International news brief: Joe Biden’s Covid symptoms improve; Russia strikes Ukraine's Odessa port

Washington, July 24: President Joe Biden's symptoms from Covid-19 improved overnight after his first full day on the Pfizer Inc. drug Paxlovid. While Russia continues to attack Ukraine, day after Moscow and Kyiv penned a deal to resume grain exports blocked by the war.

Joe Biden likely has highly contagious COVID-19 strain

President Joe Biden likely contracted a highly contagious variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly through the United States, and now has body aches and a sore throat since his positive test, according to an update from his doctor on Saturday.

The variant, known as BA.5, is an offshoot of the omicron strain that emerged late last year, and it's believed to be responsible for the vast majority of coronavirus cases in the country.

Over 1,000 artefacts missing from Sri Lanka's Presidential Palace

More than 1,000 valuable artefacts, including items of vintage and antique value have reportedly gone missing from Sri Lanka's Presidential Palace and Prime Minister's official residence at Temple Trees here after irate anti-government protesters occupied these premises earlier this month, police said on Saturday.

The numbers, however, are based on initial investigations, and it will be extremely difficult for police to deduce the exact number of items that have gone missing as the Sri Lankan Department of Archaeology does not have a record of the antiques and artefacts kept at the Presidential Palace, despite the building being gazetted as a place of archaeological importance, web portal Colombo Page reported, quoting police sources.

Russian missiles strike Ukraine's Odessa port

Ukraine said Saturday that Russian missiles had struck the Odessa port, a key Black Sea terminal, one day after Moscow and Kyiv penned a deal to resume grain exports blocked by the war.

"The enemy attacked the Odessa sea port with Kalibr cruise missiles. Two of the missiles were shot down by air defences. Two hit port infrastructure," Sergiy Bratchuk, a representative of the Odessa region said in a statement on social media.

Macron says Iran nuclear deal 'still possible'

French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday told his Iranian counterpart Ebrahim Raisi over the phone that reviving the 2015 nuclear deal was "still possible," according to a statement from the Elysee Palace.

The deal needs to be revived "as soon as possible," Macron stressed.

France's president "expressed his disappointment" at the lack of progress after the suspension of talks in Vienna. He said that Iran needed to return to the accord and implement its nuclear commitments, the Elysee statement said.

UK, France trade blame over Dover traffic chaos

Thousands of holidaymakers seeking to reach the European mainland have been confronted with massive traffic jams outside the UK port of Dover for a second day on Saturday.

The delays come as customs officials carry out border checks that were reintroduced after Britain left the European Union last year, ending free movement for people and goods between the UK and the European continent. Passengers have to go through both UK and French border checks at Dover before boarding ferries to northern France.

with agency inputs