Locals in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday protested against power outages. The people blocked the road leading to Torkham border to show their anger against prolonged power outages.

Traffic on the main road leading to the Torkham border was suspended twice and women protesters blocked the main road near Shah Kas to vent their ire against power cuts that have been prolonged and unscheduled.

Pakistani news outlet Dawn quoted locals as saying that the power outages had affected their daily life.

The tribal women placed stones on the road while also staging a sit-in in order to convey their resentment about the frequent power outages and low voltage, which they said had also caused a shortage of drinking water.

Residents of Gharreeza locality, also in Jamrud, blocked the main road for the same reason and accused the local grid station staff of subjecting them to over 18 hours daily load shedding, reported Dawn.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Opposition parties reject Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) in electricity bills under the Imran Khan government and call for a refund of the amount.Pakistan Opposition parties urge the imposition of exorbitant fuel price adjustment (FPA) in electricity bills and urged the federal government to refund the additional amount charged under this head to consumers in the next month`s bill, according to the Dawn.

(With inputs from agencies)

Locals in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday protested against power outages. The people blocked the road leading to Torkham border to show their anger against prolonged power outages.

Locals in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday protested against power outages. The people blocked the road leading to Torkham border to show their anger against prolonged power outages. Traffic on the main road leading to the Torkham border was suspended twice and women protesters blocked the main road near Shah Kas to vent their ire against power cuts that have been prolonged and unscheduled. Pakistani news outlet Dawn quoted locals as saying that the power outages had affected their daily life. The tribal women placed stones on the road while also staging a sit-in in order to convey their resentment about the frequent power outages and low voltage, which they said had also caused a shortage of drinking water. Residents of Gharreeza locality, also in Jamrud, blocked the main road for the same reason and accused the local grid station staff of subjecting them to over 18 hours daily load shedding, reported Dawn. Meanwhile, Pakistan Opposition parties reject Fuel Price Adjustment (FPA) in electricity bills under the Imran Khan government and call for a refund of the amount.Pakistan Opposition parties urge the imposition of exorbitant fuel price adjustment (FPA) in electricity bills and urged the federal government to refund the additional amount charged under this head to consumers in the next month`s bill, according to the Dawn. (With inputs from agencies)

Pakistan: Protests in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa against power outages

Security forces in Sudan fired tear gas at anti-military protesters in capital Khartoum on Sunday, local TV images showed. The demonstrators were marching towards the presidential palace. This is 12th round of protests since the coup on October 25.

Internet and mobile services appeared to be disrupted in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Sunday ahead of planned protests against military rule, Reuters witnesses said.

All bridges that directly connected to Khartoum were closed, as per a witness quoted by Reuters.

Sunday's protests come after six people died and hundreds were injured in nationwide demonstrations against military rule on Thursday. The death toll since the security forces' crackdown began in October is now 54, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said.

The military took power in an Oct. 25 coup that ended a power-sharing deal with civilian political forces. That deal, agreed in 2019, was supposed to pave the way for a transitional government and eventually elections following the overthrow of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.

Protests against military rule have continued even after Abdallah Hamdok was reinstated as prime minister last month.

The demonstrators have demanded the military play no role in government during a transition to free elections.

Some people managed to post images on social media showing protests in several other cities, including Ad-Damazin and Port Sudan.

Al Hadath TV quoted an adviser to military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan as saying the military would not allow anyone to pull the country into chaos and that continued protests were a "physical, psychological, and mental drain on the country" and "would not achieve a political solution."

On recent occasions when communications have been disrupted, sources at telecoms companies have told Reuters that authorities demanded providers cut their services. Officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday.

In a televised speech on Friday, Burhan said disputes over power and the loss of lives meant everyone "should use the voice of reason'.

"The only way to rule is by popular mandate through elections," Burhan said.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Security forces in Sudan fired tear gas at anti-military protesters in capital Khartoum on Sunday, local TV images showed. The demonstrators were marching towards the presidential palace.

Security forces in Sudan fired tear gas at anti-military protesters in capital Khartoum on Sunday, local TV images showed. The demonstrators were marching towards the presidential palace. This is 12th round of protests since the coup on October 25. Internet and mobile services appeared to be disrupted in Sudan's capital Khartoum on Sunday ahead of planned protests against military rule, Reuters witnesses said. All bridges that directly connected to Khartoum were closed, as per a witness quoted by Reuters. Sunday's protests come after six people died and hundreds were injured in nationwide demonstrations against military rule on Thursday. The death toll since the security forces' crackdown began in October is now 54, the Central Committee of Sudanese Doctors said. The military took power in an Oct. 25 coup that ended a power-sharing deal with civilian political forces. That deal, agreed in 2019, was supposed to pave the way for a transitional government and eventually elections following the overthrow of long-time leader Omar al-Bashir. Protests against military rule have continued even after Abdallah Hamdok was reinstated as prime minister last month. The demonstrators have demanded the military play no role in government during a transition to free elections. Some people managed to post images on social media showing protests in several other cities, including Ad-Damazin and Port Sudan. Al Hadath TV quoted an adviser to military leader Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan as saying the military would not allow anyone to pull the country into chaos and that continued protests were a "physical, psychological, and mental drain on the country" and "would not achieve a political solution." On recent occasions when communications have been disrupted, sources at telecoms companies have told Reuters that authorities demanded providers cut their services. Officials could not immediately be reached for comment on Sunday. In a televised speech on Friday, Burhan said disputes over power and the loss of lives meant everyone "should use the voice of reason'. "The only way to rule is by popular mandate through elections," Burhan said. (With inputs from agencies)

Sudan: Media images show security forces using tear gas against protesters

A US judge has asked UK Prince Andrew's lawyer to hand over documents related to the sexual assault case against him. This is being considered as a development that is likely to put pressure on the Prince to settle. Prince Andrew is currently facing a civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre (38) who says Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her in 2001 when she was 17-years old.

The judge also rejected Prince Andrew's lawyer's request to quash the lawsuit by raising jurisdictional argument. Giuffre has been staying in Australia with her husband and kids.

Prince Andrew's situation has also become shaky due to his closeness with Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been found guilty of sex trafficking involving underage girls.

Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty of five of six counts. She faces up to 65 years in prison.

Maxwell, 60, faced charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to entice Jeffrey Epstein's victims. The trial lasted almost a month in federal court in Manhattan, and included testimony from four women who alleged that Maxwell recruited them into having sex with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s.

according to legal analyst Mitchell Epner, she is likely to get between 20 and 25 years.

"Given that Maxwell is currently 60 years old, that is essentially death by incarceration," he said.

Maxwell's trial was widely seen as the reckoning Epstein never had and one of the highest-profile cases in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak out about sexual abuse by famous and powerful people.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

A US judge has asked UK Prince Andrew's lawyer to hand over documents related to the sexual assault case against him. This is being considered as a development that is likely to put pressure on the Prince to settle.

A US judge has asked UK Prince Andrew's lawyer to hand over documents related to the sexual assault case against him. This is being considered as a development that is likely to put pressure on the Prince to settle. Prince Andrew is currently facing a civil lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre (38) who says Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her in 2001 when she was 17-years old. The judge also rejected Prince Andrew's lawyer's request to quash the lawsuit by raising jurisdictional argument. Giuffre has been staying in Australia with her husband and kids. Prince Andrew's situation has also become shaky due to his closeness with Ghislaine Maxwell, who has been found guilty of sex trafficking involving underage girls. Jurors deliberated for five full days before finding Maxwell guilty of five of six counts. She faces up to 65 years in prison. Maxwell, 60, faced charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to entice Jeffrey Epstein's victims. The trial lasted almost a month in federal court in Manhattan, and included testimony from four women who alleged that Maxwell recruited them into having sex with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s. according to legal analyst Mitchell Epner, she is likely to get between 20 and 25 years. "Given that Maxwell is currently 60 years old, that is essentially death by incarceration," he said. Maxwell's trial was widely seen as the reckoning Epstein never had and one of the highest-profile cases in the wake of the #MeToo movement, which encouraged women to speak out about sexual abuse by famous and powerful people. (With inputs from agencies)

US judge directions a setback for Prince Andrew in sexual assault case

Israel's top health official said on Sunday that a surge of Omicron infections in the country may help the country develop herd immunity. His comment came as daily cases in Israel are climbing. b

The highly transmissible Omicron variant has brought a surge in coronavirus cases across the globe. Worldwide infections have hit a record high, with an average of just over a million cases detected a day between Dec. 24 and 30, according to Reuters data. Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal.

