovery. On Tuesday, the pan-European STOXX 600 index reversed early gains and finished 0.8% lower. The German DAX fell 1.7%, France CAC 40 was down 1.6% and the UK's FTSE 100 declined 0.8%. The Ifo economic institute's business climate index fell to 90.1 in January from an upwardly revised reading of 92.2 in December, while a Reuters poll had forecast a r...

26th January 2021

Turkey’s economy to grow by 6% in 2021 – IMF

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Turkey's economy will grow by about 6% in 2021, before settling back to a growth rate of about 3.5% annually from 2022, International Monetary Fund staff said on Monday, but they urged Ankara to deploy additional targeted stimulus to address COVID-19 pandemic needs. The 6% GDP growth projection in the preliminary findings of the IMF's annual review of Turkey's economy compare with a previous 2021 growth projection of 5% for Turkey issued in October as part of the IMF's last World Economic Outlook. The IMF plans on Tuesday to issue new p...

26th January 2021

12,490 unemployed in December – Malta News Briefing – Tuesday 26 January 2021

Updated 1130 - Unemployment stable in December The unemployment rate for December 2020 stood at 4.5 per cent, at par with the previous month and 0.9 percentage points more than December 2019, the NSO said today. During December 2020, the number of unemployed persons was 12,490 with the unemployed males and the 25 to 74 age group being the major contributors to the overall level of unemployment. The seasonallyadjusted number of unemployed youths amounted to 3,296, whereas those aged between 25 and 74 stood at 9,194. In December 2020, the unemployment rate for males was 4.6 per cent, a...

26th January 2021

Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

The Times of Malta delivers a scathing assessment of Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg, saying that a court indictment on the credibility of the evidence he presented in the same court, should have immediately rendered him unfit for public office. The Editor argues that Abela’s failure to take action against a minister who thinks they are above the law would be blasphemous in terms of good governance. The Independent commends the Opposition for carrying out a socio-economic study in Gozo which will focus on a number of factors, including working conditions, the demographic impacts, the job ...

26th January 2021

China, NZ ink trade deal as Beijing calls for reduced global barriers

China and New Zealand signed a deal that upgrades their existing free trade pact on Tuesday, giving exports from the Pacific nation greater access to the world's second-largest economy. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed the signing of an expanded trade deal with China, noting its significance amid the pandemic. The agreement comes as Beijing seeks to establish itself as a strong advocate of multilateralism following a bruising trade war with the United States and as the coronavirus keeps international borders closed. "China remains one of ou...

26th January 2021

Italian President receives PM Conte’s resignation

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte went to see the head of state on Tuesday to hand in his resignation, hoping to be given the opportunity to try to put together a new coalition and rebuild his parliamentary majority. Conte lost his absolute majority in the upper house Senate last week when a junior partner, the Italia Viva party headed by former premier Matteo Renzi, quit in a row over the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis and economic recession. Efforts to lure centrist and independent senators into the coalition ranks to fill the hole left by Renzi have met little su...

26th January 2021

Oil price slides continues as hopes for rapid approval of US stimulus plan fades

Oil prices fell on Tuesday as fading hopes for a rapid approval of new U.S. economic stimulus and mounting new coronavirus cases raised questions over the pace of any recovery in demand. Brent crude was down 28 cents, or 0.5%, at $55.60 by 0431 GMT, while U.S. crude fell 25 cents, or 0.5%, to $52.52. Both rose nearly 1% on Monday. Having recently hit 11-month highs, oil is caught between lingering doubts over any recovery in demand as the pandemic continues to rage, offset by optimism for more stimulus from the newly installed Biden administration in the United States to ...

26th January 2021

Scarce niche syringes complicate U.S. plan to squeeze more COVID shots from Pfizer vials

(Reuters) - The U.S. government's effort to squeeze more doses from Pfizer Inc's COVID-19 vaccine vials is spurring unanticipated demand for specialized syringes that the world's largest syringe supplier says exceeds existing capacity. Becton Dickinson and Co began scaling up syringe production months in advance of the vaccine rollout, before the U.S. government or its partners knew that a niche type of syringe, known as low dead space, would be needed for getting more shots out of Pfizer's vaccine vials, an executive told Reuters in an interview. Becton Dickinson's governme...

26th January 2021

Trump’s impeachment formal charge submitted to Senate

The House of Representatives formally delivered to the Senate on Monday the impeachment charge accusing Trump of inciting an insurrection, a move that ordinarily would have triggered the beginning of the trial within a day. The charge stems from Trump's incendiary speech to supporters before they stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 in a rampage that delayed the formal congressional certification of Biden's election victory and left five people dead, including a police officer. The leaders of the U.S. Senate agreed on...

26th January 2021

AstraZeneca denies report vaccine less effective in elderly

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - AstraZeneca denied on Monday its COVID-19 vaccine is not very effective for people over 65, after German media reports said officials fear the vaccine may not be approved in the European Union for use in the elderly. German daily papers Handelsblatt and Bild said in separate reports the vaccine - co-developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University - had an efficacy of 8% or less than 10%, respectively, in those over 65. German officials were concerned that the vaccine may not receive approval from the EU's medicines authority EMA for use in those over 65, Bild ...

26th January 2021

Injured Tunisian protester dies, fuelling new clashes

TUNIS (Reuters) - A Tunisian protester injured during clashes with police has died in hospital, state media reported on Monday, leading to more violent confrontations between demonstrators and security services in the town of Sbeitla. Haykel Rachdi's family told local media he was struck by a tear gas canister after joining the protests that erupted this month on the anniversary of Tunisia's 2011 revolution that introduced democracy. The Public Prosecutor's office in Kasserine, the biggest city near Sbeitla, about three hours south of the capital, Tunis, has ordered an autop...

26th January 2021

Putin calls pro-Navalny marches illegal, new protest set for Sunday

Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned weekend protests demanding the release of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny as dangerous and illegal, as the opposition politician's allies said they planned a similar protest for Sunday. Police detained more than 3,700 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday as tens of thousands of protesters ignored extreme cold and police warnings to demand Navalny be freed from jail where he is serving a 30-day stint for alleged parole violations that he denies. In a rare public rebuttal of a Navalny accusation, Putin rejected...

26th January 2021

Merkel, Biden agree to stronger cooperation

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed in a phone call on Monday that the COVID-19 pandemic can only be overcome through closer international cooperation, a government spokesman in Berlin said on Monday. "At the same time, she declared Germany's willingness to take on responsibility in dealing with international tasks together with its European and transatlantic partners," government spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement. via Reuters

26th January 2021

EU Commission proposes harsher travel restrictions

The European Commission is pushing for further travel restrictions both within its borders as well as for passengers coming from third countries. This plan builds on proposals announced by President von der Leyen last week to to add a dark-red, very high risk category to the bloc’s shared map of the health situation “to reflect the high level of infections partially linked to new coronavirus variants," Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said Monday. “There’s an urgent need to reduce the risk of travel-related infections to lessen the burden on overstretched health systems,” he explain...

26th January 2021

Malta: Family of construction accident victim demands public inquiry

In-Nazzjon says that the Prime Minister rejected calls for a public inquiry into the construction accident in Ħamrun that took the life of Miriam Pace last year. Lawyers for the Pace family urged parliament to discuss a motion to launch a public inquiry into the case. Another story quotes PN spokesperson for Health Stephen Spiteri who said that the opposition is concerned by the rise in Covid-19 cases and the way contact tracing is being conducted. Spiteri called for better enforcement of Covid-19 rules. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu....

26th January 2021

Malta: PM calms fears of vaccine shortage

The Times quotes Prime Minister Robert Abela who dismissed fears that the shortage of Covid-19 vaccines that hit Europe will affect Malta. He said that the government is in touch with EU bodies to ensure that vaccination targets remain on track. Another story says that Farsons Group denied any link with a controversial junction proposed in Mrieħel, as suggested by Transport Minister Ian Borg in a TV interview. The company said its development projects are in line with permit conditions. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispa...

26th January 2021

Malta: Melvin Theuma testimony postponed after disagreement in court

The Independent follows the compilation of evidence against the men accused of carrying out the Caruana Galizia assassination. The testimony by Melvin Theuma was postponed after the defence lawyer refused to cross-examine the self-confessed middleman. The paper quotes Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo who said that a new strategy aims to ‘recover, rethink, and revitalise’ the tourism sector by introducing 22 goals that improve product quality. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

26th January 2021

Malta: Government unveils new tourism strategy

L-Orizzont leads with the launch of a ten-year strategy for the tourism sector by minister Clayton Bartolo. In the announcement, the minister said the government wants to raise the quality of tourism and make it more sustainable. The paper publishes an interview with family doctor Jean Karl Soler who opposes severe lockdowns and curfews as a means to curb the spread of Covid-19. He said that international studies show that social distancing is the best way to limit contagion. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cd...

26th January 2021

China to conduct military drills in S. China Sea amid tensions with U.S

BEIJING (Reuters) - China said on Tuesday it will conduct military exercises in the South China Sea this week, just days after Beijing bristled at a U.S. aircraft carrier group's entry into the disputed waters. A notice issued by the country's Maritime Safety Administration prohibited entry into a portion of waters in the Gulf of Tonkin to the west of the Leizhou peninsula in southwestern China from Jan. 27 to Jan. 30, but it did not offer details on when the drills would take place or at what scale. A U.S. carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Se...

26th January 2021

EU warns it may block COVID-19 vaccine exports over AstraZeneca dispute

The EU warned that it will block exports of COVID-19 vaccines outside of the EU over the AstraZeneca's announcement that deliveries will be reduced for a few weeks. On Friday AstraZeneca told the EU that there would be delivery delays in the first quarter of this year following an announcement made by Pfizer a week earlier. The relevant EU Steering Board held a virtual meeting with AstraZeneca on Monday afternoon to discuss the issue however according to a statemeny by Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides the answers of the company have not been satisfactory. An additional meeting was ...

26th January 2021

On This Day…

1482 - "Pentateuch" the Jewish Bible is 1st printed as a book in Bologna, Italy. 1531 - Lisbon hit by Earthquake; about 30,000 die. 1564 - The Council of Trent issued its conclusions in the Tridentinum, establishing a distinction between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. 1788 - Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Australia Day. 1918 - Soon after the Bolsheviks seized control in immense, troubled Russia in November 1917 and moved towards negotiating peace with the Centr...

26th January 2021

UPDATED – Cabinet approves decree guaranteeing CONI’s independence as Italy risked Olympic Games exclusion

Updated 1145 - Cabinet approves decree safeguarding CONI's independence In his last Cabinet meeting before submitting his resignation, Italian PM Giuseppe Conte has managed to push through legal amendments giving the Italian Olympic Committee the necessary financial and administrative independence as requested by the international body. In particular, the decree ensures that stadiums that have been used for a long time by Olympic athletes, have been transferred to the Olympic committee (CONI). Vincenzo Spadafora, Sport Minister, shared his delight at the news, which potentially s...

26th January 2021

Germany calls for immediate release of Navalny and his supporters

Germany on Monday reiterated its call on Moscow to immediately release Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, along with his more than 3,000 supporters who were arrested across Russia last Saturday. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas told reporters in Brussels that he and his EU counterparts "agreed very quickly that both the arrest of Alexei Navalny as well as the arrest of many who were peacefully demonstrating in Russia must be met with their immediate release." The EU will for now go for a step-by-step approach with the Kremlin, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell going to ...

26th January 2021

U.S. “proud to be back” in climate fight, Kerry tells leaders

The United States is "proud to be back" in international efforts to tackle global warming, Washington's new special climate envoy John Kerry told a summit of world leaders on Monday. U.S. President Joe Biden is this week expected to release more policies to tackle climate change after rejoining the 2015 Paris climate agreement that predecessor Donald Trump quit saying it was too costly to the U.S. economy. "We're proud to be back. We come back with humility for the absence over the last four years and we will do everything in our power to make up for it," Kerry told the virtua...

26th January 2021

Italy sends warning letter to Pfizer over COVID vaccine delays

ROME, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The Italian government on Monday sent a letter of formal notice to Pfizer calling on the drug company to respect its contractual commitments over its COVID-19 vaccine deliveries, the government special commissioner said. The letter adds to tension between the European Union and the U.S. drug-maker, which announced last week a temporary slowdown in deliveries to the bloc. "The State Attorney General's Office has sent Pfizer a formal notice to comply with its contractual obligations relating to its failure to deliver vaccine doses," the special commissioner office...

