Update: UK reaches deal with France to allow trucks to cross border from Wednesday

A sign showing “French Borders Closed” is seen at the closed Port of Dover in Dover, Britain LONDON, Dec 23 (NNN-Xinhua) — Britain and France have reached a deal to reopen their border to haulers and some passengers from Wednesday, the British Department for Transport announced. As part of the…

Covid-19: Pres Trump rejects US relief bill, calling it ‘a disgrace’

  WASHINGTON, Dec 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — President Donald Trump rejected a $900 billion bipartisan Covid stimulus package, calling it “a disgrace” and demanding that lawmakers more than triple relief payments to Americans. While he did not explicitly say he would not sign the bill, which passed overwhelmingly Monday in both…

Covid-19: WHO reports all-time high of 4.6 million cases registered in one week

GENEVA, Dec 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 4.6 million newly confirmed novel coronavirus cases were registered worldwide in the past week, which is the all-time-high weekly count since the start of the pandemic, the World Health Organization said. According to the global organization’s data, a total of 4,612,790 novel coronavirus…

Covid-19: South Africa makes down payment for vaccine

A nurse administers a vaccination against the coronavirus disease PRETORIA, Dec 23 (NNN-SANEWS) — South Africa has made a down payment to secure the COVID-19 vaccine for 10% of the country’s population. “The National Department of Health and the Solidarity Fund are pleased to announce that a down payment of…

Covid-19: Virus surge puts South African hospitals under severe strain

The COVID-19 pandemic first peaked in Africa’s most industrialized economy in late July 2020 PRETORIA, Dec 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — South African private hospital operators have warned that they are facing severe capacity constraints due to a resurgence in coronavirus cases.The COVID-19 pandemic first peaked in Africa’s most industrialized economy in late July…

Covid-19: Forty plus countries ban travel from UK

LONDON, Dec 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — More than 40 countries have suspended travel from Britain in a bid to contain a fast-spreading new strain of the coronavirus. Scotland had already closed its border with the rest of the United Kingdom. Here are some of travel bans announced so far. FRANCE: France…

UK PM, EU chief held eleventh-hour talks on Brexit, Covid: EU source

BRUSSELS, Dec 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen discussed Brexit and the coronavirus crisis in a phone call on Monday evening, an EU source said. The previously undisclosed conversation came as London and Brussels try to thrash out a last-gasp…

Covid-19: US administers first Moderna vaccines

HARTFORD (Connecticut, US), Dec 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — A nurse at a hospital in Connecticut became one of the first people in the United States to receive the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine. Mandy Delgado, who works for Hartford Healthcare, was administered the shot around 11:40 am (1640 GMT), according to a live…

Afghanistan: Prison doctors among five killed in Kabul bombing

KABUL, Dec 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four doctors who worked at an Afghan prison with hundreds of Taliban inmates were among five people killed Tuesday when a bomb attached to their car exploded, police said. The blast happened in a southern district of the city when the doctors were travelling to…

Covid-19: Tanzania to use local herbs instead of vaccine

Tanzanian President John Magufuli DAR ES SALAAM, Dec 22 (NNN-AFRICANEWS) — Tanzania has signalled that it is not intending to use any Covid-19 vaccine but instead will settle on local herbs for protection against the disease. A spokesman at the Ministry of Health Gerald Chamii said, “There are no plans…