The World Bank has approved a loan of €454.4 million (about US$474.4 million) to help South Africa fund COVID-19 vaccine purchases. In a joint statement, the bank and South Africa’s National Treasury said South Africa had recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths on the African continent, with over 3.9 million confirmed cases and more than 101,000 deaths. South Africa …

Pope Francis is using a wheelchair to protect his injured knee. The 85-year-old head of the Catholic Church was pushed by a Vatican employee to an audience with nuns on Thursday. The Pontiff said recently that his doctors had told him to rest his painful right knee. He has been seen hobbling in recent weeks and had to cancel some …

Two months after Russia invaded Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that his main spy agency foiled a Western plot to kill a prominent Russian journalist. Putin told reporters on Monday: “This morning, the Federal Security Service stopped the activities of a terrorist group that planned to attack and kill one famous Russian TV journalist. “They have moved to …

Germany’s Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Anne Spiegel resigned Monday after coming under pressure for taking a summer vacation last year, shortly after the region where she was environment minister at the time suffered deadly flooding. The 41-year-old Family Minister said she had decided to step down because of ‘political pressure’. ‘I am doing this to avert …

The UN General Assembly has voted to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council in response to Russian forces’ alleged killings of civilians in Ukraine. Nigeria and 57 other member-states however abstained. The resolution received a two-thirds majority in the 193-member Assembly, with 93 nations voting in favour and 24 against. Fifty-eight abstained from the process. Thursday’s historical vote on …

Russia has declared a partial ceasefire to allow civilians leave the cities of Mariupol and Volnovakha in Ukraine. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defence, the ceasefire on Saturday would enable humanitarian corridors out of the strategic port of Mariupol in the southeast and the eastern town of Volnovakha. The truce, which will see the safe evacuation of thousands of civilians …

British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has cancelled Christmas activities at her estate in Sandringham, Norfolk amid rising Omicron cases in the United Kingdom. The Queen will now celebrate the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ at Windsor. Windsor Castle is the residence of the British Royal family, but the Queen usually spends the festive holiday at her estate in …