Covid-19: Canada approves Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine

OTTAWA, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Canada approved the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine, days after Britain became the first country to greenlight and roll it out. “The authorization marks a critical milestone in our efforts to bring Covid-19 under control,” the government’s chief medical advisor Supriya Sharma told a news conference. “The…

Covid-19: US defense chief, top generals to get vaccine next week

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) – Secretary of Defense Chris Miller and his top generals will be vaccinated for Covid-19 by next week after the expected approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Pentagon officials said. Miller, Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley and Vice Chairman General John…

Saudi prince asks US court to dismiss ‘assassination’ lawsuit

WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has asked a US federal court to throw out a lawsuit which accused him of trying to have an ex-intelligence official assassinated. Prince Mohammed’s lawyer told the federal court in Washington that Saad Aljabri’s suit filed in August…

Turkish Pres Erdogan in Azerbaijan to hail ‘glorious’ Karabakh victory

BAKU, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was in Azerbaijan Thursday to join nationwide celebrations marking his close ally’s decisive military victory against Armenia in their conflict for control of disputed territory. Azerbaijan’s army paraded military hardware and weapons seized from Armenia during the six-week war through…

Lebanon judge indicts PM, 3 ex-ministers over port blast: judicial source

BEIRUT, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The lead investigator of the catastrophic Aug 4 blast at the Lebanese capital’s port indicted outgoing premier Hassan Diab and three ex-ministers on charges of negligence, a judicial source said. The decision by judge Fadi Sawan to indict Diab and the other ministers came after…

Saudi pushes to end Gulf feud, but full resolution elusive

RIYADH, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Saudi Arabia is pushing for a compromise to end a damaging three-year Gulf dispute, but a full resolution remains out of reach despite its offer of concessions, sources close to the negotiations say. Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan said last week that thekingdom and…

UK signs Singapore trade deal as EU talks falter

Britain’s International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and her Singaporean counterpart Chan Chun Sing signing a free-trade deal in Singapore SINGAPORE, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Britain on Thursday signed a free-trade deal with Singapore, giving it a key foothold in Asia as it seeks to forge its own path after leaving…

Covid-19: Four lions test positive at Barcelona zoo, infected from keepers

MADRID, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Four lions at Barcelona Zoo, three of them older females, caught Covid-19 last month but suffered only mild symptoms and have since recovered, the Catalan animal park said. Their keepers were tipped off when they noticed “mild respiratory symptoms” among three 16-year-old females and a…

Nobel-winning UN food agency warns of ‘hunger pandemic’ worse than Covid

OSLO, Dec 11 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in aceremony held online because of the coronavirus, the World FoodProgramme (WFP) warned of a “hunger pandemic” it said couldbe worse than Covid-19. “Because of so many wars, climate change, the widespread use ofhunger as a political and military weapon,…

Covid-19: EU, Germany provide Taka 1145cr for workers affected by the pandemic

Dhaka, Dec 11 (NNN-BSS) – The European Union (EU) and Germany have provided Bangladesh with around Taka 1,145 crore to help COVID-19-hit workers in the export-oriented industries. At this effects, the EU and Germany signed an agreement to provide EUR 113 million (nearly 1,145 crore Taka) in support to Bangladesh…