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World News

EU orders extra 4 million vaccine doses from Pfizer-BioNTech

The extra doses will be delivered in the next two weeks as the bloc faces sharp criticism over the slow rollout of vaccinations.

World News

EU's much-criticised vaccination plan 'better than the alternative'

The EU's vaccination strategy has come under heavy criticism for being too slow but some say the alternative would have been worse.

World News

French, Germans and Italians unhappy over vaccine rollout - survey

Three-quarters of respondents in France (75%) and Germany (77%) and more than two-thirds in Italy (68%) were unhappy with the vaccine rollout.

World News

Johnson rebukes EU's Michel: 'UK has not blocked vaccine exports'

"This pandemic has put us all on the same side in the battle for global health. We oppose vaccine nationalism in all its forms," said the UK prime minister.

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Russia

Russia wants apology after EMA official warns against Sputnik V jab

Russia has questioned the neutrality of the European Medicines Agency after a senior official urged EU member states not to rollout the Sputnik V vaccine yet.

World

Back to school: Classes reopen in England as COVID restrictions eased

The phased return to classrooms after a two-month shutdown is the first stage in the UK's four-step “roadmap” back to normality.

World

Kastellorizo: The Greek island that's fully vaccinated and COVID-free

The locals are being careful, but they live in a more relaxed way. Anyone arriving on the island must take a rapid test.

Slovakia

'Unacceptable': Ukraine slams Slovak PM over territory swap 'joke'

Slovakia's Prime Minister has apologised after commenting that he would hand over a Ukrainian region to Russia in exchange for COVID-19 vaccines.

France

French concern as PM reveals only 1/3 of health workers are vaccinated

Only around 30% of French health workers have received a coronavirus vaccine so far. "This is not normal," the government told reporters on Thursday.

Europe News

EU first as Italy blocks export of 250,000 COVID vaccines to Australia

The shipment is estimated to be around 250,000 doses.

United Kingdom

UK to fast-track COVID-19 vaccines modified to combat new variants

The UK, Australia, Canada, Singapore and Switzerland plan to fast-track modified COVID-19 vaccines so they can tackle new variants more swiftly.

Economy

Eurozone's rising debt 'likely to equal its GDP for first time'

The 100% debt-to-GDP ratio will be the legacy of the huge borrowing undertaken to cushion the impact of the coronavirus lockdowns.

Europe News

EU vaccine passports might not be ready by the summer. Here’s why

Concerns on fundamental rights, discrimination, data privacy, and forgery are poised to become stumbling blocks for the cross-border pass.

Austria

Austria and Denmark to develop next generation vaccines with Israel

The initiative comes amid growing frustration over delays in the EU's vaccine rollout.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Serbia sends vaccines to neighbour Bosnia, amid row over COVAX delays

The COVAX scheme has delivered millions of doses of coronavirus vaccine to African countries this week, but officials have admitted the scheme has gone slower than expected in certain areas.

Slovakia

Slovakia receives 200,000 doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

Slovakia signed a deal to acquire 2 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine even though it has not received approval from the EU regulator.

Europe News

Brussels to issue draft law on vaccine passports this month, says VDL

Brussels will put forward a draft law this month to create so-called vaccine passports, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen has announced.

No Comment

Protesters in Buenos Aires decry COVID vaccine scandal

Demonstrators left "body bags" depicting coronavirus deaths in front of the Government House with signs reading: "I was waiting for the vaccine but it was given to Alberto's (President Alberto Fernandez) friends."

Hungary

Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán receives dose of Chinese COVID vaccine

Public trust in the Chinese and Russian vaccines was far behind injections produced in the West and approved by the EU's medicines agency.

World News

UN Security Council adopts resolution demanding COVID ceasefire

The resolution "will help bring vaccines to 160 million people in conflict areas or displaced by conflict,'' says the council president.