26th January 2021

Risk of ‘vaccine-busting’ coronavirus variants prompts tougher UK quarantine – Johnson

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday he was looking at toughening border quarantine rules because of the risk of "vaccine-busting" new coronavirus variants. New variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are opening up the prospect of a much longer battle against the pathogen than previously thought. Scientists fear the new variants may be more deadly, and that vaccines may be less effective against them. "We have to realise there is at least the theoretical risk of a new variant that is a vaccine-busting variant coming in - we've got to be able...

26th January 2021

EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Thessaloniki, Greece

Streets in the centre of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. Photo: EPA-EFE/NIKOS ARVANITIDIS

25th January 2021

CDE News Views – This Day in Photos

Today's salient news in pictures as taken by the pool of photographers of EPA/EFE for CDE News. Stay informed daily with www.cde.news, for local perspective with a global outlook. epa08964071 Members of civic society use black ribbon during anti government protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, 25 January 2021. Hundreds of Citizen Leaders and activists were protesting against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli government's move of dissolving the House of Representatives what they call regression by PM Oli. Dozens were injured during the clash between protestors and police. EPA-EFE/NARENDRA SHRESTHAepa...

25th January 2021

Conte to resign on Tuesday, seek fresh mandate in Italy

ROME (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will hand in his resignation to the head of state on Tuesday after a morning cabinet meeting to inform his ministers, Conte's office said. The prime minister, who has been in office since June 2018, hopes President Sergio Mattarella will give him a mandate to form a new government with broader backing in parliament, senior government sources said. Conte lost his majority in the upper house Senate last week, when the centrist Italia Viva party led by former premier Matteo Renzi quit the coalition in a row over the government's handli...

25th January 2021

Libyan oil guards allow work to resume at two main ports

TRIPOLI, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Libya's Petroleum Facility Guards (PFG) have ended their brief blockade of the ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sider, allowing oil exports to resume there, al-Waha Oil Co said on Monday. The PFG, a force made up of local groups around Libya tasked with protecting oil facilities, closed down the ports in what it said was a dispute over pay. An oil engineer at Ras Lanuf said normal work had resumed. (Reporting by Reuters Libya newsroom, writing by Angus McDowall, editing by Susan Fenton)

25th January 2021

Anger and grief as United Kingdom’s COVID-19 death toll nears 100,000

LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - As the United Kingdom's COVID-19 death toll approaches 100,000, grief-stricken relatives of the dead expressed anger at Prime Minister Boris Johnson's handling of the worst public health crisis in a century. When the novel coronavirus, which first emerged in China in 2019, slid silently across the United Kingdom in March, Johnson initially said he was confident it could be sent packing in weeks. But 98,531 deaths later, the United Kingdom has the world's fifth worst official death toll - more than its civilian toll in World War Two and twice the number killed ...

25th January 2021

Blatter was in coma after heart surgery, daughter says

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter spent a week in an artificially induced coma after heart surgery last month, his daughter has told Swiss media. “Just before Christmas, he had to go to the hospital for heart surgery,” Corinne Blatter said in an interview with CH Media, adding the operation had been expected to be routine. “But then everything became more complicated and dangerous. In total, he was in an artificial coma for over a week and was no longer responsive.” The 84-year-old had tested positive for the coronavirus in November, his daughter said, but had recovered without havi...

25th January 2021

Malta: Prime Minister rejects call for public inquiry into Miriam Pace’s death

Prime Minister Robert Abela confirmed that he will not be appointing a public inquiry into Miriam Pace’s death, despite repeated calls to do so by her family. Abela argued that appointing a public inquiry would interfere with the criminal proceedings underway. Source MaltaToday Updated: 1651

25th January 2021

Chelsea sack Lampard from manager after 18 months

London (dpa) - Frank Lampard's reign as Chelsea manager came to an end on Monday as he was sacked after 18 months in the role. The 42-year-old steered Chelsea to a Champions League place in his first season in charge but with the club sitting ninth in the Premier League owner Roman Abramovich decided to act. "This has been a very difficult decision, and not one that the owner and the Board have taken lightly," Chelsea said in a statement on their website. "We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as Head Coach of the Club. "However, recent resul...

25th January 2021

Photo Story: Protest against Prime Minister in Kathmandu

Members of civic society use black ribbon during anti-government protest in Kathmandu, Nepal, 25 January 2021. Hundreds of Citizen Leaders and activists were protesting against Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli government's move of dissolving the House of Representatives what they call regression by PM Oli. Dozens were injured during the clash between protestors and police. EPA-EFE/NARENDRA SHRESTHA

25th January 2021

Malta: Woman and her 13-year-old son rob three elderly people in St Paul’s Bay

A 45-year-old woman was arrested on Sunday shortly after she and her 13-year-old son allegedly carried out a robbery on three people. Yesterday at around noon, the Police were called to assist following a report that a robbery was taking place in Triq Sir Luigi Preziosi, St Paul’s Bay. Source TVM Updated 1702

25th January 2021

Malta: Luana Borg found in good health, police say

Luana Borg aged 15 has been found in good health by the Police after she was reported missing on the 25th of December 2020. This was announced by the Police on Monday morning. Source Newsbook Updated 1700

25th January 2021

Photo Story: Men in Black group organizes night demonstration in Copenhagen

An effigy representing Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen with a sign around her neck reading 'She must be put down' is pictured before being set alight during a demonstration organized by a group calling itself 'Men in Black', in Copenhagen, Denmark, 23 January 2021 (issued 24 January 2021). The burning of the effigy provoked indignation among several Danish politicians, local media reported. Protesters took to the streets of the Danish capital against pandemic restrictions as well as against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccinations. EPA-EFE/MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN

25th January 2021

More than 99 million persons were infected and over 2.1 million were killed by the coronavirus globally

(CDE/Reuters) - More than 99.1 million people have been reported to be infected by the novel coronavirus globally and 2,130,212 have died, according to a Reuters tally. Infections have been reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019. In other news Here's what you need to know about the coronavirus right now: Mexican president contracts COVID Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday he had tested positive for COVID-19 during the country's deadliest week yet i...

25th January 2021

Mastercard to increase charges for UK purchases from EU – FT

Financial Times - Mastercard will increase fees more than fivefold when a British shopper uses a debit or credit card to buy from an EU-based company, sparking alarm among companies that rely on online payments and concern among MPs over higher consumer prices. Mastercard and Visa levy an “interchange” fee on behalf of banks for every debit or credit card payment that uses their networks. The EU introduced a cap in 2015 after concerns the hidden fees were leading to hundreds of millions of euros in costs for companies and higher prices for consumers. But Mastercard has told merchants tha...

25th January 2021

Photo Story: Dozens of arrests after riots in Eindhoven

A car has been set on fire in front of the station on 18 Septemberplein in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 24 January 2021. Far-right anti-Islam movement Pegida had announced a protest which was banned by the Eindhoven Mayor Jorritsma for fear of disturbances. EPA-EFE/ROB ENGELAAR

25th January 2021

Malta: E-commerce generates €2.1 billion in 2020

Turnover from e-commerce sales rose by 6.4 percent in 2020 compared with the previous year, reaching a total €2.1 billion. Figures by the Nationals Statistics Office show that eight in ten web orders last year were placed on the business’ own websites or apps while the remaining sales came through online marketplaces. The share of companies conducting business online grew from slightly under 24 percent in 2019 to 26.2 percent in 2020, outpacing the average across the EU where around a fifth of businesses report e-commerce options. The highest increase observed in the accommodation and food s...

25th January 2021

Moderna says COVID-19 vaccine appears to be effective against new variants

(Reuters) - Moderna Inc said on Monday its COVID-19 vaccine produced virus-neutralizing antibodies in laboratory tests against new coronavirus variants found in the UK and South Africa. A two-dose regimen of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be protective against emerging strains detected to date, the company said. Moderna, however, said it would test a vaccine booster against the South Africa variant in pre-clinical trials to see if that would be more effective in boosting antibodies against the variant and other future variants. Although all viruses mutate constantly, sci...

25th January 2021

Photo Story: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa re-elected as Portugal’s President

Presidential candidate, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, delivers his victory speech for being re-elected as Portugal's President after winning the 2021 presidential elections, in Lisbon, Portugal, 24 January 2021. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa won Portugal's presidential election with a majority of the vote in the first round, according to the election commission. EPA-EFE/MARIO CRUZ

25th January 2021

Photo Story: The 13th National Congress of Vietnam’s Communist Party in Hanoi

Delegates take part in a preparatory session of the 13th National Congress of Vietnam's Communist Party (VCP), in Hanoi, Vietnam 25 January 2021. The VCP's 13th congress, which runs from 25 January through to 02 February at the National Convention Center in Hanoi, will choose the party's new leadership. EPA-EFE/VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY

25th January 2021

Surge of student suicides pushes Las Vegas schools to reopen – NYT

New York Times carries a report about the impact of Covid-19 on the student life and how the pandemic has led to possibly an increase of student suicides in and around Las Vegas. The challenge for leaders is about how to balance between the mental health wellness and the Covid-19 related health issues. The report states that the 'spate of student suicides in and around Las Vegas has pushed the Clark County district, the nation’s fifth largest, toward bringing students back as quickly as possible. The report states that firmly linking teen suicides to school closings is difficult, but ris...

25th January 2021

Photo Story: Bushfire in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia

A view of a burnt roadside at an area off of Nicholls Road in Scott Creek where emergency services are trying to control a fire that originated in Cherry Gardens in the Adelaide Hills, east of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 25 January 2021. According to media reports, authorities warned that a bushfire in the Adelaide Hills is still out-of-control and that it is expected it will continue to burn in Scott Creek and the Mount Bold reservoir area for the next four to five days. EPA-EFE/MORGAN SETTE

25th January 2021

Italy’s Conte seeks way out of political mire ahead of Senate vote

ROME, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte looked for a solution on Monday to a political crisis that has enveloped his government, leaving him without a reliable majority in the upper house Senate. Several Italian newspapers reported that Conte was set to hand in his resignation to the head of state this week and then try to put together a new, broader coalition, drawing up a policy pact for the remaining two years of the legislature. However, a senior government source denied that this was Conte's plan. He did not immediately signal what the alternative strategy mi...

25th January 2021

EU seeks answers from AstraZeneca on cut to vaccine supplies in Monday meeting

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will meet AstraZeneca executives on Monday to seek further clarification on why they unexpectedly announced a large cut in supplies of COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc for the first quarter of the year, EU officials said. AstraZeneca, which developed its shot with Oxford University, told the EU on Friday that it could not meet the agreed supply targets running up to the end of March, with an EU official telling Reuters that meant a 60% cut to 31 million doses. The Anglo-Swedish drugmaker has received an up-front payment of 336 million euros ($409 mill...

25th January 2021

Janet Richard, Luke Farrugia win the Athlete of the Year Award for 2020

Janet Richard and Luke Farrugia scooped the top prizes awarded by Athletics Malta for the best athletes in 2020, while Jordan Gusman and Benjamin Micallef received special accolades for outstanding performances in their sport throughout the year. In an award-giving ceremony held last Sunday at the Cavalieri Art Hotel, the national association awarded a number of athletes in their respective categories. Luke Farrugia and Janet Richard - Athletes of the Year 2020. Credit: Monalisa Camilleri For Richard and Farrugia, 2020 was a memorable year with the pair establishing impressive new na...

25th January 2021

Italy’s Conte not planning on resigning to form new government: government source – UPDATE

ROME, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is not planning on resigning with a view to forming a new government, a senior government source said on Monday. Earlier, several Italian newspapers reported that Conte was set to hand in his resignation to the head of state this week and then put together a new, broader based coalition. Asked if this was Conte's intention, the source said: "no". Earlier, national daily La Repubblica, reportat that Giuseppe Conte was close to resign to then later form a new government that can count on a wider majority/ "My aim is to f...

25th January 2021

Maltese Editors’ Perspectives

Times of Malta says that a strategy team planning for life after Covid-19 must be brutally honest and publish its terms of reference The Independent says that the Police force seems to be going in the right direction ever since Commissioner Angelo Gafa took over L-Orizzont says that extremism and hatred is on the rise. In-Nazzjon says that poverty is on the rise.

25th January 2021

Earth is losing ice faster today than in the mid-1990s, study suggests

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Earth’s ice is melting faster today than in the mid-1990s, new research suggests, as climate change nudges global temperatures ever higher. Altogether, an estimated 28 trillion metric tons of ice have melted away from the world’s sea ice, ice sheets and glaciers since the mid-1990s. Annually, the melt rate is now about 57 percent faster than it was three decades ago, scientists report in a study published Monday in the journal The Cryosphere. “It was a surprise to see such a large increase in just 30 years,” said co-author Thomas Slater, a glaciologist at L...

