Month: January 2021

Deutsche Bank AG will pay nearly $125 million to avoid U.S. prosecution on charges it engaged in foreign bribery schemes and manipulated precious metals markets, the latest blow for a bank trying to rebound from a series of scandals.Germany’s largest lender agreed to the payout as it entered a three-year deferred prosecution agreement with the …

Read more “Deutsche Bank to Pay Nearly $125M to Resolve US Bribery, Metals Charges”

Spain was on high alert Friday as a cold snap covered much of the country with snow disrupting road, sea and air traffic, while authorities warned that worse might be in store over the weekend. Parts of central Spain, including the capital, are expected to receive more than 24 hours of continuous snowfall as Storm Filomena …

Read more “Storm Filomena Blankets Most of Spain with Snow”

The World Health Organization says wealthy nations have bought most of the current supply of available COVID-19 vaccine, leaving the world’s poorest nations unable to obtain them.At the agency’s regular briefing Friday in Geneva, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the WHO-organized international vaccine cooperative, COVAX, has now secured contracts for 2 billion doses of COVID-19 …

Read more “WHO: Low Income Countries Not Getting COVID-19 Vaccine”

London Mayor Sadiq Khan Friday declared a “major incident” in the city, due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 there, which he said could overwhelm the National Health Service if it remains unchecked.Khan posted a statement to his official Twitter account and told reporters that he has never been more concerned about the pandemic than …

Read more “London Mayor Declares ‘Major Incident’ Due To COVID-19 Threat”

Many Scottish fishermen have halted exports to European Union markets after post-Brexit bureaucracy shattered the system that used to put fresh langoustines and scallops in French shops just over a day after they were harvested.Fishing exporters told Reuters their businesses could become unviable after the introduction of health certificates, customs declarations and other paperwork added …

Read more “Scottish Fishermen Halt Exports Due to Brexit Red Tape”

The European Union has reached an agreement with Pfizer-BioNTech for an additional 300 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine.At a news conference in Brussels Friday, EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said the deal will double the number of doses the bloc gets from the drug maker. The commission is the EU’s executive arm.Von …

Read more “EU Doubles Doses of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine”

Greece said Tuesday it had approved a landmark $1.68 billion deal with Israel, providing for the procurement of 10 state-of-the-art jet fighters and training of pilots as the government in Athens upgrades its defenses, mainly against its longtime foe Turkey.The deal, which both sides are set to sign in the coming weeks, marks the biggest …

Read more “Greece, Israel Seal $1.6 Billion Defense Deal”

2020 has tied 2016 as the hottest year on record, the European Union’s climate monitoring service said Friday, keeping Earth on a global warming fast track that could devastate large swathes of humanity.The six years since 2015 are the six warmest ever registered, as are 20 of the last 21, evidence of a persistent and …

Read more “2020 Ties 2016 as Hottest Year on Record: EU”

Since the 1950s, thousands of Uighurs fleeing persecution in China have found sanctuary in Turkey, where they share a common linguistic, cultural and religious heritage with the Turks. Some experts say the Uighur community there could be in jeopardy, though, after a recent agreement was reached between the two countries. An estimated 50,000 Uighurs are believed …

Read more “Analysts: Extradition Treaty Between Turkey, China Endangers Uighur Refugees”

The handbag of Brigitte Macron, wife of French President Emmanuel Macron, are seen as she attends the traditional Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris, July 14, 2018.The United States has indefinitely suspended 25% tariffs on French cosmetics, handbags and other imports it had planned in retaliation for a digital services tax …

Read more “US Suspends French Tariffs Over Digital Services Tax”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson Thursday condemned the assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, and said Trump was wrong for encouraging them.At a news conference from his residence in London, Johnson said the U.S. president has “consistently cast doubt on the outcome of a free and fair election and …

Read more “Britain’s Johnson Says Trump Was Wrong in ‘Encouraging’ Storming of US Capitol”

While governments around the world have expressed outrage and sadness over rioting that engulfed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, Russia took a different view — namely, vindication with a bit of gloating.     “The celebration of democracy is over,” Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in Russia’s Federation Council, said in a Facebook …

Read more “As US Reels From Capitol Violence, Russia Enjoys the Show”

