International

Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:20 UTC
Cyber-attack on EU medicines' regulator accesses crucial Pfizer vaccines info

US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech said on Wednesday that documents related to the development of their Covid-19 vaccine had been “unlawfully accessed” in a cyberattack on Europe’s medicines regulator. The European Medicines Agency, EMA, which assesses medicines and vaccines for the EU said hours earlier it had been targeted in a cyber attack.
Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:14 UTC
UN chief Guterres calls Covid-19 vaccines be treated as “a global public good”; fears poor countries will be sided

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Wednesday that “vaccine nationalism” is moving “at full speed,” leaving poor people around the globe watching preparations for inoculations against the coronavirus in some rich nations and wondering if and when they will be vaccinated.
Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:10 UTC
UK medicine regulator advises people with allergic reactions to avoid the Pfizer vaccines

Britain's medicine regulator has advised that people with a history of significant allergic reactions do not get Pfizer-BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine after two people reported adverse effects on the first day of rollout.
Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:05 UTC
Boeing 737 MAX returns to the skies on a commercial flight Sao Paulo/Porto Alegre

More than 20 months after it was grounded following two deadly crashes, Boeing's 737 MAX returned to the skies on Wednesday with an incident-free commercial flight in Brazil, said AFP journalists on board.
Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:05 UTC
Amnesty International: Right to life, public health demand extraordinary cooperation

Governments should stop blocking a temporary waiver of some global intellectual property rules that will help boost global access to COVID-19 vaccines, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said on Wednesday ahead of a key World Trade Organization (WTO) meeting in Geneva on December 10, 2020.
Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:00 UTC
Spain's ex king Juan Carlos from exile, settled a back tax bill worth 678,000 Euros

Spain's former King Juan Carlos, who left his homeland under a cloud of scandal in August, has settled a back tax bill worth over 678,000 Euros including interest and fines, his lawyers said on Wednesday.
Thursday, December 10th 2020 - 09:00 UTC
Date for Angela Merkel's exit, after next year's September 26 elections

Germany will go to the polls to elect a new parliament and chancellor on September 26 next year as Angela Merkel's looming retirement leaves the country's political future wide open.
Wednesday, December 9th 2020 - 08:47 UTC
EU/UK reach post-Brexit deal on Northern Ireland; Johnson meets EC head in Brussels

The European Union and UK have reached an unofficial agreement on post-Brexit trade with Northern Ireland and its land border to the EU. The deal is not tied to last-gasp trade talks, but could help grease the wheels. The co-chairs of the EU-UK joint committee on Tuesday announced an “agreement in principle” pertaining in large part to the Irish border issue.
Wednesday, December 9th 2020 - 08:42 UTC
Brazil records first case of Candida Auris, which poses “a serious threat to global health”

Brazil has recorded its first possible case of Candida Auris, a rare fungus that can cause drug-resistant infections and potential fatalities, the country's health ministry said on Tuesday.
Wednesday, December 9th 2020 - 08:38 UTC
“Quantum of the Seas” returns to port due to suspected Covid-19 case

Royal Caribbean cruise ship “Quantum of the Seas” has turned back on day three of a four-day cruise to nowhere due to a suspected Covid-19 case on board. The ship’s captain made an announcement over the public announcement system at about 2.45am on Wednesday, informing guests to remain in their rooms and adding that the ship would arrive in Singapore by about 8am.