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Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public&nbsp;mortuaries&nbsp;in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;are at maximum&nbsp;capacity&nbsp;due to a record number of&nbsp;COVID-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases.

The global financial hub reported a daily record high of 34,466 new coronavirus infections and 87&nbsp;deaths&nbsp;on Monday, health authorities said.

Separately, the city's Education Secretary said international schools could maintain their original term dates, after widespread confusion over summer school holidays.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-reports-record-daily-covid-cases-and-83-deaths-457121">Hong Kong reports record daily COVID cases and 83 deaths</a>

Kevin Yeung said international schools could continue with online classes through March and April, while local schools will take an early break for the summer from March until mid-April.

School campuses are expected to be used by the government in March as authorities roll out compulsory testing of the city's 7.4 million population.

The government has not ruled out a city-wide lockdown during the mass testing period, local broadcaster RTHK reported, citing Health Secretary Sophia Chan. Leader Carrie Lam has previously said she was not considering a city-wide lockdown for the moment.

Empty grocery shelves were seen across several supermarkets in the Chinese-ruled financial hub as residents scooped up essentials in case of a potential lockdown.

The Hospital Authority said the number of patients dying from&nbsp;COVID-19 or serious complications triggered by the cold weather sharply increased over the past two weeks, putting immense pressure on the mortuary service in public hospitals.

"The storage space in hospital&nbsp;mortuaries&nbsp;has reached full&nbsp;capacity," the authority told Reuters in an email.

Dozens of bodies are waiting in hospital accident and emergency rooms to be transported to&nbsp;mortuaries, said Tony Ling, head of the city's Public Doctors Association.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/all-hong-kongers-must-undergo-three-rounds-of-compulsory-coronavirus-tests-carrie-lam-455392">All Hong Kongers must undergo three rounds of compulsory coronavirus tests: Carrie Lam</a>

"These bodies now need extra time to wait for collection because resources are just so tight," due to manpower and storage&nbsp;capacity&nbsp;shortages, he said.

The government did not respond to requests for comment.

There have been more than 600 coronavirus-linked&nbsp;deaths&nbsp;in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;since the start of the pandemic in 2020, fewer than in other similar major cities.

However, numbers are&nbsp;climbing daily with around 400&nbsp;deaths&nbsp;recorded in the past week, with the majority being unvaccinated residents.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;has a large proportion of unvaccinated elderly despite a recent pick-up in vaccinations. Many have hesitated to be inoculated due to a fear of side effects and complacency due to the city's success in controlling the virus in 2021.

Around 600 elderly care and disability centres have been infected over the past month, authorities said.

Medical experts have said the city of 7.4 million residents could see cumulative&nbsp;deaths&nbsp;from the virus potentially rising to around 3,200 by mid-May.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Covid-19 surge brings Hong Kong to its knees

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-covid-19-surge-brings-hong-kong-to-its-knees-454147/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Around 4,000 people on average die each month in&nbsp;Hong&nbsp;Kong, according to 2020 government figures.

Hong&nbsp;Kong&nbsp;has stuck firmly to a "dynamic zero" coronavirus policy which seeks to curb all outbreaks, like that in mainland China. To achieve this, the former British colony has unleashed its most draconian measures since the start of the pandemic, adding to rules that were already among the world's toughest.

The city has recorded over 190,000 infections in total, with around 180,000 of them since the start of February due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.

The government has in recent days communicated to the public at press conferences that the&nbsp;deaths&nbsp;are mostly among unvaccinated people. Previously that information was not readily given.

Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of COVID-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases.

Facilities for storing dead bodies at hospitals and public mortuaries in Hong Kong are at maximum capacity due to a record number of COVID-19 fatalities, the Hospital Authority said on Monday, as officials battle to control a surge in cases. The global financial hub reported a daily record high of 34,466 new coronavirus infections and 87 deaths on Monday, health authorities said. Separately, the city's Education Secretary said international schools could maintain their original term dates, after widespread confusion over summer school holidays. Also read | Hong Kong reports record daily COVID cases and 83 deaths Kevin Yeung said international schools could continue with online classes through March and April, while local schools will take an early break for the summer from March until mid-April. School campuses are expected to be used by the government in March as authorities roll out compulsory testing of the city's 7.4 million population. The government has not ruled out a city-wide lockdown during the mass testing period, local broadcaster RTHK reported, citing Health Secretary Sophia Chan. Leader Carrie Lam has previously said she was not considering a city-wide lockdown for the moment. Empty grocery shelves were seen across several supermarkets in the Chinese-ruled financial hub as residents scooped up essentials in case of a potential lockdown. The Hospital Authority said the number of patients dying from COVID-19 or serious complications triggered by the cold weather sharply increased over the past two weeks, putting immense pressure on the mortuary service in public hospitals. "The storage space in hospital mortuaries has reached full capacity," the authority told Reuters in an email. Dozens of bodies are waiting in hospital accident and emergency rooms to be transported to mortuaries, said Tony Ling, head of the city's Public Doctors Association. Also read | All Hong Kongers must undergo three rounds of compulsory coronavirus tests: Carrie Lam "These bodies now need extra time to wait for collection because resources are just so tight," due to manpower and storage capacity shortages, he said. The government did not respond to requests for comment. There have been more than 600 coronavirus-linked deaths in Hong Kong since the start of the pandemic in 2020, fewer than in other similar major cities. However, numbers are climbing daily with around 400 deaths recorded in the past week, with the majority being unvaccinated residents. Hong Kong has a large proportion of unvaccinated elderly despite a recent pick-up in vaccinations. Many have hesitated to be inoculated due to a fear of side effects and complacency due to the city's success in controlling the virus in 2021. Around 600 elderly care and disability centres have been infected over the past month, authorities said. Medical experts have said the city of 7.4 million residents could see cumulative deaths from the virus potentially rising to around 3,200 by mid-May. Watch | Gravitas: Covid-19 surge brings Hong Kong to its knees Around 4,000 people on average die each month in Hong Kong, according to 2020 government figures. Hong Kong has stuck firmly to a "dynamic zero" coronavirus policy which seeks to curb all outbreaks, like that in mainland China. To achieve this, the former British colony has unleashed its most draconian measures since the start of the pandemic, adding to rules that were already among the world's toughest. The city has recorded over 190,000 infections in total, with around 180,000 of them since the start of February due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant. The government has in recent days communicated to the public at press conferences that the deaths are mostly among unvaccinated people. Previously that information was not readily given.

Hong Kong mortuaries hit capacity as COVID deaths climb

A severe storm system pummelled&nbsp;Australia's&nbsp;northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to&nbsp;seven&nbsp;from accompanying flash&nbsp;floods.

