Stories for February 2021

Sunday, February 21st 2021 - 17:17 UTC
WTO chief calls on rich countries to share vaccines now, rather than waiting for the surplus

The World Trade Organization, WTO, chief said that UK and other wealthy nations should send Covid-19 vaccines to poorer countries now rather than waiting for the surplus.
Sunday, February 21st 2021 - 17:14 UTC
Russia reported to WHO first case of avian flu H5N8 transmitted from birds to humans

Russia announced on Saturday that its scientists had detected the world's first case of transmission of the H5N8 strain of avian flu from birds to humans and had alerted the World Health Organization.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 09:42 UTC
Argentine health minister resigns over VIP vaccination scandal eroding public trust in the inoculation program

Argentina's current Deputy Health minister Carla Vizzotti, will be appointed Minister on Saturday following the Friday resignation of Ginés González García, who had organized at the ministry a VIP Covid-19 vaccination hall for government officials, friends and family.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:59 UTC
Johnson praises Biden as the leader of the free world helping to unite the West

United States Joe Biden has put the United States back as leader of the free world in a fantastic move that has helped the West to unite, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:55 UTC
Half of Texas with disrupted water service; disaster declaration expected from Biden

$Biden has asked his team to expedite Texas’s request for a disaster declaration, clearing the way for more federal resources$

United States president Joe Biden announced a disaster declaration for Texas, clearing the way for more aid in a crippling winter storm. Millions of residents in the United States’ biggest oil and gas producer have dealt with power outages, and nearly half of Texans struggled on Friday with disrupted water service. Nearly two dozen deaths have been attributed to the storm and a cold snap.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:42 UTC
Bolsonaro sacks Petrobras CEO over diesel prices dispute and truckers strike threat

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday sacked a market-friendly economist as CEO of Petrobras and named a retired general to replace him, following on disputes over diesel prices that threatened a major teamsters stoppage.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:42 UTC
Impressive pictures from the Perseverance rover successful landing in Mars

Less than a day after NASA’s Mars 2020 Perseverance rover successfully landed on the surface of Mars, engineers and scientists at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California were hard at work, awaiting the next transmissions from Perseverance. As data gradually came in, relayed by several spacecraft orbiting the Red Planet, the Perseverance team were relieved to see the rover’s health reports, which showed everything appeared to be working as expected.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:40 UTC
Some 45 pilot whales stranded on an Indonesian beach: three survive

Regional officials on the northeastern Indonesian island of Madura said on Friday at least 45 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a beach there have died, while rescuers managed to push three back out to sea.
Saturday, February 20th 2021 - 08:39 UTC
Coronavirus will be beaten when everyone in the world has been immunized, Angela Merkel

The coronavirus pandemic can only be considered beaten once everyone in the world has been immunized against Covid-19, Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel said, after she'd met with the G7 leaders at a virtual summit on Friday.
Friday, February 19th 2021 - 10:30 UTC
Pfizer is testing its vaccine in 4,000 volunteer healthy pregnant women

Pfizer and BioNtech have started an international study with 4,000 volunteers to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of their COVID-19 vaccine in healthy pregnant women, the companies said on Thursday.