Author: News Desk

LONDON : Britain reported its highest number of deaths and people in hospital with coronavirus since March on Tuesday, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging caution despite a week of lower reported numbers of infection. Rueter

US : Police officers who fought back against Trump supporters at the US Capitol on 6 January have given evidence about the violence and hatred they experienced. They were testifying at the first hearing of a Congressional committee set up to investigate the attack. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn,  said he was taunted with a racial epithet by the mob. At least 535 rioters have been arrested so far, but prosecutors have only secured a few convictions. The inquiry is being conducted almost entirely by Democrats, after most Republicans boycotted the committee. However, two Republicans – Liz Cheney and Adam…

Germany: One person has died and 16 others were injured when an explosion rocked an industrial park for chemicals in the western German city of Leverkusen on Tuesday. The blast occurred at 9.40 a.m., causing a fire at a fuel depot at Chempark, an industrial park for chemicals companies including Bayer and Lanxess, Chempark operator Currenta said. The search is still on for four people, Chempark manager Lars Friedrich told reporters shortly after the incident Tuesday. At least two of the 16 hurt workers were seriously injured, he added. he reason for the explosion is so far unknown. In the…

Tokyo: Moroccan heavyweight boxer Youness Baalla attempted to bite David Nyika’s ear during his defeat to the New Zealander at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday. The 22-year-old was subsequently disqualified for unsportsmanlike behaviour, although he was already out of the Games anyway following his unanimous-points loss in the round-of-16 bout. A Tokyo 2020 statement called Baalla’s actions “intolerable”, saying that he “very clearly intended to bite the ear/face of his opponent in the third round of the bout”. Footage shows Baalla trying to bite Nyika’s right ear as the two boxers hold each other. Nyika, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist who has already…

KSA:  Saudi Arabia will impose a three-year travel ban on citizens travelling to countries on the kingdom’s ‘red list’ under efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus and its new variants, state news agency SPA said on Tuesday. Reuter

Ukraine : Helicopters provided air support, armoured personnel carriers rolled through fields, and soldiers fired at enemy targets on Tuesday as part of a large military exercise hosted by Ukraine and also involving the United States, Poland and Lithuania.

Bahrain: Member of the Council of Representatives, MP Khalid Buong, has expressed deep pride in Bahrain’s great efforts in the health field, and success in achieving an advanced level that has earned it the praise of the Director-General of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, during his official visit to the kingdom. He stressed that the opening of a permanent WHO Office in Bahrain reflects the kingdom’s success in the health field, and represents an advanced step towards strengthening the country’s cooperation with WHO. The lawmaker valued highly Bahrain’s successful experience in combating the novel Coronavirus pandemic…

Washington:  Moderna said Monday it plans to expand the size of its COVID-19 vaccine study in younger children to better detect rare side effects, such as a type of heart inflammation recently flagged by U.S. health authorities. The company said it is in talks with the Food and Drug Administration to enroll more study participants under age 12. It had intended to test the vaccine in about 7,000 children, with some as young as 6 months. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said via email it hasn’t decided on how many kids might be added, The Associated Press (AP) reported. The announcement…

Tunisia : Troops surrounded Tunisia’s parliament and blocked its speaker from entering Monday after the president suspended the legislature and fired the prime minister and other top members of government, sparking concerns for the North African country’s young democracy at home and abroad. In the face of nationwide protests over Tunisia’s economic troubles and the government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, President Kais Saied decided late Sunday to dismiss the officials, including the justice and defense ministers. He announced a series of other measures Monday, including a nationwide curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for one month and a ban on gatherings of…

India: Around 180 people have died in the west Indian state of Maharashtra after torrential monsoon rains caused landslides and flooded low-lying areas, cutting off hundreds of villages. Around 38 people were killed in Taliye, 180 kilometers (110 miles) southeast of the financial capital Mumbai, when a landslide flattened most of the small village, state government officials said. The death toll also includes 27 reported deaths from Satara district in the last 48 hours. In nine other landslides in other parts of Maharashtra, 59 people died and another 15 were killed in accidents linked to the heavy rainfall, state government…