World News in Brief: September 21

Global stock markets grappled with contagion fears on Tuesday, sparked by troubles at China Evergrande as growing risks the property giant could default on its massive debt pile prompted investors to flee riskier assets.

Greece will make a COVID-19 booster vaccine available to doctors and other medical staff in the coming weeks, Health Ministry experts said.
Greece will make a COVID-19 booster vaccine available to doctors and other medical staff in the coming weeks, Health Ministry experts said.

* India expects to get its first Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses from next month, filled and finished in India by a partner of the US drugmaker, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

* The European Union welcomed the United States' announcement it will re-open its doors to European travellers vaccinated against COVID-19 in November, rolling back restrictions in place since early last year.

* Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday he will not speak with the French president at the United Nations this week even though French anger over cancellation of a US$40 billion defence contract could threaten an Australian-EU trade deal.

* US President Joe Biden on Monday ordered his administration to find ways to ensure people are protected from extreme heat, including through work-related rules and other cooling efforts.

* Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Monday he had instituted transitional governing rules and would introduce a new electoral law, in a speech that came eight weeks after he seized executive power in a move his foes called a coup.

* Lebanon's new government won a vote of confidence on Monday for a policy programme that aims to remedy a devastating economic crisis, despite the parliamentary session being delayed when the lights went off due to power shortages.

* Lava flowing from Spain's Canary Islands' first volcanic eruption in 50 years has forced the evacuation of 5,500 people and destroyed around 100 houses but the streams were advancing slower than originally predicted, authorities said on Monday.

* The Taliban administration in Afghanistan is working towards reopening high school education for girls, who were left out of a recent return to school for boys and younger girls, although a Taliban spokesman speaking on Tuesday gave no time frame for action.

* Argentina is expected to begin rolling out an economic stimulus package from Tuesday, as center-left President Alberto Fernandez tries to try to rev up growth and claw back support after a bruising primary election defeat a week ago.

* Australia's central bank is concerned the spread of the Delta variant could slow the economy's recovery once lockdowns start to ease, although it still expects strong growth to resume next year.

* Britain reported 36,100 daily COVID-19 cases and 49 deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Monday, according to official data.

* US regulators are expected to authorize a third booster shot of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for older and some high-risk Americans early this week in time for the government to roll them out by Friday as hoped.

* Australia's New South Wales state, the epicenter of the country's worst coronavirus outbreak, reported 1,022 locally acquired cases on Tuesday, up from 935 a day earlier.

Reuters