VOA常速英语:阿斯利康将向欧盟额外供应900万剂新冠疫苗

Clashes broke out Sunday in the impoverished Lebanese city of Tripoli. It was the latest violence between security forces and protesters furious at the economic fallout of strict coronavirus lockdown measures. Protesters took to the streets of Lebanon's second city after an otherwise calm weekend that followed days of angry demonstrations that left one person dead and 400 others wounded. On Sunday afternoon, a few hundred demonstrators had gathered in central Tripoli's Al Nour square after calls on social media for people to rally in solidarity. Then, later on Sunday evening, youths gathered outside government buildings, with police lobbing tear gas from the roofs to disperse the crowd. This is according to the French news agency which had a journalist on site. The army said on Sunday that 17 people had been arrested on charges including "rioting, destruction and attacking public and private property" during the week's protests. The Lebanese Red Cross said it treated 10 people hit by rocks or who were struggling to breathe because of tear gas. Protesters who began demonstrating January 25 say they are angry at pandemic lockdown restrictions that they say are destroying their livelihoods.

 The EU says U.K.-Swedish drug firm AstraZeneca will now supply an additional nine million COVID vaccine doses by March after days of criticism of the bloc's vaccination program. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was a "step forward." But the 40 million doses now expected are still only about half of what had been hoped amid continuing supply problems. The commission has battled with both Britain and AstraZeneca this week. Critics condemned it over its threat to put checks on the Northern Ireland border to prevent vaccines produced in the EU from reaching the U.K. The border was one of the most difficult problems to overcome in the recently agreed Brexit deal following the U.K.'s departure from the EU. Via remote, I'm Marissa Melton. From Washington, you're listening to VOA news.