World

New Zealand COVID-19 cases drop for second day amid lockdowns 31 Aug 2021 - 09:47 am

WELLINGTON: New Zealand's government on Tuesday reported that new COVID-19 cases fell for a second day, down to 49, amid the tight lockdown...

GSK, SK Bioscience to test Covid-19 vaccine against AstraZeneca shot 31 Aug 2021 - 09:27 am

Britain's GSK and South Korea's SK Bioscience said on Tuesday the drugmakers have begun a late-stage trial of their COVID-19 vaccine candidate to...

Residents, tourists scramble to evacuate as California fire nears Lake Tahoe 30 Aug 2021 - 11:39 pm

SOUTH LAKE Tahoe, Calif - Residents and tourists in communities near popular Lake Tahoe fled on Monday as the Caldor fire roared closer...

US CDC advisers vote in favor of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine after full approval 30 Aug 2021 - 11:27 pm

An advisory panel to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday unanimously recommended the Pfizer Inc and BioNTech Se...

Puerto Rico imposes new pandemic restrictions 30 Aug 2021 - 09:54 pm

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico’s governor on Monday announced new restrictions to fight a rise in COVID-19 cases, including closing certain...

Rescue operations underway in Louisiana as Ida death toll expected to rise 30 Aug 2021 - 09:34 pm

NEW ORLEANS - Nearly all of Louisiana lost electrical power on Monday after one of the most powerful hurricanes to strike the region...

New Orleans avoids major flooding thanks to levees built after Katrina 30 Aug 2021 - 09:11 pm

A $14.5 billion system of levees, flood gates and pumps has largely worked as designed during Hurricane Ida, sparing New Orleans from the...

Canada's Trudeau resumes campaign after angry crowds disrupt rallies 30 Aug 2021 - 08:13 pm

OTTAWA - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau plunged back into campaigning on Monday after groups of unusually vocal and abusive protesters disrupted his...

Lagging in COVID-19 vaccinations, Brussels takes vaccination campaign to shops 30 Aug 2021 - 08:03 pm

BRUSSELS - Health authorities in Brussels began offering COVID-19 jabs in supermarkets and shopping centres on Monday to increase vaccination rates in the...

South Africa detects new coronavirus variant, still studying its mutations 30 Aug 2021 - 07:31 pm

JOHANNESBURG - South African scientists have detected a new coronavirus variant with multiple mutations but are yet to establish whether it is more...

EU drops US from list of COVID-safe countries for travel 30 Aug 2021 - 07:22 pm

BRUSSELS - European Union governments agreed on Monday to remove the United States from the EU's safe travel list, meaning U.S. visitors and...

Russia sees possible increase in West Nile virus cases this autumn 30 Aug 2021 - 03:05 pm

MOSCOW: Russia warned on Monday of a possible increase in West Nile virus infections this autumn as mild temperatures and heavy precipitation create...

New Covid variant found in South Africa has concerning mutations 30 Aug 2021 - 02:46 pm

South African scientists said they identified a new coronavirus variant that has a concerning number of mutations. The so-called C.1.2. variant was first...

Italian firefighters: No victims in 20-story building blaze 30 Aug 2021 - 02:45 pm

MILAN: Italian firefighters on Monday were tackling remaining hotspots and continuing to search a 20-story apartment building in Milan that was destroyed by...

Coronavirus booster shots 'not a luxury', WHO Europe head says 30 Aug 2021 - 02:08 pm

COPENHAGEN: A third-dose booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccination is a way to keep the most vulnerable safe and "not a luxury", the...

China cuts amount of time minors can spend on online games 30 Aug 2021 - 01:53 pm

SHANGHAI: Chinese regulators on Monday slashed the amount of time players under the age of 18 can spend on online games to an...

EU to seek to stop mass Afghanistan migration flows, draft statement says 30 Aug 2021 - 01:05 pm

BRUSSELS: European Union interior ministers will say on Tuesday they are determined to act to prevent uncontrolled migration from Afghanistan, according to a...