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Police move to clear last demonstrators in Canada's trucker-led protests
Police in Canada moved Friday to dislodge the final truckers and protesters from downtown Ottawa, in a mostly peaceful operation aimed at bringing an end to three weeks of demonstrations over Covid-19 health rules.
Police move to clear trucker-led protests in Canada capital
Canadian police moved Friday to clear a trucker-led demonstration against Covid rules, arresting 70 people and towing away dozens of vehicles that have been choking streets of the Canadian capital for three weeks.
Police start to clear trucker-led protests in Canada capital
Canadian police on Thursday began a massive operation to clear the trucker-led protests against Covid health rules clogging the capital for three weeks, with several arrests made.
Hong Kong foreign domestic workers 'abandoned' in virus crisis
Hong Kong's foreign domestic workers are being "abandoned" in the current coronavirus wave sweeping the city, with some forced to sleep rough or being denied treatment after testing positive, charities warned Friday.
New Zealand police reject calls to clear anti-vax camp
New Zealand police ruled out forcibly clearing anti-vaccination protesters camped around parliament in Wellington on Friday, saying they did not want to provoke violence on the streets of the capital.
Police arrest Canadian protest leaders
Canadian police on Thursday began arresting leaders of the trucker-led protest that has choked the capital's streets for three weeks and provoked the government into calling on rarely used emergency powers.
Canada police set for 'imminent' action to clear trucker protests
Canadian police were poised Thursday to move against a trucker-led protest that has choked the national capital's streets for three weeks and finally provoked the government into calling on rarely used emergency powers.
US ships 5 mln Covid vaccine doses to Egypt, Nigeria
The United States on Thursday shipped nearly 5.2 million doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to Egypt and Nigeria, a White House official told AFP.
Canada police ready to move in to clear trucker-led protests
Canadian police massed in the capital Thursday, readying to clear a trucker-led protest that has choked Ottawa's streets and provoked the government to call on rarely-used emergency powers.
Djokovic eager for Dubai comeback after vaccine controversy
World number one Novak Djokovic said he has missed playing tennis on Thursday as he prepares for his comeback in Dubai after the coronavirus vaccine row that kept him from defending his Australian Open title.
Aussie tennis star de Minaur investigated over false Covid pass purchase scheme
Australian tennis player Alex de Minaur is among those being investigated over the purchase of false Covid passes, Spanish police sources told AFP on Thursday.
Japan eases virus border rules for visaholders, tourists still banned
Japan will ease its strict virus border rules to allow students and businesspeople into the country from March, but tourists will still be barred, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.
Japan eases virus border rules for workers, students
Japan will ease its strict virus border rules to allow students and businesspeople into the country from March, but tourists will still be barred, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Thursday.
'Battlefield mode': Hong Kong hospitals buckle under Omicron wave
Huddled under blankets and thermal shields, dozens of elderly patients shivered on gurneys outside a hospital serving one of Hong Kong's poorest communities -- a grim tableau for the city as its health system buckles under an Omicron-fuelled coronavirus wave.
Police issue ultimatum to protesters to leave Canada capital
Canadian police issued an ultimatum Wednesday to protesters who've been choking Ottawa streets for 20 days to leave the capital, as state and provincial leaders called for an end to the cross-border vaccine requirement that sparked the trucker-led movement.
Vietnam to re-open to tourists after two-year closure
Vietnam will re-open to international tourists on March 15 after a two-year border closure due to the pandemic, the government said Wednesday.
China's Xi orders Hong Kong to suppress outbreak 'above everything else'
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has called for Hong Kong to take "all necessary measures" to control an Omicron-fuelled Covid-19 outbreak, Beijing-affiliated newspapers in the city said Wednesday, a day after leader Carrie Lam ruled out a China-style hard lockdown.
New Zealand virus cases spike as anti-vaccine protesters claim win
New Zealand Covid-19 infections reached a record high Wednesday as anti-vaccine protesters claimed victory after police failed to clear vehicles blocking the streets around parliament.
Dutch to go 'back to normal' as Covid curbs scrapped
The Netherlands said Tuesday it will drop almost all coronavirus restrictions, the latest European country to try to return to normal despite still-high Omicron variant infections.
Strong protection for babies born to Covid-vaccinated moms: study
Babies born to mothers fully vaccinated against the coronavirus during pregnancy were around 60 percent less likely to be hospitalized with severe Covid, a new study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday.
Canada protesters dig in as police set to use new powers
Backed by freshly invoked emergency powers, Canadian officials on Tuesday looked to bring an end to weeks of trucker-led protests that have paralyzed the capital Ottawa and snarled vital border crossings with the United States.
Djokovic 'not anti-vax' but prepared to miss out on Grand Slam history
World number one Novak Djokovic has claimed he is not anti-vaccination but would rather skip Grand Slams than be forced to get a Covid jab.
Philippines now at 'low risk' from coronavirus: gov't
The Philippines is now at "low risk" from the coronavirus pandemic as more people get vaccinated and hospital admissions drop, President Rodrigo Duterte's spokesman said Tuesday.
Hong Kong leader rules out China-style lockdown as virus spreads
Hong Kong's leader on Tuesday said she would not impose a mainland China-style hard lockdown as the city faces its worst coronavirus wave to date, even as she vowed no switch to living with Covid-19.
Mongolia reopens borders for vaccinated travellers
Mongolia has reopened its borders to fully vaccinated international travellers, state media reported, rolling back coronavirus curbs that had kept the country isolated for two years.
Obama sex education program drove lower teen birth rates in US: study
An Obama-era sex education program that was criticized by conservatives succeeded in reducing teen birth rates in parts of the US that implemented it, a large study said Monday.
Hong Kong leader says city 'overwhelmed' by Omicron wave
Hong Kong's health facilities have been overloaded by an "onslaught" of Covid-19 infections, its leader said, as a rise in Omicron cases threatens to bring down the city's "zero-Covid" policy.
Vietnam to lift Covid-19 restrictions on international flights
Vietnam will lift coronavirus restrictions on international flights for fully vaccinated passengers from Tuesday, the country's aviation authority said in a statement.
Kiwi cops blast use of Barry Manilow songs to clear protesters
Efforts to clear New Zealand anti-vaccine protesters by blasting Barry Manilow songs on a loop have drawn criticism from police officers caught in the crossfire.
Knock on the door: Covid stalks athletes at Beijing Olympics
For athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympics, testing positive for Covid is one of their worst nightmares, and it can begin with a knock on the door in the middle of the night.
Canada police work to clear key border bridge as Ottawa protest again grows
Canadian police on Saturday worked to clear a key bridge of truckers protesting Covid-19 restrictions, even as authorities in Ottawa braced for renewed demonstrations expected to bring thousands to the federal capital.
Police fire tear gas, fine Paris protest convoy
Paris police fired teargas and issued hundreds of fines on Saturday to break up a convoy of vehicles that attempted to block traffic in a protest over Covid restrictions and rising living costs.