More than 1,400 homes in the capital of Queensland state were at risk of flooding while more than 28,000 homes were without power statewide, as pristine beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, which are key tourist attractions, all closed.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/deadly-rains-floods-hit-eastern-australia-456814">Deadly rains, floods hit eastern Australia</a>

"We never expected this rain," state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told a briefing. "This rain bomb is just really, you know, it's unrelenting ... It's just coming down in buckets."

More than 100 schools across the southeast of a state famed for abundant sunshine will be closed on Monday. State rescue services said they received 100 requests an hour for help in recent days.

Among the six killed in the flooding were a 34-year-old man who tried to swim to safety after the waters submerged his car and another whose vehicle was swept away in the most populous state of New South Wales (NSW).

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About 700 people were asked to evacuate from the city of Gympie on Saturday after the Mary River system surged beyond 22.06 m (72.4 ft) for the town's worst flood since the 1880s.

Meteorologists said the deluge and thunderstorms would continue through Monday, before starting to ease off in Queensland, but moving south to New South Wales, where some communities at risk in its&nbsp;northeast&nbsp;have been told to evacuate.

The risk of riverine and flash flooding was "very real over coming days," said Steph Cooke, the state's emergency services minister.

A severe storm system pummelled Australia's northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to seven from accompanying flash floods.

A severe storm system pummelled Australia's northeastern city of Brisbane on Sunday, causing evacuations, power outages and school closures as the death toll climbed to seven from accompanying flash floods. More than 1,400 homes in the capital of Queensland state were at risk of flooding while more than 28,000 homes were without power statewide, as pristine beaches on the Gold and Sunshine coasts, which are key tourist attractions, all closed. Also read | Deadly rains, floods hit eastern Australia "We never expected this rain," state premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told a briefing. "This rain bomb is just really, you know, it's unrelenting ... It's just coming down in buckets." More than 100 schools across the southeast of a state famed for abundant sunshine will be closed on Monday. State rescue services said they received 100 requests an hour for help in recent days. Among the six killed in the flooding were a 34-year-old man who tried to swim to safety after the waters submerged his car and another whose vehicle was swept away in the most populous state of New South Wales (NSW). Also read | France removes Australia as 'strategic partner' in a new Indo-Pacific strategy About 700 people were asked to evacuate from the city of Gympie on Saturday after the Mary River system surged beyond 22.06 m (72.4 ft) for the town's worst flood since the 1880s. Meteorologists said the deluge and thunderstorms would continue through Monday, before starting to ease off in Queensland, but moving south to New South Wales, where some communities at risk in its northeast have been told to evacuate. The risk of riverine and flash flooding was "very real over coming days," said Steph Cooke, the state's emergency services minister.

'Rain bomb' hits Australia's northeast, killing seven in floods

The United Arab Emirates, the Middle East tourism and commercial hub, over the weekend ended a requirement to wear face masks outdoors and obligatory quarantine for COVID-19 contact cases.

Fully-vaccinated passengers arriving in the country will no longer require PCR tests, said the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in updated guidance that went into effect on Saturday.

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"For economic and tourist sectors, physical distancing has been cancelled while mask-wearing in closed places is still mandatory," it said.

The capital Abu Dhabi also dropped a border entry requirement for a negative PCR test for those coming from other&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;emirates.

Watch |&nbsp;India-UAE landmark trade deal: First comprehensive trade deal in 10 years

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-uae-landmark-trade-deal-first-comprehensive-trade-deal-in-10-years-454620/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Daily coronavirus cases in the country have fallen to some 600 from close to 3,000 in January.

The United Arab Emirates, the Middle East tourism and commercial hub, over the weekend ended a requirement to wear face masks outdoors and obligatory quarantine for COVID-19 contact cases.

The United Arab Emirates, the Middle East tourism and commercial hub, over the weekend ended a requirement to wear face masks outdoors and obligatory quarantine for COVID-19 contact cases. Fully-vaccinated passengers arriving in the country will no longer require PCR tests, said the National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority in updated guidance that went into effect on Saturday. Also read | Archaeologists dig out UAE’s oldest buildings, dating back 8,500 years "For economic and tourist sectors, physical distancing has been cancelled while mask-wearing in closed places is still mandatory," it said. The capital Abu Dhabi also dropped a border entry requirement for a negative PCR test for those coming from other UAE emirates. Watch | India-UAE landmark trade deal: First comprehensive trade deal in 10 years Daily coronavirus cases in the country have fallen to some 600 from close to 3,000 in January.

UAE drops face masks outdoors, quarantine for Covid contact cases

Residents of Kabul city reported house-to-house searches, saying the raiding of homes has caused panic among children and women. 
 
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said it has launched a clearing operation under the command of Mullah Mohammad Fazal Mazloom, Deputy Minister of Defense, in some parts of Kabul and its neighbouring provinces in order to tighten security. 
 
The security forces covered many parts of Kabul on Friday, TOLOnews reported.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-detain-29-women-and-their-families-in-kabul-claims-us-diplomat-452857">&nbsp;Taliban detain 29 women and their families in Kabul, claims US diplomat</a> 
 
"Around 10 to 15 individuals stormed into the residence suddenly. They spread everywhere in the residence, including rooms, roofs and the kitchen and searched everywhere inside the house," said Sayed Azim, a resident of Kabul. 
 
Some residents of capital Kabul criticised the house raids by the Islamic Emirate's forces. 
 
"This arbitrary action is wrong. They should have a permit for searches and there should be women among them to search the houses," said Rashid, a resident. 
 
"If they have information about a crime, they should go search for it, but innocent people should not be disturbed," said Haroon, a resident.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-releases-14-women-prisoners-in-kabul-amid-global-pressure-450684">Taliban releases 14 women prisoners in Kabul amid global pressure</a> 
 
But the Islamic Emirate's Spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said in a statement that the raids are aimed to detain the robbers, kidnappers and other criminals who have been already recognised by the intelligence service. According to the statement, all necessary measures have been taken to protect civilians and innocent people. 
 
"We have already detected all the (spots) through intelligence, and after full detection, the operations were launched and criminals were detained. There will be searching -- of course -- if there is nothing no one will be harmed but if the criminals are hiding anywhere, they will be detained," Mujahid said in a voice clip to TOLOnews.

Residents of Kabul city reported house-to-house searches, saying the raiding of homes has caused panic among children and women. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said it has launched a clearing operation under the command of Mullah Mohammad Fazal Mazloom, Deputy Minister of Defense, in some parts of Kabul and its neighbouring provinces in order to tighten security.

