Top Stories

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  Last update: 13:09 GMT 05.03.2021

  13:09 GMT 05.03.2021

  Europe

  EU Must Retain 'Solidarity' Over Russian, Chinese COVID-19 Jabs, French Minister Says Amid Shortages

  The comments come after several EU member-states picked the Russian and Chinese jabs for their national vaccine rollouts and as US and Anglo-Swedish firms failed to provide sufficient jabs for Europe's vaccine programmes, sparking rows with Brussels.

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  Last update: 13:33 GMT 05.03.2021

  13:33 GMT 05.03.2021

  Asia & Pacific

  Pants Down! China Reportedly Makes Anal Swab Testing Mandatory for International Arrivals

  There have already been several reports suggesting the Chinese authorities were forcing US Diplomats to submit to anal swab tests for COVID-19. Although these reports have proved false, thousands of foreigners might face the procedure in the nearest future.

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  Last update: 12:50 GMT 05.03.2021

  12:50 GMT 05.03.2021

  Environment

  Parts of France Hit by Clouds of Radioactive Dust From Sahara

  Past nuclear tests carried out by France in the Algerian desert are now coming back to haunt Europe.

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  Last update: 12:13 GMT 05.03.2021

  12:13 GMT 05.03.2021

  India

  'Bollywood Terminators': Video of Boston Dynamic Robots Dancing to Tamil Song Goes Viral

  The field of robotics is advancing at a rapid pace around the world. While most robots are being employed in industrial settings, some are more suited to the dance floor it seems.

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  Last update: 13:45 GMT 05.03.2021

  13:45 GMT 05.03.2021

  UK

  ‘Whatever Floats Your Boat': Netizens Marvel at Pic of Ship 'Hovering' Above Sea off Cornish Coast

  A Cornwall man recently captured a stunning scene off the coast as he cast his gaze out to sea from Gillan, not far from Helston, that left him baffled; netizens poured over the remarkable image, which was posted later on social media.

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  Last update: 10:27 GMT 05.03.2021

  10:27 GMT 05.03.2021

  Business

  Senators Push New Nord Stream 2 Sanctions, Claim Project Would Give Putin ‘Stranglehold Over Europe’

  Last week, a State Department spokesperson indicated that Washington was continuing its review of potential “sanctionable activity” by companies involved in the construction of the Russian-Western European energy infrastructure megaproject. President Biden has called Nord Stream 2 a “bad deal for Europe”.

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  Last update: 13:10 GMT 05.03.2021

  13:10 GMT 05.03.2021

  Middle East

  Iran Built, ‘Sanitised’ Secret Nuclear Site Ahead of IAEA Inspectors’ Arrival, Report Claims

  The claims come amid the Biden administration’s flagging diplomatic campaign to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action nuclear deal, which promises Tehran sanctions relief in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities.

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  Last update: 04:25 GMT 05.03.2021

  04:25 GMT 05.03.2021

  World

  Live Updates: Germany Registers 10,580 New COVID-19 Cases

  The global death toll from the coronavirus infection has topped 2.569 million; over 115.5 million cases of the infection have been detected, according to Baltimore, Maryland's Johns Hopkins University, which tracks and compiles data from national and local authorities, the media and other sources.