AstraZeneca: Germany, other European countries to resume use of vaccine | News | DW | 18.03.2021

Germany, France and several other EU countries on Thursday have decided to continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) deemed the shot “safe and effective.”

Germany will resume administering the jab on Friday, according to Health Minister Jens Spahn. The vaccine, however, will come with new advice on potential side effects.

Source: AstraZeneca: Germany, other European countries to resume use of vaccine | News | DW | 18.03.2021

Endangered Gazelles Make a Comeback on the Edge of a War Zone – The New York Times

The rediscovery and survival of the mountain gazelle in Turkey has been largely thanks to one man and his love of nature.

Yasar Ergun, a village teacher who became a veterinarian and professor at Hatay Mustafa Kemal University in the city of Antakya, heard in the mid-1990s from an old hunter that there were wild gazelles in the mountains along the border with Syria.

A keen hiker, he set out to try to find them. Barely 25 miles from Antakya — the ancient city of Antioch — Kurdish villagers knew about them and shepherds occasionally saw them. The gazelles live on the rocky hillsides, where their markings and coloring make them almost invisible. But they come down in groups to graze and find water on the surrounding agricultural land.

US to send 4m AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Mexico and Canada | Coronavirus | The Guardian

The United States plans to send roughly 4m doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine that it is not using to Mexico and Canada in loan deals with the two countries. Mexico will receive 2.5m doses of the vaccine and Canada will receive 1.5m doses, the official said. Biden says US to meet goal of vaccinating 100m Americans by Friday – live Read more “This virus has no borders,” an administration official told Reuters. “We only put the virus behind us if we’re helping our global partners.” The Biden administration has come under growing pressure from allies to share vaccines, particularly from AstraZeneca, which is authorized for use in other countries but not yet in the United States.

Source: US to send 4m AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Mexico and Canada | Coronavirus | The Guardian

EU agency says AstraZeneca vaccine is ‘safe and effective’ – BBC News

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) investigated after 13 EU states suspended use of the vaccine over fears of a link to blood clots.

It found the jab was “not associated” with a higher risk of clots.

Italy announced it would resume using the jab on Friday while Sweden said it needed a “few days” to decide.

Source: EU agency says AstraZeneca vaccine is ‘safe and effective’ – BBC News

Covid: ‘I totally disagree with you,’ Fauci tells GOP senator in fiery exchange over masks

Paul told Fauci that Americans shouldn’t have to wear masks after getting vaccinated because there is “virtually 0% chance” they are going to get Covid-19.

“Isn’t it just theater?” the Kentucky junior senator, a physician, asked during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing.

In response, Fauci said, “Here we go again with the theater.”

Can I just state for the record that masks are not theater,” Fauci said. “I totally disagree with you.”

The emergence of new, highly contagious variants poses a threat to people who have recovered from Covid or who have been vaccinated, he said.

“In the South African study conducted by [Johnson & Johnson], they found that people who were infected with wild type and were exposed to the variant in South Africa, the 351, it was as if they had never been infected before, they had no protection,” Fauci said.

Fauci agreed it was unlikely someone would get infected with the original strain for at least six months, “But we in our country now have variants.”

Source: Covid: ‘I totally disagree with you,’ Fauci tells GOP senator in fiery exchange over masks

ASIA/MYANMAR – Buddhist monks take sides with the demonstrators – Agenzia Fides

It seems that they want to join the civil disobedience movement. Their support can be a valuable and vital contribution to all of the people who suffer and hope”, says a source of Fides in Yangon, while violence continues.
The total of 47 members of the Buddhist Council in Myanmar (“State Saṅgha Maha Nayaka” or “Ma Ha Na”) issued a public statement calling for an end to the violence in the hope of restoring social peace in Myanmar to give back “full freedom of movement and trade” to the people of Myanmar. The current statement reminds the population of the so-called “Saffron Revolution of 2007”, in which the monks demonstrated on the front lines against the military dictatorship.
A few days ago, the monks of the Buddhist monastery of Manihyadanarama Myattaung in Mandalay, one of the famous monasteries that have recorded many martyrs since the era of the kings in Burmese history, reported that on March 14th soldiers had invaded the monastery for no reason and threatened the monks with weapons to intimidate them. The monks condemn “the intrusion of armed forces into Buddhist monasteries, religious complexes and pagodas” and agree they are ready to “lead the monks’ demonstrations against military junta at the national level”. (PA-JZ) (Agenzia Fides, 18/3/2021) Source: ASIA/MYANMAR – Buddhist monks take sides with the demonstrators – Agenzia Fides

Xavier Becerra confirmed as Biden’s Health secretary – Los Angeles Times

The Senate voted 50-49 in favor of Becerra, who will become the first Latino to lead the agency once he’s sworn in. The vote also made him Biden’s 20th Cabinet appointee confirmed by the equally divided Senate. He will have to resign his seat as attorney general of California. Source: Xavier Becerra confirmed as Biden’s Health secretary – Los Angeles Times

Lebanon president to PM designate: Form Cabinet now or quit | World | mcdowellnews.com (who’s on first?)

Lebanon’s president called Wednesday on the prime minister-designate to form a government immediately or step aside as the country plunges deeper into economic crisis.

In turn, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri swiftly challenged President Michel Aoun to step down — a sign of a prolonged political crisis.

The intractable political battle comes against the backdrop of an economic crash that is proving to be the most serious challenge to the small country’s stability since its 15-year civil war ended in 1990.

In a televised statement Wednesday, Aoun said that Cabinet lists proposed by Hariri, who was named to the post of premier last October, did not meet the minimum requirements needed to preserve national accord.

Aoun urged Hariri to meet him at the presidential palace and work together on forming a government or step aside if they cannot agree. The call seems an attempt to deflect blame for months-long political battle in which both sides have traded accusations of obstruction.

In response, Hariri tweeted that he was surprised by the president’s televised invitation and instead urged Aoun to approve Hariri’s last list, which he described as consisting of experts and not political nominees.

Hariri also called on Aoun to spare the Lebanese more suffering by allowing early presidential elections, and challenging him to spell out why he has so far declined all Cabinets proposed by the premier-designate.

Source: Lebanon president to PM designate: Form Cabinet now or quit | World | mcdowellnews.com

San Antonio man arrested outside of Vice President’s house | kens5.com

According to officials, they arrested Paul Murray, 31, of San Antonio. He’s charged with: carrying a dangerous weapon, carrying a rifle or shotgun outside of a business, possession of unregistered ammunition and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device.

Police recovered an AR-15, 113 rounds of unregistered ammunition, and five high-capacity magazines in the suspect’s vehicle, which was found in the 600 block of Massachusetts Avenue.

Source: San Antonio man arrested outside of Vice President’s house | kens5.com

Our expectations from ourselves, from others, from the circumstances and from the world do not take the name of ending.

My experience

Our expectations from ourselves, from others, from the circumstances and from the world do not take the name of ending. We want everything to be according to our wishes, but it does not happen. That is why we get upset. Accepting what is there gives freedom and freedom is happiness. If there is a feeling of anger, restlessness or occupation in the heart, then we cannot be free. Do not expect more from yourself. But keep the courage. Going forward on your path, you will also get courage and with small successes, the picture of the future will also become clear.

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