Residents of Kabul city reported house-to-house searches, saying the raiding of homes has caused panic among children and women. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said it has launched a clearing operation under the command of Mullah Mohammad Fazal Mazloom, Deputy Minister of Defense, in some parts of Kabul and its neighbouring provinces in order to tighten security. The security forces covered many parts of Kabul on Friday, TOLOnews reported. Also read | Taliban detain 29 women and their families in Kabul, claims US diplomat "Around 10 to 15 individuals stormed into the residence suddenly. They spread everywhere in the residence, including rooms, roofs and the kitchen and searched everywhere inside the house," said Sayed Azim, a resident of Kabul. Some residents of capital Kabul criticised the house raids by the Islamic Emirate's forces. "This arbitrary action is wrong. They should have a permit for searches and there should be women among them to search the houses," said Rashid, a resident. "If they have information about a crime, they should go search for it, but innocent people should not be disturbed," said Haroon, a resident. Also read | Taliban releases 14 women prisoners in Kabul amid global pressure But the Islamic Emirate's Spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said in a statement that the raids are aimed to detain the robbers, kidnappers and other criminals who have been already recognised by the intelligence service. According to the statement, all necessary measures have been taken to protect civilians and innocent people. "We have already detected all the (spots) through intelligence, and after full detection, the operations were launched and criminals were detained. There will be searching -- of course -- if there is nothing no one will be harmed but if the criminals are hiding anywhere, they will be detained," Mujahid said in a voice clip to TOLOnews.

Kabul residents panicked by house-to-house searches

A bombardment carried out by&nbsp;Colombia's&nbsp;armed&nbsp;forces&nbsp;killed&nbsp;23&nbsp;FARC dissidents on Thursday as part of a military offensive to seize control of an area in the northeast of the country which sits on the border with Venezuela, the government said.

Dissident&nbsp;members&nbsp;of the demobilised Revolutionary&nbsp;Armed&nbsp;Forces of&nbsp;Colombia&nbsp;(FARC) reject a 2016 peace deal with the government. The dissidents have become a security threat, according to the government, which accuses them of murdering community&nbsp;leaders and civilians.

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Military planes and helicopters took part in the bombardment in the municipality of Puerto Rondon, in&nbsp;Colombia's&nbsp;Arauca&nbsp;province, according to Defence Minister Diego Molano. He said Jorge Eliecer Jimenez, known as Arturo, the FARC dissident commander in&nbsp;Arauca, was among the dead.

"Colombia&nbsp;and&nbsp;Arauca&nbsp;have been liberated from a criminal, from a FARC-dissident&nbsp;leader&nbsp;of the FARC dissidents to bring more security, more peace, and better protect the people of&nbsp;Arauca," Molano said in a news conference at the site of the operation.

Arauca, which plays an important role in&nbsp;Colombia's oil and cattle ranching industries, has seen growing violence in which more than 60 people have died so far this year, according to&nbsp;Colombia's human rights ombudsman.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amazon-fires-colombia-issues-environmental-alert-over-bad-air-quality-451004">Amazon fires: Colombia issues environmental alert over bad air quality</a>

FARC dissidents allied with the leftist-guerrilla National Liberation Army (ELN) are fighting for control of drug-trafficking in the region against a rival FARC dissident group led by Arturo.

The government in Bogota accuses Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro of harbouring FARC dissidents and&nbsp;members&nbsp;of the ELN who cross the border to launch attacks in&nbsp;Colombia, something Maduro has repeatedly denied.

A bombardment carried out by Colombia's armed forces killed 23 FARC dissidents on Thursday as part of a military offensive to seize control of an area in the northeast of the country which sits on the border with Venezuela, the government said.

A bombardment carried out by Colombia's armed forces killed 23 FARC dissidents on Thursday as part of a military offensive to seize control of an area in the northeast of the country which sits on the border with Venezuela, the government said. Dissident members of the demobilised Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) reject a 2016 peace deal with the government. The dissidents have become a security threat, according to the government, which accuses them of murdering community leaders and civilians. Also read | Colombian court decriminalises abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation Military planes and helicopters took part in the bombardment in the municipality of Puerto Rondon, in Colombia's Arauca province, according to Defence Minister Diego Molano. He said Jorge Eliecer Jimenez, known as Arturo, the FARC dissident commander in Arauca, was among the dead. "Colombia and Arauca have been liberated from a criminal, from a FARC-dissident leader of the FARC dissidents to bring more security, more peace, and better protect the people of Arauca," Molano said in a news conference at the site of the operation. Arauca, which plays an important role in Colombia's oil and cattle ranching industries, has seen growing violence in which more than 60 people have died so far this year, according to Colombia's human rights ombudsman. Also read | Amazon fires: Colombia issues environmental alert over bad air quality FARC dissidents allied with the leftist-guerrilla National Liberation Army (ELN) are fighting for control of drug-trafficking in the region against a rival FARC dissident group led by Arturo. The government in Bogota accuses Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro of harbouring FARC dissidents and members of the ELN who cross the border to launch attacks in Colombia, something Maduro has repeatedly denied.

Colombia says it killed 23 members of armed groups, including one leader, in Arauca

A&nbsp;6.2- magnitude&nbsp;earthquake&nbsp;struck&nbsp;Indonesia's&nbsp;Sumatra&nbsp;island&nbsp;on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, with residents sent fleeing from their homes.

According to news agency Reuters, at least seven people were killed and dozens injured.

The quake hit the&nbsp;island's north at a depth of 12 kilometres (7.5 miles), about 70 kilometres from the town of Bukittinggi in West&nbsp;Sumatra&nbsp;province, according to USGS.

No tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of serious damage, but the quake was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Riau and North&nbsp;Sumatra&nbsp;and as far away as Malaysia and Singapore.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/fears-for-orangutans-future-heightens-amid-shift-in-indonesias-capital-455067">Fears for orangutans' future heightens amid shift in Indonesia's capital</a>

Residents said the 6.2 quake -- which struck just after 8:30 am -- came minutes after a less violent quake recorded by USGS as 5.0 magnitude.

Alim Bazar, head of the disaster mitigation agency of Pasaman city near the quake's epicentre, told AFP some buildings suffered cracks.

"The mayor called and ordered all second and third floors in every building should be vacated," he said.

Bazar said there were reports of some injuries, but did not have any details.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/magnitude-66-earthquake-strikes-off-indonesias-java-island-444695">Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Java island</a>

Irpanda, a resident of Pasaman city who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told Metro TV that he felt both the first and second tremors.

"At first, the quake only lasted for a few seconds. People fled their homes and buildings nearby were swaying," he said.

"But then another quake happened and it was so strong. More people fled their houses," he said, adding patients at a local hospital were moved outside.

Tremors were also felt in Singapore, witnesses and police said.

"Earth tremors were... felt in certain parts of Singapore at about 9:45 am," the police said in a statement.

The police and emergency services "have received several calls from the public reporting these tremors", the statement added.

Malaysia's meteorological department said in a tweet that "vibrations" were felt on the peninsula's western states.