25th January 2021

EU to debate Russia sanctions after Navalny protest arrests

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union will consider fresh sanctions on Russian individuals on Monday after more than 3,000 people were arrested across Russia on Saturday to demand the release of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny. Lithuania's foreign minister, arriving in Brussels for a meeting of the bloc's 27 top diplomats, said "a change is in the air in Russia" that the bloc must support, especially after Navalny's detention as he returned to Russia from Germany. "The EU needs to send a very clear and decisive message that this is not acceptable," Gabrielius Landsbergis said in a...

25th January 2021

Explainer: South China Sea tension flares again as Biden takes charge

(Reuters) - A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt entered the South China Sea over the weekend to promote "freedom of the seas" at a time of U.S. concern about China-Taiwan tensions and Beijing asserting its maritime agenda. Taiwan, meanwhile, reported an incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defence identification zone. The patrol comes just days after Joe Biden was sworn in as U.S. president and follows a year of repeated demonstrations of military power by both Beijing and Washington. REGIONAL TENSIONS China has complained about U....

25th January 2021

Debenhams stores in Britain to close permanently

All Debenhams stores in Britain will close permanently as part of the sale of its brand and website to online retailer Boohoo, its administrators said on Monday. "I expect that the agreement with Boohoo may provide some job opportunities but we regret that this outcome does not safeguard the jobs of Debenhams' employees beyond the winding down period," said Geoff Rowley, Joint Administrator and Partner of FRP Advisory. (Reporting by James Davey; writing by Kate Holton; editing by Michael Holden)

25th January 2021

White House confirms that today it will stop travel between Europe and U.S.

(Reuters / ANSA), January 25 - The White House has confirmed that US President Joe Biden will again impose a ban on entering the United States on most non-US citizens from the UK, Brazil, Ireland and most of Europe today. And he will also extend this ban to those arriving from South Africa, after the reports of the new variants in the US. This decision is part of the plan of the new US democratic administration to fight the epidemic that is spreading in the country most affected by Covid-19. Total COVID-19 cases in the United States crossed 25 million on Sunday, a Reuters tally showed, ...

25th January 2021

Flydubai Says Catania And Naples, Salzburg And Malta Will Be Joining Its European Network

Jan 25 (Reuters) - FLYDUBAI - Flydubai, the Dubai-based airline, today announced that Catania and Naples in Italy, Salzburg in Austria and Malta will be joining its European network from May 2021. The carrier has grown its network to more than 65 destinations as countries continue to gradually lift travel restrictions. In a statement, the airline said that with the addition of Catania, Malta, Naples and Salzburg the carrier will operate flights to 20 destinations in Europe including Belgrade, Bucharest, Helsinki, Istanbul, Krakow, Prague and Sofia. flydubai flights to Malta Internationa...

25th January 2021

Malta: Covid-19 rules among the most relaxed in the EU

The Times reports that Malta ranks among one of the EU countries with the least strict Covid-19 measures in the University of Oxford Index tracking government efforts to fight the pandemic around the world. Another story says that self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma is expected to testify in the compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech this afternoon, the first time appearance in court he was discovered in a pool of blood at his apartment six months ago. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

25th January 2021

Covid-19 cases back over 200 – Malta News Briefing – Monday 25 January 2021

Updated 1235 - Covid-19 Update Coronavirus cases returned above the two hundred mark, with 203 new infections reported on Monday. Recoveries amounted to 175, taking the tally of active cases up to 2,632. Two more deaths were reported, taking the number of fatalities to 253. These cases were identified from 3,345 swab tests taken on Sunday. Updated 1130 - Malta with least restrictions against Covid-19 Malta is one of the least strict countries in the European Union in terms of measures imposed to contain the spread of COVID-19, according to a University of Oxford index reported by...

25th January 2021

Godiva to close shops in U.S.

CNN - Luxury chocolatier Godiva is closing or selling all 128 of its brick-and-mortar stores in North America, it announced in a statement. It plans to complete the closures and sales by the end of March. Godiva will keep its stores open across Europe, Middle East and Greater China. The company did not disclose information on how many employees would be let go because of the closures. The chocolatier's sales are largely driven by online purchases and purchases through Godiva's grocery, club and retail partners.This change comes during a time when Covid has hit dozens of underperforming...

25th January 2021

Malta: Civil protection officer opens up about exposure to danger

L-Orizzont carries an interview with Christopher Aquilina, station manager at the Civil Protection Department, who spoke about his 30-year career and the risks people in the field face every day. Another story reports on the judicial process in Rome against two Italian navy officers who are being accused of voluntary killing when a boat carrying 268 migrants, including 60 children, sank near Lampedusa in 2013. The paper says that researchers at Oxford University will conduct clinical tests on a promising new medicine for the treatment of the Covid-19 disease by limiting the capacity of ...

25th January 2021

Malta: PN conducting socio-economic study in Gozo

In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who revealed that the party is conducting a socio-economic study in Gozo to assess the main priorities in the island. The research covers areas including work, health, environmental planning, and sustainable development. Another story says that the government is not consulting the doctors’ association or the nurses’ union in the process of negotiations with Steward Health Care over the privatised public state hospitals. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16 ...

25th January 2021

Malta: Use of cloud computing by businesses higher than EU average

The Independent quotes Eurostat figures which show that 53 percent of the companies in Malta made use of cloud computing in 2020, an increase from 26 percent in 2016. The EU average last year was 36 percent. The paper speaks to Mount Carmel Hospital CEO Stephanie Xuereb following criticism earlier this month by a patient about the state of the facility. The CEO said the hospital investigates every complaint. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

25th January 2021

Israel bans international flights to curb coronavirus spread

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday evening for a week, the government announced on Sunday, as protesters in some ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities clashed with police over coronavirus lockdown measures. Clashes broke out between ultra-Orthodox protesters in the city of Bnei Brak and police forces who came to enforce the lockdown. One police officer, feeling his life was in danger, fired in the air to repel the crowds, police said. Smaller confrontations with ultra-Orthodox protesters broke out in several other towns, police said.&n...

25th January 2021

New Zealand confirms first COVID-19 case in months, sparking Australia travel halt – Update

WELLINGTON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - New Zealand on Monday confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in the community in months in a 56-year-old woman, but said close contacts of the recently returned traveller had so far tested negative. The woman, who returned to New Zealand on Dec. 30, had tested positive for the South African strain of the virus after leaving a two-week mandatory quarantine where she had twice tested negative, COVID-19 response minister Chris Hipkins said. No other community cases had been reported since the woman's case was disclosed on Sunday and authorities said the source ...

25th January 2021

Biden to impose South Africa travel ban to combat new COVID-19 variant – CDC

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will impose a ban on most non-U.S. citizens entering the country who have recently been in South Africa starting Saturday in a bid to contain the spread of a new variant of COVID-19, a senior U.S. public health official told Reuters. Biden on Monday is also reimposing an entry ban on nearly all non-U.S. travelers who have been in Brazil, the United Kingdom, Ireland and 26 countries in Europe that allow travel across open borders. "We are adding South Africa to the restricted list because of the concerning variant present that has already spread...

25th January 2021

On This Day…

1554 - Founding of the city of São Paulo in Brazil. 1565 - Battle at Talikota India: Deccan sultanate destroy Vijayanagar's army and the last Hindu kingdom of Southern India. 1840 - American naval expedition under Charles Wilkes is first to identify Antarctica as a new continent.1942 - Thailand, a Japanese puppet state, declares war on the Allies. 1949 - 1st Israeli election won by David Ben-Gurion's Mapai party. 1971 - Military coup in Uganda under Major General Idi Amin. 2011 - Egyptian Revolution of 2011 begins with a series of street demon...

25th January 2021

Dutch police detain 240 nationwide as anti-lockdown protests turn violent

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Rioters looted stores, set fires and clashed with police in several Dutch cities on Sunday, resulting in more than 240 arrests, police and Dutch media reported. The unrest came on the second day of new, tougher coronavirus restrictions, including a night curfew, which had prompted demonstrations. Police used water cannon, dogs and mounted officers to disperse a protest in central Amsterdam on Sunday afternoon, witnesses said. Nearly 200 people, some of them throwing stones and fireworks, were detained in the city, police said. National broadcaster NOS said...

25th January 2021

Serie A Talking Points

Reuters - Ciro Immobile scored his 13th league goal of the season to seal a 2-1 comeback win for Lazio against Sassuolo on Sunday and clinch a fourth consecutive Serie A win for the Roman club. Francesco Caputo fired the visitors ahead after just six minutes, but Lazio responded strongly and a powerful header from Sergej Milinkovic-Savic drew them level midway through the first half. Simone Inzaghi's side completed their comeback in the 71st minute when Adam Marusic picked out Immobile in the box to find the corner with a calm finish. The Italy international, who won the European Gol...

25th January 2021

Fernandes free-kick earns Man United 3-2 FA Cup win over Liverpool

Bruno Fernandes’ superb 78th-minute free-kick knocked Liverpool out of the FA Cup fourth round as Manchester United won Sunday's thriller 3-2 at Old Trafford. Mohamed Salah’s chipped finish gave Liverpool a short-lived lead after 18 minutes until Mason Greenwood levelled for United eight minutes later in an even first half, dpa reported. Marcus Rashford stunned Liverpool early in the second half and Salah scored again to restore equal terms until Fernandes fired a direct free-kick into the bottom right corner to complete the victory. "When you go a goal down, the reaction...

25th January 2021

Bayern extend lead to seven points with 4-0 win at Schalke

Berlin, Jan.24 (BNA): Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller were again in the goals as Bayern Munich beat bottom side Schalke 4-0 away on Sunday to increase their advantage at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points. RB Leipzig, in second, lost 3-2 at second-bottom Mainz on Saturday when third-placed Bayer Leverkusen also went down 1-0 to Wolfsburg to give Bayern the chance to further pull away. Mueller and Lewandowski struck either side of the break before late goals from Mueller and David Alaba added the gloss as the champions moved onto 42 points from 18 games, scoring 53 in the pr...

24th January 2021

CDE News Views – This Day in Photos

Today's salient news in pictures as taken by the pool of photographers of EPA/EFE for CDE News. Stay informed daily with www.cde.news, for local perspective with a global outlook. An undated handout photo taken with a camera trap and released by the Kaeng Krachan National Park shows a freshwater Siamese crocodile crawling at Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province, Thailand (issued 24 January 2021). A rare sighting of an endangered freshwater Siamese crocodile has been captured by a camera trap, the second time spotted in a decade, at Kaeng Krachan National Park near the Tha...

24th January 2021

EU says it will make vaccine companies respect supply contracts – Michel

PARIS, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The European Union will make pharmaceutical companies respect contracts they have signed for the supply of COVID-19 vaccines, European Council President Charles Michel said on Sunday. Pfizer Inc last week said it was temporarily slowing supplies to Europe to make manufacturing changes that would boost output. On Friday, AstraZeneca also said that initial deliveries to the region will fall short because of a production glitch. "We plan to make the pharmaceutical companies respect the contracts they have signed ... by using the legal means at our disposal," Miche...

24th January 2021

UK detects 77 cases of South African COVID variant, 9 of Brazilian

LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Britain has detected 77 cases of the South African variant of COVID-19, the health minister said on Sunday, also urging people to strictly follow lockdown rules as the best precaution against Britain's own potentially more deadly variant. Matt Hancock said all 77 cases were connected to travel from South Africa and were under close observation, as were nine identified cases of a Brazilian variant. "They are under very close observation, and we have enhanced contact tracing to do everything we possibly can to stop them from spreading," he said during an intervi...

24th January 2021

UAE to open embassy in Israel as Israel opens embassy in Abu Dhabi

DUBAI/JERUSALEM Jan 24 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates cabinet on Sunday approved the establishment of an embassy in Tel Aviv in Israel, state media said, and Israel announced its embassy had opened in Abu Dhabi. The UAE and Israel agreed to normalise relations in August, a deal forged largely over shared fears of Iran. Since then Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco have all agreed to establish ties with Israel in deals brokered in 2020 by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump. No further details were given about the UAE embassy to Israel. Israel's government regard...

24th January 2021

Trump administration had no coronavirus vaccine distribution plan -White House

WASHINGTON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - There was no distribution plan for the coronavirus vaccine set up by the Trump administration as the virus raged in its last months in office, new President Joe Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, said on Sunday. "The process to distribute the vaccine, particularly outside of nursing homes and hospitals out into the community as a whole, did not really exist when we came into the White House," Klain said on NBC's "Meet the Press." Biden, a Democrat who took over from Republican President Donald Trump on Wednesday, has promised a fierce fight against the pan...

