International

• Monday, September 28th 2020 - 08:00 UTC

  British government pledges stockpiles of protective items for health workers

  

  The British government said it would have large stockpiles in place to provide a continuous flow of protective items, such as masks, to health workers tackling the COVID-19 pandemic, after criticism earlier in the year that supplies were too low.

• Saturday, September 26th 2020 - 08:26 UTC

  Referendum in New Zealand to legalize recreational marihuana

  

  A referendum next month on legalizing recreational cannabis has divided opinion in New Zealand with ruling party politicians staying clear of the contentious issue ahead of a general election they are likely to win.

• Saturday, September 26th 2020 - 08:25 UTC

  Sacked cardinal proclaims innocence and begs the Pope to be allowed to defend himself

  

  One of the Vatican's most influential cardinals proclaimed his innocence on Friday after being pushed out by Pope Francis following news reports of the prelate allegedly directing church funds to family members.

• Saturday, September 26th 2020 - 08:24 UTC

  Bottled water king Zhong, the richest man in China ahead of Ma's Alibaba

  

  A businessman who spun his wealth from bottled water and vaccines has usurped tech tycoon Jack Ma as China's richest man, the Bloomberg Billionaires Index showed this week.

• Saturday, September 26th 2020 - 08:22 UTC

  Pope wants Covid-19 vaccine preferential treatment for the poor and weakest

  

  The poor and weakest members of society should get preferential treatment when a vaccine for the coronavirus is ready, Pope Francis told the United Nations on Friday. Speaking from the Vatican in a video address to the UN General Assembly, Francis said the worldwide pandemic had highlighted the urgent need to promote public health and ensure access to vaccines.

• Saturday, September 26th 2020 - 08:20 UTC

  Majority of Britons not adhering to coronavirus sanitary protocols, King's College research

  

  More than 80% of people in Britain are not adhering to self-isolation guidelines when they have COVID-19 symptoms or had contact with someone who has tested positive, a study has found. A majority were also unable to identify the symptoms of COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus.

• Friday, September 25th 2020 - 09:35 UTC

  Mercosur deal is “parked indefinitely”, agree German and Irish ministers

  

  Ireland dairy industry has praised the German Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner who has said she is not going to push forward efforts to seal the Mercosur Trade agreement and underlined she had serious concerns over the deal.

• Friday, September 25th 2020 - 09:20 UTC

  If Covid-19 is addressed with the same disunity and disarray as climate change, “I fear the worst”, warns UN head

  

  The United States, China and Russia fought on Thursday during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the coronavirus pandemic after UN chief Antonio Guterres had warned the body that if the climate crisis was approached with the “same disunity and disarray” of COVID-19, then: “I fear the worst.”

• Friday, September 25th 2020 - 08:36 UTC

  Grim experience for Australian authorities, euthanizing and disposing of some 400 whale carcasses

  

  Australian officials were focusing on the grim task of disposing of almost 400 whale carcasses on Thursday, while attempts to rescue the few remaining survivors of one of the world’s worst mass strandings were expected to extend another day.

• Friday, September 25th 2020 - 08:25 UTC

  EU determined to resume post Brexit negotiations leaving aside “Johnson's bad feelings”

  

  European Union negotiators have agreed not to allow their opposition to Boris Johnson's plan to break international law distract them from trying to secure a deal over the bloc's relationship with the UK after Brexit.