Watch |&nbsp;Indonesia names new capital Nusantara, replacing Jakarta

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indonesia-names-new-capital-nusantara-replacing-jakarta-446407/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Vibrations felt in the western Peninsular area especially in Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor," the department said in the tweet.

Indonesia&nbsp;sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", causing it to experience frequent earthquakes.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake&nbsp;struck the coast of&nbsp;Sumatra&nbsp;and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 people throughout the region, including about 170,000 in&nbsp;Indonesia.

(With inputs from agencies)

A 6.2- magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, with residents sent fleeing from their homes. According to news agency Reuters, at least seven people were killed and dozens injured.

A 6.2- magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Sumatra island on Friday, the United States Geological Survey said, with residents sent fleeing from their homes. According to news agency Reuters, at least seven people were killed and dozens injured. The quake hit the island's north at a depth of 12 kilometres (7.5 miles), about 70 kilometres from the town of Bukittinggi in West Sumatra province, according to USGS. No tsunami warning was issued and there were no immediate reports of serious damage, but the quake was felt in the neighbouring provinces of Riau and North Sumatra and as far away as Malaysia and Singapore. Also read | Fears for orangutans' future heightens amid shift in Indonesia's capital Residents said the 6.2 quake -- which struck just after 8:30 am -- came minutes after a less violent quake recorded by USGS as 5.0 magnitude. Alim Bazar, head of the disaster mitigation agency of Pasaman city near the quake's epicentre, told AFP some buildings suffered cracks. "The mayor called and ordered all second and third floors in every building should be vacated," he said. Bazar said there were reports of some injuries, but did not have any details. Also read | Magnitude 6.6 earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Java island Irpanda, a resident of Pasaman city who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told Metro TV that he felt both the first and second tremors. "At first, the quake only lasted for a few seconds. People fled their homes and buildings nearby were swaying," he said. "But then another quake happened and it was so strong. More people fled their houses," he said, adding patients at a local hospital were moved outside. Tremors were also felt in Singapore, witnesses and police said. "Earth tremors were... felt in certain parts of Singapore at about 9:45 am," the police said in a statement. The police and emergency services "have received several calls from the public reporting these tremors", the statement added. Malaysia's meteorological department said in a tweet that "vibrations" were felt on the peninsula's western states. Watch | Indonesia names new capital Nusantara, replacing Jakarta "Vibrations felt in the western Peninsular area especially in Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor," the department said in the tweet. Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", causing it to experience frequent earthquakes. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude quake struck the coast of Sumatra and triggered a tsunami that killed 220,000 people throughout the region, including about 170,000 in Indonesia. (With inputs from agencies)

6.2-magnitude earthquake strikes Indonesia's Sumatra island, at least 7 killed

The mountain gorillas that live in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park have frequent encounters with humans. On any given day, the animals might come across smartphone-toting tourists, fecal-sample-swiping biologists or antibiotic-administering veterinarians.

So when the coronavirus started spreading around the world in early 2020, experts worried that people might unwittingly pass the virus to the endangered apes, which are known to be vulnerable to a variety of human pathogens.

“In the past, other human viruses have caused respiratory illness in the gorillas,” said Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, executive director of Gorilla Doctors, an international team of veterinarians that provides care for wild gorillas.

“We were on pins and needles wondering, OK, if this virus gets into the mountain gorillas, what’s it going to do?” Gilardi said.

In March 2020, in an effort to safeguard the animals, Rwanda temporarily closed Volcanoes National Park. When the park reopened a few months later, it had strict new precautions in place, including requiring tourists and researchers to wear masks and keep their distance from the gorillas. These rules, plus a general drop-off in tourism, mean that the park’s gorillas have had relatively few close encounters with humans during the pandemic, Gilardi said.

And so far, there have been no signs of the coronavirus among the gorillas. But in trying to control an extraordinary health threat, officials may have also alleviated a more everyday one: the routine transmission of respiratory diseases from humans to great apes. Since March 2020, the number of outbreaks of respiratory illness among the park’s gorillas has fallen to 1.6 a year, on average, from 5.4.

“The takeaway is these best-practice measures for protecting great ape populations appear to be working,” said Gilardi, who reported the findings in Nature this month. The report was cowritten by Prosper Uwingeli, chief warden of Volcanoes National Park.

The analysis is preliminary, and the researchers cannot prove that the gorillas’ health improved because humans kept their distance. But the findings suggest that even after the pandemic wanes, stricter controls may be needed to help protect endangered apes from catching diseases from people, scientists said.

“The same types of things that can protect wild animals that are susceptible to COVID can also protect them from other human pathogens,” said Thomas Gillespie, a disease ecologist at Emory University who frequently works with wild primates but was not involved in the new research.

Just over 1,000 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, divided between national parks in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many gorillas have been deliberately habituated to humans to help facilitate both research and ecotourism.

The apes face a variety of threats, including poaching and habitat loss, but respiratory disease is also a major concern and a leading cause of death in mountain gorillas.

Outbreaks of respiratory illnesses have become common among the animals.

“They happen with regularity,” said Gilardi, who is also a wildlife veterinarian at the University of California, Davis. “And we don’t always know what causes them.”

Bacteria and viruses circulate naturally among gorillas and other apes, some of which can cause respiratory infections. But scientists have also documented numerous instances in which human pathogens, including the rhinoviruses and coronaviruses responsible for common colds, found their way into great apes.

In many instances, respiratory viruses cause relatively mild, and familiar, symptoms in infected gorillas.

“They cough, they sneeze, they have runny noses, they might have goopy eyes, they might be off their feed, lethargic, literally not wanting to get out of bed in the morning,” Gilardi said. (Gorillas make, and slumber in, night nests.) “They look and act just like we do when we have an upper respiratory tract infection.”

But these outbreaks can sometimes cause severe illness, including pneumonia, or even death. In 2009, a human respiratory virus sickened 11 of the 12 gorillas in a single family group in Rwanda. Five of the animals required veterinary care and two others, including an infant, died.

To curb this cross-species disease transfer, the International Union for Conservation of Nature issued a set of guidelines in 2015 for scientists, tourists and other people who might encounter great apes. The recommendations include remaining at least 23 feet from the animals and wearing a face mask when near them. (Gilardi and Gillespie were both among the authors of the guidelines.)

But not all countries adopted, or enforced, the recommendations, Gillespie said. Until the pandemic hit.

“The pandemic has really brought everyone up toward full adherence,” he said.

Volcanoes National Park now requires tourists, park personnel, researchers and other people encountering gorillas to wear face masks, which had not previously been mandated. It also requires people to remain nearly 33 feet away from the animals. Tourism has not fully rebounded either, Gilardi said.

The difference has been noticeable, she said: “We’re just not seeing as much respiratory disease right now as we have in years past.’”