Israel has managed to stave off Omicron to some degree till late December but infection rates are now gaining pace. It is expected that daily cases would reach record highs in coming three weeks.

Nachman Ash, Director General of Israel's health ministry said that this may result in herd immunity.

"The cost will be a great many infections," Ash told 103FM Radio. "The numbers will have to be very high in order to reach herd immunity. This is possible but we don't want to reach it by means of infections, we want it to happen as a result of many people vaccinating," he said.

Herd immunity is the point at which a population is protected from a virus, either through vaccination or by people having developed antibodies by contracting the disease.

Around 60% of Israel's 9.4 million population are fully vaccinated - almost all with Pfizer /BioNTech'S vaccine - according to the health ministry, which means they have either received three doses or have had their second dose recently. But hundreds of thousands of those eligible for a third inoculation have so far not taken it.

Around 1.3 million coronavirus cases have been documented in Israel since the start of the pandemic. But between two to four million people may well be infected by the end of January when the Omicron wave could subside, according to Eran Segal, data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and an adviser to the government.

Head of the health ministry's coronavirus taskforce, Salman Zarka, said herd immunity was far from guaranteed.

"We have to be very cautious with this particularly in light of our experience over the past two years in which we saw people who have recovered (from coronavirus) be re-infected," Zarka told Ynet TV.

Over the past ten days, daily infections have more than quadrupled. Severe cases have also climbed but at a far lower rate, rising from about 80 to around 100.

(With inputs from agencies)

Israel's top health official said on Sunday that a surge of Omicron infections in the country may help the country develop herd immunity. His comment came as daily cases in Israel are climbing.

Israel's top health official said on Sunday that a surge of Omicron infections in the country may help the country develop herd immunity. His comment came as daily cases in Israel are climbing. b The highly transmissible Omicron variant has brought a surge in coronavirus cases across the globe. Worldwide infections have hit a record high, with an average of just over a million cases detected a day between Dec. 24 and 30, according to Reuters data. Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal. Israel has managed to stave off Omicron to some degree till late December but infection rates are now gaining pace. It is expected that daily cases would reach record highs in coming three weeks. Nachman Ash, Director General of Israel's health ministry said that this may result in herd immunity. "The cost will be a great many infections," Ash told 103FM Radio. "The numbers will have to be very high in order to reach herd immunity. This is possible but we don't want to reach it by means of infections, we want it to happen as a result of many people vaccinating," he said. Herd immunity is the point at which a population is protected from a virus, either through vaccination or by people having developed antibodies by contracting the disease. Around 60% of Israel's 9.4 million population are fully vaccinated - almost all with Pfizer /BioNTech'S vaccine - according to the health ministry, which means they have either received three doses or have had their second dose recently. But hundreds of thousands of those eligible for a third inoculation have so far not taken it. Around 1.3 million coronavirus cases have been documented in Israel since the start of the pandemic. But between two to four million people may well be infected by the end of January when the Omicron wave could subside, according to Eran Segal, data scientist at the Weizmann Institute of Science and an adviser to the government. Head of the health ministry's coronavirus taskforce, Salman Zarka, said herd immunity was far from guaranteed. "We have to be very cautious with this particularly in light of our experience over the past two years in which we saw people who have recovered (from coronavirus) be re-infected," Zarka told Ynet TV. Over the past ten days, daily infections have more than quadrupled. Severe cases have also climbed but at a far lower rate, rising from about 80 to around 100. (With inputs from agencies)

Increase in Omicron cases may help Israel gain herd immunity: Health official

Another January is upon us, and with your holiday feasting over, you might be hearing the voice of an invisible trainer in your head, telling you to hit the gym, the pool, the track or the hiking trail, and hit it fast. But the guilt we may feel about putting it off is usually a waste of time. We need rest, too.

Sometimes it’s good to take a break from exercise — give your joints, tendons and ligaments a rest, and your mind as well. But sometimes a break lasts far longer than you had planned or ever imagined. This was my story for a while. And when I say I took a break, I’m not talking about weeks. It was about three years.

Injuries played a small part. I developed plantar fasciitis — inflammation of tissue on the heel, a consequence of aging and overuse — which inhibited doing cardio. I’d had plenty of exercise-related injuries before — a torn rotator cuff, herniated discs, “swimmers’ shoulder” — but I’d been a gym rat since I was a teenager, and in the past I could usually push through.

Now, at age 54, I’d stopped caring about pushing through, stopped caring about exercise altogether. This was a problem beyond the potential effect on my health; I had spent years researching and writing a book on the history of exercise, tracing its evolution from antiquity to the present, and I was still far from the finish line.

But sore feet were just a somatic expression of what was really going on. You see, this whole phase, this breakup that exercise and I had, started not long after I lost my partner, Oliver Sacks, who died at 82 in 2015.

Oliver and I used to swim together two or three times a week — usually a mile at a nearby pool — sharing a lane and often splitting a weekly session with a swim coach. We swam wherever we could — in cold mountain lakes, in salty seas, at elegant hotels in London and Iceland, Jerusalem and San Francisco.

One of the funniest memories I have is of swimming with Oliver in the huge public pool in Central Park on a steamy hot summer night. The pool was jammed with swimmers, kids, families, New Yorkers. The few lifeguards on deck were frantically trying to impose some order, keeping boys from cannonballing or divebombing, their whistles blaring above the din. It was like swimming in Times Square. And there in the middle of it all was Oliver, half-blind but indomitable, trying to do laps as I swam right beside him, his stressed-out bodyguard.

Oliver continued to exercise until nearly the very end of his life — still swimming, albeit more slowly and at shorter distances. When he could no longer safely walk to the gym, his trainer came to the apartment and took him through a cycle of simple exercises using light dumbbells, stretch cords and a Bosu ball. For some cardio, he’d stride up and down the corridor. Even when confined to bed, he made a point of moving his limbs this way and that as vigorously as he could. “Exercise for the dying,” Oliver sardonically called it. But he did it because exercise made him feel good, made him feel alive.

Once Oliver was gone, though, all went silent, and my interest in exercise went silent, too. Suddenly the history of exercise seemed quite unimportant. I put my half-written book aside and did not even open up the file on my computer for years.

Single, alone, bored, depressed, I also began hanging out at a neighborhood pub, drinking more than I should, and on weekends, smoking more weed than I could justify. I still got some exercise, in a desultory way — but I’d lost my passion for it. The gym or the pool or a yoga class seemed like increasingly far-off destinations. Then, early in 2018, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. This wasn’t unexpected — three of my five sisters also had it, as did my mother, and my numbers had always run a bit high. My doctor prescribed medication, but also told me this: “You need to step up your cardio.”

“Right,” I replied. “I thought you’d say that.”

At age 57, exercise changed from something I freely wanted to do — to look good, to feel good — to something I really should do to stay healthy. No excuses.

