WORLD

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Xinhua | The first batch of pilgrims arrived on Saturday at the Grand Mosque in Macca to perform their first ritual for Hajj, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The ritual was performed with huge preparations and precautionary measures against COVID-19, and there are different locations that …

London, UK | Xinhua | British Health Secretary Sajid Javid said Saturday that he has tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling “a bit groggy” last night. He said on Twitter that he has had two jabs of the vaccine and his symptoms are “mild”. He is now self-isolating at home …

New Delhi, India | Xinhua |  India’s federal government Friday informed the Delhi high court that a vaccine against COVID-19 for people aged between 12 to 18 may soon be available, local media reported. The government, in an affidavit to the court, said the vaccine was being developed by Gujarat-based …

New Delhi, India | Xinhua | India’s federal government Friday said there was a need to take precautions against the third wave of COVID-19 that is likely to break out in the country and the next 100 to 125 days are crucial. The warning was given by V K Paul, …

Canberra, Australia | Xinhua | Australia’s national science agency has found that a “warm” COVID-19 vaccine suitable for remote locations is effective against all key variants of the virus. In a study published on Thursday, researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) evaluated the efficacy of heat-tolerant coronavirus …

About 18,000 Afghans who worked for the US are awaiting visas. Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The United States will launch “Operation Allies Refuge” in late July to evacuate Afghans who helped the U.S. military during the two-decade war, the White House said on Wednesday. “Flights out of Afghanistan for SIV …

Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday called on Republican lawmakers to join Democrats in passing the federal legislation that will protect Americans’ right to vote, given a cascade of restrictive voting laws have been enacted in Republican-controlled states. Delivering an impassioned speech in Philadelphia, the president …

Majority of Olympics officials and athletes are vaccinated Tokyo, Japan | THE INDEPENDENT | The International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has hailed Japan for their high level of preparedness with nine days to go to the opening ceremony of Tokyo 2020. In a meeting today with  Japanese Prime Minister …

WHO warns individuals against mixing and matching COVID vaccines Geneva, Switzerland | Xinhua | Mixing and matching, the practice of inoculating different vaccines to people, should not be decided by individuals but by public agencies depending on available data, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. While mixing and matching …

Paris, France | Xinhua | France on Tuesday fined Google 500 million euros (592 million U.S. dollars) for failing to offer a fair deal to local media companies for hosting their news content. The French Authority of Competition ordered Google to present, within the next two months, “an offer of remuneration …