QUICK READ
Spain
A VOLCANO in Spain’s Canary Islands has destroyed houses, authorities said yesterday, as it spewed lava and ash after coming to life over the weekend and forcing some 5 000 people from their homes. Sergio Rodriguez, a local mayor in a nearby village of El Paso said at least 20 homes were completely destroyed by the Cumbre Vieja volcano, which erupted for the first time in 50 years. As many as 100 homes had been impacted.
Cumbre Vieja straddles a ridge in the south of La Palma island, home to 80 000 people. The lava was moving at 700m an hour, with temperature of 1 000°C. | AFP
Russia
A STUDENT armed with a hunting rifle opened fire at a university in the Russian city of Perm yesterday, killing at least eight people and wounding many others, police said. Students leapt from first-floor windows to escape Perm State University 1 300km east of Moscow, landing heavily before running to safety. They built barricades out of chairs to stop the shooter from entering their classrooms. The gunman was wounded after resisting arrest and was being treated in hospital. Russia raised the legal age for buying firearms from 18 to 21 after but the new law has yet to come into force. |
Afghanistan
THE Taliban’s effective ban on women working sank in yesterday, sparking rage over the loss of rights after millions of female teachers and girls were barred from secondary school education.
The Islamic fundamentalists are tightening their control of women’s freedoms one month after seizing power. The acting mayor of the capital Kabul has said any municipal jobs held by women would be filled by men. The Taliban has also appeared to have shut down the former government’s ministry of women’s affairs. Many Afghan women fear they will now never find meaningful employment. | AFP
PFIZER and BioNTech yesterday said trial results showed their Covid-19 vaccine was safe and produced a robust immune response in children aged five to 11. The vaccine would be administered at a lower dosage than for people over 12, they said. US giant Pfizer and its German partner planned to submit their data to regulatory bodies in the EU, the US and around the world soon. The trial results are the first of their kind for children under 12, with a Moderna trial for 6 to 11-year-olds ongoing. Although children are less at risk of severe Covid-19, there are concerns that the Delta variant could lead to more serious cases. |