It took time, but exercise and I reunited, one might say, albeit in a different way. Since Oliver’s death, I had changed. I felt like a different person, and exercise had changed for me, too. My relationship with it lacked the obsessiveness of youth, feeling more like a civilized arrangement between former lovers now well into middle age. I resumed working out and swimming regularly, and my blood pressure returned to normal, my weight dropped, and by my 59th birthday, in January 2020, I felt better, physically and mentally, than I had in a long time.

Then the pandemic hit. I had no choice but to adapt when my gym closed.

I was OK with just doing my own thing at home for a while. But as it became clear that gyms were not going to reopen anytime soon, I found that I missed the pump you get from lifting weights, from supersets and reps to exhaustion, and even the ache from sore muscles the next day. I missed swimming. And perhaps more than anything, I missed the sense of community I’d always found in gyms.

But there was one big upside to all this time I had to myself, at home alone: I resumed work on my book on the history of exercise, called “Sweat,” with a renewed perspective. I had my own history of exercise now, too.

I waited until pools were allowed to reopen, six months after the lockdown, before I reactivated my gym membership. And then I went on the very first day. I saw only two other men in the locker room, matched in number by masked janitors busily disinfecting surfaces. The sauna and spacious steam room were closed indefinitely, perhaps forever, bringing to mind the crumbling, ancient baths, or thermae, found in Rome — ruins from another time, another culture. It was all so depressing. But I told myself not to dwell. I quickly changed into a swimsuit and headed to the pool. My swim reservation — 30 minutes, maximum — was for 2:10 p.m. I felt like I was going to a doctor’s appointment.

The lifeguard confirmed my reservation and explained the rules: Wear your mask at all times, except for right before you get into the pool. He handed me a plastic sandwich bag to store it in at poolside. Unlike in the past, swimmers would have a lane to themselves — no lane sharing or circle swimming allowed. Lane 1 was empty, he told me, and I could go ahead and swim.

Oliver’s lane, I thought: He always swam in Lane 1. The lifeguard would even transfer swimmers from that lane to another just for him because that’s where a ladder was. He always held tightly onto my arm as I guided him to the ladder, his huge flat feet flopping in swim fins.

I took off my mask, put on goggles and plunged in.

The water was cold — cold! The pool must have been drained, cleaned, then refilled. Oof! I pushed off, arms outstretched in a V, legs in a scissor kick, until I surfaced about a third of the way down and launched into freestyle. My stroke immediately kicked in, as if not a day had passed since March. I had wondered if it would take time — time to find my rhythm, to synchronize bilateral breathing with crawling arms and legs. But no, my body knew exactly what to do: thrust, pull, kick, rotate — swim. I touched the wall, flipped, pushed off.

Lap after lap, I just swam, grateful to forget about the pandemic, grateful for my health, grateful simply to be alive — my heart racing, my body darting through the water like a dolphin freed from captivity.

Another January is upon us, and with your holiday feasting over, you might be hearing the voice of an invisible trainer in your head, telling you to hit the gym, the pool, the track or the hiking trail, and hit it fast.

Another January is upon us, and with your holiday feasting over, you might be hearing the voice of an invisible trainer in your head, telling you to hit the gym, the pool, the track or the hiking trail, and hit it fast. But the guilt we may feel about putting it off is usually a waste of time. We need rest, too. Sometimes it’s good to take a break from exercise — give your joints, tendons and ligaments a rest, and your mind as well. But sometimes a break lasts far longer than you had planned or ever imagined. This was my story for a while. And when I say I took a break, I’m not talking about weeks. It was about three years. Injuries played a small part. I developed plantar fasciitis — inflammation of tissue on the heel, a consequence of aging and overuse — which inhibited doing cardio. I’d had plenty of exercise-related injuries before — a torn rotator cuff, herniated discs, “swimmers’ shoulder” — but I’d been a gym rat since I was a teenager, and in the past I could usually push through. Now, at age 54, I’d stopped caring about pushing through, stopped caring about exercise altogether. This was a problem beyond the potential effect on my health; I had spent years researching and writing a book on the history of exercise, tracing its evolution from antiquity to the present, and I was still far from the finish line. But sore feet were just a somatic expression of what was really going on. You see, this whole phase, this breakup that exercise and I had, started not long after I lost my partner, Oliver Sacks, who died at 82 in 2015. Oliver and I used to swim together two or three times a week — usually a mile at a nearby pool — sharing a lane and often splitting a weekly session with a swim coach. We swam wherever we could — in cold mountain lakes, in salty seas, at elegant hotels in London and Iceland, Jerusalem and San Francisco. One of the funniest memories I have is of swimming with Oliver in the huge public pool in Central Park on a steamy hot summer night. The pool was jammed with swimmers, kids, families, New Yorkers. The few lifeguards on deck were frantically trying to impose some order, keeping boys from cannonballing or divebombing, their whistles blaring above the din. It was like swimming in Times Square. And there in the middle of it all was Oliver, half-blind but indomitable, trying to do laps as I swam right beside him, his stressed-out bodyguard. Oliver continued to exercise until nearly the very end of his life — still swimming, albeit more slowly and at shorter distances. When he could no longer safely walk to the gym, his trainer came to the apartment and took him through a cycle of simple exercises using light dumbbells, stretch cords and a Bosu ball. For some cardio, he’d stride up and down the corridor. Even when confined to bed, he made a point of moving his limbs this way and that as vigorously as he could. “Exercise for the dying,” Oliver sardonically called it. But he did it because exercise made him feel good, made him feel alive. Once Oliver was gone, though, all went silent, and my interest in exercise went silent, too. Suddenly the history of exercise seemed quite unimportant. I put my half-written book aside and did not even open up the file on my computer for years. Single, alone, bored, depressed, I also began hanging out at a neighborhood pub, drinking more than I should, and on weekends, smoking more weed than I could justify. I still got some exercise, in a desultory way — but I’d lost my passion for it. The gym or the pool or a yoga class seemed like increasingly far-off destinations. Then, early in 2018, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. This wasn’t unexpected — three of my five sisters also had it, as did my mother, and my numbers had always run a bit high. My doctor prescribed medication, but also told me this: “You need to step up your cardio.” “Right,” I replied. “I thought you’d say that.” At age 57, exercise changed from something I freely wanted to do — to look good, to feel good — to something I really should do to stay healthy. No excuses. It took time, but exercise and I reunited, one might say, albeit in a different way. Since Oliver’s death, I had changed. I felt like a different person, and exercise had changed for me, too. My relationship with it lacked the obsessiveness of youth, feeling more like a civilized arrangement between former lovers now well into middle age. I resumed working out and swimming regularly, and my blood pressure returned to normal, my weight dropped, and by my 59th birthday, in January 2020, I felt better, physically and mentally, than I had in a long time. Then the pandemic hit. I had no choice but to adapt when my gym closed. I was OK with just doing my own thing at home for a while. But as it became clear that gyms were not going to reopen anytime soon, I found that I missed the pump you get from lifting weights, from supersets and reps to exhaustion, and even the ache from sore muscles the next day. I missed swimming. And perhaps more than anything, I missed the sense of community I’d always found in gyms. But there was one big upside to all this time I had to myself, at home alone: I resumed work on my book on the history of exercise, called “Sweat,” with a renewed perspective. I had my own history of exercise now, too. I waited until pools were allowed to reopen, six months after the lockdown, before I reactivated my gym membership. And then I went on the very first day. I saw only two other men in the locker room, matched in number by masked janitors busily disinfecting surfaces. The sauna and spacious steam room were closed indefinitely, perhaps forever, bringing to mind the crumbling, ancient baths, or thermae, found in Rome — ruins from another time, another culture. It was all so depressing. But I told myself not to dwell. I quickly changed into a swimsuit and headed to the pool. My swim reservation — 30 minutes, maximum — was for 2:10 p.m. I felt like I was going to a doctor’s appointment. The lifeguard confirmed my reservation and explained the rules: Wear your mask at all times, except for right before you get into the pool. He handed me a plastic sandwich bag to store it in at poolside. Unlike in the past, swimmers would have a lane to themselves — no lane sharing or circle swimming allowed. Lane 1 was empty, he told me, and I could go ahead and swim. Oliver’s lane, I thought: He always swam in Lane 1. The lifeguard would even transfer swimmers from that lane to another just for him because that’s where a ladder was. He always held tightly onto my arm as I guided him to the ladder, his huge flat feet flopping in swim fins. I took off my mask, put on goggles and plunged in. The water was cold — cold! The pool must have been drained, cleaned, then refilled. Oof! I pushed off, arms outstretched in a V, legs in a scissor kick, until I surfaced about a third of the way down and launched into freestyle. My stroke immediately kicked in, as if not a day had passed since March. I had wondered if it would take time — time to find my rhythm, to synchronize bilateral breathing with crawling arms and legs. But no, my body knew exactly what to do: thrust, pull, kick, rotate — swim. I touched the wall, flipped, pushed off. Lap after lap, I just swam, grateful to forget about the pandemic, grateful for my health, grateful simply to be alive — my heart racing, my body darting through the water like a dolphin freed from captivity.