The Netherlands delivered its first coronavirus vaccine dose Wednesday to a care home nurse, nearly two weeks after other European Union nations began inoculations.   A shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was given live on television to nurse Sanna Elkadiri, the first recipient at a mass vaccination center in Veghel, 120 kilometers southeast of Amsterdam. …

Read more “Netherlands Begins Coronavirus Vaccinations”

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told parliament Wednesday that the government had “no choice but to return to a national lockdown,” as health officials estimate that one in every 50 people in the nation have had COVID-19 in the last week.Figures released Tuesday by Britain’s Office for National Statistics show the number is higher in …

Read more “Britain’s Johnson Defends Lockdown Decision to Parliament”

A British judge has rejected a request to release WikiLeaks’ founder Julian Assange on bail, ordering him to remain incarcerated while British courts determine whether he should face espionage charges in the United States.District Judge Vanessa Baraitser said Wednesday that Assange could fail to appear in court if he is released and therefore must remain …

Read more “British Judge Denies Bail to WikiLeaks’ Founder Assange”

British new car sales fell nearly 30% last year in their biggest annual drop since 1943 as lockdown measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus hit the sector, a trade industry body said Wednesday. Demand stood at 1.63 million cars in 2020, preliminary data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) showed. It …

Read more “UK Lockdown Causes Biggest Drop in New Car Sales Since World War Two”

French Health Minister Olivier Veran said Tuesday the nation was going to “amplify, accelerate and simplify” its COVID-19 vaccination program after coming under fire for the initial slow roll out of the program.In an interview with French radio, Veran said more than 2,000 doctors, nurses and other health care workers have received vaccinations. He also …

Read more “French Health Minister Details Plan to Accelerate COVID-19 Vaccinations”

Conditions continue to deteriorate for thousands of migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers stranded in Bosnia as politicians fail to reach a solution to alleviate their plight, the International Organization for Migration warned.About 6,000 migrants are housed in official accommodation centers in Bosnia while nearly 3,000 other migrants, including women and children, are sleeping outdoors in Una …

Read more “Conditions Deteriorate for Thousands of Migrants Stranded in Bosnia”

A report released Tuesday says Norway has become the first country in the world in which 50 percent of all new cars it sold are electric.Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council (Opplysningsradet for Veitrafikken) says electric vehicles accounted for 54.3 percent of new car sales in 2020, up from 42.4 percent a year earlier.The group says …

Read more “Norway Says More Than 50% of New Cars Are Electric”

In France, public frustration with the government is growing as the nation’s coronavirus immunization campaign gets off to a slow start. In response, officials say they will speed up and widen the vaccine rollout.As of Monday, only 2,500 people had received the vaccine against COVID-19 in France — most of them nursing home residents and their …

Read more “Public Frustration Grows as France’s Vaccination Campaign Lags “

Britain’s prime minister announced a fresh round of lockdowns Monday, closing schools and nonessential shops, as the country begins vaccinating health care workers and the elderly.Prime Minister Boris Johnson said people must stay at home until at least mid-February, noting that British hospitals are under more strain now than they have been at any point …

Read more “New COVID-19 Lockdowns in Britain; New Variant Found in New York”

A British judge has ruled that Julian Assange, the founder of the whistleblowing website Wikileaks, cannot be extradited to the United States to answer charges of hacking and theft of classified material because of the risk he could commit suicide in U.S. detention. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.Camera: Henry Ridgwell …

European weather forecasters say about 2 meters (over 6 feet) of snow fell early Monday in parts of northern Italy’s alpine region, blocking roads and burying cars and houses in some areas.From its Twitter account, the Alpine-Adriatic Meteorological Society posted video from Italy’s northeastern area of Comelico, near the border with Austria. Snow blocked the …

Read more “Heavy Snow Buries Parts of Northern Italy”

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Monday the country will impose a total lockdown for the rest of January as a surging number of COVID-19 cases threatens to overwhelm hospitals.Speaking before parliament, Sturgeon said she is more concerned about the current situation than at any time since the pandemic began last March. She said the …

Read more “Scotland to Impose Full Lockdown as COVID-19 Cases Surge”