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United States

US PRESIDENT Joe Biden will start turning asylum seekers back to Mexico as soon as next week under a reinstated Trump-era “Remain in Mexico” programme, news outlet Axios reported. However, the US will offer them the option of receiving a Covid-19 vaccine.

The Biden administration first ended the programme earlier this year. But a federal judge ordered the government to restart it, saying the administration had failed to follow proper regulatory procedure.

The US Supreme Court in August rejected an administration appeal of the lower court’s ruling. | Reuters

United Kingdom

BRITAIN could face a shortage of alcohol this Christmas unless the government steps up its efforts to address a lack of heavy goods vehicle drivers, the wine and spirits industry warned this week.

The prospect of limited alcohol lines follows panic buying of fuel, soaring heating prices for winter and shortages of items ranging from consumer electronics to food.

The Wine and Spirit Trade Association said 49 businesses had put their names to a letter to Transport Minister Grant Shapps, calling on him to take urgent action over driver shortages and freight disruption. |

Libya

THE Supreme Election Commission of Libya has rejected the candidacy of the Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, pictured, as a participant in the presidential election.

He is the second son of ousted Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who was killed.

The commission rejected 25 out of 98 applicants who submitted documents for registration as candidates. The first on the list of those it refused was Gaddafi due to the inconsistency of his documents with a number of requirements of the electoral legislation. The decision can be appealed, according to the commission’s document seen by Sputnik.

The elections in Libya are scheduled for December 24. | Sputnik

Covid-19

TWO lions at the Zagreb zoo have tested positive for Covid-19 that they had contracted from their keeper, officials said this week. These are the first confirmed cases of the disease in zoo animals in Croatia, the agriculture ministry said.

Other animals that the keeper was taking care of were also tested and results of the tests are excepted soon.

In September, several US zoos launched a vaccination campaign for animals susceptible to Covid-19 after a bout of sickness among them.

| AFP