Tag: coronavirus

The European Union has decided

Chief Editor

The European Union has decided to drop Serbia and Montenegro from its safe list of countries from which non-essential travel is allowed, and did not even discuss including the United States given its sharp rise in coronavirus cases, EU officials told Reuters. EU diplomats today approved a proposal from Germany, now holding the rotating EU presidency, to exclude non-EU Serbia and Montenegro because of spreading infections, officials said. There have been anti-government protests in Serbia, initially sparked by the announcement of a new coronavirus lockdown amid a surge in new cases. With the US currently on 3.43m cases of Covid-19 … Continue reading The European Union has decided

Turkey’s President Erdogan

Chief Editor

Turkey’s President Erdogan has formally converted the world-famous Hagia Sophia back into a mosque and reopened it for worship as he drums up support for his Islamic-rooted party – sparking fury from Christian groups and the US.  The move came hours after Turkey’s highest administrative court issued a landmark ruling that unanimously annulled the 1934 cabinet decision to renovate the site into a museum.   There is growing evidence from Europe, the US and China that dirty air makes the impact of Covid-19 worse. But the study of the outbreak in the Netherlands is unique because the worst air pollution there … Continue reading Turkey’s President Erdogan

Protests involving tens of thousands of people

Chief Editor

Protests involving tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets in Russia’s far east demanding the resignation of President Putin and the release of a jailed governor. Demonstrators in Khabarovsk, near the border with China, marched after Sergei Furgal was arrested last week to face murder charges in Moscow. Built 1,500 years  ago the world-famous site was originally a cathedral before becoming a mosque in 1453. In 1934  it became a museum and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Within hours of the ruling Erdogan had declared the Hagia Sophia open for Muslim worship and signed a decree handing … Continue reading Protests involving tens of thousands of people

Dozens of Spanish beaches were forced to close

Chief Editor

Dozens of Spanish beaches were forced to close yesterday after crowds of people flocked to the beach – as British tourists prepare to descend on the country again.    Nearly 30 Costa del Sol beaches had to turn visitors away at the busiest times of the day on Sunday in resorts including Benalmadena. Even before Covid-19, 2 million people died from zoonotic diseases every year, mostly in poorer countries. The coronavirus outbreak was highly predictable, the experts said. “[Covid-19] may be the worst, but it is not the first,” said the UN environment chief, Inger Andersen. The biggest economic costs fall … Continue reading Dozens of Spanish beaches were forced to close

China has tried to blame Spain

Chief Editor

China has tried to blame Spain for the new strain of coronavirus while suggesting the deadly disease originated in Europe and not Wuhan. The first cases were detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 – with many involving workers at a wet market – before the virus rapidly spread around the world, killing more than 525,000 people. Protest leaders are struggling to come up with new tactics for opposing the authority of Beijing without risking long prison sentences, and one of Hong Kong’s leading young democrats has joined a growing number of activists leaving the territory. Nathan … Continue reading China has tried to blame Spain

Donald Trump is golfing ahead

Chief Editor

Donald Trump is golfing ahead of his trip to South Dakota for the Mount Rushmore 2020 Fireworks Celebration. The first lady will also attend the controversial event. As the coronavirus cases soar across the south and west of the nation, the president bragged about the Nasdaq having its 23rd record close of the year in an unhinged-looking all-caps tweet. The president also argued that Black Lives Matter protesters angered by the police killings of George Floyd and other black Americans would have wiped out the city of Minneapolis had he not sent in the National Guard to stop the demonstrations, … Continue reading Donald Trump is golfing ahead

The government is preparing to award coronavirus testing

Chief Editor

The government is preparing to award coronavirus testing contracts worth an estimated £5bn to commercial bidders, in what critics fear is a “backdoor” subsidy to the private sector. The vast new budget, which works out at £2.5bn per year and will be managed by Public  Health England (PHE), is equal to the entire annual spend on English NHS laboratories. It came as the US Senate approved a bill imposing sanctions on Chinese officials and any Hong Kong police units clashing with protesters. China’s foreign ministry warned of “strong countermeasures” against the US if the bill becomes law. China has said … Continue reading The government is preparing to award coronavirus testing

An historic coalition has been agreed in Ireland tonight between old political rivals Fianna Fail and Fine Gael – along with the Greens

Chief Editor

An historic coalition has been agreed in Ireland tonight between old political rivals Fianna Fail and Fine Gael – along with the Greens. The three parties will officially form a government tomorrow, almost five months after the country’s general election, with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin set to be sworn in as the new Taoiseach. Yencer de los Santos Germosen, and his 16-year-old girlfriend, who has not been named, were being pulled out to sea by the currents and were heard screaming for help. Members of a nearby regatta heard the couple’s pleas and contacted the emergency services just before … Continue reading An historic coalition has been agreed in Ireland tonight between old political rivals Fianna Fail and Fine Gael – along with the Greens

The re-election of President Trump would be a “danger to the republic”

Chief Editor

The re-election of President Trump would be a “danger to the republic” and would have “grave consequences”, his former national security adviser said before the publication today of a damning memoir of 17 months at his side. John Bolton, 71, a lifelong hardline Republican, said he could not vote for Mr Trump but would write in the name of a “true conservative” on his ballot paper in November. He said he hoped that his book was a contribution to a discussion on “what the post-Trump [Republican] party looks like”. Bars, gyms and cinemas will all have to shut their doors … Continue reading The re-election of President Trump would be a “danger to the republic”

Eight schoolchildren died in a horrific drowning incident

Chief Editor

Eight schoolchildren died in a horrific drowning incident after seven of them jumped into a river to save their friend. The primary school-age pupils were swept to their deaths and the last of their bodies were pulled from the water at around 7am today. He had predicted there would be no empty seats and the campaign planned for a full arena and an outdoor overflow stage for 40,000 people, after boasting of a million ticket requests. There were warning signs that all was not going to plan when six of the advance team were diagnosed with Covid-19. The modest turnout, … Continue reading Eight schoolchildren died in a horrific drowning incident