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Top EU officials sign post-Brexit trade agreement
The agreement eventually needs approval from Britain's Parliament, and from the EU's legislature, which is not expected to take up the deal for weeks. Hardline Brexiteers to back Boris Meanwhile, British newspaper, The Daily Mail , is reporting that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has persuaded Brexit hardliners in his Conservative Party to back the European Union trade deal in the Commons thi... [Full Article...]
Iran to 'urgently resume' gas shipments to Iraq following weeks of cutbacks
During his visit, Ardakanian also held meetings with Iraqi Minister of Electricity Majid Hantoush, Minister of Trade Alaa al-Jubouri and Iraqi Central Bank Governor Mustafa Mukheef, during which the two sides discussed financial cooperation, including Iraq's payment of dues for importing Iranian gas and electricity, the official Iraqiya TV reported. [Full Article...]
China's Sinopharm says COVID-19 vaccine efficacy over 79 percent
As coronavirus cases continue to surge globally, a massive emergency vaccination drive is underway with drug developers and governments racing to get their vaccines approved. Such vaccines have the advantage of easier storage and distribution as they don't need to be frozen - unlike the experimental mRNA vaccines being developed by Pfizer and Moderna . [Full Article...]
Dr. Fauci Says COVID Pandemic May Get Worse In Coming Months
Besides exposing themselves at airports, travelers usually mix households when they arrive at their destinations, he said. Health authorities have been urging people to avoid traveling, but "it's going to happen", Dr. (Photo: Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images) Dr. Anthony Fauci speaks with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar before receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine ... [Full Article...]
Landslide engulfs houses in Norway, leaving many missing and injured
Following an assessment by geologists, the police chose to extend their original evacuation zone further south of the landslide, which is 700metres long. There were no reports of people missing, but officials could not rule out that there were people in collapsed buildings. "So there are dramatic reports and the situation is serious", Pettersen said. [Full Article...]
12 new Covid-19 cases reported in mainland China
The Government and the Communist Party of China urged the population to remain in their places of residence, reduce unnecessary movements and avoid crowds during the holidays this period and the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year in February. [Full Article...]
Australia's biggest city tightens Covid-19 curbs for New Year's Eve
The outbreaks in Sydney have dampened plans for the city's New Year's Eve harbour fireworks display, an event televised around the world. The announcement comes as NSW records 18 additional cases of locally acquired COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Tuesday, December 29. [Full Article...]
Explosions greet new 'unity' government at key Yemen port
Loud blasts and gunfire were heard at the airport shortly after the plane arrived from Riyadh, witnesses said. Hours after the attack, a second explosion was heard around Aden's Maasheq presidential palace where the cabinet members including Prime Minister Maeen Abdulmalik, as well as the Saudi ambassador to Yemen, had been taken to safely, residents and local media said. [Full Article...]