Europe

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin ordered Russian authorities on Wednesday to begin mass voluntary vaccinations against COVID-19 next week as Russia recorded 589 new daily deaths from the coronavirus.

Russia will have produced 2 million vaccine doses within the next few days, Putin said. Russia said last month that its Sputnik V jab was 92% effective at protecting people from COVID-19 according to interim results.

GENEVA (AP) — Climate change is increasingly damaging the U.N.’s most cherished heritage sites, a leading conservation agency warned Wednesday, reporting that Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and dozens of other natural wonders are facing severe threats.

Climate change that has lead to shrinking glaciers, increasing fires, floods and droughts, and the bleaching of coral reefs are among the troubles facing 83 of the 252 World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO, the U.N.’s cultural agency.

BRUSSELS (AP) — As millions of European citizens gear up for the festive season, the European Union’s executive commission urged member countries to keep strong anti-COVID 19 restrictions in place to avoid a post-holiday surge of coronavirus cases and deaths but stopped short of advising against travel.

The European Commission said in non-binding recommendations published Wednesday that easing pandemic-containment measures this month would jeopardize the efforts that have helped slow infections across the EU in recent weeks.

(AP) --- British officials authorized a COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use on Wednesday, greenlighting the world’s first shot against the virus that’s backed by rigorous science and taking a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic.

The go-ahead for the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech comes as the virus surges again in the United States and Europe, putting pressure on hospitals and morgues in some places and forcing new rounds of restrictions that have devastated economies.

London; 02 Dec 2020 (UMMN): UK has become the first western country to license Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for emergency use from next week for those most at risk, opening the way for mass immunisation.

According to The Guardian, the UK has bought 40m doses of the vaccine, which has been shown to have 95% efficacy in its final trials.

02 Dec 2020; MEMO:  The EU remains intent on preserving the Iran nuclear deal, the bloc's top diplomat said Tuesday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Speaking at an event organized by the European External Action Service (EEAS), EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the killing of Iranian nuclear scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh on November 27 was a "criminal act."

30 Nov 2020; MEMO:  At its summit next month, the EU will assess its relations with Turkey not over one action, but on Turkey's actions over a period of time, said an EU spokesperson on Monday, reports Anadolu Agency.

Asked about Turkey bringing a ship back to port on Monday after it completed part of its energy research mission – a mission the EU has long objected to – Peter Stona told a news conference that what the EU expects from Turkey, and its timeline, are very clear.

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/: Russia’s carrier rocket Soyuz ST-A with the United Arab Emirates’ Falcon Eye 2 military satellite could not blast off early on Tuesday from the Kourou spaceport in French Guiana over technical problems, CEO of the Arianespace corporation Stephane Israel said.

According to him, problems with transmitting telemetry data occurred during the preparations for the launch. The carrier rocket and the satellite are in good order and will be switched to a standby mode. The new launch will be carried out exactly the same time the next day.

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/: Russia is ready for any developments in the world after the US presidential outcome is summed up, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with international news agency Kazinform.

MOSCOW, December 1. /TASS/: The number of coronavirus-related fatalities in Russia went up by 569 in the past 24 hours; this is the highest daily tally since the pandemic began. The total death toll now stands at 40,464, the national anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters Tuesday.

The conditional fatality rate remains at 1.74%.

According to the crisis center, 85 patients died in St. Petersburg, followed by the Rostov Region (25), the Krasnoyarsk Region (22), the Moscow Region (21) and the Komi Region (17).