South Africa warns of ‘vaccine apartheid’ if rich countries hog shots
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa receives the Johnson and Johnson coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination at the Khayelitsha Hospital near Cape Town, South Africa, February 17, 2021.
U.S. expresses ‘serious concerns’ about violent clashes in Jerusalem
U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday expressed “serious concerns” to his Israeli counterpart about violent clashes in Jerusalem sparked by planned evictions of Palestinians from East Jerusalem, the White House said in a statement. Sullivan in a phone call with Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat “encouraged the Israeli government to pursue appropriate […]
Amid opposition, Japan PM says has “never put Olympics first”
The Olympic rings are pictured in front of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Lausanne, Switzerland, January 26, 2021. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/Files Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said on Monday that he has never “put the Olympics first”, the same day an opinion poll showed nearly 60% of people […]
S.Korea’s Moon says ‘time to take action’ on N.Korea ahead of summit with Biden
South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Monday he seeshis final year in office as the last chance to achieve a lasting peace with North Korea, and said it was time to take action amid stalled talks over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Underwriters puzzle over how to make pandemics insurable again
When much of the global economy locked down last year, insurers, facing estimated losses of more than $100 billion globally, reached straight for their red pens to strike pandemic cover from all new business policies. Denis Kessler, chairman and CEO of French reinsurer SCOR, summed it up when he told a recent conference that pandemic […]
Queen Elizabeth to set out UK government’s post-pandemic agenda
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will present Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s post-pandemic agenda on Tuesday in a speech written by the government that will set out the new laws that ministers intend to pass in the coming year.
Automated steering ‘not available’ on Texas road where Tesla crashed -NTSB
U.S. safety officials investigating the cause of a Tesla Model S crash that killed two men in Texas last month said on Monday that testing suggested the vehicle’s automated steering system was “not available” on the road where the accident occurred.
India’s COVID-19 cases dip from peak, calls for shutdown mount
Calls grew for India to impose a nationwide lockdown as new coronavirus cases and deaths held close to record highs on Monday, increasing pressure on the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 366,161 new infections and 3,754 deaths reported by the health ministry were off a little from recent peaks, taking India’s tally to […]
U.S. Southeast braces for fuel price rises after pipeline shutdown
The southeastern United States will be the first to see price rises at the pumps due to the supply disruption caused by the shutdown of the country’s top fuel pipeline network – and demand has already picked up as drivers fill their tanks, industry experts said on Sunday.
UK’s Gove refuses to say how London will handle Scottish independence drive
Senior British minister Michael Gove refused to say on Sunday how the government would react if the Scottish parliament were to pass a bill calling for a referendum on independence from the United Kingdom. Pro-independence parties won an overall majority in the Scottish parliament in elections held on Thursday. First Minister and Scottish National Party […]
