Author: News Desk

Washington : US regulators on Friday shortened the time that people who received Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine have to wait for a booster — to five months rather than six, the Associated Press (AP) reported. The two-dose Moderna vaccine is open to Americans 18 and older. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision Friday means Moderna recipients are eligible for a booster after at least five months have passed since their last shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed. That’s in line with new recommendations for recipients of the Pfizer vaccine. Initial Pfizer vaccinations are open to anyone 5 or…

Bahrain : HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and Honorary President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF), HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, and his sons led the 40-km Children’s endurance race at the festival of HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports, Chairman of the General Sports Authority and President of the Bahrain Olympic Committee. Held under the patronage of HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad, the Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Endurance Championship is organised by BREEF from…

Bahrain : His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa followed the children endurance race, with the participation of His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, and his children. The race was held as part of the festival of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport, President of the General Sport Authority and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee. The festival is being organised by Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF) from January…

Paris :  Fifty-five journalists and media workers were killed around the world in 2021, according to UNESCO data. “The UNESCO Observatory of Killed Journalists collected fifty-five journalist killings in 2021. Two-thirds of these took place in countries not experiencing armed conflict, showing the continued risks faced by journalists in their daily reporting to expose wrongdoing. This marks a complete reversal of the situation just a few years ago, in 2013, when two-thirds of killings took place in countries in conflict,” UNESCO said in a statement. The majority of deaths in 2021 took place in just two regions – the Asia-Pacific,…

Bahrain : The National Medical Taskforce for Combatting the Coronavirus (COVID-19), today held a press conference at the Crown Prince Centre for Training and Medical Research at the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital to highlight updated measures and testing protocols taken to mitigate COVID-19. Following approval by the Government Executive Committee, chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the following updates to COVID-19 protocols will be implemented, starting from Sunday, 09 January 2022. 1 – Increasing PCR testing for individuals who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, which may include high temperature, coughing,…

NAIROBI :  The United Nations refugee agency says an airstrike has killed three Eritrean refugees, two of them children, in Ethiopia’s Tigray region amid the country’s war. A statement the agency issued overnight did not say who carried out the airstrike that hit the Mai Aini camp on Wednesday. Ethiopia’s military has conducted several deadly airstrikes in Tigray in recent months, while Tigray ground forces earlier in the conflict attacked some Eritreans in refugee camps. The U.N.’s humanitarian agency reported late last month that between Dec. 19 and 24, “airstrikes on Tigray reportedly led to mass civilian causalities, including dozens…

MOSCOW :  Kazakhstan’s president authorized security forces on Friday to shoot to kill those participating in unrest whom he called “terrorists,” opening the door for a dramatic escalation in a crackdown on anti-government protests that have turned violent. The Central Asian nation this week experienced its worst street protests since gaining independence from the Soviet Union three decades ago, and dozens have been killed in the unrest. The demonstrations began over a near-doubling of prices for a type of vehicle fuel but quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent with authoritarian rule. In a televised address to the nation, President Kassym-Jomart…

Bangkok : Thailand announced Friday it is tightening some entry restrictions while expanding its “sandbox” quarantine program, and urged people to follow social distancing and mask rules to control the spread of COVID-19 fueled by the omicron variant. The government did not announce any lockdown but called on people to avoid public gatherings, public transportation and travel around the country. The decision came after reported daily coronavirus cases doubled to 7,526 in a matter of days following the new year’s holiday, mostly because of the omicron variant. Nineteen new deaths were recorded, the government said. The Centre for COVID-19 Situation…

Washington : The United States and Japan want to step up their security cooperation, officials from both countries said after a virtual meeting of the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee on Thursday evening. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Japan’s Minister of Defence Nobuo Kishi and Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoshimasa Hayashi, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement. They reaffirmed the critical importance of the US-Japan Alliance as “the cornerstone of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.”, reports dpa international. Austin and Blinken committed to continued close cooperation with their…

Tokyo : Japan approved new restrictions on Friday to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the three most affected southwestern regions of Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Yamaguchi “Given the sudden surge in infections, the medical system runs the risk of suffering a heavy burden in the near future,” Daishiro Yamagiwa, the minister in charge of COVID-19 responses, said at a government panel meeting. The new measures include earlier closing hours for restaurants, a ban on serving alcohol and restrictions on large-scale events. Details on these measures, which will begin Sunday and last through the end of the month, are…