‘EU faces price rise of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines’

There has been a marked price rise in Pfizer and Moderna’s anti-COVID vaccines in the latest supply contracts with the European Union. Citing excerpts from the contracts, The Financial Times reports the new price for Pfizer vaccines is €19.50 against the €15.50 of the previous supply while that of Moderna rises to $25.50 per dose, above the $22.60 of the previous deal but less than the $28.50 initially expected after the order was expanded. The agreements, signed this year for a total of up to 2.1 billion doses by 2023, have been renegotiated after the phase 3 tests.

COVID-positive woman flees Italian hospital after giving birth

A woman, positive for COVID-19, fled from her bed in the obstetrics ward in Cervello hospital in Palermo, after giving birth. Her husband managed to enter his wife’s room, evading surveillance, and helped her escape. Admitted two days ago for a Caesarean section, the woman left her newborn in the hospital.

Police break 1,000-youth party

A party with a thousand young participants from all over Italy was staged during the night between Saturday and Sunday in a former sugar refinery in Argelato in the province of Bologna. About thirty carabinieri worked all day to identify those present, who will now be fined for violating the anti-COVID rules and will have to answer for the crime of invasion of land and possibly damage.

Belarus sprinter refuses to be forcibly removed from Tokyo

The Czech Republic and Poland have offered to help Belarusian sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya, 24, who was ordered home from the Tokyo Olympics by her country’s officials after she criticised her coaches. She is now under Japanese police protection. The Czech Foreign Ministry said his government was offering her a visa so that she could apply for international protection there.

Sea-Watch 3 and Ocean Viking save over 700 migrants

The German and French NGO ships, Sea-Watch 3 and Ocean Viking, rescued over 700 migrants in the Mediterranean waters after pulling them off dangerously-overcrowded boats. In an operation lasting about six hours, Sea-Watch 3 took 141 of the survivors while Ocean Viking took the rest. Migrants were mainly men from Morocco, Bangladesh, Egypt and Syria.

US, UK blame Iran for deadly ship attack

The United States and the United Kingdom joined Israel on Sunday in alleging that Iran carried out a fatal drone strike on an oil tanker off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, putting further pressure on Tehran as it denied being involved in the assault. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the US was working with its partners to consider the next step. Calling it an “unlawful and callous attack”,British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said his country and its allies planned a coordinated response. Earlier, an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman described the allegation as “baseless”.

Chile: workers strike in largest copper mine in the world

Workers at the largest copper mine in the world, Escondida, in Chile, have decided to go on strike in support of their wage claims, which they say had not been sufficiently considered by the Anglo-Australian group Bhp Billiton which operates the plant. It is feared that the strike will lead to price increases that are already not far from the $10,740 per ton reached on 13 May. With 1.2 million tons produced last year, Escondida is the largest copper mine in the world.

Sarah Palin to return to politics?

Sarah Palin is considering a return to politics. The former governor of Alaska and former candidate for the US vice president hinted at the possibility of her candidacy for the Senate in 2022 against Republican Lisa Murkowski. During a meeting with conservative Christians, she invited them to support her, complaing that not enough people supported her in her candidacy bid for vice president with John McCain.