24th January 2021

About 500 Airbus staff under quarantine after Hamburg COVID-19 outbreak

BERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Airbus said on Sunday about 500 of its staff had gone into quarantine after 21 workers at its aircraft factory in Hamburg tested positive for the new coronavirus. The company said the staff had been asked to stay at home as a precautionary measure and it was examining whether the measures would impact production at the site. Health officials were still investigating what caused the outbreak, a spokesman of the Hamburg health authority said. It was also still unclear whether the workers had caught the more contagious variant of the coronavirus which was firs...

24th January 2021

EU should punish Putin for Navalny arrest by cutting money flows – Manfred Weber

BERLIN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - The European Union should punish Russian President Vladimir Putin for the arrest of Kremlin critic Alexej Navalny and thousands of his supporters with targeted financial sanctions, the leader of the bloc's largest political alliance said on Sunday. Police detained more than 3,000 people and used force to break up rallies across Russia on Saturday in support of Navalny, who was arrested last weekend as he returned to Russia from Germany for the first time since being poisoned with a nerve agent. "It's unacceptable that the Russian leadership is trying to make s...

24th January 2021

Italy to take legal action over COVID vaccine delays to get promised doses

MILAN, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Italy will take legal action against Pfizer Inc and AstraZeneca over delays in deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to secure agreed supplies rather than seek damages, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday. "We are working so our vaccine plan programme does not change," Di Maio said on RAI state television. On Saturday Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said the delays in vaccine supplies were "unacceptable" and amounted to a serious breach of contractual obligations, adding that Italy would use all available legal tools. Italy will have to rethink its...

24th January 2021

Kremlin accuses U.S. of meddling in affairs, but says ready to talk

MOSCOW, Jan 24 (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin would respond in kind if the new U.S. administration showed willingness to talk, a Kremlin spokesman said on Sunday, while also accusing Washington of meddling in mass protests in support of detained opposition leader Alexei Navalny. The Kremlin also downplayed the scale of Saturday's demonstrations, which saw police detain more than 3,000 people and use force to break up rallies across Russia. Prior to the protests, the U.S. Embassy in Moscow had issued a "Demonstration Alert", warning U.S. citizens to avoid the protests and naming th...

24th January 2021

Malta News Briefing – Sunday 24 January 2021 – UPDATED

Good Evening Update 1900h A total 116 new COVID-19 cases were announced on Sunday, the lowest daily case count since January 3 and three fewer than on Saturday. The new cases were detected from 3,111 swab tests, bringing down the positivity rate to 2.83%. One patient - an 81-year-old man died at Gozo General Hospital, taking Malta’s COVID-19 death toll to 251. Times of Malta Government’s construction reform will look to strike a balance between the needs of developers and the rights of people to leave peacefully in their homes, Prime Minister Robert Abela has said. The PM was addre...

24th January 2021

Photo Story: Endangered Siamese crocodile spotted in Thailand’s National Park

An undated handout photo taken with a camera trap and released by the Kaeng Krachan National Park shows a freshwater Siamese crocodile crawling at Kaeng Krachan National Park in Phetchaburi province, Thailand (issued 24 January 2021). A rare sighting of an endangered freshwater Siamese crocodile has been captured by a camera trap, the second time spotted in a decade, at Kaeng Krachan National Park near the Thai-Myanmar border. It is estimated that only about 20 Siamese crocodiles are left in the wild, mainly caused by hunting and habitat loss. EPA-EFE/KAENG KRACHAN NATIONAL PARK...

24th January 2021

Turkey hopes Mediterranean talks can calm choppy waters with EU

BRUSSELS/ANKARA, Jan 24 (Reuters) - After a five-year hiatus marked by grievances over their rival claims to Mediterranean waters, Turkey resumes talks with Greece on Monday in the first test of its hopes to reverse deteriorating relations with the European Union. While diplomats say that rebuilding trust will be a hard slog, the talks follow Turkey's decision to stop its search for gas in disputed waters which angered Greece and Cyprus and a cooling of rhetoric around Ankara's wider disputes with the EU. They could also pave the way for an imminent visit to Turkey by EU leaders. Bot...

24th January 2021

French health body recommends delaying second COVID shot to six weeks after first

PARIS (Reuters) - France's top health advisory body on Saturday recommended doubling the time between people being given the first and second COVID-19 vaccinations to six weeks from three in order to increase the number getting inoculated. The gap between the first and second injection in France is currently three weeks for people in retirement homes, who take priority, and four weeks for others such as health workers. The Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) said spacing out the two required vaccinations of the Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna vaccines would allow the treatment of at least 7...

24th January 2021

Photo Story: Men’s Ski Cross final at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup, Sweden

Ryan Regez of Switzerland, Tyler Wallasch of USA, Sandro Siebenhofer of Austria and Ferdinand Dorsch of Germany during the men's quarterfinal heat 4 during the men's Ski Cross final at the FIS Freestyle Ski World Cup event in Idre, Sweden 23 January 2021. EPA-EFE/Pontus Lundahl

24th January 2021

UK vaccine roll-out speeds up but doctors want quicker second dose

LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Britain's COVID-19 vaccination push gathered pace on Saturday, with 5.9 million people now having had a first dose, but doctors challenged the government over its policy of delaying a second shot of the Pfizer vaccine for up to 12 weeks. The British government is stretching out the gap between first and second shots as it seeks to ensure as many people as possible can be given some protection from an initial vaccine dose. Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Friday that the new UK variant of COVID-19 may be associated with a higher level of mortality as the ...

24th January 2021

Photo Story: Protest in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in Prague

Participants hold signs during a protest in support of Russian opposition leader and blogger Alexei Navalny in Prague, Czech Republic, 23 January 2021. Navalny was detained after his arrival to Moscow from Germany on 17 January 2021. A Moscow judge on 18 January ruled that he will remain in custody for 30 days following his airport arrest. Navalny urged Russians to take to the streets to protest. EPA-EFE/MARTIN DIVISEK

24th January 2021

More than 150 National Guard in Washington for inauguration test positive for coronavirus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Between 150 and 200 National Guard deployed to Washington, D.C., to provide security for President Joe Biden's inauguration have tested positive for the coronavirus, a U.S. official said on Friday. The U.S. government imposed unprecedented security measures in the city following the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump, including fences topped with razor wire and checkpoints manned by National Guard. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the number of National Guard troops who tested po...

24th January 2021

UK extends councils’ lockdown powers until July 17, Telegraph says

(Reuters) - The British government has quietly extended coronavirus lockdown laws to give local councils in England the power to close pubs, restaurants, shops and public spaces until July 17, the Telegraph reported on Saturday. https://bit.ly/3p8zwwC Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday the government could not consider easing lockdown restrictions with infection rates at their current high levels, and until it is confident the vaccination programme is working. The changes to the regulation governing coronavirus restrictions were made as part of a review of the third lockdown ea...

24th January 2021

Photo Story: COVID19 Restrictions eased in Gaza

Palestinians walk in the streets after the authorities eased restrictions put in place to stop the spread of the COVID-19, amid a coronavirus lockdown in Gaza City, 23 January 2021. The Ministry of Interior in Gaza City announced on 05 December 2020 a full lockdown on Fridays and Saturdays until further notice to curb the spread of COVID-19. EPA-EFE/MOHAMMED SABER

24th January 2021

Germany expects AstraZeneca to deliver 3 mln COVID-19 vaccine doses in February

BERLIN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Germany expects British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc to deliver 3 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine in February despite the company's latest production problems, Health Minister Jens Spahn told Bild am Sonntag newspaper. AstraZeneca informed European Union officials on Friday it would cut deliveries of its COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc by 60% to 31 million doses in the first quarter of the year due to production problems, a senior official told Reuters. The decrease deals another blow to Europe's COVID-19 vaccination drive after Pfizer Inc and German partner B...

24th January 2021

Italy PM says vaccine supply delays are serious contract violations

MILAN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Delays in supply of vaccines to Italy from Pfizer and, possibly, AstraZeneca amount to serious violations of contractual agreements and Rome will take countermeasures, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said. In a post on Facebook Conte said the delays were causing "enormous damage" to Italy and other countries. "This is unacceptable," Conte wrote. (Reporting by Valentina Za; Editing by Alex Richardson)

24th January 2021

Australia has eye on vaccination drive even though coronavirus under control

MELBOURNE, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Australia recorded no new local coronavirus cases on Sunday, maintaining a recent run of success in keeping the virus at bay, but nevertheless is keen to press on with its vaccination campaign from next month, government officials said. Australia's first batch of the Pfizer vaccine is due to arrive in February and its campaign will then begin with people over 70, adults with underlying medical conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at the front of the queue. "We have the virus under control here in Australia but we want to roll out the ...

24th January 2021

French COVID-19 intensive care numbers down for first time in two weeks

PARIS (Reuters) - The number of people with coronavirus in French intensive care units fell by 16 to 2,896 in data released on Saturday, the first decline in two weeks after a period of sharp rises. The number of people in intensive care is a key measure of a health system's ability to cope with the pandemic. The government has said it wanted that figure to hold steady between 2,500 and 3,000 before considering loosening curfew restrictions, but it had been increasingly steadily since early January. The health ministry also reported 23,924 new confirmed COVID-19 cases over the past 2...

24th January 2021

Italy’s Lombardy spars with government over virus data mishap

MILAN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Italy's Lombardy region and the central government exchanged blame on Saturday over the release of COVID-19 data that wrongly condemned the region to stricter restrictions. Lombardy, the country's wealthiest and most productive area which includes the fashion capital Milan, was forced to close most shops a week ago after being classed "red" under Italy's system of tiered restrictions. Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Saturday Lombardy had initially submitted wrong data, messing up calculations by Italy's higher health council. He then designated Lomb...

24th January 2021

Greek foreign minister hopes for ‘positive’ spirit from Turkey in talks

ATHENS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Greece's foreign minister said he hoped Turkey would have a positive approach towards a meeting next week aimed at reviving long-stalled efforts to open negotiations over disputed territorial claims. The neighbouring countries held 60 rounds of talks between 2002 and 2016, but plans last year for discussions to be resumed foundered over a survey vessel sent by Ankara into disputed waters and disagreements over the topics to be covered. "The only sure thing is the positive approach of Athens. I hope the Turkish side will come to these talks in the same spirit,"...

24th January 2021

Dutch police arrest alleged Asian drug syndicate kingpin

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch police said on Saturday they had arrested the alleged leader of a sprawling Asian drug syndicate who is listed as one of the world's most-wanted fugitives and has been compared to Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Tse Chi Lop, a Chinese-born Canadian national, was detained on Friday at the request of Australian police, who led an investigation that found his organisation dominates the $70 billion-a-year Asia-Pacific drug trade, Dutch police spokesman Thomas Aling said. Tse is expected to be extradited after appearing before a judge, Aling said, add...

24th January 2021

Saudi-led forces thwart air attack on Riyadh – Saudi TV

DUBAI (Reuters) - The Saudi-led coalition battling Yemen's Houthi movement said it had thwarted an attack towards the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Saturday, Saudi state television reported, but the Iran-aligned group denied any involvement. The coalition intercepted and destroyed an "enemy air target", state-run Al Ekhbariyah channel and Saudi-owned Al Hadath said on their Twitter accounts. A military spokesman for the Houthi group, which has launched cross-border missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, said the movement had not carried out any operations against coalition countri...

24th January 2021

Norway’s capital tightens lockdown to combat more contagious virus variant

OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's capital Oslo and nine neighbouring municipalities imposed some of their toughest lockdown measures yet on Saturday after an outbreak of a more contagious coronavirus variant, first identified in Britain. Shopping centres and other non-essential stores will be closed from noon, for the first time in the pandemic, and will not reopen until Feb. 1 at the earliest, the government announced. Shops selling food will remain open, along with pharmacies and petrol stations. Organised sports activities will be halted, restaurants must close and schools must rely more ...

24th January 2021

Top Spanish general resigns over allegations of vaccination queue-jumping

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's top general resigned on Saturday after allegations he had received the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of priority groups, one of a number of public officials who have sparked public anger because of reports they have jumped the vaccination queue. Defence Minister Margarita Robles had asked General Miguel Angel Villaroya, chief of defence staff, for explanations after media reports on Friday that he had received the vaccination. In a statement on his resignation, the defence ministry indicated but did not explicitly state that Villaroya had had the vaccinat...

