Politics

• Tuesday, December 22nd 2020 - 07:49 UTC

  Following EU approval of Pfizer vaccine, Germany will begin immunization of the elderly on December 27

  

  Germany will begin its first coronavirus vaccinations in care homes for the elderly on Dec. 27, Health Minister Jens Spahn said on Monday. He welcomed the approval of the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech by the European Medicines Agency as a milestone in the fight against the pandemic.

• Tuesday, December 22nd 2020 - 07:22 UTC

  PM Johnson pledges to unblock trade across the Channel, but situation sounds chaotic

  

  British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday sought to sound a note of calm saying he was working “as fast as possible” to unblock trade across the Channel after France shut its borders to UK haulers in a bid to contain a new variant of the coronavirus.

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 09:32 UTC

  Advancing Falklands' sovereignty claims, one of Argentina's objectives as chair of Mercosur

  

  Argentina is holding the pro tempore rotating chair of Mercosur during the next six months and three are its main objectives during that period according to foreign ministry sources in Buenos Aires. They include Bolivia, the Falklands/Malvinas claim and trade accords and negotiations with other countries.

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 09:30 UTC

  Uruguayan Legislative approves limitation of right to assembly until 10 January

  

  The Uruguayan parliament passed a bill limiting the constitutional right of assembly and closing the borders, both temporarily as part of a package of measures to help contain a spiked of the coronavirus virus.

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 08:55 UTC

  Argentina and Chile suspend flights from UK as of midnight Tuesday

  

  Argentina and Chile announced late Sunday that they are suspending flights from the UK after health officials in Britain confirmed that a new variant of the coronavirus was rapidly spreading in the country.

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 08:54 UTC

  Covid-19 new mutant strain “out of control” in the UK

  

  British Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned the new mutant strain of the coronavirus is “out of control” and suggested parts of England will be stuck in the new highest tier of restrictions until a vaccine is rolled out.

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 08:45 UTC

  French mayor threatens with a “Falklands' war” if no accord is reached on UK/EU fishing waters

  

  The French Mayor Frederic Couvillier, of the city of Boulogne-sur-Mer, has threatened the UK with a “Falklands War” pertaining the dispute over the fishing waters with the European Union. Furthermore, the mayor warned of the threat of an armed conflict in light of the looming Brexit deadline.

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 08:19 UTC

  UK variant of coronavirus is up to 70% more transmissible, but no sufficient evidence that it is more lethal

  

  Following are details of a new coronavirus variant that has been identified in the United Kingdom, given at a news conference by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Patrick Vallance, Britain's chief scientific adviser, and Chris Whitty, the chief medical adviser:

• Monday, December 21st 2020 - 08:10 UTC

  Merkel suggests Christmas greetings with loved ones on video

  

  Chancellor Angela Merkel urged Germans to avoid visiting family members over Christmas and to use video calls instead for greetings, the way service members stationed abroad do, as the country battles COVID-19.

• Saturday, December 19th 2020 - 10:00 UTC

  UK leads Global Ocean Alliance to turn 30% of oceans into Marine Protected Areas by 2030

  

  Some thirty countries have now joined the Global Ocean Alliance championing an international commitment for a minimum 30% of the global ocean to be protected through Marine Protected Areas by 2030.