Talks between EU and U.K. on post-Brexit ties to resume
The European Union and the United Kingdom decided Saturday to press on with negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal, with all three key issues still unresolved ahead ofa year-end cutoff.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said after a phone call that their negotiators will return to the table Sunday even though fundamental differences between the two sides remain over the rules for fair competition, legal oversight of the deal and fishing rights for EU trawlers in U.K. waters.
“Significant differences remain, ”the two leaders saidin a joint statement after their tea-time call to assess the state of play over the future EU-U.K. relationship.
While the U.K. left the EU on Jan. 31, it remains within the bloc’s tariff-free single market and customs union through Dec. 31. Reaching a trade deal by then would ensure there are no tariffs and trade quotas on goods exported or imported by the twosides, although there woulds till be technical costs, partly associated with customs checks and non-tariff barriers on services.
Moscow opens dozens of vaccination centers
The city of Moscow opening 70 vaccination facilities where thousands of doctors, teachers and others in high-risk groups had signed up to receive COVID-19 vaccines starting Saturday, a precursor to a sweeping Russia-wide immunization effort.
The centers in the capital started giving shots to willing recipients three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of a “large-scale” COVID-19 immunization campaign eventhough a Russian-designed vaccine has yet to complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols.
The Russian leader said Wednesday that more than 2 million doses of Sputnik V will be available in the next few days, allowing authorities to offer jabs to medical workers and teachers across the country starting late next week.
Moscow, which accounts forabout a quarter of the country’s new daily infections, moved ahead of the curvew ith the opening of the vaccination facilities on Saturday. Doctors, teachers and municipal workers were invited to book a time to receive a shot. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that about 5,000 signed up in afew hours after the system began operating on Friday.
Bethlehem tree lighting goes virtual
Only a few dozen people attended the lighting of the Christmastree in the biblical city of Bethlehem on Saturday, as corona virus restrictions scaled back the annual event that is normally attended by thousands.
Asmall group of residents and religious leaders participated in the tree-lighting ceremony at Manger Square neart he Church of the Nativity, where Christians believe Jesus was born. Others watched it virtually due to restrictions prompted by the virus pandemic.
Some officials, including Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, attended in person and addressed participants watching online.