24th January 2021

Poland appeals to Britain to repatriate man in vegetative state

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland has asked British authorities to let a man in a vegetative state in a Plymouth hospital be transported back to the country despite a British court ruling that life-sustaining treatment should be stopped. A Polish government official said on Saturday he had written to Britain's justice minister about the case which has rekindled public debate about the right to life and divided opinion amongst members of the man's own family. "Today I contacted the justice minister of Great Britain with a request to transfer our compatriot to Poland," Deputy Justice Minist...

24th January 2021

U.S. urges China to stop pressure against Taiwan

TAIPEI (Reuters) - A U.S. aircraft carrier group led by the USS Theodore Roosevelt has entered the South China Sea to promote "freedom of the seas", the U.S. military said on Sunday, at a time when tensions between China and Taiwan have raised concern in Washington. U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the strike group entered the South China Sea on Saturday, the same day Taiwan reported a large incursion of Chinese bombers and fighter jets into its air defence identification zone in the vicinity of the Pratas Islands. The U.S. military said the carrier strike group ...

24th January 2021

Scottish nationalists lay groundwork for second independence referendum

LONDON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The Scottish National Party published a "Roadmap to Referendum" on Saturday, laying out plans for another vote on Scottish independence just as the United Kingdom grapples with COVID-19 and the impact of Brexit. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who would have to agree to a new referendum, argues there is no need for a new vote after independence was rejected by Scottish voters in 2014. But the SNP has said that if it wins a parliamentary majority at elections scheduled for May 6, it will pass its own bill so that a referendum can take place once the pande...

24th January 2021

China rescues 11 miners after 14 days trapped underground – CCTV (UPDATE)

BEIJING, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Chinese rescuers pulled 11 gold miners to safety on Sunday, 14 days after they were trapped by an underground explosion, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Footage showed the first miner to be rescued, a black blindfold across his eyes, being lifted out of a mine shaft in the morning. The miner was extremely weak, CCTV said on its Weibo site. Rescue workers wrapped the barely responsive man in a blanket before taking him to hospital by ambulance. Over the next few hours, 10 miners from a different section of the mine, who had been receiving food and supplies...

24th January 2021

Deadline ends for foreign forces’ departure from conflict-torn Libya

Cairo (dpa) – A deadline for the departure of foreign forces from conflict-torn Libya ended on Saturday without any indication that troops were pulling out. On October 23, Libya’s warring sides reached a country-wide permanent ceasefire agreement in Geneva. The deal included a three-month deadline for the withdrawal of foreign troops and mercenaries. Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow of dictator Moamer Gaddafi and has become a battleground for rival proxy forces that has drawn in foreign powers. Turk...

24th January 2021

Sick of working from home? Dread daily commute? Go hybrid, says office provider IWG

It's almost a year into the pandemic, and for many of us the novelty of working from home has well and truly faded. Yet we have no intention of returning to the daily commuting grind. One proposed solution: "Hybrid" working. Office-space provider IWG is, in fact, betting on a permanent shift to this kind of mix-and-match home and office working by offering its facilities to more companies looking to reduce their reliance on their own properties. The London-listed player is among a range of firms across many sectors looking to revamp business models to adapt to life in a post-pandemic...

24th January 2021

CDE Viewpoint – Honesty is the only policy

by Jesmond Saliba Our wonderful era of boundless information is accompanied by an equal potential for misinformation. The miracle of powerful knowledge-sharing that launched humanity into the third millennium has uncovered a nasty underbelly that intoxicates the values of accuracy, veracity, and legitimacy. Truth becomes a rocky terrain, especially when it is reduced to an interpretation of facts, and a double-decker problem crashes clumsily into our sense of certainty: whose interpretation to consider, which facts to believe? Societies have been long enough in a global trend of nihilis...

24th January 2021

Italy tells TikTok to block users after death of young girl

ROME, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The Italian data privacy watchdog ordered video app TikTok on Friday to block the accounts of any users in Italy whose age it could not verify following the death of a 10-year-old girl who had been using the Chinese-owned app. In a statement, the regulator said that although TikTok had committed to ban registration for children aged under 13, it was nonetheless easy to circumvent this rule. As a result, it said TikTok had to block unverified user accounts until at least Feb. 15 awaiting further information. A spokeswoman for TikTok in Italy said the company w...

24th January 2021

Pope Francis won’t preside over celebrations due to sciatica

Vatican News - Pope Francis will not preside at several celebrations on Sunday and Monday, according to a statement released by Matteo Bruni, Director of the Holy See Press Office. These include the Mass for the Sunday of the Word of God in St. Peter’s Basilica, which will be presided over instead by Archbishop Rino Fisichella. He will however lead the Angelus prayer in the Library of the Apostolic Palace on Sunday at noon, as scheduled. On Monday, the Pope was due to meet with the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, but the meeting has been postponed. He also will not pr...

24th January 2021

On This Day…

41 - Claudius succeeds his nephew Caligula as Roman Emperor after the later's assassination by officers of the Praetorian Guard. 1857 - University of Calcutta founded as the first full-fledged university in South Asia. 1899 - Rubber heel for boots or shoes patented by American Humphrey O'Sullivan. 1908 - Lieutenant General Robert Baden-Powell publishes "Scouting for Boys" as a manual for self-instruction in outdoor skills and self-improvement. The book becomes the inspiration for the Scout Movement. 1984 - Apple Computer Inc unveil...

24th January 2021

Trump asked Justice Department to go to Supreme Court to overturn election – Journal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump considered replacing the acting attorney general with an official willing to pursue unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, and he pushed the Justice Department to ask the Supreme Court to invalidate President Joe Biden’s victory, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. Citing people familiar with the matter, the Journal said the efforts in the last weeks of Trump's presidency failed because of resistance from his Justice appointees who refused to file what they viewed as a legally baseless lawsuit in the Supreme Court. Other ...

24th January 2021

Italy to rethink vaccine rollout if supply problems persist

MILAN, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Italy will have to rethink its COVID-19 vaccination plans if supply problems persist, a senior health official said on Saturday. The country had already had to cut its daily inoculations by more than two thirds because of delays in deliveries of shots from U.S. drugmaker Pfizer Inc, Franco Locatelli, the head of Italy's higher health council, told a press conference. Now that AstraZeneca Plc has also warned of cuts in deliveries to its doses - even as they await clearance for use in the bloc - Italy might have to redraw its national roll out at the end fo the m...

24th January 2021

Biden speaks to Johnson in first presidential call to European leader

Washington (dpa) - Joe Biden spoke with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in the US president's first call to a European leader since his inauguration. The two leaders spoke about the pandemic, climate change, security and trade. Johnson tweeted that it was "great" to speak to President Biden. "I look forward to deepening the longstanding alliance between our two countries as we drive a green and sustainable recovery from COVID-19," he wrote on Saturday evening. https://www.facebook.com/borisjohnson/posts/10158100195846317 A Downing Street spokesperson said Johnson welcomed B...

24th January 2021

German hospital under quarantine over more infections coronavirus variant

BERLIN (Reuters) - German health authorities put a Berlin hospital under quarantine after 20 patients and staff members tested positive for a more infectious variant of the coronavirus discovered in Britain and spreading fast around the world, officials said on Saturday. The number of people at the Humboldt hospital infected with the more infectious B117 variant was likely to rise further in the coming days, a spokeswoman of public hospital operator Vivantes told Reuters. The quarantine decision means that the Humboldt hospital in the German capital will not admit any new patients....

24th January 2021

More than 2,600 detained as pro-Navalny protests sweep Russia

Moscow (dpa/retuers) - More than 2,600 people were detained on Saturday as demonstrators took to the streets across Russia to demand the release of jailed dissident Alexei Navalny, civil rights activists said. Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in 100 cities across the length and breadth of Russia, from the far eastern city of Khabarovsk to Kaliningrad on the Baltic coast, for some of the largest demonstrations seen under President Vladimir Putin. Participants chanted not only "Freedom for Navalny", but also "Putin, go away!" At least 800 detentions were reported in the largest...

24th January 2021

Earthquake shakes southern Colombia; no damage reported

BOGOTA (Reuters) - A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck southern Colombia on Saturday, the Colombian Geological Service said, but there were no immediate reports of any injuries or damage. The epicenter was located 27 kilometers (16.7 miles) from Baraya in Colombia's Huila province, and had a reported depth of less than 30 km. The earthquake was felt in various parts of the country and in several cities, including in the capital Bogota. "A first sweep in the departments where (the quake) was felt indicates that for now there is no damage," Colombia's National Unit for Disaster Risk Mana...

24th January 2021

Chile regrets panic triggered by mistaken tsunami warning after quake in Antarctica

SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Authorities in Chile said on Saturday they regretted spreading panic with a mistaken tsunami warning calling for people to get out of coastal areas following an earthquake in Antarctica. The interior ministry said on Twitter that a tremor of magnitude 7.1 struck at 8.36 p.m. 216 km northeast of the O'Higgins Chilean scientific base and called for the coastal regions of Antarctica to be evacuated because of a tsunami risk. The ministry also sent a message to cellphones around the country urging people to abandon coastal areas, though the ministry later said it was se...

24th January 2021

Atalanta stun winter Serie A champions AC Milan

Atalanta consigned AC Milan to their second league defeat of the season with a 3-0 win at San Siro yesterday, but Stefano Pioli’s side were still named ‘winter champions’ in Serie A. A Cristian Romero header put the visitors ahead at halftime before a Josip Ilicic penalty and Duvan Zapata strike completed a dominant victory for the Bergamo side. Atalanta?s Cristian Romero (C) jubilates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Atalanta BC at Giuseppe Meazza stadium in Milan, Italy, 23 January 2021. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI ...

24th January 2021

Aston Villa go eighth by pushing Newcastle towards relegation

London (dpa) - Aston Villa got back to their winning ways on Saturday with a 2-0 home victory over struggling Newcastle United. First-half goals from Ollie Watkins and Bertrand Traore were enough for three points to lift them to eighth place in the Premier League with 29 points after a coronavirus-enforced break. Villa have two games in hand because an outbreak of coronavirus at their training facilities forced manager Dean Smith and many first team players to isolate from January 6 and miss two fixtures. Newcastle meanwhile have not picked up a win in seven league gam...

24th January 2021

Leipzig and Leverkusen both lose to hand Bayern the advantage

Berlin (dpa) - RB Leipzig wasted yet another chance to put pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich after a 3-2 defeat at lowly Mainz on Saturday. Leipzig remain four points behind Bayern, who visit bottom side Schalke on Sunday when Hoffenheim also host Cologne. Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen also slipped up in a 1-0 home loss to Wolfsburg, who moved fourth thanks to Ridle Baku's header. Eintracht Frankfurt climbed up to sixth after a 5-1 win at Arminia Bielefeld including two more goals for Andre Silva and another Luka Jovic strike. Freiburg beat regional neighbours ...

24th January 2021

Manchester City overcome Cheltenham scare; FA Cup holders Arsenal out

London (dpa) - Manchester City survived a scare against fourth-tier side Cheltenham Town while FA Cup holders Arsenal exited the competition in Saturday's fourth-round ties. Pep Guardiola's City battled back from a goal down to claim a 3-1 away win and Arsenal lost 1-0 at Southampton with Brazilian defender Gabriel scoring an own goal. Alfie May stunned City in the 59th minute when he knocked in Ben Tozer's long throw-in to put Cheltenham ahead, but Michael Duff's men could not hold on for an almighty upset in their first meeting with the Premier League g...

