Month: December 2021

China and Russia have begun collaborating on technology to rival the United States’ GPS and European Galileo satellite navigation systems, as the two countries pursue closer military and strategic ties. Earlier this year, China agreed to host ground monitoring stations for Russia’s GLONASS positioning system on its soil, which improves global range and accuracy but can pose a security risk. In turn, Russia agreed to host ground stations for China’s BeiDou system. The reciprocal agreement indicates a growing level of trust and cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, says analyst Alexander Gabuev, senior fellow and chair of the Russia in the …

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Soaring infections in Britain driven in part by the omicron variant of the coronavirus rattled Europe on Thursday, prompting new restrictions and fueling a familiar dread on both sides of the Atlantic about entering a new phase of the pandemic just in time for the holidays.  Much remains unknown about omicron, but officials increasingly warn that it appears more transmissible than the delta variant, which has already put pressure on hospitals worldwide. With so many questions unanswered, uncertainty reigned over how quickly and how severely to crack down on Christmas travel and year-end parties.  After the United Kingdom recorded its …

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The European Union’s drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, on Thursday recommended two new treatments against COVID-19 for use among EU member nations, as well as offer advice on the use of another, pending its authorization. In separate statements on its website, the EMA recommended the use of Swedish-made drug Kineret and U.S.-made Xevudy for treatment of COVID-19. The EMA had previously approved Kineret for use as an anti-inflammatory medicine. But in their recommendation Thursday, the agency recommended its use as a treatment for adult COVID-19 patients also suffering from pneumonia requiring supplemental oxygen and at risk of developing severe …

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New German Health Minister Karl Lauterbach said Thursday he is seeking to secure additional doses of COVID-19 vaccine for a swift booster vaccine offensive, which is the center of the government’s strategy for fighting off the new omicron variant of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Speaking at his first COVID-19 briefing, along with Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI), Lauterbach said 1.5 million booster vaccinations were given Wednesday alone, the nation’s highest single-day total so far. Germany’s vaccination efforts have picked back up, with an average of some 988,000 people per day being inoculated over the past week. But Lauterbach said the campaign has slowed because they do not have enough vaccine, and he is negotiating with other countries, including Romania, Poland, Portugal and Bulgaria to get …

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Leaders of European Union member states are meeting in Brussels Thursday seeking a unified approach to the new omicron coronavirus variant to avoid widespread lockdowns and closed borders.  Ahead of the summit, the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control on Wednesday said the new, highly transmissible omicron is likely to become the dominant variant in the region as early as next month. In the midst of the festive holiday season, many leaders of nations which are heavily dependent on tourism expressed reluctance to close borders or add additional travel restrictions, such as mandatory testing. But several nations ahead of …

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Authorities in Belarus have again failed to release a freelance journalist who has worked for RFE/RL’s Belarus Service, even though the second consecutive jail term he was handed on a controversial hooliganism charge ended on December 15. Andrey Kuznechyk was initially sentenced to 10 days in jail on November 26 after a trial in which he refused to accept the guilty verdict. He is being held in Minsk’s Akrestsina detention center, where many inmates have said they were tortured. On December 6, when his sentence ended, he was not released and was handed another 10-day jail term, also on a …

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Liudmyla Momot wipes away tears as she searches for clothes and household items to salvage from the ruins of her home that was shelled by Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine. Her village of Nevelske, northwest of the rebel-held city of Donetsk, is only about 3 kilometers from the line of contact between the separatists and the Ukrainian military and has been emptied of all but five people. Small arms fire frequently is heard in the daytime, giving way to the booms of light artillery and mortar shelling after dusk. With the bloody conflict now more than 7 years old, there …

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France announced on Thursday that because of surging COVID-19 cases in Britain only designated categories of people would be allowed to travel between the two countries, and anyone arriving from Britain would have to self-isolate.  Truck drivers will though be exempt from the new rules, the French government said, easing British concerns the restrictions could cause supply chain disruptions.  France said it was acting now because the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus, which scientists say appears to be highly infectious, is spreading rapidly in Britain.    “Our goal is to limit as much as possible the spread of omicron …

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Students and faculty members from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music arrived with their families Monday in Portugal, where they are being granted asylum and where they hope to rebuild their acclaimed school.  The 273-person group, including some 150 students, flew into Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, from Doha, Qatar. Their departure from Afghanistan was staggered in five airlifts to Doha over six weeks in October and November.  “The arrival of the (institute’s) community today means that the first and most important step of saving lives and insuring freedom is now over,” said the institute’s founder and director, Dr. Ahmad Sarmast.  …

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