A strong earthquake has hit areas of Japan devastated by the tsunami 10 years ago, that saw thousands lose their lives. The quake hit the coast about 220 miles (350km) north of Tokyo at 6.26pm local time (9.26am UK) and had a magnitude of 7, the USGS said. Japan’s Meterological Agency said the quake was
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The Tsehaye Elementary School in Shire, Ethiopia, offers some sort of sanctuary, a place of refuge for people on the run. But there is not much here to keep them alive. A human tide of 300,000 Tigrayans are now camping in this beleaguered city at six schools, a local college and any number of half
She had just come to collect her things. It was January 2020. Vera Pekhteleva, a 23-year-old university student, had told her boyfriend their relationship was over. She was living elsewhere and had found somebody new. When the grey metal door in a dingy corridor on Kemerovo’s Leningradsky Proskpekt shut behind her, she would not
The co-creator of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine has said the technology behind it could soon be used to fight cancer too. While the vaccine has been bankrolled by the American pharmaceutical giant, the science itself is the work of BioNTech, a German company founded by married couple and dedicated physicians Ugur Sahin and Ozlem Tureci. Dr
Paris is among 16 regions of France facing new lockdowns from midnight tomorrow, the country’s prime minister Jean Castex has announced. He said the nation was in a third wave because of coronavirus variants. Schools will remain open under the latest measures, but all non-essential shops will be required to close. The lockdown will last
Three new lifeforms have been discovered in different locations on the International Space Station (ISS), potentially offering researchers a new way to grow food in space. American and Indian scientists have examined four bacterial strains from the station and found that the three belonged to a species previously unknown to science. The rod-shaped bacteria were
Amidst the turmoil and rancour in Brussels, there is one sure thing today – the name of AstraZeneca will be in the headlines again. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is due to give its statement on the safety of the company’s vaccine on Thursday afternoon. Most countries in the European Union have paused their use
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has threatened to block vaccine exports to the UK and other countries with markedly higher rollouts of coronavirus jabs. The EU’s delivery of COVID vaccines has been slower compared with the UK rollout, where nearly 25 million adults have now had their first dose. With the bloc facing
Public Health England is investigating a new COVID variant – first reported in the Philippines – after two cases were found. The variant – VUI-21MAR-02 (P3) – has been designated a variant under investigation, rather than a variant of concern such as the Manaus strain. In a statement, the health authority said: “On 9 March
The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to continue using the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine – as global medical experts meet to discuss reports of blood clots. UK leaders and medical professionals have joined in their defence of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after some European countries – including Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, France and Sweden
The breadth and depth of human suffering in the Ethiopian region of Tigray is perfectly clear to humanitarian workers, human rights groups and the international diplomatic community. After four months of warfare between Ethiopia’s national defence force and fighters from the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), observers are collecting a worrying selection of data. More
Germany is suspending use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine in order to investigate reports of blood clots. The country’s Health Ministry said the measure was a “precaution”. Germany is the latest European country to suspend use of the coronavirus vaccine amid concerns over possible links to the clots. Live COVID updates from the UK and
After a decade of war, you might expect every city in Syria to be in ruins, and many are. Aleppo, Idlib, Homs, Raqqa, the places which have become synonymous with the horror of this past 10 years, are all in pieces. But while the disintegration of a country at war begins with the deaths and
Ireland should temporarily halt its use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab after some reports of blood clots in vaccinated people, health authorities say. The call came after a review from the Norwegian Medicines Agency showed four new cases of “serious blood clotting in adults” had occurred after the jab. Ireland’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Ronan
The Metropolitan Police has launched a preliminary investigation into Asma al Assad, Sky News understands. The British-born wife of Syrian President Bashar al Assad is accused of supporting and encouraging terrorism. If charged, the Met could seek her extradition. Guernica 37 International Justice Chambers accuses her of being among a number of “influential actors” who
A homemade submarine capable of smuggling up to 2,000kg of drugs has been seized by police in Spain. Investigators discovered the 9m (30ft) narco craft while it was being built in Malaga, on the Costa del Sol, during an international drug operation. The light blue semi-submersible vessel, which is 3m (10ft) wide, is made of