Sometimes you have to hate exercise before you can love it again

Britain recorded its warmest New Year's Day this time around after temperature hit 16 degrees Celsius for the first time.

In St. James's Park in central London, the mercury climbed to 16.2C, as per provisional reading from the Meteorological Office. The previous record was of 15.6C. It was set in Cornwall in 1916.

The unprecedented warm start to the year follows the UK seeing its hottest New Year's Eve on record, with several locations in England breaking previous highs set in 2011.

The warmth saw Somerset House in London close its ice rink on Saturday, after officials there said the balmy temperatures impacted the quality of the ice.

"The extremely mild spell is driven by a flow of warm, moist air from the Canary Islands, further south in the Atlantic," the Met Office said.

However, 2022's warm start was set to come to an abrupt end, with daytime temperatures expected to plunge to as low as 3C in the Scottish capital Edinburgh by mid-week, when colder air from the north has moved in.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, 2021 overall was "slightly warmer and slightly drier than average," Mike Kendon of the National Climate Information Centre, said in a summary published by the Met Office.

The year was "likely to fall inside the top 20 warmest years on record for the UK -- a series which begins in 1884," it added, as "our climate is warming".

(With inputs from agencies)

Britain recorded its warmest New Year's Day this time around after temperature hit 16 degrees Celsius for the first time. In St. James's Park in central London, the mercury climbed to 16.

Britain recorded its warmest New Year's Day this time around after temperature hit 16 degrees Celsius for the first time. In St. James's Park in central London, the mercury climbed to 16.2C, as per provisional reading from the Meteorological Office. The previous record was of 15.6C. It was set in Cornwall in 1916. The unprecedented warm start to the year follows the UK seeing its hottest New Year's Eve on record, with several locations in England breaking previous highs set in 2011. The warmth saw Somerset House in London close its ice rink on Saturday, after officials there said the balmy temperatures impacted the quality of the ice. "The extremely mild spell is driven by a flow of warm, moist air from the Canary Islands, further south in the Atlantic," the Met Office said. However, 2022's warm start was set to come to an abrupt end, with daytime temperatures expected to plunge to as low as 3C in the Scottish capital Edinburgh by mid-week, when colder air from the north has moved in. Meanwhile, 2021 overall was "slightly warmer and slightly drier than average," Mike Kendon of the National Climate Information Centre, said in a summary published by the Met Office. The year was "likely to fall inside the top 20 warmest years on record for the UK -- a series which begins in 1884," it added, as "our climate is warming". (With inputs from agencies)

UK experiences warmest New Year's Day on record

Ukraine on Saturday closed its ports to Russian ships. The step is likely to raise tensions between the neighbours. In other news, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has said that country's pursuit of democracy and freedom was not a crime. Read this and more in Top 10 world news.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukraine-closes-ports-to-russian-ships-says-russian-media-441661">Ukraine closes ports to Russian ships, says Russian media</a> 
 
Ukraine's new law has effectively denied access to Russian ships (cargo and passenger) access to its inland waters. This may further strain relations between the two neighbours.

<img alt="Putin" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="932d43db-8adb-4d80-9fdd-0f267ca1715f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Putin_10.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/taiwans-pursuit-of-democracy-and-freedom-is-not-a-crime-tsai-ing-wen-441598">Taiwan's pursuit of democracy and freedom is not a crime: Tsai Ing-wen</a> 
 
Beijing has ramped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as she rejects the stance that the island is Chinese territory.

<img alt="Taiwan" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="0bb3d24c-027f-4f76-81e0-904fd87b7cc8" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Taiwan_7.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/first-time-in-history-ten-people-at-once-celebrated-new-year-in-space-441610">First time in history, ten people at once celebrated New Year in space</a> 
 
Yuri Romanenko and Georgy Grechko were the first cosmonauts to celebrate the New Year in orbit in 1977-1978.

<img alt="New Year" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="66a2cbb8-25e0-4e59-9d0e-cb6e914ec240" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/New%20year.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/stampede-at-indias-vaishno-devi-shrine-12-dead-20-injured-441529">Stampede at India’s Vaishno Devi shrine: 12 dead, 20 injured</a> 
 
Around 12 people lost their lives and 20 others got hurt after a stampede occurred due to a heavy rush of devotees at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The devotees had come in large numbers to pay their obeisance to mark beginning of the New Year.

<img alt="Vaishno Devi" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="810d9928-7941-4b3f-aa24-f2be5a187017" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Vaishno%20Devi.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-causes-lower-hospitalisation-than-delta-booster-shots-offer-good-protection-uk-study-441570">Omicron causes lower hospitalisation than Delta, booster shots offer good protection: UK study</a> 
 
According to the study, the risk of being admitted to a hospital for Omicron cases was 65% lower for those who had received two doses of a vaccine, compared with those who have not taken any vaccination.

<img alt="Omicron" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2f5f16b4-6143-43be-9fcb-6cf9866ea169" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Omicron.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-thousands-mark-2020-killing-of-iran-general-qassem-soleimani-441653">Iraq: Thousands mark 2020 killing of Iran general Qassem Soleimani</a> 
 
Former US president Donald Trump ordered the strike that killed Soleimani near Baghdad's airport along with his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Hamdi al-Muhandis, Hashed's deputy.

<img alt="Iraq" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7b3a5342-7ba1-481f-8e73-178cf85a426d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Iraq_2.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pope-francis-new-year-message-roll-up-sleeves-for-peace-441637">Pope Francis' New Year message: 'Roll up sleeves' for peace</a> 
 
Pope marked 55th World Day of Peace. The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts.

<img alt="Pope" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bb567884-f3e1-4b0b-a478-11014678dff1" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Pope_9.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ukrainian-soldier-killed-in-fight-with-pro-russian-separatists-441626">Ukrainian soldier killed in fight with pro-Russian separatists</a> 
 
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are high. It is alleged that Russia supports separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia denies this.

<img alt="Ukraine" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="444e555d-72ee-4dfd-b863-d27c892eff6d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Ukraine_2.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/omicron-threat-affects-new-year-celebrations-across-the-world-441609">Omicron threat affects New Year celebrations across the world</a> 
 
The illuminated ball made of Waterford crystal panels slid down its poll at the midnight hour in Times Square, but only 15,000 spectators were allowed into the official viewing area instead of the usual 58,000.

