News Archives for World - 2021-02-06

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World

Pakistan set to initiate Gwadar shipyard project

Pakistan has finalised the details for the construction of a new shipyard in Gwadar, the country's deep sea-port in the province of Balochistan.
The project aims to incentivise the commercial shipbuilding and repair industry, generate employment and spur economic growth.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 08:41pm

South Asia

Vietnam expects to receive first COVID vaccines before end of March

The government cited a WHO official as saying that the vaccine it will receive under the COVAX scheme is made by AstraZeneca.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 08:13pm

World

Pfizer applies to register COVID-19 vaccine in Brazil

The vaccine has an overall efficacy of 95%, and efficacy of 94% in people aged over 65, the U.S. drugmaker said in a statement.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 08:13pm

Middle East

Denmark to lift UAE flight ban from Sunday: UAE embassy

Passengers travelling from the UAE to Denmark must present a negative COVID-19 no older than 24 hours before boarding.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 08:10pm

South Asia

Indonesia approves China's Sinovac vaccine for the elderly

Indonesia's health ministry declined to comment, though it has said the elderly are set to receive the vaccine by April.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 08:07pm

South Asia

India asks states to speed up COVID-19 vaccination

It said in a statement there remains "substantial scope for improvement in the number of average vaccinations per vaccination session."

Published 06 Feb, 2021 08:07pm

Europe

Netherlands coronavirus cases surpass a million

The RIVM late last year estimated that the total number of infections was probably at least three times the amount of confirmed cases.

Updated 06 Feb, 2021 08:07pm

USA

Biden to raise current U.S. refugee cap from historic lows

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to raise the refugee cap for the current fiscal year to 62,500, a sharp increase from the 15,000 set by former President Donald Trump, two people familiar with the move told Reuters on Friday.
The allocations will create spots for 22,000 refugees from Africa, 6,000 from East Asia, 4,000 from Europe and Central Asia, 5,000 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 13,000 from South Asia.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 07:12pm

South Asia

Huge police deployment counters Indian farmers protests

The farmers say the changes mean the crucial agriculture industry will be taken over by major conglomerates.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 06:18pm

Europe

New accusations against embattled EU border chief

The damning reports against Fabrice Leggeri come at a time when the Frontex agency is taking on a greater frontline role in patrolling the EU's borders.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 06:16pm

Middle East

Blinken in first phone call with Saudi counterpart

State department spokesman has noted that Biden made clear the United States still supported Saudi Arabia outside the Yemen war.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 06:14pm

Europe

Two missing, one seriously hurt in Bordeaux garage explosion

The two missing people are the garage mechanic and his partner.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 06:12pm

Middle East

Netanyahu vows to fight 'anti-Semitic' ICC ruling

Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the Six-Day War of 1967, and later annexed mostly Arab east Jerusalem.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 06:11pm

Africa

Chad ruling party backs Deby bid for sixth term

Deby is expected to face a joint opposition candidate in the April vote.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 06:06pm

South Asia

China approves second domestic Covid-19 vaccine

Chinese vaccine makers also have chequered reputations, after major scandals at home involving expired or poor quality products.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:58pm

Middle East

German firm to clear Beirut port of dangerous containers

Lebanon's worst peace-time disaster sparked concerns over remaining shipments of hazardous chemicals still stored at the blast site.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:56pm

Africa

Libya embarks on new transition phase

It marked the start of a new chapter for the country after the failure of a 2015 UN-brokered deal that established a Government of National Accord headed by Fayez al-Sarraj.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:54pm

Africa

Somalia leaders fail to reach deal on elections

The impasse threatens a constitutional crisis in the fragile Horn of Africa nation that is already confronting a violent Islamist insurgency, a locust invasion and serious food shortages.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:52pm

Europe

Key players rally behind Draghi in Italy government talks

Draghi "already has the confidence of Europe and the markets. Soon he will receive parliament's confidence," daily Il Corriere della Sera predicted.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:50pm

South Asia

Myanmar anti-coup protests grow as army broadens internet crackdown

A large riot police contingent blocked nearby roads, with two water cannon trucks parked at the scene.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:48pm

Middle East

Iran to start Covid vaccinations within week: Rouhani

Health workers would be the first to get the jabs, followed by the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, Rouhani said.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 05:45pm

Middle East

U.S. to drop Houthi terrorist designation due to Yemen crisis

The United States intends to revoke the Houthi movement’s terrorist designation in response to Yemen’s humanitarian crisis, reversing one of the Trump administration’s most criticised last-minute decisions.
The move, confirmed by a State Department official on Friday, came a day after President Joe Biden declared a halt to U.S. support for the Saudi Arabia-led military campaign in Yemen, which is widely seen as a proxy conflict between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Updated 06 Feb, 2021 07:04pm

Europe

Coronavirus toll at 1100 GMT Saturday

At least 105,350,590 cases of coronavirus have been registered. Of these, at least 64,157,800 are now considered recovered.

Updated 06 Feb, 2021 05:46pm

Middle East

UAE significantly slashed funding for Palestinian refugee agency in 2020

The United Arab Emirates drastically reduced funding to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in 2020, as it signed a U.S-brokered normalisation accord with Israel.
The Gulf state contributed $51.8 million to the refugee agency in 2018 and 2019, but it reduced that contribution by an unprecedented margin in 2020, down to a mere $1 million.

Updated 08 Feb, 2021 10:25am

World

Germany's confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 10,485

The reported death toll rose by 689 to 61,286, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 03:55pm

World

Facebook urges unblocking of Myanmar social media

“We are extremely concerned by orders to shut down the internet in Myanmar,” said Rafael Frankel, Facebook’s director of public policy, APAC emerging countries. “We strongly urge the authorities to order the unblocking of all social media services.”

Published 06 Feb, 2021 03:52pm

Asia

China approves Sinovac Biotech COVID-19 vaccine for general public use

It marks the second COVID-19 vaccine green-lighted for public use in China, after a shot developed by a Beijing institute affiliated to state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group (Sinopharm) was approved in December.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 02:29pm

World

New York becomes first state in US to proclaim February 5 as Kashmir Day

The New York State Assembly marked February 5 as Kashmir Day by adopting a resolution by a voice vote.
"The State of New York endeavours to champion human rights including the freedom of religion, movement, and expression for all Kashmiri people," the resolution said.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 02:27pm

Asia

Myanmar generals shut down internet as thousands protest coup

Myanmar’s junta shut down the internet in the country on Saturday as thousands of people took to the streets of Yangon to denounce this week’s coup and demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Published 06 Feb, 2021 01:31pm

Europe

France, Germany 'moving forward' on future combat jet

PARIS: France and Germany aim to take the next step in the development of Europe's next-generation combat jet in the...