Europe

BERLIN, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Germany's Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), approved the third clinical trial of a potential COVID-19 vaccine on Friday.

The vaccine candidate was developed by the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) and the pharmaceutical company IDT Biologika. During the Phase-1 trial, 30 healthy adult volunteers between 18 and 55 years would receive two vaccinations at a four-week interval, according to PEI.

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he is sure the problems that have emerged in Belarus after the presidential elections will soon be settled, the Kremlin press service said after his telephone conversation with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko.

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/: The price of December Brent crude oil futures contract on London’s ICE fell by 4.79% to $38.97 per barrel on Friday. The last time Brent was traded below $39 per barrel on June 16, 2020.

By 13:33 Moscow time, Brent oil slightly slowed down its decline and was trading at $39.17 per barrel (-4.3%). At the same time, the price of WTI crude oil was at $37.31 per barrel (-4.36%).

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/: The number of COVID-19 infections in Russia over the past 24 hours increased by 9,412, bringing the total to 1,194,643, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Friday.

The number of infections for the first time since June 1 has surpassed 9,000. According to the crisis center, the daily growth is at 0.8%.

MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/: Introduction of a new lockdown due to the spread of the coronavirus in Russia is not being considered currently, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Friday.

"As far as I know, this is not being considered now, as far as I know, it is not discussed," the Kremlin representative said.

BRUSSELS, Oct 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Turkey and Greece have set up a military hotline in a bid to reduce the risk of clashes in the Mediterranean, where the two are locked in a row over energy resources and maritime borders.

The move was announced by the Nato military bloc, of which both countries are members.

Tensions rose this year when Turkey sent a research ship to a disputed area.

It comes as EU leaders met to discuss the bloc’s thorny ties with Turkey.

02 Oct 2020; MEMO: Turkey was added to the UK’s coronavirus quarantine list, meaning travellers will have to self-isolate for two weeks on their return to the kingdom, the Department for Transport (DfT) announced last night.

The new legislation comes into effect for people arriving in the UK after 4 am on Saturday.

Meanwhile, an estimated 10,000 British holidaymakers in Turkey face a choice between paying  for an immediate flight home, or spending two weeks in isolation upon their return.

02 Oct 2020; MEMO: Russia is planning to recruit Syrian mercenaries to deploy to Belarus to protect dictator Alexandr Lukashenko, a Syrian news outlet has reported.

According to a source with knowledge of the case who informed Syrian opposition newspaper Zaman Al-Wasl, Russia is to train and send fighters from Syria to Belarus through the Russian military contractor and mercenary Wagner Group.

Rome, Oct 2 (AP/PTI) The US and the Vatican butted heads over China on Thursday as the Holy See chafed at US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's public call to take a harsher stance against Chinese restrictions on religious freedom.

The State Department sought to play down the differences, but tensions were palpable during Pompeo's two-day visit to Rome.

LONDON (Reuters) - When Boris Johnson caught COVID-19 in March, the overweight British prime minister tried to work through the illness “in denial” - but ended up wearing an oxygen mask in an intensive care unit and was ultimately out of action for almost a month.

He later said he had fought for his life as the state prepared for the unthinkable: the possible death in office of a prime minister.