Emmanuel Macron accused Anglo-Saxons of blocking vaccine exports today and hinted he could back plans to strip manufacturers of their patents to speed up delivery.
The French president, who has previously supported efforts by the EU to block exports to third-party nations, lashed out at the United States and the United Kingdom as he arrive at a summit in Portugal.
Britain is among a host of countries resisting calls led by US President Joe Biden and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines to be waived to boost jab rates in poorer countries.
Those backing the waiver including Harry and Meghan say it would allow poorer countries to produce the jabs for themselves - but many countries are resisting it amid concerns it would hit competition and the overall fight against the pandemic.
COVID: Israelis enjoy their newfound freedom
Oceania
A
Fijian hospital has gone under lockdown by the military and police after a patient died of COVID. The patient was just the third to die from the illness in the country.
Health authorities said that they were quarantining 400 patients, doctors, nurses and staff within the building until they can determine who was in close contact with the deceased patient. The nation s leaders are concerned that the latest outbreak is spreading across the country, with 28 ongoing cases of community transmission.
Africa
Kenya, a few days after it was detected in neighboring
Uganda. This variant has been picked (up) in Kenya and because of global connectivity, it is just a question of time. You cannot be able to put barriers…to prevent a virus from accessing your territory, said the ministry s director general, Dr. Patrick Amoth. Kenya and Uganda have both suspended all flights to India.
Covid-19 caused one in three deaths in Brazil so far this year cnn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from cnn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.