24th January 2021

Malta: PN leader abandons shadow cabinet plans

Kullħadd says that PN Leader Bernard Grech was forced to scrap his original plans for a shadow cabinet reshuffle earlier this week after facing resistance by members of the parliamentary group. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

Malta: Tens of nurses emigrating to the UK

The Sunday Times says that scores of nurses are pursuing better opportunities in the UK, with over a fifth of third country national nurses working in Malta having already resigned or are expected to hand in their notice. Another story reports that failure to summon alleged poachers after more than two years, has allowed dozens of people charged with hunting or trapping crimes to walk free. An internal investigation has been launched to identify the reasons. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

Malta: PN officials say party is in a process of renewal

Il-Mument publishes interviews with PN deputy leaders David Agius and Robert Arrigo and the parliamentary group secretary Karol Aquilina on the process of renewal with the party after a new shadow cabinet was announced on Wednesday. Another report says that there are 1,000 people appointed as government consultants or persons of trust, describing it as a continuation by Prime Minister Robert Abela of a precedent set by Joseph Muscat. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

Malta: Food delivery drivers speak out on poor work conditions

It-Torċa says that drivers with food delivery services are speaking out against poor conditions and lack of appreciation for their work. Anonymous drivers said that their basic pay has been reduced without notice. Another story reports on international studies that show that vaccination programmes are effectively reducing the rate of Covid-19 infections among people over 60 years by a third. The research was conducted in Israel. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

Malta: Food delivery agents eating into courier earnings

Malta Today reports that a number of food delivery service operators are in breach of Malta’s employment laws with agencies taking as much as half of courier earnings. The government said it will conduct a review of contracts. The paper says that landowners have applied to change local planning laws in Swatar in a way that allows them to develop 123,000 square meters of farmland into residential units and commercial space. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

Malta: Francis Zammit Dimech to seek another term as PN secretary general

Illum says that PN general secretary Francis Zammit Dimech will seek another term when the current one ends in March. The paper says that the party is preparing for a possible general election this year. The paper publishes an interview with Charles Mifsud, a co-founder of NGO Rise which provides support services to inmates. Mifsud said we need to ask whether we want a prison to administer punishment or rehabilitate prisoners. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

Malta: Government planning new economic stimulus

The Independent on Sunday carries an interview with Economy Minister Silvio Schembri who said that the government plans to roll out new economic measures in March focusing on growth rather than cost reduction. Another report speaks to unidentified experts who warned that the credibility of pardoned middleman Melvin Theuma could be undermined if new recordings that surfaced recently present contradictory evidence to his claims in court. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_16

24th January 2021

EPA’s Eye in the Sky: Somosko, Hungary

Morning fog covers the landscape around the Castle of Somosko, near Salgotarjan, Hungary. Photo: EPA-EFE/Peter Komka

23rd January 2021

CDE News Views – This Day in Photos

Today's salient news in pictures as taken by the pool of photographers of EPA/EFE for CDE News. Stay informed daily with www.cde.news, for local perspective with a global outlook. A man stands next to a Lebanese flag on a bridge overlooking the damaged Beirut port and grain silos, in Beirut, Lebanon. At least 160 people were killed, and more than 6000 injured in the Beirut blast that devastated the port area on 04 August and believed to have been caused by an estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse. EPA-EFE/NABIL MOUNZERepaselect epa08595206 General view of the ...

23rd January 2021

U.K. consumer confidence falls back in January on economy worries – GfK

A gauge of confidence among British consumers slipped back in January because of worries about the economy which has been largely locked down again, a survey showed. The consumer confidence index from market research firm GfK fell to -28 from -26 in December, when it jumped by the most in eight years on the back of news about COVID-19 vaccines. A Reuters poll of economists had pointed to a slightly bigger deterioration to -29. Joe Staton, GfK's client strategy director, said a nine-point drop in a gauge of expectations for the economy over the coming year and weak intentions for maki...

23rd January 2021

Iran to begin COVID-19 vaccinations in coming weeks

President Hassan Rouhani said on Saturday that COVID-19 vaccinations will begin in the coming weeks in Iran, the Middle East’s worst hit country. “Foreign vaccines are a necessity until local vaccines are available,” Rouhani said in televised remarks, without giving details of what foreign vaccines would be used. Earlier this month Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s highest authority, banned the government from importing vaccines from the United States and Britain, which he said were possibly seeking to spread the infection to other countries. Rouhani himself, in complianc...

23rd January 2021

North Korea sees talks as way to advance nuclear program, says U.S. intel official

The top U.S. intelligence officer for North Korea warned the country sees diplomacy only as a means to advance its nuclear weapons development, even as the new Biden administration says it will look for ways to bring Pyongyang back to talks. President Joe Biden’s nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said on Tuesday the new administration planned a full review of the U.S. approach to North Korea to look at ways to increase pressure on it to return to the negotiating table. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki reiterated this on Friday, saying North Korea’s nuclear weapons were a...

23rd January 2021

Spain sells to Andorra 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines

Health workers from the Nostra Senyora de Mertixell Hospital receive the first batch of vaccines against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Andorra. Spain has signed an agreement with Andorra to sell them a total of 30,000 COVID-19 vaccines. According to Spanish Health Minister Illa, this is an exercise of 'responsibility and solidarity' with small countries that can't sign deals with pharmaceutical companies. Via EPA/EFE FERNANDO GALINDO

23rd January 2021

Eyeing a recovery, some U.S. airlines resume pilot hiring

American Airlines' wholly owned regional subsidiary PSA Airlines and budget carrier Frontier Airlines plan to resume pilot hiring this year, a positive sign for an industry ravaged last year by the coronavirus pandemic but now preparing to ramp up flying. As COVID-19 vaccines roll out, airlines are hoping for a significant improvement in domestic air travel by the summer, even if demand does not fully yet recoup pre-pandemic levels. "As we continue to work with American Airlines to identify our flying needs this year, and in combination with recent attrition numbers for our Pilot group,...

23rd January 2021

Business investments into Singapore rise 13%, highest in over a decade

Business investment commitments into Singapore rose 13% last year to their highest in more than a decade, helped by sectors such as semiconductors, energy and chemicals even as the city-state suffered its worst recession from the COVID-19 pandemic. Commitments for investments in fixed assets such as facilities, machinery and other equipment swelled to S$17.2 billion ($13 billion) in 2020, well above a medium- to long-term goal of S$8 billion to S$10 billion, data from the Economic Development Board (EDB) showed. The figure is the highest since 2008. When the projects from these investme...

23rd January 2021

Coronavirus variants explained: ask the experts in a free online discussion

Late last year, when a new variant of coronavirus was linked to a rise in cases in south-east England, many countries rushed to close their borders with the UK. Since then, several other “variants of concern” have cropped up in South Africa, Brazil and the US. A study that is still undergoing peer review suggests that the UK variant (called B117) is 50%-74% more transmissible. A more transmissible virus is one that will kill more people – even if it doesn’t cause more severe disease – so the race to vaccinate as many people as possible, as soon as possible, is on. The South Africa and B...

23rd January 2021

China authorises coast guard to fire on foreign vessels if needed

China passed a law on Friday that for the first time explicitly allows its coast guard to fire on foreign vessels, a move that could make the contested waters around China more choppy. China has maritime sovereignty disputes with Japan in the East China Sea and with several Southeast Asian countries in the South China Sea. It has sent its coast guard to chase away fishing vessels from other countries, sometimes resulting in the sinking of these vessels. China's top legislative body, the National People's Congress standing committee, passed the Coast Guard Law on Friday, according to sta...

23rd January 2021

Portugal holds presidential election on Sunday as COVID-19 cases spiral

Portuguese voters - largely confined to their homes due to a strict COVID-19 lockdown - will pick a new president on Sunday, but many fear going to the polls could worsen a surge in coronavirus cases and low turnout is expected. The country of 10 million people, which fared better than others in the first wave of the pandemic, now has the world's highest seven-day rolling average of new cases and deaths per million people. "It wouldn't have been a problem to wait another month. Exceptional times call for exceptional measures," said Lisbon resident Miguel Goncalves, 55. Almost two-thirds...

23rd January 2021

Lockdown in Ibiza over coronavirus pandemic

Spanish Civil Guard members check passengers at an almost empty Ibiza airport in Ibiza, Balearic islands, Spain, 23 January 2021, after the decision of the regional government to reinforce lockdown restrictions in the island over a rise of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases. Via EPA-EFE/SERGIO G. CANIZARES

23rd January 2021

After big hack of U.S. government, Biden enlists ‘world class’ cybersecurity team

President Joe Biden is hiring a group of national security veterans with deep cyber expertise, drawing praise from former defense officials and investigators as the U.S. government works to recover from one of the biggest hacks of its agencies attributed to Russian spies. "It is great to see the priority that the new administration is giving to cyber," said Suzanne Spaulding, director of the Defending Democratic Institutions project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Cybersecurity was demoted as a policy field under the Trump administration. It discontinued the Cyber...

23rd January 2021

Bulgaria to ease some COVID-19 rules, restaurants closed for now

Bulgaria will ease some coronavirus restrictions from February 4 though restaurants will remain closed for now due to concerns about the new coronavirus variant, officials said on Saturday. The move as follows measures in place since late November which have tamed a surge in new infections. Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said secondary school students will be allowed to attend classes under a special regime as of next month and will also be able to attend extracurricular sport and dance activities. "If there are some things you can put on a balance with health, they are education, cul...

23rd January 2021

MEPs vote to add Channel and British Virgin Islands to tax haven blacklist

The European parliament is pushing for UK overseas territories including the British Virgin Islands, Guernsey and Jersey to be added to an EU tax havens blacklist after the conclusion of the Brexit deal. Sending a signal that tougher action on tax avoidance was required in response to the coronavirus pandemic, MEPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of adding more nations and territories to the list of non-cooperative jurisdictions. The resolution, passed earlier this week by a vote of 587 to 50, included measures calling for the automatic inclusion on the blacklist of countries which use a...

23rd January 2021

Tropical cyclone Eloise makes landfall in Mozambique

Tropical cyclone Eloise made landfall in Mozambique early on Saturday, hitting the coastal city of Beira with huge gusts of wind and heavy rains, but was losing strength as it progressed, a South African weather official said. "Eloise made landfall around 2:30 a.m. in the morning with wind speeds of 160 kilometres per hour (kph)(99 miles per hour)," said Mbazhi Maliage, a forecaster at South African Weather Service. Cars were submerged in water, walls of some low lying buildings collapsed and swathes of land were flooded in the city of Beira, posts on Twitter showed. Reuters could not i...

23rd January 2021

Photo Story: Restaurants in Milan protest against closure during pandemic

A restaurant with a protest banner reading 'We are not a switch' as it remains closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, in Milan, Italy. The Lombardy region is cllassed as a high COVID-19 risk 'red zone', with Red being the highest level in Italy's tiered system of coronavirus-related restrictions. All restaurants and bars are closed, except for takeaways and home deliveries, in red zones and all non-essential shops are closed too. Via EPA-EFE/Paolo Salmoirago

23rd January 2021

Scientific breakthrough as German scientists make paralyzed mice walk again

German researchers have enabled mice paralyzed after spinal cord injuries to walk again, re-establishing a neural link hitherto considered irreparable in mammals by using a designer protein injected into the brain. Spinal cord injuries in humans, often caused by sports or traffic accidents, leave them paralyzed because not all of the nerve fibers that carry information between muscles and the brain are able to grow back. But the researchers from Ruhr University Bochum managed to stimulate the paralyzed mice’s nerve cells to regenerate using a designer protein. “The special thing abou...

23rd January 2021

Photo Story: Tourism industry in South Africa devastated by closed beaches

A man takes an illegal run across the closed Tableview beach in Cape Town, South Africa, on 21 January 2021. The Tourism Business Council of South Africa has said the closure of beaches has had a devastating impact on the tourism industry. South Africa's world-renown and pristine beaches, many of them on the international Blue Flag list meeting high environmental and quality standards, are closed in most parts of the country due to government lockdown laws. South Africa's Covid-19 surge due to the spread of the new more contagious variant of the coronavirus 501.V2 has resulted in more s...

23rd January 2021

Polemic in Spain as officials jump vaccine queue as COVID-19 cases surge

A steady drip-feed of public officials admitting to having been vaccinated ahead of priority groups has sparked uproar on social media in Spain at a time when several regions are tightening restrictions in an effort to curb a spike in infections. Several local mayors admitted to getting vaccinated before their turn, while the regional health chief of the exclave of Ceuta was heavily criticised both for getting vaccinated early and for saying he had done this under pressure from his staff. “I didn’t want to. I don’t even get the flu vaccine. I don’t like vaccinations,” said Javier Guerre...

23rd January 2021

Photo Story: 49 migrants rescued in Gran Canaria

A total of 49 migrants arrive at Arguineguin port, in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain, on 21 January 2021. Spanish Salvamento Maritimo rescued a total of 49 migrants when they traveled on board a small boat trying to reach the Spanish coast. EPA- EFE/Angel Medina G.

23rd January 2021

Privacy complaint targets European Parliament’s virus test site

A privacy activist filed a complaint with an EU watchdog on Friday over the European Parliament's COVID-19 testing app for its staff, saying it could be transferring data illegally to the United States. The Austrian privacy advocacy group Noybaid, led by Max Schrems it had taken its case to the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) on behalf of six European Union lawmakers. Schrems, an Austrian and prominent figure in Europe's digital rights movement against intrusive data-gathering by Silicon Valley tech giants, pursued two cases against Facebook , winning landmark judgments...