Other great ape sites are currently collecting their own data on how, and whether, the incidence of infectious disease has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, Gillespie said. And the same precautions can be used to help safeguard a wide range of wild primates, he added.

“Many of these best practices can be applied very successfully to other endangered and threatened species,” Gillespie said. “People need to be doing these things, COVID or not.”

The mountain gorillas that live in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park have frequent encounters with humans. On any given day, the animals might come across smartphone-toting tourists, fecal-sample-swiping biologists or antibiotic-administering veterinarians.

The mountain gorillas that live in Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park have frequent encounters with humans. On any given day, the animals might come across smartphone-toting tourists, fecal-sample-swiping biologists or antibiotic-administering veterinarians. So when the coronavirus started spreading around the world in early 2020, experts worried that people might unwittingly pass the virus to the endangered apes, which are known to be vulnerable to a variety of human pathogens. “In the past, other human viruses have caused respiratory illness in the gorillas,” said Dr. Kirsten Gilardi, executive director of Gorilla Doctors, an international team of veterinarians that provides care for wild gorillas. “We were on pins and needles wondering, OK, if this virus gets into the mountain gorillas, what’s it going to do?” Gilardi said. In March 2020, in an effort to safeguard the animals, Rwanda temporarily closed Volcanoes National Park. When the park reopened a few months later, it had strict new precautions in place, including requiring tourists and researchers to wear masks and keep their distance from the gorillas. These rules, plus a general drop-off in tourism, mean that the park’s gorillas have had relatively few close encounters with humans during the pandemic, Gilardi said. And so far, there have been no signs of the coronavirus among the gorillas. But in trying to control an extraordinary health threat, officials may have also alleviated a more everyday one: the routine transmission of respiratory diseases from humans to great apes. Since March 2020, the number of outbreaks of respiratory illness among the park’s gorillas has fallen to 1.6 a year, on average, from 5.4. “The takeaway is these best-practice measures for protecting great ape populations appear to be working,” said Gilardi, who reported the findings in Nature this month. The report was cowritten by Prosper Uwingeli, chief warden of Volcanoes National Park. The analysis is preliminary, and the researchers cannot prove that the gorillas’ health improved because humans kept their distance. But the findings suggest that even after the pandemic wanes, stricter controls may be needed to help protect endangered apes from catching diseases from people, scientists said. “The same types of things that can protect wild animals that are susceptible to COVID can also protect them from other human pathogens,” said Thomas Gillespie, a disease ecologist at Emory University who frequently works with wild primates but was not involved in the new research. Just over 1,000 mountain gorillas remain in the wild, divided between national parks in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Many gorillas have been deliberately habituated to humans to help facilitate both research and ecotourism. The apes face a variety of threats, including poaching and habitat loss, but respiratory disease is also a major concern and a leading cause of death in mountain gorillas. Outbreaks of respiratory illnesses have become common among the animals. “They happen with regularity,” said Gilardi, who is also a wildlife veterinarian at the University of California, Davis. “And we don’t always know what causes them.” Bacteria and viruses circulate naturally among gorillas and other apes, some of which can cause respiratory infections. But scientists have also documented numerous instances in which human pathogens, including the rhinoviruses and coronaviruses responsible for common colds, found their way into great apes. In many instances, respiratory viruses cause relatively mild, and familiar, symptoms in infected gorillas. “They cough, they sneeze, they have runny noses, they might have goopy eyes, they might be off their feed, lethargic, literally not wanting to get out of bed in the morning,” Gilardi said. (Gorillas make, and slumber in, night nests.) “They look and act just like we do when we have an upper respiratory tract infection.” But these outbreaks can sometimes cause severe illness, including pneumonia, or even death. In 2009, a human respiratory virus sickened 11 of the 12 gorillas in a single family group in Rwanda. Five of the animals required veterinary care and two others, including an infant, died. To curb this cross-species disease transfer, the International Union for Conservation of Nature issued a set of guidelines in 2015 for scientists, tourists and other people who might encounter great apes. The recommendations include remaining at least 23 feet from the animals and wearing a face mask when near them. (Gilardi and Gillespie were both among the authors of the guidelines.) But not all countries adopted, or enforced, the recommendations, Gillespie said. Until the pandemic hit. “The pandemic has really brought everyone up toward full adherence,” he said. Volcanoes National Park now requires tourists, park personnel, researchers and other people encountering gorillas to wear face masks, which had not previously been mandated. It also requires people to remain nearly 33 feet away from the animals. Tourism has not fully rebounded either, Gilardi said. The difference has been noticeable, she said: “We’re just not seeing as much respiratory disease right now as we have in years past.’” Other great ape sites are currently collecting their own data on how, and whether, the incidence of infectious disease has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, Gillespie said. And the same precautions can be used to help safeguard a wide range of wild primates, he added. “Many of these best practices can be applied very successfully to other endangered and threatened species,” Gillespie said. “People need to be doing these things, COVID or not.”

When people take pandemic precautions, gorillas breathe easier

China on Wednesday reported 85 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Of these local cases, 40 were reported in Inner Mongolia, 10 in Hubei, eight each in Liaoning and Guangdong, six in Sichuan, three each in Jiangsu, Guangxi, and Yunnan, and two each in Beijing and Shanxi, Xinhua news agency reported citing the commission.

Wednesday also saw reports of 101 imported COVID-19 cases in 11 provincial-level regions, according to the commission. No new suspected cases or deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, the commission added.

Watch | Gravitas: China's lessons from the Ukraine crisis

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According to media reports, the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing, Heilongjiang, and other places inside China was still not under control, while the infection cases in nine cities - Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Yunfu, Huizhou, Heyuan, Meizhou, Baise, Nanning, and Shaoyang -- and inside three southern provinces of China -- Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan -- were growing at a rapid rate.

This highlights the risk of another outbreak of the pandemic due to the huge mobility of the people during the Spring festival in China.

China on Wednesday reported 85 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Of these local cases, 40 were reported in Inner Mongolia, 10 in Hubei, eight each in Liaoning and Guangdong, six in Sichuan, three each in Jiangsu, Guangxi, and Yunnan, and two each in Beijing and Shanxi, Xinhua news agency reported citing the commission.

China on Wednesday reported 85 locally transmitted COVID-19 cases, the National Health Commission said on Thursday. Of these local cases, 40 were reported in Inner Mongolia, 10 in Hubei, eight each in Liaoning and Guangdong, six in Sichuan, three each in Jiangsu, Guangxi, and Yunnan, and two each in Beijing and Shanxi, Xinhua news agency reported citing the commission. Wednesday also saw reports of 101 imported COVID-19 cases in 11 provincial-level regions, according to the commission. No new suspected cases or deaths from COVID-19 were reported on the day, the commission added. Watch | Gravitas: China's lessons from the Ukraine crisis According to media reports, the COVID-19 outbreak in Beijing, Heilongjiang, and other places inside China was still not under control, while the infection cases in nine cities - Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Yunfu, Huizhou, Heyuan, Meizhou, Baise, Nanning, and Shaoyang -- and inside three southern provinces of China -- Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan -- were growing at a rapid rate. This highlights the risk of another outbreak of the pandemic due to the huge mobility of the people during the Spring festival in China.