<img alt="New Year" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="924ed8ff-3e5e-4b62-9d92-4cd89d6df7ec" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2022.JPG" />

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/cats-burnt-100-houses-in-this-country-in-3-years-government-issues-warning-441641">Cats burnt 100 houses in this country in 3 years, government issues warning</a> 
 
The cats were "very nasty," according to the South Korean fire agency, and frequently turned on and off electrical switches in homes, particularly cats that specialise in switching on electric stoves and are sensitive to buttons.Cats jump, causing electricity to be used and, in some cases, causing houses to catch fire.&nbsp;

<img alt="Cats" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="6fc2609b-4dae-450d-9c64-fe30bd584eae" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Cats.JPG" />

Ukraine on Saturday closed its ports to Russian ships. The step is likely to raise tensions between the neighbours. In other news, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has said that country's pursuit of democracy and freedom was not a crime.

Ukraine on Saturday closed its ports to Russian ships. The step is likely to raise tensions between the neighbours. In other news, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has said that country's pursuit of democracy and freedom was not a crime. Read this and more in Top 10 world news. Ukraine closes ports to Russian ships, says Russian media Ukraine's new law has effectively denied access to Russian ships (cargo and passenger) access to its inland waters. This may further strain relations between the two neighbours. Taiwan's pursuit of democracy and freedom is not a crime: Tsai Ing-wen Beijing has ramped up military and diplomatic pressure on Taiwan since Tsai Ing-wen came to power in 2016, as she rejects the stance that the island is Chinese territory. First time in history, ten people at once celebrated New Year in space Yuri Romanenko and Georgy Grechko were the first cosmonauts to celebrate the New Year in orbit in 1977-1978. Stampede at India’s Vaishno Devi shrine: 12 dead, 20 injured Around 12 people lost their lives and 20 others got hurt after a stampede occurred due to a heavy rush of devotees at Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The devotees had come in large numbers to pay their obeisance to mark beginning of the New Year. Omicron causes lower hospitalisation than Delta, booster shots offer good protection: UK study According to the study, the risk of being admitted to a hospital for Omicron cases was 65% lower for those who had received two doses of a vaccine, compared with those who have not taken any vaccination. Iraq: Thousands mark 2020 killing of Iran general Qassem Soleimani Former US president Donald Trump ordered the strike that killed Soleimani near Baghdad's airport along with his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Hamdi al-Muhandis, Hashed's deputy. Pope Francis' New Year message: 'Roll up sleeves' for peace Pope marked 55th World Day of Peace. The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts. Ukrainian soldier killed in fight with pro-Russian separatists Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are high. It is alleged that Russia supports separatists in eastern Ukraine. Russia denies this. Omicron threat affects New Year celebrations across the world The illuminated ball made of Waterford crystal panels slid down its poll at the midnight hour in Times Square, but only 15,000 spectators were allowed into the official viewing area instead of the usual 58,000. Cats burnt 100 houses in this country in 3 years, government issues warning The cats were "very nasty," according to the South Korean fire agency, and frequently turned on and off electrical switches in homes, particularly cats that specialise in switching on electric stoves and are sensitive to buttons.Cats jump, causing electricity to be used and, in some cases, causing houses to catch fire.

Top 10 world news: Ukraine closes ports for Russian ships, Taiwan's assertion, more

Thousands of supporters of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance known for its pro-Iran leanings, rallied to mark 2020 killing of Iran's influential general Qassem Soleimani.

The supporters chanted "Death to America" and filled a Baghdad square to honour the general &nbsp;who headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, until his death on January 3, 2020.

"US terrorism has to end" read one sign at the rally by backers of the pro-Iranian Hashed, a former paramilitary alliance that has been integrated into Iraq's state security apparatus.

Former US president Donald Trump ordered the strike that killed Soleimani near Baghdad's airport along with his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Hamdi al-Muhandis, Hashed's deputy.

Trump said at the time that the assassination came in response to a wave of attacks on US interests in Iraq.

The killing of Soleimani, the architect of Iran's Middle Eastern military strategy, sent shock waves across the region and sparked fears of a direct military confrontation between decades-old arch enemies Washington and Tehran.

The Islamic republic, which wields considerable influence in neighbouring Iraq, warned it would avenge Soleimani's death.

Five days after his killing, Iran fired missiles at an air base in Iraq housing US troops and another near Arbil in the north.

Since then dozens of rockets and roadside bombs have targeted Western security, military and diplomatic sites across Iraq.

Iraqi and Western officials have blamed hardline pro-Iran factions for the attacks, which have never been claimed by any group.

In February last year, the US carried out an air strike against Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary force stationed along the&nbsp; 
Iraqi-Syrian border, following rocket attacks on its Baghdad embassy and a US military contracting firm north of the capital.

Hashed has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of US troops who are deployed in Iraq as part of a multinational coalition fighting jihadists of the Islamic State group.

Senior Hashed official Faleh al-Fayyad reiterated the demand Saturday, saying the killing of Soleimani and Muhandis was "a crime against Iraqi sovereignty".

In December, Iraq announced the end of the "combat mission" there of the US-led coalition against the IS. But about 2,500 American soldiers and 1,000 coalition troops will remain deployed in Iraq to offer training, advice and assistance to national forces.

(With inputs from agencies)

Thousands of supporters of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance known for its pro-Iran leanings, rallied to mark 2020 killing of Iran's influential general Qassem Soleimani.

Thousands of supporters of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi, an alliance known for its pro-Iran leanings, rallied to mark 2020 killing of Iran's influential general Qassem Soleimani. The supporters chanted "Death to America" and filled a Baghdad square to honour the general who headed the Quds Force, the foreign operations arm of the elite Revolutionary Guards, until his death on January 3, 2020. "US terrorism has to end" read one sign at the rally by backers of the pro-Iranian Hashed, a former paramilitary alliance that has been integrated into Iraq's state security apparatus. Former US president Donald Trump ordered the strike that killed Soleimani near Baghdad's airport along with his Iraqi lieutenant Abu Hamdi al-Muhandis, Hashed's deputy. Trump said at the time that the assassination came in response to a wave of attacks on US interests in Iraq. The killing of Soleimani, the architect of Iran's Middle Eastern military strategy, sent shock waves across the region and sparked fears of a direct military confrontation between decades-old arch enemies Washington and Tehran. The Islamic republic, which wields considerable influence in neighbouring Iraq, warned it would avenge Soleimani's death. Five days after his killing, Iran fired missiles at an air base in Iraq housing US troops and another near Arbil in the north. Since then dozens of rockets and roadside bombs have targeted Western security, military and diplomatic sites across Iraq. Iraqi and Western officials have blamed hardline pro-Iran factions for the attacks, which have never been claimed by any group. In February last year, the US carried out an air strike against Kataeb Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary force stationed along the Iraqi-Syrian border, following rocket attacks on its Baghdad embassy and a US military contracting firm north of the capital. Hashed has repeatedly called for the withdrawal of US troops who are deployed in Iraq as part of a multinational coalition fighting jihadists of the Islamic State group. Senior Hashed official Faleh al-Fayyad reiterated the demand Saturday, saying the killing of Soleimani and Muhandis was "a crime against Iraqi sovereignty". In December, Iraq announced the end of the "combat mission" there of the US-led coalition against the IS. But about 2,500 American soldiers and 1,000 coalition troops will remain deployed in Iraq to offer training, advice and assistance to national forces. (With inputs from agencies)

Iraq: Thousands mark 2020 killing of Iran general Qassem Soleimani

In his New Year message Pope Francis urged everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He told the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society.&nbsp;

Pope marked 55th World Day of Peace. The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts.

"Let's go home thinking peace, peace, peace. We need peace," said the pope, following his Angelus prayer.&nbsp;

"I was looking at the images in the television programme "In His Image" today, about war, displaced people, the miseries. This is happening today in the world. We want peace."