23rd January 2021

Larry King, American broadcasting icon, dies aged 87 – Updated

Larry King, the giant of American broadcasting, died at the age of 87. King died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Ora Media, the studio and network he co-founded, tweeted. No cause of death was given, but CNN had earlier reported he was hospitalized with COVID-19. A longtime nationally syndicated radio host, from 1985 through 2010 he was a nightly fixture on CNN, where he won many honors, including two Peabody awards. AP reports that King conducted an estimated 50,000 on-air interviews. In 1995 he presided over a Middle East peace summit with PLO Cha...

23rd January 2021

Hong Kong locks down thousands for compulsory COVID-19 testing

Hong Kong's government locked down an area of Kowloon peninsula on Saturday after an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, saying 10,000 residents must stay home until they have been tested and the results largely determined. The first such measure the city has taken since the pandemic began has occurred in the densely populated neighbourhoods of Jordan that is home to many ageing, subdivided flats in which the virus could spread more easily. The government said there are 70 buildings in the restricted area, which is close to the International Commerce Centre (ICC), and it aims to finish t...

23rd January 2021

French health body recommends delaying second COVID shot to six weeks after first

France's top health advisory body on Saturday recommended doubling the time between people being given the first and second COVID-19 vaccinations to six weeks from three in order to increase the number getting inoculated. The gap between the first and second injection in France is currently three weeks for people in retirement homes, who take priority, and four weeks for others such as health workers. The Haute Autorite de Sante (HAS) said spacing out the two required vaccinations of the Pfizer/BioNtech and Moderna vaccines would allow the treatment of at least 700,000 more people in th...

23rd January 2021

Photo Story: The renovation of the Veit Stoss Altarpiece in Krakow

The Veit Stoss Altarpiece is renovated at the St. Mary's Basilica in Krakow, southern Poland. The altarpiece is considered the largest Gothic altarpiece in the world and a national treasure of Poland. The artwork located behind the church's High altar was carved between 1477 and 1489 by the German sculptor Veit Stoss who lived and worked in the city for over 20 years. Via EPA-EFE/Lukasz Gagulski

23rd January 2021

Photo Story: High temperatures expected across areas of New South Wales, Australia

Noah Lemusu jumps off the rocks at Bronte beach, in Sydney, Australia, 23 January 2021. The mercury will pass the 40-degree Celcius mark across large swathes of New South Wales, Victoria, and the ACT as southeast Australia cops a weekend heatwave. EPA-EFE/DAN HIMBRECHTS

23rd January 2021

UPDATED: Navalny’s wife among those held in Russian protests

The wife of Alexei Navalny is one of hundreds reportedly detained at a series of demonstrations in support of the jailed Putin critic across Russia. Yulia Navalnaya was held at a rally in Moscow - the location for one of up to 70 marches this weekend. Police detained more than 200 people in Russia’s Far East and Siberia on Saturday as protesters defying bitter cold and a ban by authorities staged nationwide rallies to demand the release of jailed Kremlin critic Navalny. Navalny called on his supporters to protest after being arrested last weekend when he returned to Moscow for the fi...

23rd January 2021

Georgia to lift ban on international flights on February 1

Georgia will lift a ban on international flights, imposed last March as an anti-pandemic measure, in 10 days' time, authorities said on Friday. "Starting on Feb. 1, we consider it possible for the restrictions on regular flights to be lifted, and to allow all airlines that used to fly in Georgia or want to do so to operate," Economy Minister Natia Turnava said, according to TASS news agency. Shopping centres are set to reopen in the capital Tbilisi next month, and the authorities said they were planning to reopen schools and public transport there in March, the RIA news agency reported....

23rd January 2021

Taiwan reports large incursion by Chinese air force

Eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Saturday, and Taiwan’s air force deployed missiles to “monitor” the incursion, the island’s Defence Ministry said. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has conducted almost daily flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea in recent months. However they have generally consisted of just one or two reconnaissance aircraft. The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraf...

23rd January 2021

Russian diplomat expelled from Albania for breaking Covid rules

Russia’s foreign ministry vowed on Friday to retaliate in kind against Albania for expelling a Russian diplomat, a move it said was aimed at harming bilateral relations, the RIA news agency reported. The Russian diplomat was ordered to leave Albania on Thursday for flouting rules to curb the pandemic, it said. Main Photo: An ambulance drives in an empty street in Tirana, Albania. EPA-EFE/Malton Dibra

23rd January 2021

No Xbox Live Gold price hike by Microsoft

Microsoft has reversed its controversial Xbox Live price increase. The company announced a price hike on Friday that would have doubled the cost of a yearly subscription to the service, which is required to play games online on Xbox consoles, to $120 for many users. Now, though, Microsoft says the price will stay the same. Beyond that, Microsoft has decided to bring Xbox Live in line with Sony and Nintendo’s online services by dropping the subscription requirement for free-to-play games. Popular free-to-play titles like Fortnite are playable on PlayStation consoles and the Nintendo Switch ...

23rd January 2021

UK body sets billion-pound budget for COVID financial firm collapses

Britain's scheme for compensating consumers hit by financial company failures has set itself a billion-pound ($1.37 billion) budget for the coming year to cope with a likely surge in collapses due to COVID-19. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme's (FSCS) budget of 1.04 billion pounds for the 2021/22 financial year that starts in April is its highest in six years. The FSCS also said it would add 78 million pounds to the current year's budget - a lower than expected increase - due to more firms failing, pushing the total for 2020/21 to 700 million pounds. The body is responsible...

23rd January 2021

Photo Story: Wild animals take over the streets during Israeli lockdown

Nubian ibex roam the streets during a national lockdown in Mitzpe Ramon, southern Israel. Although Israel is one of the first countries to have received vaccines and has so far vaccinated more then two million of its around nine million citizens, the rate of infection with the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus, that causes the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is rising drastically as Israel entered a full closure of two weeks. Via EPA-EFE/ABIR SULTAN

23rd January 2021

UK doctors call for shorter gap between Pfizer vaccine doses

A group of British doctors have written to England's chief medical officer to tell him to cut the gap between doses of the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine to six weeks from up to 12. Britain is prioritising giving first doses of COVID-19 vaccine, allowing up to 12 weeks before a second dose, to give the maximum number of people some initial protection. But Pfizer and BioNTech have warned they have no evidence their vaccine would continue to be protective if the second dose is given more than 21 days after the first. The British Medical Association (BMA) said in a statement emailed on Sat...

23rd January 2021

Hotel quarantine for UK arrivals to be discussed

British ministers are to discuss on Monday further tightening travel restrictions, the BBC reported on Saturday, adding that people arriving in the country could be required to quarantine in hotels. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told a news conference on Friday that the UK may need to implement further measures to protect its borders from new variants of COVID-19. Britain's current restrictions ban most international travel while new rules introduced earlier in January require a negative coronavirus test before departure for most people arriving, as well as a period of quarantine. The...

23rd January 2021

Oslo tightens lockdown to combat more contagious virus variant

Norway's capital Oslo and nine neighbouring municipalities will impose some of their toughest lockdown measures yet after an outbreak of a more contagious coronavirus variant, first identified in Britain, the government said on Saturday. Shopping centres and other non-essential stores will be closed from noon local time on Saturday, for the first time in the pandemic, an will not reopen until Feb. 1 at the earliest. Shops selling food will remain open, along with pharmacies and petrol stations. Organised sports activities will be halted, restaurants must close and schools must rely m...

23rd January 2021

UAE in talks with Denmark over suspended flights

The United Arab Emirates said it was in talks with Denmark after the Nordic country temporarily halted all flights arriving from the Gulf Arab state, a major travel hub, due to potentially unreliable coronavirus tests in Dubai. Denmark’s transport ministry said the five-day travel restrictions, comes after concerns were raised about the coronavirus tests administered in Dubai before departure. It added it had taken the decision after a detailed tip-off, without elaborating. “All accredited UAE testing centres are regularly subject to strict quality checks,” the UAE foreign ministry sai...

23rd January 2021

Sweden’s Trustly plans $11 billion IPO as digital payments boom

Swedish payments firm Trustly plans to take advantage of a surge in digital transactions in the COVID-19 pandemic with a second-quarter flotation that could value it at up to 9 billion euros ($11 billion), people close to the matter said. The initial public offering (IPO), likely in Stockholm, is one of a number of technology listings expected in Europe as investors flock to growth stocks in strong equity markets. Trustly’s owner, buyout group Nordic Capital, is working with Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Carnegie and is in the process of hiring more banks with a view to launching the IPO...

23rd January 2021

South African Covid variant may make vaccines 50 % less effective

The South African Covid variant could make current vaccines 50 per cent less effective, British Health Minister Matt Hancock has claimed. In video footage of a webinar with travel agents, the Health Secretary warned that the importation of the variant could ruin Britain's vaccination drive and send the country "back to square one" without tough travel restrictions. Mr Hancock is among a number of ministers pushing for tougher travel restrictions modelled on Australia and New Zealand, which have closed their borders to non-residents and require all returning nationals to quarantine in Go...

23rd January 2021

Jailed Kremlin critic Navalny’s supporters to rally for his release despite warnings

Supporters of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny were set to confront Russian authorities on Saturday at nationwide rallies that the police have declared illegal and vowed to break up. The gatherings will be the first protests by Navalny’s supporters since he returned dramatically to Moscow and was immediately arrested last weekend after recovering in Germany from a nerve agent poisoning in Russia. He accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder, which the Kremlin denies. Police detain a participant with a placard 'Freedom for Navalny' at a protest in support of Russian...

23rd January 2021

A year after Wuhan lockdown, China reports small rise in COVID-19 cases

China on Saturday reported a slight increase in new cases of COVID-19 as it marks the anniversary of the world's first coronavirus lockdown, in the city of Wuhan where the disease emerged in late 2019. The National Health Commission said 107 new COVID-19 cases had been identified on Saturday, up from 103 cases the day before. The commission said in a statement that 90 of the new cases were local infections. A street vendor waits for customers in Wuhan, China. The 23 January 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of the start of a strict 76-day lockdown of the Chinese city of Wuhan, wher...

23rd January 2021

Malta: PN calls for shift towards higher-quality tourism

In-Nazzjon quotes PN Leader Bernard Grech who said that, while tourism remains the biggest sector in Malta, it needs to be transformed to offer a top product that attracts higher quality tourism. The paper reports that three Covid-19 patients died in the last 24 hours aged 92, 93, and 100, raising the number of total virus fatalities to 248. There are currently over 2,700 active cases with 143 new infections registered on Friday. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_15

23rd January 2021

Moody’s warns over Italy’s credit rating if unable to manage EU funds

Moody's said that Italy's inability to take advantage of the available EU resources to boost its economy's growth potential would likely exert downward pressure on its credit rating. The ratings agency added that while early elections in Italy are unlikely, the weakened government led by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte "faces daunting policy challenges both in managing the current phase of the pandemic and ensuring the effective and timely absorption of EU recovery funds". Conte scraped through a confidence vote last week after coalition partner and former prime minister Matteo Renzi trig...

23rd January 2021

Malta: Leaks to Yorgen Fenech lead to suspension of police inspector

The Times reports that inspector Elton Taliana has been suspended over suspicions that he may have leaked information about ongoing police investigations to lawyer Charles Mercieca, one of Yorgen Fenech legal representatives. The paper says that health authorities are set to introduce new rules regulating the use of Covid-19 rapid testing and the reporting of positive results. Recent reports have shown that private clinics are not registering tests that return positive. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issu...

23rd January 2021

Canada’s Trudeau hints at travel crackdown

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that Pfizer had reassured him it would meet Canada’s vaccine order in full by end-March as, with a Pfizer, which is retooling a European manufacturing plant, told Canada on Tuesday it would receive no vaccine next week, promising more pain for provinces already complaining about a shortage of supplies. Pfizer also said it would cut supplies to the European Union. Trudeau, under pressure from political opponents to do more to address the shortage, said that, though the coming weeks would be challenging, the company’s Chief Executive Albert Bourla ha...

23rd January 2021

Malta: Disability commissioner sets out top priorities

L-Orizzont publishes an interview with Samantha Pace Gasan, the newly appointed Commissioner for Persons with Disability. She said her first priority is the mainstreaming of inclusivity and accessibility. Another story quotes research findings by Stanford University which found that extended lockdowns by governments have not had a substantial effect on the containment of the Covid-19 virus. The paper says that 90 percent of the electoral promises in the social sector have been implemented by the government. Family Minster Michael Falzon said that the Labour Party programme set out...