China reports 85 new local Covid cases

The number of Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 11,146,001 on Wednesday evening, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). 
 
The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union, said the overall death toll of the continent stands at 247,783. A total of 10,311,143 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, so far.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/for-some-in-england-end-of-virus-rules-threatens-more-isolation-455797">&nbsp;For some in England, end of virus rules threatens more isolation</a>

South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases in the continent, Xinhua news agency reported citing Africa CDC. 
 
South Africa has recorded the most Covid-19 cases in Africa with 3,662,032 cases, while the northern African country Morocco reported 1,159,584 as of Wednesday evening.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/africa-transitioning-from-pandemic-will-have-to-manage-virus-who-452312">Africa transitioning from pandemic, will have to 'manage' virus: WHO</a> 
 
In terms of the caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected in the continent, according to the CDC.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 11,146,001 on Wednesday evening, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union, said the overall death toll of the continent stands at 247,783.

The number of Covid-19 cases in Africa reached 11,146,001 on Wednesday evening, according to the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The Africa CDC, the specialised healthcare agency of the African Union, said the overall death toll of the continent stands at 247,783. A total of 10,311,143 patients across the continent have recovered from the disease, so far. Also read | For some in England, end of virus rules threatens more isolation South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Ethiopia are among the countries with the most cases in the continent, Xinhua news agency reported citing Africa CDC. South Africa has recorded the most Covid-19 cases in Africa with 3,662,032 cases, while the northern African country Morocco reported 1,159,584 as of Wednesday evening. Also read | Africa transitioning from pandemic, will have to 'manage' virus: WHO In terms of the caseload, southern Africa is the most affected region, followed by the northern and eastern parts of the continent, while central Africa is the least affected in the continent, according to the CDC.

Africa's Covid-19 cases pass 11.14 million

New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;anti-vaccine&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;pelted&nbsp;police&nbsp;with a "stinging substance" sending three to hospital with injuries Tuesday, as tensions spilled over in an angry weeks-long protest.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decried "absolutely disgraceful" scenes after the suspected acid attack, and a startling incident that saw one protester speed a car toward&nbsp;police&nbsp;lines before coming to a quick halt just centimetres away.&nbsp;

The brief but intense confrontations erupted near&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealand's parliament early Tuesday, as&nbsp;police&nbsp;moved roadblocks used to contain a protest camp that has clogged downtown Wellington for two weeks.

The Wellington protest began as a movement against vaccine mandates -- inspired by similar protests in the Canadian capital Ottawa.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/covid-19-new-zealand-pm-jacinda-ardern-signals-mandates-will-ease-after-omicron-peaks-454979">COVID-19: New Zealand PM Jacinda&nbsp;Ardern signals mandates will ease after Omicron peaks</a>

It has since grown to around 1,500 people and encompasses a range of grievances, with some far-right messaging among the anti-government and anti-media slogans on display.&nbsp;

Assistant Commission Richard Chambers said three officers who were taken to hospital were "recovering well".

He blamed a "certain group within the protest" for the "appalling" attack.

"Police&nbsp;officers are going about their work as best they can to bring peace to the situation... there's a group (of&nbsp;protesters) determined to bring violence and aggression -- we can't tolerate that."

On Monday&nbsp;police&nbsp;reported demonstrators hurled human faeces at them, prompting officers to protect themselves with&nbsp;riot&nbsp;shields during the latest clashes.

Ardern said she was concerned the protest was becoming increasingly violent.

"The attacks on&nbsp;the police&nbsp;have been absolutely disgraceful," she said.

"To anyone down there who thinks they're part of a peaceful protest, that's not what we've seen today -- I would encourage them to leave."

Authorities had been taking a largely hands-off approach to the demonstration, trying to persuade&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;to voluntarily move on.

But Chambers said recent events showed "genuine&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;are no longer in control of the behaviour in and around parliament".

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jacinda-ardern-calls-new-zealand-stabbing-terrorist-attack-suspect-shot-dead-410375">Jacinda Ardern calls New Zealand stabbing 'terrorist attack'; suspect shot dead</a>

'Leave now'

The&nbsp;protesters, inspired by Canada's "Freedom Convoy", have jammed roads with around 900 cars, trucks and campervans, then set up camp on the lawns of parliament.

They have erected tents and shelters, and organised portable toilets, food distribution points and childcare facilities.&nbsp;

Wellington residents have complained about being abused by&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;for wearing masks, while schools and businesses close to the camp have closed.

"Wellingtonians have had enough of this," Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said.&nbsp;

"Our streets have been blocked, our people have been harassed, our environment has been trashed."

Robertson said those involved in the protest had crossed the line into illegal activity.

"This is a protest that has gone well beyond what I think most&nbsp;New&nbsp;Zealanders would see as a peaceful protest -- you've made your point, please leave now," he said.

Chambers said some moderate&nbsp;protesters&nbsp;had left because they were concerned about the behaviour of more extreme elements and&nbsp;police&nbsp;still hoped for a negotiated end to the demonstration.

"We continue to work really hard with leaders among the group to de-escalate the situation and ensure everyone is safe," he said.

Watch |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/new-zealand-police-arrests-8-people-as-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-protest-escalates-455192">&nbsp;New Zealand police arrests 8 people as covid-19 vaccine mandate protest escalates</a>

New&nbsp;Zealand&nbsp;authorities have also been in contact with their counterparts in Ottawa, where&nbsp;police&nbsp;in&nbsp;riot&nbsp;gear dislodged the trucker protest over the weekend after more than three weeks.

Chambers said&nbsp;police, who have received criticism from locals for not doing enough to stop disruption, would have a "highly visible" presence around the protest.

"Police&nbsp;do not wish to interfere with lawful protest, but the behaviours we are seeing are unlawful and will result in enforcement action," he said.

New Zealand anti-vaccine protesters pelted police with a "stinging substance" sending three to hospital with injuries Tuesday, as tensions spilled over in an angry weeks-long protest.