Under sunny skies, the pope -- who turned 85 on December 17 -- reminded the faithful that peace required "concrete actions," such as forgiving others and promoting justice.

"And it needs a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the Church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us!" he said, speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

"Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace."

Earlier Saturday, during mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in honour of the Virgin Mary, Francis delivered a homily in which he called violence against women an insult to God.&nbsp;

"The Church is mother, the Church is woman. And since mothers bestow life and women 'keep' the world, let us all make greater efforts to promote mothers and to protect women," he said.&nbsp;

"How much violence is directed against women! Enough! To hurt a woman is to insult God, who from a woman took on our humanity."

On New Year's Eve, Pope Francis did not preside over vespers at St Peter's Basilica as planned, instead turning the service over to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals.

(With inputs from agencies)

In his New Year message Pope Francis urged everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He told the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society.

In his New Year message Pope Francis urged everyone to "roll up our sleeves" for peace. He told the faithful to keep positive while working to build a better society. Pope marked 55th World Day of Peace. The head of the world's 1.3 billion Catholics devoted his Angelus address to encouraging a stop to violence around the world, telling the assembled crowd at Saint Peter's Square to keep peace at the forefront of their thoughts. "Let's go home thinking peace, peace, peace. We need peace," said the pope, following his Angelus prayer. "I was looking at the images in the television programme "In His Image" today, about war, displaced people, the miseries. This is happening today in the world. We want peace." Under sunny skies, the pope -- who turned 85 on December 17 -- reminded the faithful that peace required "concrete actions," such as forgiving others and promoting justice. "And it needs a positive outlook as well, one that always sees, in the Church as well as in society, not the evil that divides us, but the good that unites us!" he said, speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace. "Getting depressed or complaining is useless. We need to roll up our sleeves to build peace." Earlier Saturday, during mass in Saint Peter's Basilica in honour of the Virgin Mary, Francis delivered a homily in which he called violence against women an insult to God. "The Church is mother, the Church is woman. And since mothers bestow life and women 'keep' the world, let us all make greater efforts to promote mothers and to protect women," he said. "How much violence is directed against women! Enough! To hurt a woman is to insult God, who from a woman took on our humanity." On New Year's Eve, Pope Francis did not preside over vespers at St Peter's Basilica as planned, instead turning the service over to the dean of the College of Cardinals, Giovanni Battista Re, the dean of the College of Cardinals. (With inputs from agencies)

Pope Francis' New Year message: 'Roll up sleeves' for peace

Ukrainian army said on Saturday that one of its soldiers was killed in fighting with pro-Russian separatists. This has come just a day before US President Joe Biden is due to speak with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Biden has already warned President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine.

In his New Year's Eve address, Zelensky said ending the war in the east remains his "main goal".&nbsp;

"One serviceman of the Joint Forces was fatally wounded," the army said in a statement, adding that separatists had launched three attacks within 24 hours, using grenade launchers and small arms.&nbsp;

The army gave no further details of how the soldier was killed.&nbsp;

Tensions with Moscow have soared in recent months, with Russia massing troops near Ukraine's borders.&nbsp;

The West has accused the Kremlin of planning an invasion.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/the-larger-dimensions-of-the-russia-us-standoff-over-ukraine-441480">The larger dimensions of the Russia–US standoff over Ukraine</a>

This week, Biden held his second phone call with Putin in just over three weeks, threatening Moscow with major economic sanctions should it launch an attack.&nbsp;

The Russian leader said anti-Moscow sanctions would be a "colossal mistake".

On December 22 international monitors said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to restore a ceasefire, but as early as the next day Kiev and separatists accused each other of new violations.&nbsp;

The soldier's death on Saturday was the first since the truce was agreed.&nbsp;

All previous ceasefires -- including the previous truce agreed in July 2020 -- crumbled.&nbsp;

Kiev has been battling a pro-Moscow insurgency in two breakaway regions bordering Russia since 2014, when the Kremlin annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula.&nbsp;

The conflict in eastern Ukraine has so far left more than 13,000 dead.

(With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian army said on Saturday that one of its soldiers was killed in fighting with pro-Russian separatists. This has come just a day before US President Joe Biden is due to speak with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukrainian army said on Saturday that one of its soldiers was killed in fighting with pro-Russian separatists. This has come just a day before US President Joe Biden is due to speak with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. Biden has already warned President Vladimir Putin against invading Ukraine. In his New Year's Eve address, Zelensky said ending the war in the east remains his "main goal". "One serviceman of the Joint Forces was fatally wounded," the army said in a statement, adding that separatists had launched three attacks within 24 hours, using grenade launchers and small arms. The army gave no further details of how the soldier was killed. Tensions with Moscow have soared in recent months, with Russia massing troops near Ukraine's borders. The West has accused the Kremlin of planning an invasion. Also Read | The larger dimensions of the Russia–US standoff over Ukraine This week, Biden held his second phone call with Putin in just over three weeks, threatening Moscow with major economic sanctions should it launch an attack. The Russian leader said anti-Moscow sanctions would be a "colossal mistake". On December 22 international monitors said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to restore a ceasefire, but as early as the next day Kiev and separatists accused each other of new violations. The soldier's death on Saturday was the first since the truce was agreed. All previous ceasefires -- including the previous truce agreed in July 2020 -- crumbled. Kiev has been battling a pro-Moscow insurgency in two breakaway regions bordering Russia since 2014, when the Kremlin annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula. The conflict in eastern Ukraine has so far left more than 13,000 dead. (With inputs from agencies)

Ukrainian soldier killed in fight with pro-Russian separatists

Outbreak of Omicron variant of coronavirus dampened spirit of New Year celebrations across the world. New York scaled-down th e famous ball drop celebration in Times Square, fireworks show was cancelled in Paris and London relegated its to television.

The illuminated ball made of Waterford crystal panels slid down its poll at the midnight hour in Times Square, but only 15,000 spectators were allowed into the official viewing area instead of the usual 58,000.

As vaccines gradually became available a year ago had kindled a hope that the pandemic would be under control by the start of the year 2022. But arrival of Omicron variant has everyone on alert once again.

Worldwide infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, with an average of just over a million cases detected a day between Dec. 24 and 30, up some 100,000 on the previous peak posted on Wednesday, according to Reuters data. Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal.

On Wednesday, New York reported a record of 44,000 cases of Omicron variant. On Thursday, more 43,000 cases were reported. This led some critics to question whether the celebrations should go ahead at all.

But officials decided an outdoor party of vaccinated, masked and socially distant revellers was safe, and a better option than the virtually vacant celebration that rung in 2021.

"I would be lying if I said I'm not concerned," said Sue Park, a Columbia University student who was one of the 15,000 allowed to watch in person. "Definitely I think it's worth it to come and celebrate. It will just be more meaningful to be in the crowd."

Elsewhere around the globe, events were scaled back or cancelled outright, such as with the traditional fireworks over the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Midnight passed in Paris without a planned fireworks display or DJ sets, as city officials cancelled events planned on the Champs-Elysees following the advice of a scientific panel that declared mass gatherings would be too risky.

In the Netherlands, where outside groupings of more than four people are banned, police dispersed several thousand people who had defiantly gathered at Amsterdam's central Dam Square, ANP news agency reported.

But in London, where a fireworks display and light show had been cancelled in October, officials announced on Friday the spectacle would come to life on the television screen, as Big Ben rang in the New Year for the first time since 2017 following a restoration.

BBC images of the fireworks showed very light vehicle traffic and virtually no in-person spectators.

Earlier, Britain published a study of a million cases that found those with Omicron were around a third as likely to need hospitalisation as those with the previously dominant Delta variant. The results were "in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen," said Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency.

