Stories for February 2021

Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 08:21 UTC
Russia announces approval of CoviVac, a third vaccine for domestic use

Russia approved a third coronavirus vaccine for domestic use, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said on state TV, though large-scale clinical trials of the shot, labeled CoviVac and produced by the Chumakov Centre, have yet to begin.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 08:15 UTC
Northern Ireland Democratic Unionist Party will take legal action against Brexit

Members of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) are set to take part in legal action challenging part of Brexit, the party said on Sunday. DUP opposes the Northern Ireland protocol, which covers post-Brexit trade between Britain and Northern Ireland, because it creates barriers between the British region and the rest of the UK and has caused disruptions.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 08:15 UTC
US reaches 500,000 Covid-19 related deaths; vaccination rate of 1,7 million a day

The United States over the weekend reached the grim milestone of 500,000 Covid-related deaths since the start of the pandemic, as the nation's top virus expert warned a semblance of normalcy may not return until the end of the year.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 08:15 UTC
UK back at Human Rights Council with a long list of targets, China, Russia, Belarus and Myanmar

Britain this Monday will call for the United Nations to be given “urgent and unfettered” access to Xinjiang to investigate reports of abuses in the Chinese region.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 08:10 UTC
Fuel prices dispute, Petrobras CEO removal trigger fears of economic populism

More changes are in the pipeline, announced Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, after replacing the CEO of the country's oil and gas giant Petrobras with a former general. The move had an immediate impact in markets given the confidence investors had in the removed University of Chicago educated economist, Roberto Castello Branco.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 07:39 UTC
Beijing and its imperial aspirations face the challenge of “Feminization of Male Adolescents”

By Gwynne Dyer – It seemed innocent enough at the start: just a surge in the number of boys coming to school with notes from doctors saying they were excused from playing contact sports. But pretty soon high schools all over China were having trouble finding enough willing young men to make up a football team.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 07:30 UTC
PM Johnson pledges all UK adults can be vaccinated by end of July

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pledged that every adult in the United Kingdom should have been offered a COVID-19 vaccine by the end of July. The accelerated vaccine rollout would help protect the most vulnerable sooner and also enable the easing of some restrictions, the prime minister said.
Monday, February 22nd 2021 - 07:03 UTC
Bank of England divided over the use of negative interest rates

A member of Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, Gertjan Vlieghe, openly supported the use of negative interest rates if the U.K. needs more stimulus, while Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden said the bank still had scope for more quantitative easing. which has been a tried and tested policy.
Sunday, February 21st 2021 - 22:11 UTC
Argentine new Health minister guarantees fairness in access to Covid-19 vaccines

Argentina has a new Health Minister Carla Vizzotti, who was sworn in on Saturday after the country was rattled by a scandal over VIP coronavirus vaccine access. The incoming official pledged to strengthen oversight and transparency of the inoculation program.
Sunday, February 21st 2021 - 17:19 UTC
Fifth night of violent protests in Spain; coalition government divided over the gag law which triggered the rioting

For a fifth night street protests in Spain on Saturday turned violent following the arrest of Pablo Hasél, a popular rapper, which has triggered a national debate on freedom of expression. But the disturbances have also strained relations inside the country's fragile coalition government.