Browsing: News

Hurricane Fiona pounded Bermuda with heavy rains and winds early Friday on its way to northeastern Canada, where it was forecast to approach late in the day as a still-powerful storm. AP reports that Bermuda authorities opened shelters and closed schools and offices ahead of Fiona’s arrival. Coastal areas of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland were under a hurricane watch issued by the Canadian Hurricane Centre. Fiona is expected to generate hurricane-force winds within the area, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. As Fiona, a Category 4 hurricane, swept by Bermuda in the early hours of Friday,…

As Taiwan continues to reopen to the rest of the world, it will end its mandatory COVID-19 quarantine around October 13 and ease other restrictions from next week. Taiwan has kept some of its entry and quarantine rules in place as large parts of the rest of Asia have relaxed or lifted them completely. However, in June it cut the number of days required in isolation for arrivals to three from seven previously, Reuters reported. Since the beginning of the year, Taiwan has reported six million domestic cases caused by the more infectious Omicron variant. The government relaxed rather than…

A one-on-one meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took place on Wednesday, in which both leaders agreed to improve relations tainted by historical disputes. In New York, the two leaders met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly for the first time since 2019, according to Reuters. Yoon has sought to improve relations with Tokyo since taking office in May. The importance of strategic cooperation has also been stressed by Japan. According to Yoon’s deputy spokesperson, Lee Jae-myoung, the two leaders agreed to improve relations by resolving pending issues. They agreed…

The Japanese government is considering allowing hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other infection control measures during an outbreak. This is according to Fuji News Network reported on Wednesday. At an extraordinary session of parliament next month, the government will propose a bill that would revise the law governing hotels and inns. This would enable them to enforce infection control measures more effectively. Reports indicate that Japan is expected to ease its COVID-19 border controls by waiving visa requirements for certain tourists and removing a daily limit on arrivals. A debate on border…

Water-borne diseases have killed at least nine more people in flood-hit areas of Pakistan, officials reported on Tuesday, following Angelina Jolie’s surprise visit to meet people affected by the crisis. In recent weeks, Pakistan received three times as much rain as on average. This led to major flooding that killed 1,559 people, including 551 children and 318 women, according to the disaster management agency. UNICEF described the situation as beyond bleak as officials warn Pakistan risks losing control over the spread of infections. As flood waters recede – which officials say will take two to six months – hundreds of…

Leaders meeting in person for the first time in three years must address conflict and climate catastrophes, rising poverty and inequality, and growing divisions among major powers that have gotten worse, according to the United Nations chief, who warns that the world is in great peril. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking before Tuesday’s leaders’ meeting, cited the “immense” task of saving the planet, “which is literally on fire,” as well as dealing with the continuing COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, he noted that “access to finance for developing countries is limited – an unprecedented crisis” that has affected education, health, and women’s…

It is expected that the Canadian government will drop the requirement for people entering Canada to have a vaccine by the end of September, an official familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Tuesday. In Canada, as in the United States, foreign nationals are required to be vaccinated upon entry. There is no immediate word from the USA on whether it will follow suit by September 30. Currently, unvaccinated travelers who enter Canada are subject to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine. The official stated that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to approve it, but the government…

In Nigeria, floods have killed 300 people this year. The situation could worsen as heavy rains and overflowing water from a dam in Cameroon affect 14 Nigerian states, the disaster management agency reports. A meeting of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was held on Monday to review the flood situation and plan a response. According to NEMA director general Mustapha Habib Ahmed, over 100,000 people have been displaced by flooding since the start of the rainy season. They are now living in temporary shelters. According to Ahmed, Cameroon opened flood gates at its Lagdo dam last week, causing spillover…

As a result of the fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan raging on the border between the two Central Asian nations, Kyrgyzstan said its death toll from the conflict had risen to 36 people, with 129 people hurt during the conflict. Former Soviet republics clashed over a border dispute on September 14-16, with tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones being used to attack outposts and settlements in the nearby area. There are at least 54 people who have been killed as a result of the conflict. A Reuters report states that Central Asian border issues are mostly a legacy of…

There was severe flooding and landslides across most of Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricane Fiona on Sunday. This was before the storm barreled its way towards the Dominican Republic, a government agency reported. The storm, hitting Puerto Rico five years after Hurricane Maria devastated the island, tore up asphalt from roads, swept away a major road bridge, closed airports, swamped cars and dumped so much rain that some rivers rose 20 feet in just hours, according to eyewitnesses. At a news conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi said, “This has been catastrophic.” Carmen Yuln Cruz,…