Новости за 28.12.2020

US President-elect Joe Biden said on Monday many of America's security agencies had been "hollowed out" under President Donald Trump and the lack of information being provided to his transition team by the outgoing administration was an "irresponsibility."

South Africa on Monday tightened COVID-19 restrictions, banning alcohol sales and extending a nationwide curfew, as infections shot through the one million mark owing to a faster-spreading variant of the disease discovered in the country.

Three French soldiers were killed Monday in Mali when their armoured vehicle struck an explosive device in the Hombori region in the centre of the poor Sahel state, the Élysée Palace said.

Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht, which recently changed its name to Novonor, must pay a $50 million fine over corruption related to construction of a highway in Colombia, authorities announced on Monday. The company was fined "for implementing a system restricting free competition" related to a 520-kilometer (325-mile) section of the Ruta del Sol highway from the center to the north of the country, Colombia's industry and commerce regulatory agency said. Odebrecht and its local partners... Читать дальше...

Russia on Monday reported more than three times more coronavirus deaths than previously announced, making it the nation with the third-highest number of fatalities, as countries across the globe ramped up vaccination campaigns in a bid to beat the pandemic. More than 1.76 million people have died since the virus crisis erupted in China a year ago, upending lives and casting the global economy into chaos, with the United States and Brazil counting for the most fatalities. Russia's Rosstat statistics... Читать дальше...

Brazil's star footballer Neymar is at the center of a new controversy storm after several Brazilian media reported that he's organizing a huge New Year's Eve party despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Swedish goaltender Henrik Lundqvist, an Olympic champion and 15-year National Hockey League star for the New York Rangers, said Monday he will undergo open-heart surgery. The 38-year-old netminder signed a one-year free agent deal with Washington in October but said earlier this month he would miss the upcoming NHL season due to a heart condition. "Last three weeks my focus has shifted from training camp and the upcoming season to my health and what I can and can't do," Lundqvist tweeted. "Scheduled... Читать дальше...

China has announced the ratification of an extradition treaty with Turkey, a text that Beijing wants to use, among other things, to speed up the return of certain refugees and Muslim Uighurs suspected of "terrorism".

A much-changed Leicester moved up to second in the Premier League thanks to Harvey Barnes' late equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Monday. Wilfried Zaha's stunning near post volley put the Eagles in front against the run of play after Kelechi Iheanacho had a first-half penalty saved for Leicester. With little over 48 hours rest between the Foxes' 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Saturday and the trip to Selhurst Park, Leicester boss Brendan Rodgers made seven changes with Jamie Vardy... Читать дальше...

Mexican singer-songwriter Armando Manzanero died Monday at the age of 86 after being hospitalized with the coronavirus, sparking an outpouring of tributes for one of the country's best-loved musicians. The composer of romantic Latin ballads, who became the first Mexican to receive a Grammy lifetime achievement award in 2014, suffered a cardiac arrest, his publicist told AFP. Manzanero's songs are known across Latin America and have been covered or adapted by international stars including Frank Sinatra... Читать дальше...

A second Taiwan-born giant panda made her media debut on Monday, clambering over a wooden climbing frame and playing with sawdust to the sound of clicking cameras.

Manchester City's Premier League visit to Everton on Monday was postponed after multiple new positive tests for coronavirus were detected at City, the club confirmed. "Based on strong medical advice the Premier League, in consultation with both clubs, have decided to postpone the fixture," City said in a statement. City announced on Christmas Day there had been four positive tests at the club for players Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus and two staff members. "After the latest round of Covid-19 testing... Читать дальше...

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Edinson Cavani still has years left as a top striker and is keen to extend the Uruguayan's contract at Old Trafford. The 33-year-old Uruguayan signed a one-year deal in September after months without a club since leaving Paris Saint-Germain. United have the option to extend Cavani's contract for another season and Solskjaer suggested he expects the club to do so. "At the moment he looks like he has a few years left in him so I wouldn't say... Читать дальше...

Seventeen fishermen were missing and feared dead on Monday after a Russian trawler capsized during a storm and sank in the freezing waters of the Barents Sea.

EU member states gave political backing to Brussels' planned investment pact with China on Monday, clearing the way for a deal between the world's biggest economic blocs. At a meeting of ambassadors, the German EU presidency noted no member had "raised a stop sign and the way for a political endorsement was thus cleared", a diplomat said. The diplomats noted "recent positive developments" in negotiations, with China reportedly addressing concerns over the alleged use of forced labour on its farms. Читать дальше...

France has not ruled out imposing a third nationwide lockdown if coronavirus cases continue to rise, its health minister said Sunday, as the country braces for a possible post-Christmas spike.

The European Union gave the green light on Monday to its post-Brexit trade deal with the UK, clearing the way for it to come into effect in the New Year.

Fake news about Covid-19 vaccines is already circulating on social media just days after several countries have started their campaigns. Lots of people are worried about potential nasty side effects, while others accuse the media of lying about it. In this series, the FRANCE 24 Observers team takes on some of the most widespread rumours. In this article, we examine the rumours about the four people who developed Bell’s palsy, a type of facial paralysis, during trials for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

Hundreds of British tourists forced into quarantine in the Swiss ski resort of Verbier fled in the night rather than seeing their holidays go downhill, the local municipality said Sunday.

A Chinese court handed a four-year jail term on Monday to a citizen-journalist who reported from the central city of Wuhan at the peak of last year’s coronavirus outbreak, on grounds of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” her lawyer said.

EU countries on Sunday embarked on a vaccination campaign to defeat the “nightmare” of Covid-19, with the first to be immunised expressing emotion after their jab and leaders hailing a milestone in the fight against the pandemic.

A Chinese citizen journalist was jailed for four years for her livestream reporting from Wuhan as the Covid-19 outbreak unfurled, her lawyer said Monday, almost a year after details of an "unknown viral pneumonia" surfaced in the central China city. Zhang Zhan, a former lawyer, was sentenced at a brief hearing in a Shanghai court for allegedly "picking quarrels and provoking trouble" for her reporting in the chaotic initial stages of the outbreak. Her live reports and essays were widely shared on social media platforms in February... Читать дальше...

The United States called for the "immediate release" of a group of Hong Kong democracy activists facing trial in China on Monday, after they attempted to escape the territory by speedboat for sanctuary in Taiwan.

Donald Trump may soon be dislodged from Washington, but to core supporters in southern Florida he remains an unquestionable hero, their favorite occasional local, whose Mar-a-Lago presence draws global attention to Palm Beach. The brash Republican is on his final holiday trip to his private club as president, inconveniencing some neighbors who find the area's roads blocked as he shuttles between the "Southern White House" and his Trump International Golf Club. He airs his election grievances on Twitter and... Читать дальше...

Australia took five wickets in the first session as India were bowled out for 326 at lunch Monday after amassing a 131-run lead to put them in a strong position on day three of the second Test in Melbourne. India started the day at a chilly Melbourne Cricket Ground with an 82-run advantage after seizing control on Sunday with a gutsy batting performance in response to their embarrassing 36 all out in Adelaide. But Australia quickly made inroads with the key wickets of stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane and the experienced Ravindra Jadeja... Читать дальше...