March 17, 2021 – Page 2 – THE OVAL CIRCLE

China to let foreigners into the country if they’ve had Beijing-made Covid vaccine

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

China is set to relax Covid border restrictions and allow foreigners into the country for the first time since it limited most travel last March if arrivals have been vaccinated with a Beijing-made vaccine. … Read More >China to let foreigners into the country if they’ve had Beijing-made Covid vaccine

EU

European states chronically underfunded health systems & failed to invest in staff, allowing Covid to thrive – key WHO report

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

ustained underfunding in health systems across Europe, and a failure to invest in medical staff left the continent wide open to the Covid pandemic, a report from the World Health Organization (WHO) says. … Read More >European states chronically underfunded health systems & failed to invest in staff, allowing Covid to thrive – key WHO report

EU

‘Big Brother is watching you’? France to use ‘smart’ cameras to check how many transport passengers are wearing masks

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

The French government has been accused of dystopian designs after authorizing the use of surveillance cameras to tally how many commuters are masking up. … Read More >‘Big Brother is watching you’? France to use ‘smart’ cameras to check how many transport passengers are wearing masks

USA

Moderna becomes first to start trialing Covid-19 jab on kids aged 6 months to 11 years

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

US pharmaceutical firm Moderna has commenced trials of its Covid-19 vaccine on kids ranging from just 6 months to 11 years old, the youngest so far to receive any Covid jab. … Read More >Moderna becomes first to start trialing Covid-19 jab on kids aged 6 months to 11 years

EU

Health official warns Germany is ‘on the flank of the third wave’ of Covid

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

A health official at Germany’s Robert Koch Institute for Infectious Diseases (RKI) has warned the country is experiencing an undisputed third wave of Covid, as eased restrictions have sped up the “exponential growth” of cases. … Read More >Health official warns Germany is ‘on the flank of the third wave’ of Covid

World

Low bar for ‘triumph of democracy’? Australian PM under fire after bragging women protesters weren’t shot

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

Australia’s PM has come under a storm of criticism after he praised the country’s “vibrant liberal democracy” and gave himself a pat on the back for not meeting women rights protests “with bullets.” … Read More >Low bar for ‘triumph of democracy’? Australian PM under fire after bragging women protesters weren’t shot

World

‘Transforming journalism’: Facebook strikes 3yr pay-per-content deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in Australia

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

Facebook has reached an agreement with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in which the social media giant will pay to use the company’s Australian content, a deal prompted by a contentious new media law passed in the country. … Read More >‘Transforming journalism’: Facebook strikes 3yr pay-per-content deal with Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in Australia

Britain buys most of Russia’s gold exports in January, worth over $700mn

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

Russia exported 13.73 tons of rough gold in January, up 1.5 times year-on-year, according to data from the Federal Customs Service. In monetary terms, exports almost doubled to $812 million, data shows. … Read More >Britain buys most of Russia’s gold exports in January, worth over $700mn

A decade of war: RT visits Khmeimim air base from where Russian jets helped turn the tide in Syria’s anti-terrorism campaign

Posted on March 17, 2021March 17, 2021By Editor

Since the arrival of the Russian military five years ago, the Syrian government was able to retake most of the country from terrorists, while the Khmeimim Air Base has grown from a few tents into a well-protected town. … Read More >A decade of war: RT visits Khmeimim air base from where Russian jets helped turn the tide in Syria’s anti-terrorism campaign