Luke Letlow won the election for the 5th District of Louisana in a December 2020 runoff but died of COVID-19 before he was sworn in Julia Letlow, who made history on Saturday as the first Republican woman elected to Congress from Louisiana, didn’t expect to be on a ballot this weekend. Three and half months … Read more
1,994 new COVID-19 cases, Ethiopia Ethiopia registered 1,994 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the nationwide tally to 183,863 as of Friday evening, the country’s Ministry of Health said. The ministry said that 16 new deaths from the coronavirus were reported across the country, bringing the national death toll to 2,618. The … Read more
Signs of lockdown weariness are abound in cities across the world, with protests against restrictions popping up in Vienna, Sofia and Montreal to mention a few A third of France’s population was under a new partial lockdown Saturday to stop the spread of COVID-19, as some European countries resumed AstraZeneca vaccinations following an all-clear from … Read more
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan sacked Central Bank Governor Naci Agbal on Saturday, two days after the bank hiked interest rates to curb rising inflation and falls in the lira, replacing him with a former ruling party parliamentarian. The country’s Official Gazette said Erdogan replaced him with Sahap Kavcioglu, a former member of parliament for Erdogan’s … Read more
Johnson spent a week at St Thomas’ Hospital after he contracted the coronavirus in March 2020 British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday received a first dose of AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine, at the London hospital where he fought for his life almost a year ago, assuring the public the jab is safe. “I literally did … Read more
A drone attack early Friday sparked a fire at a Riyadh oil refinery, the Saudi energy ministry said, in an assault claimed by Yemen’s Huthi rebels. “The Riyadh oil refinery was attacked by drones, resulting in a fire that has been brought under control,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that no casualties were … Read more
India Virus Cases, Worst Daily Spike This Year India on Friday recorded nearly 39,726 coronavirus infections, the highest daily rise since Nov. 29, 2020 even as authorities warned against violations of safety measures and prepared for a second virus wave in the country. India, which at 11.5 million has the largest virus caseload after the … Read more
Tanzania’s vice-president, Samia Suluhu Hassan, has been sworn in as president, becoming the first female head of state in the East African country, following the death of her predecessor John Magufuli. The absence of Magufuli, Africa’s most vehement Covid-19 sceptic, since 27 February had fuelled speculation about his health and sparked rumours he had contracted … Read more
European Union countries have given 54.4 million doses to 8.5 percent of the bloc’s population The vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University has already been administered in some 100 countries or territories, outshining its competitors More than 400 million doses of vaccines have been given around the world as of Thursday, acccording to an … Read more
The EU’s drugs regulator said on Thursday that the AstraZeneca vaccine was “safe and effective” and was not linked to an increased risk of blood clots. “The committee has come to a clear scientific conclusion: this is a safe and effective vaccine,” European Medicines Agency chief Emer Cooke told a press conference after a probe … Read more
Tanzania’s first female president and also the first in East Africa Samia Hassan Suluhu, who became the first female vice-president upon John Pombe Magufuli’s election in 2015, is set to be sworn in as president for the unexpired period of the recently deceased head of state’s five-year term – as per Tanzania’s constitution: “Where the … Read more
Spain’s parliament will give final approval to a law legalising euthanasia Thursday, becoming one of the few nations to allow terminally-ill or gravely-injured patients to end their own suffering. The legislation, which will take effect in June, follows growing public pressure generated by several high-profile cases, including that of Ramon Sampedro whose plight was immortalised … Read more
Tanzania’s President John Magufuli has died at a hospital in Dar es Salaam, the country’s vice president announced in a televised address on Wednesday. He was 61. Hassan is now the acting president of Tanzania. While a date for her swearing-in has not yet been announced, she will be Tanzania’s first female president. Tanzania’s President … Read more
After several European Union countries temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the World Health Organization (WHO), on Wednesday, said that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh its risks and vaccinations should continue. The statement follows reports of rare blood clotting disorders in people who have received the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. WHO notes that it’s … Read more
US visa applicants, who were denied because of Trump’s travel ban on 13 mostly Muslim-majority and African countries, can seek new decisions or submit new applications State Department spokesman Ned Price said applicants who were refused visas before Jan. 20, 2020, must submit new applications and pay a new application fee. The US mission has … Read more
On Friday, at least five Spanish regions had said they were suspending use of a suspect batch of the vaccine as a precautionary measure Spain is suspending the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine for at least a fortnight, the health minister said Monday, the latest European country to do so over blood clot fears. “We … Read more
The UN health agency said its vaccine safety experts were looking at the AstraZeneca data. Countries should continue using AstraZeneca’s Covid vaccine, the World Health Organization said on Monday, after many governments halted rollouts because of blood clot fears. “We do not want people to panic and we would, for the time being, recommend that … Read more
A collision between a freight truck and a transport bus in Ethiopia’s northern Amhara regional state has left at least 30 people dead, local officials said on Monday. In a press statement, Motta city Communication Office, East Gojjam zone of Amhara regional state, said a truck traveling on the road collided with a transport bus … Read more
France’s public health agency reported nearly 30,000 new cases over the previous 24 hours and 174 fatalities France’s government said Sunday it plans to evacuate around 100 Covid-19 patients from intensive care units in the Paris region this week as hospitals struggle to keep up with a surge in cases. AFP reports that with the … Read more
Countries like Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Mexico and Nigeria have stood by the vaccine and assured citizens of its safety The global rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has encountered another hurdle as a handful of countries paused their use of the shot following reports it could be connected to blood clots, despite … Read more