New Zealand anti-vaccine protesters pelted police with a "stinging substance" sending three to hospital with injuries Tuesday, as tensions spilled over in an angry weeks-long protest. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decried "absolutely disgraceful" scenes after the suspected acid attack, and a startling incident that saw one protester speed a car toward police lines before coming to a quick halt just centimetres away. The brief but intense confrontations erupted near New Zealand's parliament early Tuesday, as police moved roadblocks used to contain a protest camp that has clogged downtown Wellington for two weeks. The Wellington protest began as a movement against vaccine mandates -- inspired by similar protests in the Canadian capital Ottawa. Also read | COVID-19: New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern signals mandates will ease after Omicron peaks It has since grown to around 1,500 people and encompasses a range of grievances, with some far-right messaging among the anti-government and anti-media slogans on display. Assistant Commission Richard Chambers said three officers who were taken to hospital were "recovering well". He blamed a "certain group within the protest" for the "appalling" attack. "Police officers are going about their work as best they can to bring peace to the situation... there's a group (of protesters) determined to bring violence and aggression -- we can't tolerate that." On Monday police reported demonstrators hurled human faeces at them, prompting officers to protect themselves with riot shields during the latest clashes. Ardern said she was concerned the protest was becoming increasingly violent. "The attacks on the police have been absolutely disgraceful," she said. "To anyone down there who thinks they're part of a peaceful protest, that's not what we've seen today -- I would encourage them to leave." Authorities had been taking a largely hands-off approach to the demonstration, trying to persuade protesters to voluntarily move on. But Chambers said recent events showed "genuine protesters are no longer in control of the behaviour in and around parliament". Also read | Jacinda Ardern calls New Zealand stabbing 'terrorist attack'; suspect shot dead 'Leave now' The protesters, inspired by Canada's "Freedom Convoy", have jammed roads with around 900 cars, trucks and campervans, then set up camp on the lawns of parliament. They have erected tents and shelters, and organised portable toilets, food distribution points and childcare facilities. Wellington residents have complained about being abused by protesters for wearing masks, while schools and businesses close to the camp have closed. "Wellingtonians have had enough of this," Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said. "Our streets have been blocked, our people have been harassed, our environment has been trashed." Robertson said those involved in the protest had crossed the line into illegal activity. "This is a protest that has gone well beyond what I think most New Zealanders would see as a peaceful protest -- you've made your point, please leave now," he said. Chambers said some moderate protesters had left because they were concerned about the behaviour of more extreme elements and police still hoped for a negotiated end to the demonstration. "We continue to work really hard with leaders among the group to de-escalate the situation and ensure everyone is safe," he said. Watch | New Zealand police arrests 8 people as covid-19 vaccine mandate protest escalates New Zealand authorities have also been in contact with their counterparts in Ottawa, where police in riot gear dislodged the trucker protest over the weekend after more than three weeks. Chambers said police, who have received criticism from locals for not doing enough to stop disruption, would have a "highly visible" presence around the protest. "Police do not wish to interfere with lawful protest, but the behaviours we are seeing are unlawful and will result in enforcement action," he said.

COVID-19: New Zealand police clash with anti-vaccine demonstrators

The media in Pakistan has always played a crucial role in calibrating the political trends and the messaging, working closely with the government or the political parties they owe allegiance to. However, in the last year or so and specifically the last six months, the Pakistani media has not only been in the limelight for having been unusually vocal and expressive, but has also taken sides to create a vicious and unhealthy atmosphere. This has led to a clear rift within the media space among those who are supporters of the Imran Khan government and those against him. The latter category though dominate the media space in Pakistan today.

As the pitch of rhetoric and counter rhetoric increased over the last few weeks one witnessed the media shredding all ethics and journalistic values while resorting to use of strong language and aggressive posturing in emphasizing their point of view. However, one found the government responding with angst dealing with the so called detractors with a strong hand. Handling of the media has been a weak spot for the Imran Khan government as it has failed to deal with the media tactfully, which in turn has resulted in creation of a strong anti-government lobby within the media land scape which the government will find challenging to deal with in these difficult times.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistan-minister-asks-imran-khan-to-declare-march-8-as-hijab-day-454712">Pakistan minister asks Imran Khan to declare March 8 as Hijab day</a>

Soon after the formation of the Imran Khan government, the government invested significant resources on social media for publicising pro-government narrative and to ensure a better outreach in the public domain. These platforms were used to unleash a tirade of rhetoric against the government's opponents through a carefully calibrated mechanism which included intelligence collected on them and their activities and exposing them in the public space. For a while, they worked fine by way of creating a positive image of the government in spite of its poor performance. However, reacting to the government's initiative, most political parties decided not to be left behind and the PTI, PML-N, PPP and others also upgraded their social media cells to counter PTI's offensive narrative.

Meanwhile, in its eagerness to push the media agenda PTI placed Shehbaz Gill, Fayazul Hassan Chohan, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz and Fawad Chaudhary at the fore front while relegating to the rear some of the Party's seasoned and mature politicians. Similar trend was witnessed among the other parties as well with people lacking media ethics but ability to strike hard using rough and aggressive language, coming to the fore. The PTI clearly raced ahead in this regard using government resources at its disposal. The PTI media cell got integrated into the Information Ministry receiving financial and expert support from the best talent the government could afford. Advice was also sought by the government from foreign experts in this regard.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opposition-party-jui-f-protests-against-rising-inflation-in-pakistan-454614">Opposition party JUI-F protests against rising inflation in Pakistan</a>

While on one hand the Imran government started spending huge resources targeting opponents and indulging in character assassination of those opposed to the government including people in the media, on the other hand the office bearers of PTI social media team were elevated to senior government positions. This process was also repeated in the provinces over a period of time. Significantly, considering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is an important strategic area, considerable investment was made in KPK on the social media and conventional media front with a major portion of the 700 million PKR fund allocated for creating public awareness in tribal districts, being used for the purpose. These funds were diverted from the purpose for which they were intended and were used for recruiting youth from these districts in large numbers for generating social media trolls.

As far as mainstream media is concerned, Imran Khan tried to convert every newspaper and TV channel into his own entity or beholden to his government. Media houses, prominent journalists and television channels who refused to tow the government line found it difficult to survive and operate, with a number of popular and well known journalists losing their jobs. There have also been instances of some journalists being physically assaulted by so called 'unknown' elements. As the tables begin to turn, skeletons in Imran Khan's cupboard seem to be rolling out. Imran Khan's erstwhile confidants like Mohsin Baig have revealed as to how Imran Khan had issued orders to implicate Jang and Geo group owner Mir Shakilur Rehman and Dawn Group's Hamid Haroon in various cases.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/assembly-elections-2022-polling-begins-in-punjab-59-up-seats-454693">&nbsp;Assembly elections 2022: Polling begins in Punjab, 59 UP seats</a>

Imran Khan's desire was to see every analyst become Shehbaz Gill, every columnist Mansoor Afaq and every anchor Fawad Chaudhary. Those who moulded themselves according to Imran's wishes were rewarded and those who remained steadfast on their principles started facing difficulties. Some prominent and famous journalists who were sidelined from the media scene include Talat Hussain, Hamid Mir, Najam Sethi, Murtaza Solangi, Sana Bucha, Ambar Shamsi, Nusrat Javed among others. Some others continue to face harassment in the form of targeted trolling against them or vandalism, abduction or even instances of being shot at. Prominent journalists such as Mattiullah Jan, Asad Toor, Absar Alam Saleem Safi have been victims of such action.

