Covid vaccine: PM to have AstraZeneca jab as he urges public to do the same

BBC News says Boris Johnson is to receive his first dose of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine after reassuring the public it was “safe”.

The PM has urged people to get inoculated and said England’s roadmap out of lockdown was “on track”.

He said there was “no change” to the plan despite a drop in vaccine supply.

Several European countries are to resume using the AstraZeneca jab after the EMA confirmed it was “safe and effective”.

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Paris to enter four-week lockdown as France faces third Covid wave

The Guardian says France announces a month-long lockdown on Paris and parts of northern France after a faltering vaccine rollout and spread of highly contagious variants forced the president, to shift course.

Since late January, when he defied the calls of scientists and some in his government to lock down the country, Macron has said he would do whatever was needed to keep the economy as open as possible. However, this week he ran out of options just as France briefly suspended use of the Oxford/AstraZenca vaccine.

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Crackdown triggers exodus from Myanmar’s biggest city

France24 says roads out of Myanmar’s biggest city were choked Friday with people fleeing the junta’s deadly crackdown on anti-coup dissent, as neighbours Thailand said they were preparing for an influx of refugees.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, triggering a mass uprising that security forces have sought to crush with a campaign of violence and fear.

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‘Nothing else explains it’: Norwegian scientists say AstraZeneca DID cause blood clots, as British & Dutch experts dismiss theory

RT News says Norwegian scientists have linked the AstraZeneca vaccine and blood clots – a condition seen in some people that led countries around the world to halt its use. But British and Dutch medics say there’s no evidence for such a link.

“The cause of our patient’s condition has now been found,” Pal Andre Holme, said. He was referring to the cases of three health workers under the age of 50 who suffered from severe blood clotting after receiving the AstraZeneca jab. One of the medics then died on Monday.

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Dubai announces Ramadan COVID-19 precautionary measures

Arab News says Dubai has urged people not to hold large gatherings during Ramadan, as part of its measures to curb the spread of COVID-19.

Dubai also called on the public to avoid exposing the elderly and people with chronic diseases to coronavirus risks. Ramadan and donation tents are also prohibited in the city, the committee said, adding that Tarawih prayers can be performed in mosques on the condition that precautionary measures are applied.

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Love them or hate them, the Kardashians changed business forever

Aljazeera says in the final season of their show, the Kardashians remain modern-day marketing geniuses who changed how people watch, click and buy – and whose family milestones reflected broader cultural shifts

To say that the 20th and final season of Keeping Up With the Kardashians, signals the end of an era is not only a cliche, it is plain inaccurate. KUWTK created an entire world anchored in social media – and in many ways, this era is only just taking off.

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China calls for end of Cold War mentality in US relations

TRT World says China has threatened “firm actions” against “US interference” and called for an end to the “Cold War mentality” stunting the rivals’ relationship.

“China is firmly opposed to US interference in China’s internal affairs,” Yang Jiechi said at the summit with Antony Blinken. 

“We have expressed our staunch opposition to such interference, and we will take firm actions in response.” “What we need to do is to abandon the Cold War mentality, and the zero sum game approach” he added.

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