WORLD
Chinese flock to Hong Kong, Macau to get private Covid booster shots
As part of its dismantling of the country's zero-Covid policy last month, China's government also lifted quarantine and other border restrictions, The Guardian reported . It prompted a wave of interest in overseas travel, particularly for the upcoming lunar new year holiday later this month.
Biden to deliver his State of the Union address on Feb 7
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden had accepted House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's invitation to address a joint session of Congress on February 7, Xinhua news agency reported. This would be Biden's second State of the Union speech and the first before a divided Congress with Republicans taking control of the House of Representatives and Democrats still running the Senate.
Omicron new subvariant accounts for 43% new Covid cases in US
The subvariant XBB.1.5 is spreading quickly in the US. It made up 30.4 per cent of the total cases in the week ending January 7, rising from 20.1 per cent from a week before and 11.8 per cent from two weeks prior, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the CDC.
Battle for salt mine town: Russia claims victory in Soledar
"The capture of Soledar was made possible by the constant bombardment of the enemy by assault and army aviation, missile forces and artillery of a grouping of Russian forces," Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement on Friday. However, Ukrainian officials said the fight for Soledar was still going on and accused Russia of "information noise".
Donald Trump's company fined $1.6 million for tax fraud
The fine is a symbolic slap on the writs for the former President Donald Trump and self-proclaimed billionaire who has announced a third run for the White House and it is likely to be used by his opponents - first in the Republican primaries and then in the general election - to question his character and integrity, which, it must be noted, had withstood several knocks before.
In 2023's first Express Entry draw, Canada invites 5,500 candidates
The minimum CRS score -- which is used to rank skilled worker candidates who want to immigrate to Canada via Express Entry -- was 16 points higher than the previous draw, which took place on November 23. The November 23 draw, which invited 4,750 candidates, saw the lowest minimum CRS score at 491.
Pakistan Foreign Office looking into Indian woman's allegations of mistreatment at Pak HC in New Delhi
"We attach high importance to proper etiquette and behavior towards all visa and consular applicants. "All our diplomatic staff is under strict instructions to conduct themselves professionally," FO spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said in a statement, the Dawn reported.
Covid cases in China touch 900 million
The report estimates that 64 per cent of the country's population has the virus, BBC said. It ranks Gansu province, where 91 per cent of the people are reported to be infected, at the top, followed by Yunnan (84 per cent) and and Qinghai (80 per cent). A top Chinese epidemiologist has also warned that cases will surge in rural China over the lunar new year.
'Vladimir Putin will nominate his chosen heir this year rather than risk being toppled'
Russian President Vladimir Putin will seek to hand over power to a chosen heir and retire to his 1 billion pounds Black Sea 'palace' rather than risk the ignominious fate of toppled tyrants like Muammar Gaddafi, said Abbas Gallyamov, Putin's former speechwriter, Daily Mail reported.
Jerusalem holy sites' status quo should be preserved: Guterres
"I had the occasion to reaffirm that we must preserve the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem and that it is essential to preserve the two-state solution to avoid any initiative that might put at risk the two-state solution," Guterres told reporters after meeting with the Permanent Representatives of the Extended Troika of the Arab Group at the UN headquarters in New York.
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