In the wake of encouraging data, Cape Town abruptly lifted a curfew just in time for the New Year, after South Africa became the first country to declare its Omicron wave had crested - and with no huge surge in deaths.

South Africa had first raised the alarm about the new fast-spreading coronavirus variant racing around the world.

"I'm just hoping that Cape Town goes back to the old Cape Town that we all knew about," said Michael Mchede, manager of a Hard Rock cafe by the white sands of Camps Bay Beach, who was thrilled to get the place ready to host an unexpected bash.

Hours earlier, the Australian city of Sydney also feted the New Year with something like full swagger, as spectacular fireworks glittered in the harbour above the Opera House.

People in Madrid queued for hours to get into the main Puerta del Sol square where celebrations went ahead with multiple security checkpoints, mandatory masks and capacity at 60% of normal levels.

Saul Pedrero, a 34-year old clerk, made the trip from Barcelona, which has some of Spain's strictest controls, including a 1 a.m. curfew.

"It seems like another country. Here you can do everything and nobody says anything," he said.

A lavish firework display lit up the festivities, which Spaniards mark by stuffing 12 grapes into their mouths to accompany each chime of the clock striking midnight.

In Asia, celebrations were mostly abridged or cancelled. In South Korea https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/skorea-extend-curbs-amid-omicron-surge-serious-covid-19-cases-2021-12-31, a traditional midnight bell-ringing ceremony was cancelled for the second year, while festivities were banned in Tokyo's glittering Shibuya entertainment district, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took to YouTube to urge people to wear masks and limit numbers at parties.

China, where the coronavirus first emerged in late 2019, was on high alert, with the city of Xian under lockdown and New Year events in other cities cancelled.

(With inputs from agencies)

 
&nbsp;

Outbreak of Omicron variant of coronavirus dampened spirit of New Year celebrations across the world. New York scaled-down th e famous ball drop celebration in Times Square, fireworks show was cancelled in Paris and London relegated its to television.

Outbreak of Omicron variant of coronavirus dampened spirit of New Year celebrations across the world. New York scaled-down th e famous ball drop celebration in Times Square, fireworks show was cancelled in Paris and London relegated its to television. The illuminated ball made of Waterford crystal panels slid down its poll at the midnight hour in Times Square, but only 15,000 spectators were allowed into the official viewing area instead of the usual 58,000. As vaccines gradually became available a year ago had kindled a hope that the pandemic would be under control by the start of the year 2022. But arrival of Omicron variant has everyone on alert once again. Worldwide infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, with an average of just over a million cases detected a day between Dec. 24 and 30, up some 100,000 on the previous peak posted on Wednesday, according to Reuters data. Deaths, however, have not risen in kind, bringing hope the new variant is less lethal. On Wednesday, New York reported a record of 44,000 cases of Omicron variant. On Thursday, more 43,000 cases were reported. This led some critics to question whether the celebrations should go ahead at all. But officials decided an outdoor party of vaccinated, masked and socially distant revellers was safe, and a better option than the virtually vacant celebration that rung in 2021. "I would be lying if I said I'm not concerned," said Sue Park, a Columbia University student who was one of the 15,000 allowed to watch in person. "Definitely I think it's worth it to come and celebrate. It will just be more meaningful to be in the crowd." Elsewhere around the globe, events were scaled back or cancelled outright, such as with the traditional fireworks over the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Midnight passed in Paris without a planned fireworks display or DJ sets, as city officials cancelled events planned on the Champs-Elysees following the advice of a scientific panel that declared mass gatherings would be too risky. In the Netherlands, where outside groupings of more than four people are banned, police dispersed several thousand people who had defiantly gathered at Amsterdam's central Dam Square, ANP news agency reported. But in London, where a fireworks display and light show had been cancelled in October, officials announced on Friday the spectacle would come to life on the television screen, as Big Ben rang in the New Year for the first time since 2017 following a restoration. BBC images of the fireworks showed very light vehicle traffic and virtually no in-person spectators. Earlier, Britain published a study of a million cases that found those with Omicron were around a third as likely to need hospitalisation as those with the previously dominant Delta variant. The results were "in keeping with the encouraging signs we have already seen," said Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at the UK Health Security Agency. In the wake of encouraging data, Cape Town abruptly lifted a curfew just in time for the New Year, after South Africa became the first country to declare its Omicron wave had crested - and with no huge surge in deaths. South Africa had first raised the alarm about the new fast-spreading coronavirus variant racing around the world. "I'm just hoping that Cape Town goes back to the old Cape Town that we all knew about," said Michael Mchede, manager of a Hard Rock cafe by the white sands of Camps Bay Beach, who was thrilled to get the place ready to host an unexpected bash. Hours earlier, the Australian city of Sydney also feted the New Year with something like full swagger, as spectacular fireworks glittered in the harbour above the Opera House. People in Madrid queued for hours to get into the main Puerta del Sol square where celebrations went ahead with multiple security checkpoints, mandatory masks and capacity at 60% of normal levels. Saul Pedrero, a 34-year old clerk, made the trip from Barcelona, which has some of Spain's strictest controls, including a 1 a.m. curfew. "It seems like another country. Here you can do everything and nobody says anything," he said. A lavish firework display lit up the festivities, which Spaniards mark by stuffing 12 grapes into their mouths to accompany each chime of the clock striking midnight. In Asia, celebrations were mostly abridged or cancelled. In South Korea https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/skorea-extend-curbs-amid-omicron-surge-serious-covid-19-cases-2021-12-31, a traditional midnight bell-ringing ceremony was cancelled for the second year, while festivities were banned in Tokyo's glittering Shibuya entertainment district, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida took to YouTube to urge people to wear masks and limit numbers at parties. China, where the coronavirus first emerged in late 2019, was on high alert, with the city of Xian under lockdown and New Year events in other cities cancelled. (With inputs from agencies)

Omicron threat affects New Year celebrations across the world

In August 1944, Pvt. First Class Louis Cooperberg, a U.S. Army medic, wrote to his sister Eleanor in Brooklyn of his experience treating wounded Nazi soldiers on the front line. “I give them the same care, the same treatment I give our own boys,” Private Cooperberg wrote. “Yet all the while, I know these same men have killed my cousins and aunts and uncles in Poland, have tortured and killed without compunction, and despise me because I am a Jew. But I treat them.”

Jews under Nazi occupation were still being hunted down and murdered, yet Pvt. Cooperberg ministered to all those in his care as equals. This ethos reflects the very best of American values: recognizing the humanity in everyone, even our enemies, and treating those in our custody with dignity and respect.

It’s worth reflecting on this ethos now 20 years after 9/11, one of the darkest days in our country’s history. Like Pvt. Cooperberg, many Americans shone brightly after that darkness, unifying against horrendous acts of evil by coming together in ways that affirmed what our country stands for and, just as importantly, what it stands against.

But after 9/11, many others turned away from our values. Around the globe, American agents arrested men on thin allegations of terrorist activity, and secreted them away to clandestine black sites for years of torture or — to use the legally-approved euphemism — enhanced interrogation. Many of those arrested eventually made their way to the detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which was established 20 years ago, in January 2002.

American leaders have all too often excused our moral departures at these black sites, and in the prison at Guantánamo, as an end justifying the means. But even if one was to set aside the immorality or illegality of the means, the ends have proven both ineffective and counterproductive, pushing this country ever further down a path of forever war and incalculable loss.

And , as underscored at a recent hearing in Guantánamo, we cannot ignore the immorality. At that hearing a Pakistani man named Majid Khan, who went to high school in suburban Maryland, described the brutal beatings, forced sodomy, and other inhumane treatment he said he suffered at the hands of American interrogators: Tubes covered in hot sauce before being inserted into his nasal cavities. Repeated simulated drownings. Garden hoses forcibly inserted into his rectum.