23rd January 2021

German CDU confirms Laschet as new leader

Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats confirmed centrist Armin Laschet as their new party leader on Friday after a postal ballot, which was required to legally uphold his election by delegates in a digital vote on Saturday. Laschet, premier of Germany's most populous state and the self-styled Merkel continuity candidate, won 83.35% of the valid postal votes cast by 1,001 delegates, the CDU said. He beat arch-conservative Friedrich Merz in Saturday's online ballot by a 521-466 margin. Laschet must now unite a conservative bloc that has never been entirely comfortable with Merkel...

23rd January 2021

Malta: Construction bill proposes €500,000 fines for breaches

The Independent says that a bill to regulate the construction sector proposes fines up to €500,000 on operators that breach rules. The bill also envisages the setting up of a Building and Construction Authority. Another story says that the police have received 1,416 reports of domestic violence between March and December last year, indicating a rise in cases since the outbreak of the coronavirus. Keep in the know with the latest edition of CorporateDispatchPro https://issuu.com/corporatedispatch/docs/cdp_issue_15

23rd January 2021

UK-registered firm possibly linked to Beirut blast

Two senior British parliamentarians called on Friday for an investigation into a British-registered company possibly linked to last year’s devastating explosion in Beirut, after Reuters found that the firm had not disclosed its beneficial owners. The company, Savaro Ltd, is registered at a London address, and like all British firms is required to list who owns it with Britain’s companies register, known as Companies House. In an e-mail to Reuters this week, the woman listed as Savaro’s owner and sole director at Companies House, Marina Psyllou, told Reuters that she was acting as an age...

23rd January 2021

Lloyd Austin becomes America’s first Black defense secretary

The retired Army general Lloyd Austin made history on Friday by becoming America’s first Black defense secretary, arriving at the Pentagon minutes after his Senate confirmation to a busy schedule that included a call with NATO’s secretary general. “See you around campus,” the 67-year-old Austin said as he greeted reporters on the steps of the Pentagon. After being sworn in, Austin received his first intelligence briefing as Pentagon chief. He later chaired a meeting on the coronavirus pandemic with top Defense Department leaders, many joining virtually, the Pentagon said. Retired Gen...

23rd January 2021

On This Day…

971 - War elephant corps of the Southern Han defeated at Shao by crossbow fire from Song Dynasty troops; Southern Han state forced to submit to the Song Dynasty. 1st regular war elephant corps in Chinese army 1368 - In a coronation ceremony, Zhu Yuanzhang ascends to the throne of China as the Hongwu Emperor, initiating Ming Dynasty rule over China that would last for three centuries. 1556 - Shaanxi Earthquake - deadliest ever recorded kills 830,000 in Shensi Province, China 1950 - Israeli Knesset resolves Jerusalem is capital of Israel. 1973 - US President...

23rd January 2021

Portugal identifies first case of South African coronavirus variant

The first case of the South African coronavirus variant was identified in Portugal on Friday, health institute Ricardo Jorge told Lusa news agency, as the country struggles to contain a crippling surge in cases partially blamed on the rapid spread of the British variant. “We are undergoing due process to rapidly test and interrupt this potential chain of transmission,” the Ricardo Jorge Institute told Lusa. It did not say where in Portugal the strain was detected. The country of 10 million people registered a record 234 coronavirus deaths and 13,987 cases on Friday, and is currently rep...

23rd January 2021

Talk of elections in Italy as Conte struggles for majority

Italy’s main ruling parties on Friday flagged snap elections as the only way out of its political impasse, if Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte fails to drum up a parliamentary majority after scraping through a confidence vote. After surviving Tuesday’s Senate vote thanks to abstentions, Conte appealed to centrist and unaligned upper house lawmakers outside the coalition to join his minority government’s ranks. Few have responded and time is short, as Conte seeks a solid majority to push through urgent legislation to tackle one of Europe’s worst coronavirus epidemics and the deep economic c...

23rd January 2021

Trump’s impeachment trial to begin week of February 8th

The leaders of the U.S. Senate agreed on Friday to push back former President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial by two weeks, giving the chamber more time to focus on President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda and Cabinet nominees before turning to the contentious showdown over Trump. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said the trial is set to begin during the week of Monday Feb. 8, an arrangement praised by the chamber’s top Republican, Mitch McConnell. The House of Representatives is due to formally deliver to the Senate on Monday the impeachment charge accusing Trump of i...

23rd January 2021

Covid death mark reaches 250 – Malta News Briefing – Saturday 23 January 2021

Updated 1235 - 119 new cases of coronavirus Health authorities reported 119 new COVID-19 cases today. The new cases were detected from just 2,571 swab tests. Both the number of positive cases and tests are the lowest for the past three weeks. Malta registered two more victims, taking the country's COVID-19 death toll to 250. The two victims were an 89-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man. Updated 1200 - Prof Gauci receives anti-Covid jab Superintendent of Public Health Professor Charmaine Gauci received her first dose of the anti-coronavirus vaccine this morning. Updated 1000 ...

22nd January 2021

Bernie Sanders embraces meme and creates sweatshirt to raise money for charity

The Independent (UK) Bernie Sanders is leveraging his fame as a meme to raise money for charity, by turning the now-iconic photo of him at the inauguration into a sweatshirt. On Inauguration Day, the Vermont senator went viral when he showed up for the ceremony in a practical green jacket and a pair of hand-knitted mittens to brave the cold weather. Despite appearing appropriately dressed for the temperature, a photo of the 79-year-old sitting with his arms crossed has since circulated its way around the internet, where it has been edited into countless photos, works of art and other m...

22nd January 2021

Lufthansa’s Airlines to require crew, passengers to wear medical masks

From February 1, all passengers and crew members on Lufthansa flights must wear a medical mask. In a statement, Lufthansa said that passengers will be required to wear either a surgical mask or FFP2 mask or mask with KN95/N95 standard during boarding, flight and when leaving aircraft Everyday masks are then no longer permitted. The airlines of the Lufthansa Group had already introduced a requirement to wear a mouth-nose mask on board their flights in May of last year, making them one of the pioneers worldwide. Main Photo: EPA-EFE/MAURITZ ANTIN

22nd January 2021

EXCLUSIVE-AstraZeneca to cut EU’s COVID-19 vaccine deliveries by 60% in Q1 -EU source

BRUSSELS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca told European Union officials on Friday it would cut deliveries of its COVID-19 vaccine to the bloc by 60% to 31 million doses in the first quarter of the year due to production problems, a senior official told Reuters. The company was expected to deliver to the 27 EU countries about 80 million doses by the end of March, the official who was involved in the talks said. The company had also agreed to deliver more than 80 million doses in the second quarter, but on Friday was not able to indicate delivery targets for the April-June period due to th...

22nd January 2021

CDE News Views – This Day in Photos

Today's salient news in pictures as taken by the pool of photographers of EPA/EFE for CDE News. Stay informed daily with www.cde.news, for local perspective with a global outlook. Landmarks including Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and Canary Wharf are illuminated at night in London, Britain. EPA-EFE/NEIL HALL Indian Paramilitary soldiers march during a Republic Day parade rehearsal in New Delhi, India, 20 January 2021. India will celebrate Republic Day on 26 January 2021. EPA-EFE/RAJAT GUPTAThe crew remove ice on board a fishing vessel moored in Tromso harbor, Norway, 22 January 2...

22nd January 2021

Photo Story: Preparations for the 13th National Congress in Hanoi

Vietnamese policemen wearing face masks stand outside the National Convention Center in Hanoi, Vietnam. The 13th National Party Congress will take place at the National Convention Center in Hanoi from 25 January to 02 February 2021. Via EPA-EFE/LUONG THAI LINH

22nd January 2021

Hungary PM says too early to talk about lifting COVID-19 restrictions

Hungary cannot lift restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus until it can carry out a mass inoculation of the people, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told state radio on Friday. Orban said the best approach was to authorise the use of several vaccines as competition would force manufacturers to speed up shipments. "We don't need explanations, we need vaccines," Orban said, adding that he hoped Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who is in Moscow for talks on Friday, can secure a deal to buy Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. Hungary's drug regulator has given initial approval for the us...

22nd January 2021

Belgium bans foreign tourism to avoid third COVID-19 wave

BRUSSELS, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Belgium is banning residents from taking vacations abroad until March to limit the spread of more infectious coronavirus variants and avoid a deadly third wave of COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a news conference on Friday the government had decided to prohibit travel into or out of Belgium for recreation or tourism from Jan 27 to March 1. The country wants to avoid a repeat of last winter when Belgians went on Alpine ski holidays, bringing the virus back with them, or the Christmas-New Year period when 160,000 residents ignored governm...

22nd January 2021

Economists cut euro zone growth forecast for 2021: ECB survey

The pandemic-stricken euro zone economy is likely to rebound this year but at a slower pace than expected only a few months ago, before making up for the lost ground in 2022, a European Central Bank survey showed on Friday. Economists polled in the ECB's quarterly Survey of Professional Forecasters put real GDP growth in the euro zone at 4.4% this year, down from 5.3% in the previous edition of the survey. As for next year, the survey showed the economy was now expected to expand by 3.7%, compared to 2.6% in the October poll. Main Photo: EPA-EFE/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

22nd January 2021

‘Right to disconnect’ approved by European Parliament

The European Parliament has voted in favour of the ‘right to disconnect’ report headed by Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba. Reacting to the result, Agius Saliba called it a “historic vote” in favour of workers' rights. “Millions of workers now have their rights, which are protected by legislation, strengthened further,” he said. The right to disconnect allows workers to refrain from engaging in work-related tasks, activities and electronic communication, such as phone calls, emails and other messages, outside their working time, including during rest periods, official and annual holidays...

22nd January 2021

Distraught families of Sriwijaya Air victims visit Java Sea crash site

Relatives of those killed in the Sriwijaya Air plane crash on Jan. 9 wept and threw red and white petals into the ocean on Friday after an Indonesian navy vessel took them to the site in the Java Sea where their loved ones perished. Flight SJ 182 crashed minutes after take-off from Jakarta, killing all 62 people on board. Indonesian authorities on Thursday halted the search for victims, but said the hunt would continue for the jet's cockpit voice recorder (CVR). Indonesian relatives of the victim of the crashed Sriwijaya air plane SJ182 lay the flowers from Indonesian Navy Hospital ship...

22nd January 2021

AstraZeneca’s initial EU delivery volumes of COVID-19 vaccine to fall short

FRANKFURT, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Europe's COVID-19 vaccination drive was dealt another blow on Friday when AstraZeneca said initial deliveries to the region will fall short of the targeted volumes because of a production glitch. "Initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated due to reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain," a company spokesman said in a written statement, declining to provide details. The slippage hits a European immunisation campaign that has already been hampered by a temporary shortfall in the supply chain of vaccine developers...

22nd January 2021

EU to seek more time to ratify trade deal with UK – FT

The Financial Times reports that the EU is set to ask Britain for more time to ratify the new trade deal despite the UK urging the EU to press ahead quickly, with the issue becoming a fresh point of tension between the two sides. The report states that the diplomats which are quoted by the newspaper, said that national ambassadors from EU countries at a meeting on Friday backed an extension to the current end of February ratification deadline, amid concerns that legally approved versions of the trade treaty in all of the bloc’s 24 official languages will not be ready by then. "Ambass...

22nd January 2021

UK retail sales recover weakly in Dec, borrowing jumps

British retail sales bounced back weakly in December as shops in England emerged from November's four-week lockdown to slow the spread of COVID-19, while public borrowing this financial year has hit a fresh record high. Retail sales volumes rose 0.3% in December, far less than economists' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.2% increase, leaving them 2.9% higher than a year earlier, official figures showed on Friday. But for 2020 as a whole, retail sales were down 1.9% - the biggest calendar-year fall on record - and clothing sales slumped by more than a quarter. Sterling fell slig...

22nd January 2021

British PM says new variant may carry higher risk of death

LONDON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday the new English variant of COVID-19 may be associated with a higher level of mortality although he said evidence showed that both vaccines being used in the country are effective against it. Johnson said that the impact of the new variant, which is already known to be more transmissable, was putting the health service under "intense pressure". "We've been informed today that in addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first...

22nd January 2021

Not company earnings, not data but vaccines now steering investor sentiment

Forget economic data releases and corporate trading statements -- vaccine rollout progress is what fund managers and analysts are watching to gauge which markets may recover quickest from the COVID-19 devastation and to guide their investment decisions. Consensus is for world economic growth to rebound this year above 5%, while Refinitiv I/B/E/S forecasts that 2021 earnings will expand 38% and 21% in Europe and the United States respectively. Yet those projections and investment themes hinge almost entirely on how quickly inoculation campaigns progress; new COVID-19 strains and fresh lo...