Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth has accused the government of "mixed messaging" over Covid Christmas rules. Earlier Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised people to "think hard" before meeting family and friends over the festive period but stopped short of changing the rules.
Britain announced new measures to reduce travel in and out of the country on Wednesday, hoping that by tightening its borders it can reduce the risk of new variants of the coronavirus spreading and putting its vaccination programme at risk. Travellers arriving in Britain from high-risk COVID-19 countries will have to quarantine for 10 days in government-provided accommodation, while those wishing to leave will need to explain why in a process checked before departure, interior minister Priti Patel said on Wednesday.
Antony Blinken began his first full day as U.S. secretary of state on Wednesday promising to repair ties with global partners and show the world that America can lead, while tackling climate change, the erosion of democracies and other complex issues. Greeted in the lobby and outside by a crowd of State Department employees limited by coronavirus measures, Blinken, who served as No. 2 at the State Department under former Democratic President Barack Obama, was greeted with applause. As challenges he cited the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, the global economy, threats to democracies, fights for racial justice, and the dangers to security and global stability posed by rivals and adversaries.
The Czech health ministry has recommended regional health officials halt new COVID-19 vaccinations for the coming two weeks to prioritise second doses due to concern about delivery delays, a ministry spokeswoman said on Wednesday. The ministry spokeswoman said the decision was made in view of the number of people requiring the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and the reduced supply. Regional coordinators remain responsible for assessing the situation in their regions, she said.
A Polish Constitutional Court verdict restricting abortion rights is expected to go into effect on Wednesday, Poland's government said on Twitter, three months after the verdict sparked nationwide protests. In October, the Constitutional Court said terminating pregnancies due to foetal defects should be illegal, ruling against the main exception for legal abortions in the largely Roman Catholic country. Conservative values have taken a more prominent role in public life since the nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party took power in 2015.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu said on Wednesday she was nominating former finance minister Natalia Gavrilita as prime minister but that the country could still head towards an early parliamentary election. Gavrilita, 43, was finance minister when Sandu was prime minister in 2019, in a short-lived government that fell in a no-confidence vote within months. Before that, she worked with British-based consultancy Oxford Policy Management and at the non-profit Global Innovation Fund.
Crowded centres for people left destitute by Cyclone Eloise in Mozambique create the perfect conditions for COVID-19 to spread, with some living at least 10 to a tent with no access to water, soap or masks, an international aid group said on Tuesday. Cyclone Eloise, which made landfall in Mozambique in the early hours of Saturday, weakened into a tropical storm as it moved inland to Zimbabwe, South Africa, eSwtatini - formerly Swaziland - and Botswana. The death toll across the region rose to 14 on Tuesday after South Africa reported one more death.
An area the size of Israel was deforested in the Amazon biome last year as destruction surged 21% in the region spanning nine countries that is home to the world's largest rainforest, according to the Amazon Conservation organization. A first look at deforestation in the full year of 2020 shows that roughly 21,000 square kilometers (8,108 square miles) of old-growth forest was cut or burned down, about the size of New Jersey, the U.S.-based non-profit group found in its analysis of satellite data. "These numbers are just mind-blowing," said Matt Finer, who leads the NGO's Amazon monitoring project.
Gabrielle Union will host a special fireside conversation at the Black Beauty Roster (BBR) digital summit with a focus on diversifying Hollywood’s beauty industry on Feb. 28. “Early in my career, I struggled to work with beauty professionals that were trained to work with my hair texture and skin tone,” Union said in a statement. […]
From late January to early February, when the Sundance Film Festival transforms the tiny ski community of Park City, Utah, into a hub of moviegoing and deal-making, Adolph’s is a flurry of activity. The Park City restaurant, located right next door to the Eccles Theater, is the go-to place for filmmakers, studio executives, journalists and […]
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday it is observing a lower rate of severe allergic reactions in people in the United States who have received Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE's COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC said that through Jan. 18, there were 50 cases of anaphylaxis reported in recipients of the vaccine. It reported 21 cases of anaphylaxis after Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine was administered.
Independent U.N. sanctions monitors accused Yemen's government, in a report seen by Reuters on Tuesday, of money-laundering and corruption "that adversely affected access to adequate food supplies" and said the Houthi group collected at least $1.8 billion in state revenue in 2019 to help fund its war effort. The annual report to the U.N. Security Council on the implementation of international sanctions on Yemen coincides with U.N. officials saying that the country is on the verge of a large famine with millions of civilians at risk. The monitors said Saudi Arabia deposited $2 billion with the Central Bank of Yemen in January 2018 under a development and reconstruction program.
The impeachment proceeding against Donald Trump on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol has fueled speculation online that he could lose some of the benefits extended to former presidents. But according to legal experts, under the laws currently in effect, Trump will retain perks including a pension, office space and security detail even in the unlikely event that he is convicted by the Senate in its impeachment trial. Trump can thank a relatively obscure law, the Former Presidents Act.
A line of tractors stood ready at dawn on Tuesday to move out of a protest site near New Delhi where thousands of farmers had been camping for the last two months and rallying against farm reforms they say will hurt them and benefit large private firms. It was an escalation in a standoff with protesters that poses a major challenge to the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as it tries to contain the coronavirus pandemic and its economic impact. Several hundred demonstrators breached the outer walls of Delhi's Red Fort - one of its most recognisable landmarks - before raising flags from the ramparts and clashing with police.
With more than 3,000 burials in January alone, the Amazon rainforest city of Manaus does not remember a deadlier month.
The Cannes Film Festival has confirmed a new set of dates for this year’s event, which has again been postponed due to the pandemic. The decision was taken following a board meeting with Cannes festival’s administration board on Tuesday. The initial dates, which were May 11-22 didn’t seem feasible as France is on the verge […]
The Estefans will be back for more. Facebook Watch ordered 12 more episodes of their “Red Table Talk” series from Jada Pinkett Smith and Westbrook Studios. The series features music icon Gloria Estefan, her daughter and rising musician Emily Estefan and her niece Lili Estefan, a Daytime Emmy Award-winning Univision TV host. “Taking on the […]
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday spoke with British Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, and discussed the need for cooperation on the COVID-19 pandemic, including support for a strong economic recovery, the Treasury said in a statement. "During the call, Secretary Yellen highlighted their shared priorities, including cooperating to end the pandemic and support a strong global recovery, fighting inequality, and forcefully addressing the threat of climate change," the Treasury said.
The Philadelphia Union announced the signing Wednesday of midfielder Jose Martinez to a new contract through the 2022 season, with club options for 2023 and 2024. The 26-year-old Venezuela native, nicknamed "El Brujo" ("The Wizard"), started all 14 games and notched two assists in his first MLS campaign in 2020. One of his assists came during a 2-0 victory against the New England Revolution in the Nov. 8 regular-season finale, a win that clinched the Supporters' Shield for the Union.
Turkish authorities detained 126 people suspected of ties to the Islamic State militant group in nationwide operations, state broadcaster TRT Haber said on Wednesday. Operations were carried out across 58 provinces to capture the suspects, whom TRT said were believed to be linked to Islamic State and financing the group. Authorities were still seeking 22 more suspects, it said.
Turin mayor Chiara Appendino was found guilty on Wednesday of involuntary manslaughter in connection with a stampede during a screening of the 2017 Champions League soccer final that killed two people and injured hundreds. Three other officials and an events organiser were also convicted in the case, all receiving suspended 18-month prison terms. An estimated 30,000 people had been in San Carlo square watching the game between Real Madrid and Juventus on a giant screen when panic rippled through the crowd and there was a mass surge for the exits.
