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EMA says leaked COVID documents ‘manipulated’ to undermine trust in vaccines
The European Union's Medicines Agency (EMA) has said that COVID-19 vaccine information stolen in a cyberattack last December and leaked online last week were "manipulated"...
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Johnson & Johnson could apply for EMA approval in February
US pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson could submit an official application for its vaccine against COVID-19 to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in February,...
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AstraZeneca/Oxford apply for EU approval of COVID vaccine
British-Swedish pharmaceutical company along with the Oxford University have applied for a market approval of their COVID-19 vaccine in the EU, the European Medicines...
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EMA says conclusion on AstraZeneca vaccine possibly by end of January
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) said on Friday that a decision to authorise the use of the AstraZeneca/Oxford coronavirus vaccine could be made by...
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EU medicines watchdog greenlights Moderna COVID-19 vaccine
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Wednesday gave the nod to Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine, paving the way for its final authorisation by the European...
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Netanyahu, Mossad chief under quarantine after Health Minister tests positive
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has re-entered a precautionary quarantine, after the country's Health Minister Yaakov Litzman tested positive for Covid-19.
The wife of the...
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Fake pharmaceuticals trade worth €4 billion, study says
The trade of counterfeit pharmaceuticals worldwide is estimated to be worth up to €4 billion, with India and China identified to be the largest...
Asia & Pacific
Could bad data be to blame for high coronavirus death toll
European countries saw some of the highest death told for coronavirus over the last month. Deaths in Italy have surpassed those in China many...
Archive
Italian doctors warn of 'bio bombs' from patients sent to care homes
Italian doctors have warned that the government’s policy to send patients discharged from hospital but still positive for coronavirus to care homes is like...
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DJI partners with Rosenbauer to integrate drone data into fire service systems
A new strategic partnership between DJI, a leader in civilian drones and aerial imaging technology, and Rosenbauer International AG, one of the world’s largest...
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Ireland's private hospitals to be used as public amid COVID-19 pandemic
The Irish government announced that the country’s private hospitals are set to be leased for use as public ones for the duration of the...
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France green lights use of chloroquine for certain coronavirus patients
The French government officially authorised the prescription of chloroquine to treat hospitalised coronavirus patients, after dozens recovered within five days.
Speaking at a press conference,...
Analysis
Europe's masked corona ball
Response from the Cabinet of Commissioner Lenarčič:
At the end of January, as the outbreak intensified in Wuhan coronavirus epicentre, President von der Leyen triggered...
Archive
Europe's infectious disease agency says coronavirus is likely to survive warmer weather
As of 25 March 2020, more than 416,916 cases of COVID-19 were reported worldwide by more than 150 countries, with 204,930 cases and 11,810...
Asia & Pacific
Locked down, without answers
Most European governments are turning to increasingly harsh lockdowns to confront the coronavirus pandemic. They did so in the wake of watching Italy’s attempt...
Archive
Von der Leyen calls for united front against Coronavirus
Speaking to an extraordinary European Parliament Plenary held in Brussels on Thursday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen slammed the lack of solidarity...
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France launches special train to relocate coronavirus patients
France launched a new high-speed TGV train to relocate patients infected by the coronavirus from the hard-hit east of the country to other regions,...
Australia
Gulf nations have been quick to prevent economic downturn and Europe must do the same
From the outset of the novel coronavirus outbreak, it became clear that its repercussions would go far beyond public health. As countries have scrambled...
Archive
Elderly found dead and abandoned in care homes in Spain
Elderly people were found abandoned and in some cases dead at nursing homes in Spain, during disinfection operations carried out by soldiers, in response...
China
A few of us might die from COVID-19, but the current worldwide lockdown will kill many more people
Since January, COVID-19 has taken the planet by storm, causing an unprecedented panic that frequently borders on hysteria.
Footage of Chinese people allegedly falling dead...
Archive
Eurocarers warn over informal carers in vulnerable situation amid coronavirus outbreak
As older adults and individuals with chronic conditions are the ones at high risk of getting severely ill from a coronavirus infection, informal carers...
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MEPs call for comprehensive budgetary package for COVID-19 emergency
MEPs of the Budgetary Committee in the European Parliament have urged the EU Commission and Council for the adoption of a coordinated and bold...
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Facebook, Microsoft partner with WHO for coronavirus hackathon
The World Health Organization announced a joint initiative with Facebook, Microsoft and several other tech companies, aiming to promote the development of software to...
Albania
In desperate times, EU approves new Balkan Enlargement steps
Moving on a trajectory that senior EU leaders publicly outlined at the Munich Security Conference in mid-February, the EU’s General Affairs Council (GAC) agreed...
Archive
Hackers target WHO as coronavirus cyberattacks spike
The World Health Organization’s chief information security officer Flavio Aggio said that hackers tried to break into the WHO earlier this month.
