Europe

New Delhi, Dec 22 (PTI) The faster spreading coronavirus strain first detected in the UK is unlikely to make vaccines less effective as of now but the preventives may need to be appropriately altered if more mutations occur over time, say scientists.

More than 40 countries, including India, have banned travel to and from the UK, a move several scientists said was necessary in view of the rapid spread of the new viral strain, VUI-202012/0, that was detected on September 21.

CALAIS, France (AP) — Freight from Britain and passengers with a negative virus test began arriving on French shores Wednesday, after France relaxed a two-day blockade over a new virus variant that had isolated Britain, stranded thousands of drivers and raised fears of shortages.

Associated Press reporters witnessed a ferry pulling into the French port of Calais before dawn and trains carrying freight and car passengers were allowed to cross to the continent beneath the English Channel again.

21 Dec 2020; MEMO: Germany and Finland have repatriated 23 citizens from camps in northern Syria holding the relatives of suspected Daesh fighters, returning them on humanitarian grounds.

Five women and 18 children were repatriated overall, with three of the women and 12 of the children being flown to the German city of Frankfurt early yesterday morning. The remaining eight returnees were then flown to the Finnish capital Helsinki.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: Russia’s Rostec State Corporation has branded its inclusion in the US sanctions list as another spiral of unfriendly steps, which will become an additional impetus to work.

"We have already forgotten what it means to live without sanctions. So, there is nothing new here. This is another spiral of unfriendly steps and an additional impetus for us to work even better," the state corporation, which promotes the development, production and export of high-tech industrial products, said.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev believes that the United States abuses the notion of national security to please the American establishment that gains heft by fanning the flames of Russophobia and Sinophobia, he wrote in his social media accounts to comment on the US sanctions against Russia and China.

"Essentially, this [sanctions] is abusing the notion of national security to accommodate the part of the US establishment that scores points for inciting Russophobia and Sinophobia in the US," he noted.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: The live TV vaccination of US President-elect Joe Biden against COVID-19 doesn’t serve as a justification for Russian leader Vladimir Putin to be inoculated in public, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.

"Absolutely [not]," he replied, when asked whether Biden’s example could prompt Putin to go through that procedure in public. "We are a country that can stand on its own two feet, we have a completely self-reliant president who is just as experienced as Mr. Biden," Peskov insisted.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: Russia has confirmed 28,776 cases of COVID-19, a disease caused by the novel coronavirus, in the past 24 hours, with the total case count going up to 2,906,503, the anti-coronavirus crisis center informed reporters on Tuesday.

The day before, 29,350 daily cases were recorded, which was the highest daily figure since the start of the pandemic.

In the past seven days, 19.3 daily cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents in Russia were recorded.

MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/: Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov is of the opinion that Russian opposition figurehead Alexey Navalny has delusions of grandeur and delusions of persecution, he told reporters on Tuesday, stressing that this is his personal opinion.

Brussels, Dec 21 (AP-PTI) Problems increased Monday in the bid to put a trade deal between the European Union and the United Kingdom on the rails before a Brexit transition period ends on New Year's Day, with the EU legislature insisting ever more it will not have time to vet and approve an agreement.

British and EU negotiators were still deadlocked over fishing rights on Monday with only 10 days to go before a chaotic, costly economic break between both sides is to become official.

LONDON (Reuters) - Oil prices dropped almost 2% on Tuesday to below $50 a barrel, adding to losses from the previous session, as a new coronavirus strain in the United Kingdom revived concerns over demand recovery.

The detection of the new strain prompted several countries to close their borders to Britain, although a British minister said the UK and France are working to reopen one of Europe’s most important trade routes.