Europe
EU regulator gives conditional approval to BioNTech-Pfizer COVID vaccine
The European Medicines Agency recommended conditional approval for a coronavirus vaccine developed by BioNTech and Pfizer to be used across the European Union, weeks after the shot was first granted permission under emergency provisions in Britain and the United States.
New strain of coronavirus: More EU nations ban travel from UK
A growing list of European Union nations and Canada barred travel from the U.K. on Sunday and others were considering similar action, in a bid to prevent a new strain of coronavirus sweeping across southern England from spreading to the continent.
Berlin film festival postponed to later in 2021 due to virus
The annual Berlin International Film Festival is being put off this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and split into two parts later in 2021, organizers said Friday.
Concern among Muslims over halal status of COVID-19 vaccine
In October, Indonesian diplomats and Muslim clerics stepped off a plane in China. While the diplomats were there to finalize deals to ensure millions of doses reached Indonesian citizens, the clerics had a much different concern: Whether the COVID-19 vaccine was permissible for use under Islamic law.
Pandemic exposes the vulnerability of Italy’s ‘new poor’
The coronavirus pandemic did not produce Elena Simone’s first budgetary rough patch. The 49-year-old single mother found herself out of the job market when the 2008 global financial crisis hit Italy and never fully got back in, but she created a patchwork of small jobs that provided for herself and the youngest of her three children.
Brexit trade talks with EU in ‘serious situation’: Boris Johnson
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has underlined the post-Brexit trade negotiations between Britain and the European Union (EU) were now "in a serious situation," a Downing Street spokesperson said Thursday.
Virus-stricken Macron at presidential retreat with fever
As French President Emmanuel Macron rides out the coronavirus in a presidential retreat at Versailles, French doctors are warning families who are heading for the holidays to remain cautious because of an uptick in infections — especially at the dinner table.
Shut down by corona, Berlin restaurant opens for homeless
The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t made life on the streets of Berlin any easier for Kaspars Breidaks.
EU to start vaccination for COVID-19 on Dec. 27
The European Union (EU) will start vaccination for COVID-19 after Christmas, the bloc's executive chief Ursula von der Leyen announced on Thursday.
French President Macron tests positive for COVID-19
French President Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for COVID-19, the presidential Elysee Palace announced on Thursday.