British government has announced plans to slash its foreign aid budget as parts of efforts to sustain its finances which has been severely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. Finance Minister Rishi Sunak, on Wednesday, said “sticking rigidly” to spending 0.7 percent of gross national income on overseas aid was “difficult to justify to the British … Read more
The United States says it plans to roll out 6.4 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine in the first week after it is cleared for emergency use. A committee of the Food and Drug Administration meets on December 10 to deliberate on whether to approve or the medicine, as the numbers of deaths and … Read more
Russia’s Sputnik V covid-19 vaccine is 95 percent effective according to a second interim analysis of clinical trial data, its developers announced on Tuesday. The two-dose vaccine will be available on international markets for less than $10 (8.40 euros) per dose, they said, and will be free for Russian citizens. AFP reports that the vaccine … Read more
Elon Musk’s swift climb up the rungs of the world’s richest men continues steadily. The Tesla CEO’s net worth soared on Monday as shares of his electric automaker hit a record high, boosting his net worth to $127.9 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires index, which tracks the world’s 500 wealthiest people. Read also: NASA Returns … Read more
NOVEMBER 23, 2020 British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford on Monday said their jointly-developed vaccine against Covid-19 has shown “an average efficacy of 70 percent” in trials. “This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against Covid-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” … Read more
NOVEMBER 22, 2020 United States President, Donald Trump has again defended his decision to pull out of the Paris climate accord, calling it “unfair and one-sided” even as President-elect Joe Biden has pledged to rejoin the landmark agreement. The United States formally left the 2015 Paris accord earlier this month, becoming the first country to … Read more
NOVEMBER 22, 2020 A Pennsylvania judge on Saturday threw out Donald Trump’s claims of widespread electoral fraud there, dealing a new blow to the Republican’s bid to overturn his loss in the US presidential election. The decision — announced in a scathing judgment which excoriated the Trump team’s legal strategy — paves the way for … Read more
NOVEMBER 21, 2020 A French court, on Saturday, sentenced Jonathann Daval to 25 years in prison for killing his wife, Alexia and then burning her body in a case that shocked the country. The 36-year-old was impassive as the verdict was read out. Daval finally confessed to beating his wife to death and burning her … Read more
NOVEMBER 21, 2020 Eight people were injured in a shooting at a US mall in Wisconsin on Friday according to police, who said they were still hunting for the shooter. AFP reports that the FBI and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s office tweeted that their officers were on the scene at the Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa, … Read more
Donald Trump Jr., United States president’s eldest son, has tested positive for novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19. A spokesman for the younger Trump confirmed his principal’s status on Friday. He disclosed that the president’s son tested positive at the start of the week and has been on self-isolation since that time. He’s said to be “completely … Read more
NOVEMBER 20, 2020 United Nations human rights experts, on Friday, raised alarm at reports that another 50 terror convicts were facing execution in Iraq on Monday, as they urged Baghdad to halt all “mass executions”. Some 4,000 prisoners, most of them charged with terror-related offences, are reportedly on death row in Iraq, said a trio … Read more
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will Saturday meet negotiators from the Taliban and Afghan government amid signs of progress in their talks as the United States speeds up its withdrawal. The State Department said late Friday that Pompeo will meet separately with the Afghan government and Taliban negotiation teams in the Gulf state of … Read more
NOVEMBER 19, 2020 Lockdowns could be avoided if everyone followed health measures such as wearing masks, a World Health Organization’s top Europe official said on Thursday, CNN reports. WHO Europe’s Regional Director Hans Kluge stressed that lockdowns should be a “last resort,” and urged the public to follow guidance to help to prevent deaths. He … Read more
African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) joint mission have urged the Ghanaian authorities to ensure violence-free elections on December 7. The mission also asked the Electoral Commission to ensure strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols. The mission, according to a statement by the ECOWAS Commission on Wednesday, took note … Read more
US authorities have charged former Mexican defence minister of drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Salvador Cienfuegos was sent back to face a criminal probe in his home country. He was accused of conspiring to produce and distribute “thousands of kilograms” of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana in the US over a period of more … Read more
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 US Democratic lawmakers on Wednesday chose House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 80, to lead the party into the Joe Biden era and preside over their narrow House majority as the most powerful person in Congress. “Congratulations to @SpeakerPelosi, once again elected by House Democrats to be our fearless leader and nominee for Speaker … Read more
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 Pfizer and BioNTech, on Wednesday, said that a completed study of their experimental Covid-19 vaccine showed it was 95 percent effective. They said the two-dose vaccine had no serious safety concerns and that the companies will apply for emergency use authorization from US regulators “within days.” AFP reports that the announcement came … Read more
NOVEMBER 18, 2020 United States President-elect, Joe Biden announced on Tuesday that he has appointed nine close campaign aides to key White House positions. This is coming less than a week after naming his chief of staff. “America faces great challenges, and they bring diverse perspectives and a shared commitment to tackling these challenges and … Read more
NOVEMBER 17, 2020 Russia reported Tuesday a record high 442 new coronavirus-related deaths as the country’s regions struggled to cope with overflowing morgues and medicine shortages. While Europe has reintroduced new restrictions in response to a second wave of coronavirus infections sweeping across the world, Russia has refused to enforce a new nationwide lockdown. Read also: … Read more
NOVEMBER 16, 2020 Moderna, on Monday, announced its experimental vaccine against Covid-19 was shown to be 94.5 percent effective according to early results from a clinical trial with more than 30,000 participants, according to AFP. “This positive interim analysis from our Phase 3 study has given us the first clinical validation that our vaccine can … Read more