Tag Archives: GERMANY

World

Russia is the main obstacle to peace in Belarus

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The leader of the Belarusian opposition, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, is ready to hold talks with the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, without any preconditions.

This is stated in a statement by her office.

In particular, it is claimed that Tikhanovskaya is ready to meet not even with Lukashenko himself, but with his representatives.

But due to the lack of trust between the parties, the oppositionists believe that the OSCE can act as a platform for preliminary consultations and contacts.

“This allows us to include Russia in the process. It is Russia’s position that is the main obstacle to resolving the crisis in Belarus, “ Tikhanovskaya said unexpectedly.

At the same time, the OSCE will not be able to act as a guarantor of the party’s fulfillment of their obligations. In addition to the Russian Federation, the United States, France, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, or Sweden may be involved in the negotiations for this purpose.

However, neither Poland nor Lithuania, with which the Lukashenko regime is in acute conflict, can mediate the reconciliation of Belarusians.

Recall that at home, several criminal cases were opened against Tikhanovskaya — including an attempt to seize power and prepare a terrorist attack.

In this regard, Belarus demanded to extradite the politician from Lithuania but was decisively refused.

Europe

EU Regulator Confirms AstraZeneca Side Effect

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The European Medicines Agency’s Safety Committee has concluded that the formation of unusual blood clots in combination with a low platelet count should be included in the list of very rare side effects of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

This is stated in the press release of the EU regulator, published on Wednesday.

At the same time, according to the regulator, the benefits of using the AstraZeneca vaccine continue to outweigh the risks.

In reaching this conclusion, the committee took into account all the evidence currently available, including the recommendations of the ad hoc expert group.

“The EMA reminds health professionals and people who receive the vaccine of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots in combination with low platelet levels within two weeks of vaccination,” the EU regulator said in a statement.

The regulator noted that at the moment, the majority of reported cases of thrombosis occurred in women under the age of 60 years within two weeks after vaccination. However, based on the currently available data, specific risk factors have not been confirmed.

People who have received the vaccine are advised by the regulator to seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms of this combination of blood clots and low platelet levels.

The EMA Committee noted that blood clots in vaccinated patients formed in the veins of the brain (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis) and the abdominal cavity (internal vein thrombosis), and in the arteries, along with low platelet levels, sometimes with bleeding.

At the same time, the EMA notes that the combination of blood clots and low platelet counts is very rare, and the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing COVID-19 outweigh the risks of side effects.

A likely explanation for the combination of blood clots and low platelet levels is an immune response, leading to a condition similar to that sometimes seen in patients treated with heparin, the regulator notes.

The EMA Committee has requested new studies and amendments to the current ones to provide more information and promises to take any further action necessary.

So far, the EMA has recommended the AstraZeneca vaccine as safe and pointed to the lack of evidence of a link between the vaccine and blood clots. However, several EU countries, including Germany, have restricted the use of the vaccine.

In early March, dozens of European countries suspended the use of the vaccine due to such reports, but after the conclusion of the EU regulator, they mostly resumed vaccinations.

Europe

Finland is approaching the mark of 1 million vaccinated

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This week, Finland, with a population of 5.5 million inhabitants, will pass the threshold of one million vaccinated.

This is reported by Yle.

According to the latest data, 974,000 people have already received the first dose of the vaccine in the country.

According to the Health and Social Development Agency THL, about four and a half million people will be vaccinated in Finland as a whole.

About 200,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be delivered to the country each week over the next three weeks.

According to the forecast of the European Commissioner Thierry Breton, the EU population can achieve collective immunity against the coronavirus until mid-July.

Meanwhile, in Germany, until the beginning of May, they plan to vaccinate 20% of the population.

Europe

In Germany, they called for the introduction of a “transitional” lockdown

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In Germany, the head of North-Rhine — Westphalia, and chairman of the Christian Democratic Union, Armin Laschet, called for the introduction of a “transitional” lockdown in the country to combat the third wave of the coronavirus pandemic. This is reported by Reuters.

“We are close to the goal. We need to make additional efforts, and I call for this today, “ Laschet said.

He added that this measure is necessary because of the high incidence. The minister also recalled the words of experts who say that mass testing for COVID-19 and contact tracking as a method of controlling the spread of the virus work only with a low incidence. According to Laschet, a curfew imposed by local and regional authorities can be added to the new lockdown.

The lockdown may last two to three weeks, Laschet said. He called for the preservation of the remote work mode, as well as not to open public catering establishments for visitors.

In addition, the head of the North Rhine proposed to hold a meeting of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the heads of the regions, scheduled for April 12, this week.

A nationwide regime of restrictive measures has been in effect in Germany since November 2 last year. It began to soften in February 2021.

Scandals

A German doctor in Majorca gave tourists negative tests for Covid-19 for 80 euros

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A German family doctor in Majorca issued holiday-makers certificates of a negative test result for Covid-19, without conducting the test itself.

This is reported by the publication Focus.

The coronavirus testing centers in Majorca for vacationers are now overcrowded.

Those who have a positive result are not allowed to fly home — such a person must go to a quarantined hotel.

A German family doctor on the island apparently decided to take advantage of this testing problem without testing it, he issued the vacationers a certificate of negative testing. For one certificate, he charged a fee of 80 euros.

This certificate, in particular, was received by the author of investigative journalism, who filmed the process with a hidden camera.

The family doctor now refuses to comment on the charges against him.

Despite all the calls to refrain from traveling and strict requirements for holidaymakers in Majorca — curfews, food restrictions and testing-thousands of tourists flew to Majorca at the beginning of the Easter holidays.

Only on Saturday, March 27, 2021, 60 planes from Germany arrived in the capital of the island of Palma.