In December 2001, a perilous operation took place in Birmingham to separate three-month-old conjoined twins, Sanchia and Eman Mowatt. They started life in the full focus of the world’s media, such was the rarity of their predicament. What are the 19-year-old sisters who defied the medical odds doing today? There was, medics said, a “slight judder” felt in the operating theatre, and a cheer erupted in the room. At the end of the painstaking 16-hour procedure, the two little girls were separated. They had spent their first three months attached…

The UN has urged Ethiopian authorities to ensure the protection of civilians as the army plans to attack the capital of the northern region of Tigray. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Sunday announced a 72-hour deadline for the region’s fighters to surrender. The army warned Mekelle’s 500,000 residents that soldiers would “encircle” the city and attack it. The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls the mountainous region, has vowed to keep fighting. The conflict has reportedly killed hundreds and displaced thousands in recent weeks. The UN has warned it…

He was nicknamed the “bling-bling” president for what many in France saw as his lavish tastes – but now Nicolas Sarkozy faces the stark reality of a soulless courtroom. He has gone on trial accused of corruption and influence-peddling, for allegedly trying to bribe a magistrate in return for information about an investigation into his party finances. Mr Sarkozy is the first ex-president in modern France to appear in the dock. He led France from 2007 to 2012. His first court appearance was brief, however. The session was suspended after…

The Trump campaign has distanced itself from a lawyer who made dramatic claims of voter fraud at several media events. Sidney Powell claimed without evidence last week that electronic voting systems had switched millions of votes to President-elect Joe Biden, and said he won due to “communist money”. President Trump has refused to concede the election, making unsubstantiated claims of widespread electoral fraud. Mr Biden won the US presidential election by a significant margin. He is projected to win 306 votes in the US electoral college, which determines who becomes…

A string of positive Covid tests at Shanghai’s Pudong airport has sparked mass testing of thousands of people amid reportedly chaotic scenes. Authorities requested all cargo staff come for testing on Sunday. Official pictures released of the testing appear to show an orderly, calm process. However, other videos believed to be of the mass testing show officials in hazmat suits corralling large, yelling crowds into a restricted space. Many of the videos have since disappeared, and state media have not reported on any chaos, saying only that more than 16,000…

China is preparing to launch an unmanned spacecraft on Tuesday to bring back lunar rocks, the first attempt by any nation to retrieve samples from the moon in four decades. Beijing is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022 and of eventually sending humans to the moon. The Chang’e-5 probe, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, aims to shovel up lunar rocks and soil to help scientists learn about the moon’s origins, formation and volcanic activity on its surface.…

According to NCDC: Below are the following ways to prevent the spread of Covid19 #WearAMask properly #WashYourHands with soap & running water Avoid crowded places Cough/sneeze into your elbow/ disposable tissue Frequently disinfect high contact surfaces #TakeResponsibility to prevent the spread of #COVID19: ✅ #WearAMask properly✅ #WashYourHands with soap & running water✅ Avoid crowded places✅ Cough/sneeze into your elbow/ disposable tissue✅ Frequently disinfect high contact surfaces pic.twitter.com/8OT6K7LIQD — NCDC (@NCDCgov) November 23, 2020 Read Also: Ghana Daily Covid-19 Infections Jump Five Fold Over Fortnight

British drugs group AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford say their jointly-developed vaccine against COVID-19 has shown “an average efficacy of 70 percent” in trials. “This vaccine’s efficacy and safety confirm that it will be highly effective against COVID-19 and will have an immediate impact on this public health emergency,” AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said in a statement on Monday. The results ranged between 62 and 90-percent efficacy, depending on the vaccine dosage. The 70-percent average is lower compared with the efficacy of coronavirus vaccines trialled by rivals Pfizer/BioNTech…