After hearing Mr. Khan, a jury of senior military officers condemned their government’s behavior. The handling of detainees, they wrote in a letter to the court, was a “stain on the moral fiber of America” and “should be a source of shame for the U.S. government.” They acknowledged Mr. Khan’s misdeeds — he served as a low-level operative for Al Qaeda — but found that our treatment of him was akin to the “torture performed by the most abusive regimes in modern history.”

Compare this horror with the grace of Pvt. Cooperberg, who healed those who believed, he wrote, that he had “no right to breathe the same air as the rest of the world.” It would have been understandable had he made excuses to avoid treating wounded Nazis. Instead he saved their lives.

As a Jewish American military attorney assigned to defend some of the men we have kept in Guantánamo, I feel a strong kinship with Pvt. Cooperberg. After all, many of the individuals I represent are alleged to have been part of Al Qaeda, an organization dedicated to attacking both America and Jews.

To be clear, my clients have not expressed anti-Semitism or hatred toward me. My primary client isn’t alleged to have attacked America — he’s alleged to have been tangentially involved with an attack in Indonesia — yet he was brutally tortured and has been in prison for nearly two decades. Regardless, my colleagues and I assist these men not because we support the crimes they are alleged to have committed, but because we believe that our country should hold itself to the highest standard of basic decency and human rights.

As an attorney and military officer, I am duty bound to defend my clients, a mission which our country and Constitution demand. Likewise, as a Jew, I was taught the core value of seeing humanity in all people — even enemies. And as an American, I was taught that everyone has certain unalienable rights, and that the protections of fair trials, due process and a prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment apply regardless of the alleged crimes.

Those who seek to abrogate these rights, who take shortcuts, who bow to near-term political or ideological expediency, forget the basic tenets of what this country truly stands for, what once made us a beacon of light for those struggling around the world.

Pvt. Cooperberg’s letter closed with a warning that the true enemy is “any people who proclaim themselves better than all other peoples, and then set out to prove it by murder and trickery and by the stupidity of those who never bothered to reason for themselves.”

As Americans, we are constantly presented with the choice of what our moral role in the world should be. We can pick a path of turpitude and compromise, choosing amoral, shortsighted means of attacking those who seek to harm us. But such choices come with consequences — they severely erode our relationships abroad, and weaken our moral core at home.

Alternatively we can choose to illuminate the many darknesses of the world with the power of our example, and reclaim the grace and humanity we find in the best efforts of the Americans who have come before us.

If we’re going to choose the latter path, we must acknowledge our mistakes, and show we can learn from them. What’s happened at Guantánamo is an example of one such error. Twenty years on it is time for us to choose how — or if — we can begin to repair the damage.

The choice is ours. But I think I know what Pvt. Cooperberg would have us do.

In August 1944, Pvt. First Class Louis Cooperberg, a U.S. Army medic, wrote to his sister Eleanor in Brooklyn of his experience treating wounded Nazi soldiers on the front line.

In August 1944, Pvt. First Class Louis Cooperberg, a U.S. Army medic, wrote to his sister Eleanor in Brooklyn of his experience treating wounded Nazi soldiers on the front line. “I give them the same care, the same treatment I give our own boys,” Private Cooperberg wrote. “Yet all the while, I know these same men have killed my cousins and aunts and uncles in Poland, have tortured and killed without compunction, and despise me because I am a Jew. But I treat them.” Jews under Nazi occupation were still being hunted down and murdered, yet Pvt. Cooperberg ministered to all those in his care as equals. This ethos reflects the very best of American values: recognizing the humanity in everyone, even our enemies, and treating those in our custody with dignity and respect. It’s worth reflecting on this ethos now 20 years after 9/11, one of the darkest days in our country’s history. Like Pvt. Cooperberg, many Americans shone brightly after that darkness, unifying against horrendous acts of evil by coming together in ways that affirmed what our country stands for and, just as importantly, what it stands against. But after 9/11, many others turned away from our values. Around the globe, American agents arrested men on thin allegations of terrorist activity, and secreted them away to clandestine black sites for years of torture or — to use the legally-approved euphemism — enhanced interrogation. Many of those arrested eventually made their way to the detention center in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, which was established 20 years ago, in January 2002. American leaders have all too often excused our moral departures at these black sites, and in the prison at Guantánamo, as an end justifying the means. But even if one was to set aside the immorality or illegality of the means, the ends have proven both ineffective and counterproductive, pushing this country ever further down a path of forever war and incalculable loss. And , as underscored at a recent hearing in Guantánamo, we cannot ignore the immorality. At that hearing a Pakistani man named Majid Khan, who went to high school in suburban Maryland, described the brutal beatings, forced sodomy, and other inhumane treatment he said he suffered at the hands of American interrogators: Tubes covered in hot sauce before being inserted into his nasal cavities. Repeated simulated drownings. Garden hoses forcibly inserted into his rectum. After hearing Mr. Khan, a jury of senior military officers condemned their government’s behavior. The handling of detainees, they wrote in a letter to the court, was a “stain on the moral fiber of America” and “should be a source of shame for the U.S. government.” They acknowledged Mr. Khan’s misdeeds — he served as a low-level operative for Al Qaeda — but found that our treatment of him was akin to the “torture performed by the most abusive regimes in modern history.” Compare this horror with the grace of Pvt. Cooperberg, who healed those who believed, he wrote, that he had “no right to breathe the same air as the rest of the world.” It would have been understandable had he made excuses to avoid treating wounded Nazis. Instead he saved their lives. As a Jewish American military attorney assigned to defend some of the men we have kept in Guantánamo, I feel a strong kinship with Pvt. Cooperberg. After all, many of the individuals I represent are alleged to have been part of Al Qaeda, an organization dedicated to attacking both America and Jews. To be clear, my clients have not expressed anti-Semitism or hatred toward me. My primary client isn’t alleged to have attacked America — he’s alleged to have been tangentially involved with an attack in Indonesia — yet he was brutally tortured and has been in prison for nearly two decades. Regardless, my colleagues and I assist these men not because we support the crimes they are alleged to have committed, but because we believe that our country should hold itself to the highest standard of basic decency and human rights. As an attorney and military officer, I am duty bound to defend my clients, a mission which our country and Constitution demand. Likewise, as a Jew, I was taught the core value of seeing humanity in all people — even enemies. And as an American, I was taught that everyone has certain unalienable rights, and that the protections of fair trials, due process and a prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment apply regardless of the alleged crimes. Those who seek to abrogate these rights, who take shortcuts, who bow to near-term political or ideological expediency, forget the basic tenets of what this country truly stands for, what once made us a beacon of light for those struggling around the world. Pvt. Cooperberg’s letter closed with a warning that the true enemy is “any people who proclaim themselves better than all other peoples, and then set out to prove it by murder and trickery and by the stupidity of those who never bothered to reason for themselves.” As Americans, we are constantly presented with the choice of what our moral role in the world should be. We can pick a path of turpitude and compromise, choosing amoral, shortsighted means of attacking those who seek to harm us. But such choices come with consequences — they severely erode our relationships abroad, and weaken our moral core at home. Alternatively we can choose to illuminate the many darknesses of the world with the power of our example, and reclaim the grace and humanity we find in the best efforts of the Americans who have come before us. If we’re going to choose the latter path, we must acknowledge our mistakes, and show we can learn from them. What’s happened at Guantánamo is an example of one such error. Twenty years on it is time for us to choose how — or if — we can begin to repair the damage. The choice is ours. But I think I know what Pvt. Cooperberg would have us do.

What I’ve learned as a lawyer representing prisoners at Guantanamo

Author

Zee News Rajasthan

Editor

Manas Joshi

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