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by Sebastian Smith and Shaun Tandon Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Friday for the first time publicly accused Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of approving the gruesome murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, but stopped short of targeting the powerful heir apparent. The prince, who is de facto ruler of the US ally and oil provider, “approved an operation in Istanbul, Turkey to capture or kill […]
Hong Kong vaccination drive uses Sinovac vaccines, while South Korea starts with AstraZeneca jabs HONG KONG (AFP) — Hong Kong and South Korea kicked off coronavirus vaccination drives on Friday, as momentum builds for inoculation rollouts across the Asia-Pacific region. South Korea plans to inoculate 70 percent of its population within seven months while Hong Kong aims to vaccinate all adults by the end of the year. Both places were among the first to […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Queen Elizabeth II said on Thursday that her coronavirus jab “didn’t hurt at all” and urged those wary of receiving the vaccine to “think about other people”. The 94-year-old monarch was vaccinated along with her husband Prince Philip in January, telling health officials leading the rollout in a video call that she now felt “protected”. “It was very quick, and I’ve had lots of letters from people who have been […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US military launched a strike on facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran-backed militia Thursday, in retaliation for recent rocket attacks on US troop locations in Iraq, the Pentagon said. “At President Biden’s direction, US military forces earlier this evening conducted airstrikes against infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria,” said spokesman John Kirby in a statement. “These strikes were authorized in response to recent attacks against […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Frozen vials of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine may be stored at temperatures commonly found in pharmaceutical freezers for a period of up to two weeks, the US Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. The move loosens a previous requirement that the vaccine should be stored at ultra-low temperatures, between -112 and -76 degrees Fahrenheit (-80 to -60 degrees Celsius). “The alternative temperature for transportation and storage will help ease the burden […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday celebrated 50 million Covid-19 vaccines administered since he took office, saying the rollout is “weeks ahead of schedule,” but warning Americans to keep masking up. Biden came into office promising 100 million shots administered in his first 100 days, something critics said was an insufficiently ambitious target, but the White House says it is now on track easily to exceed. “We’re moving in the right […]
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) –Brazil’s death toll from Covid-19 surpassed a quarter-million Thursday, a year after the first case was confirmed in the country, which is struggling with vaccine shortages and a devastating second wave. The new coronavirus has now killed 251,498 people in Brazil, according to health ministry figures — the second-highest toll worldwide, after the United States, where the number passed half a million Monday. This has been the deadliest week yet […]
by Andrew BEATTY Agence France Presse SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Facebook and Google will be forced to pay for Australian news under legislation passed Thursday that is being closely watched globally for precedents in the battle between Big Tech and media companies. The world-first law passed easily after the Australian government agreed to water down elements most fiercely opposed by the tech giants, in return for both agreeing to negotiate paid deals with local […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has proven 94 percent effective in a study involving 1.2 million people in Israel, the first peer-reviewed real world research confirming the power of mass immunization campaigns to bring the pandemic to a close. The paper, which was published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Wednesday, also demonstrated there is likely a strong protective benefit against infection, a crucial element in breaking onward transmission. […]
by Kent Mensah, with AFP bureaus ACCRA, Ghana (AFP) — Ghana became the first country to receive vaccines from the global Covax scheme Wednesday, paving the way for poorer nations to catch up with inoculation drives in wealthier parts of the world to stamp out the coronavirus pandemic. But Europe’s vaccine rollout faced fresh problems after AstraZeneca said it would only be able to deliver half its promised doses to the EU, deepening tensions with […]
REYKJAVIK, Iceland (AFP) — A powerful earthquake on Wednesday rocked southwestern Iceland, including the capital Reykjavik, triggering increased volcanic activity but causing no serious injuries or damage, authorities said. The epicentre of the quake was located near Mount Keilir, a small mountain of 378 metres (1,240 feet) on the Reykjanes peninsula, some 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Reykjavik, authorities added. The US Geological Survey measured one tremor at a magnitude of 5.6 some […]
by Jim SLATER WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The amazing golf career of Tiger Woods, from two-year-old prodigy to his epic comeback 2019 Masters victory, was in jeopardy Tuesday after injuries suffered in a serious solo car crash. The 45-year-old American, among the world’s most famous athletes for the past quarter-century, underwent surgery for multiple leg injuries following the early morning wreck near Los Angeles. It could mean the end of a groundbreaking career that […]