Aggio added that...
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MEPs urge evacuation of hotspots on Greek islands to stop COVID-19 spread
As Lesvos island has confirmed its first COVID-19 case, MEPs are urging the European Commission to evacuate migrant camps, the so-called 'hotspots' on Greek...
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Trials for coronavirus vaccine could start next month in the UK
The British government’s health agency said that safety trials of a coronavirus vaccine developed by researchers at Oxford University could start on humans next...
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Czech Republic sends masks to Italy after Chinese shipment seized by mistake
The Czech Republic is due to send 110,000 masks to Italy after a Chinese shipment of medical equipment heading to Italy to help tackle...
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European Parliament to hold extraordinary plenary on March 26
With the number of COVID-19 cases dramatically rising every day across the EU27 bloc, the European Parliament decided to hold an extraordinary plenary session...
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First Coronavirus-related death in EU institutions recorded
A 42-year-old external contractor to the European Parliament is the first victim of COVID-19 in the EU institutions, a spokesperson of the Parliament confirmed...
Archive
EU enables immediate support to hard-hit fisheries sector
As the novel Coronavirus pandemic has driven several member-states across the European bloc to impose a nationwide lockdown, with restaurants and canteens closing down...
Archive
Spain moves to extend state of emergency as virus death toll rises
Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez said Sunday he would ask parliament to extend a state of emergency until April 11 in a bid to...
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Chancellor Merkel into self-quarantine
German Chancellor Angela Merkel went into self-quarantine on Sunday, after coming into contact with a doctor who tested positive for COVID-19.
Merkel, 65, had received...
Archive
MEP Asimakopoulou sees up to 18-month transition for 'return to normality'
As the novel Coronavirus hits the EU and the death toll continues to climb each day, Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou, an MEP of the European...
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Commission announces creation of 'rescEU' stockpile of medical equipment
Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič announced on Thursday the creation of a 'rescEU' stockpile of medical equipment with the aim of tackling shortages...
Archive
With Covid-19 travel restrictions, US takes a further step towards isolation
While having not completely terminated international travel, the US took a major step in that direction on March 19 with the issuance of a...
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Cannes Film Festival postponed over COVID-19 concerns
The 2020 edition of Cannes Film Festival, the mecca of movies, has been postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak and its rapid spread across the...
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UK to close schools and cancel exams amid Coronavirus pandemic
Schools, colleges and nurseries across the UK are to close on Friday for an unspecified period of time, in an effort to stem the...
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Following talks with Brussels, Netflix cuts streaming quality to ease internet congestion in Europe
Netflix will reduce its streaming quality across Europe for at least 30 days, to reduce the strain on internet service providers, following talks with...
Archive
ECB announces €750 bn Pandemic Emergency Purchase Programme (PEPP)
A surprise €750 bn scheme for the purchase of "emergency" bonds was announced on Wednesday night by the European Central Bank (ECB), in an...
Archive
Google developing coronavirus website
Google said on Saturday that it was working with the US government to develop a nationwide website that would help Americans with questions about...
Archive
Prince Albert of Monaco tests positive for COVID-19
Prince Albert II of Monaco has tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement issued by the Prince's Palace on Thursday.
According to the statement,...
Archive
Italy reports 475 new coronavirus deaths in a day
Italy reported new 475 coronavirus deaths on Wednesday, as the European Union, now at the epicenter of the pandemic, sealed off its borders.
The total...
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EU's chief Brexit negotiator Barnier tests positive for COVID-19
Michel Barnier, EU's chief Brexit negotiator announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.
In a tweet published on Thursday, the 69-year-old official said he is...
Archive
Von der Leyen optimistic about COVID-19 vaccine before autumn
In a video published prior to Tuesday's teleconference meeting with EU27 leaders, Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission President and a trained doctor herself...
Archive
European Commission's latest response to COVID-19
After having faced sharp criticism from within the EU over its inactivity in assisting the country's within the bloc that have been the hardest...
Archive
EIB to mobilise €40 bn to fight COVID-19 crisis
On Monday, Eurozone finance ministers held a videoconference on the response to the crisis cause by COVID-19 outbreak in Europe, as the EU and...
Archive
EU27 leaders greenlight European border shutdown
The leaders of the EU27 bloc gave the nod on Tuesday to the Commission's proposal for a 30-day non-essential travel ban from third countries...
Op-Eds & Guest Contributors
A Chinese virus has shown why telecom networks are a vital infrastructure for modern society
Over the past two years, much has been written about the use of Chinese equipment in modern telecommunications networks. Huawei, given its cosiness with...
Medicine
Why everyone is buying toilet paper and how you can manage this period of isolation due to Coronavirus
The trigger for writing this article was the difficulty we had in understanding why so many people are buying big quantities of toilet paper. ...
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