The anti-government media has at the same time been able to identify relevant topics on which to target Imran Khan. For instance, they point to how the Prime Minister has been rewarding failed politicians with the 'best performance' award. Similarly, while PM has repeatedly been mentioning of the relevance of the 'Riyasat-e-Madina" (religious ministry) and its exceptional role, at the same time the ministry never made it to the list of top ten performing ministries nominated for appreciation certificates recently. If indeed Imran Khan was sincere and serious with 'Riyasat-e-Madina' and the issue of religion, the Ministry of Religion would have been on top of the list.

Several of Imran Khan's supporters felt that the concept of rewarding the ministries should have been avoided at a time when most ministries have been virtually non performing. Infact, with the Foreign, Finance, Defence, Information and Religious ministries not figuring in the list of 'best performers', Imran khan has only exposed the government's lack of performance. There has been outright criticism of the government on the grounds that if the Prime Minister himself lacks confidence in the performance of his primary ministries, how could the government deliver. It also raises questions on the Prime Minister`s performance in terms of the control and direction he caters to these ministries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ahead-of-pm-khans-visit-russia-assures-moscow-islamabad-cooperation-not-against-india-454386">Ahead of PM Khan's visit, Russia assures Moscow-Islamabad cooperation not against India</a>

On the issue of the government's harsh and often brutal attitude towards the media Nawaz Sharif mentioned in an interview on February 18 that this was the outcome of Imran Khan's sentiments of vendetta and grudge against opponents. He mentioned that the Federal Investigative Agency should not be used by the government to settle such scores. He further mentioned that Imran Khan was trying to push Pakistan towards destruction and crushing his opponents ruthlessly in the process. However, Nawaz mentioned that Imran Khan would not succeed in his endeavour.

This situation has led to creation of necessary grounds for the opposition to target the government and go for the vote of no confidence playing on the above narrative. One of the crucial tests that Pakistan will face in the coming days is regarding the FATF and Pakistan's efforts to get itself off the Grey list. Pakistani officials have been making every effort possible to impress on FATF member countries about its significant achievement in strengthening its financial security mechanisms. Numerous tours were undertaken to different countries and several prominent interlocutors linked to FATF, especially those with the World Bank and the IMF were engaged by the Pakistanis, but internal developments in the country create enough room for speculation of the manner in which Pakistan has addressed the issues raised by FATF.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Imran Khan is fighting for survival

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-imran-khan-is-fighting-for-survival-453863/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

During discussions with Saleem Safi on February 17, Mubasher Lucman said that he had information that FATF is going to place Pakistan in the black list downgrading it from the grey list because of the Pakistani government`s agreement with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and for not handing over Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India. Safi also mentioned that as per his information the lack of media freedom was another issue which had caught the attention of the FATF members and this too could have an impact on the FATF decision. There is no doubt that the performance and image of the Imran Khan government has dropped several folds in the last few years with the last few months being the worst in terms of delivery and squeezing of the media. The opposition thus has all the necessary wherewithal to unseat the government if they play their cards well.

The media in Pakistan has always played a crucial role in calibrating the political trends and the messaging, working closely with the government or the political parties they owe allegiance to.

The media in Pakistan has always played a crucial role in calibrating the political trends and the messaging, working closely with the government or the political parties they owe allegiance to. However, in the last year or so and specifically the last six months, the Pakistani media has not only been in the limelight for having been unusually vocal and expressive, but has also taken sides to create a vicious and unhealthy atmosphere. This has led to a clear rift within the media space among those who are supporters of the Imran Khan government and those against him. The latter category though dominate the media space in Pakistan today. As the pitch of rhetoric and counter rhetoric increased over the last few weeks one witnessed the media shredding all ethics and journalistic values while resorting to use of strong language and aggressive posturing in emphasizing their point of view. However, one found the government responding with angst dealing with the so called detractors with a strong hand. Handling of the media has been a weak spot for the Imran Khan government as it has failed to deal with the media tactfully, which in turn has resulted in creation of a strong anti-government lobby within the media land scape which the government will find challenging to deal with in these difficult times. Also read | Pakistan minister asks Imran Khan to declare March 8 as Hijab day Soon after the formation of the Imran Khan government, the government invested significant resources on social media for publicising pro-government narrative and to ensure a better outreach in the public domain. These platforms were used to unleash a tirade of rhetoric against the government's opponents through a carefully calibrated mechanism which included intelligence collected on them and their activities and exposing them in the public space. For a while, they worked fine by way of creating a positive image of the government in spite of its poor performance. However, reacting to the government's initiative, most political parties decided not to be left behind and the PTI, PML-N, PPP and others also upgraded their social media cells to counter PTI's offensive narrative. Meanwhile, in its eagerness to push the media agenda PTI placed Shehbaz Gill, Fayazul Hassan Chohan, Murad Saeed, Shibli Faraz and Fawad Chaudhary at the fore front while relegating to the rear some of the Party's seasoned and mature politicians. Similar trend was witnessed among the other parties as well with people lacking media ethics but ability to strike hard using rough and aggressive language, coming to the fore. The PTI clearly raced ahead in this regard using government resources at its disposal. The PTI media cell got integrated into the Information Ministry receiving financial and expert support from the best talent the government could afford. Advice was also sought by the government from foreign experts in this regard. Also read | Opposition party JUI-F protests against rising inflation in Pakistan While on one hand the Imran government started spending huge resources targeting opponents and indulging in character assassination of those opposed to the government including people in the media, on the other hand the office bearers of PTI social media team were elevated to senior government positions. This process was also repeated in the provinces over a period of time. Significantly, considering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) is an important strategic area, considerable investment was made in KPK on the social media and conventional media front with a major portion of the 700 million PKR fund allocated for creating public awareness in tribal districts, being used for the purpose. These funds were diverted from the purpose for which they were intended and were used for recruiting youth from these districts in large numbers for generating social media trolls. As far as mainstream media is concerned, Imran Khan tried to convert every newspaper and TV channel into his own entity or beholden to his government. Media houses, prominent journalists and television channels who refused to tow the government line found it difficult to survive and operate, with a number of popular and well known journalists losing their jobs. There have also been instances of some journalists being physically assaulted by so called 'unknown' elements. As the tables begin to turn, skeletons in Imran Khan's cupboard seem to be rolling out. Imran Khan's erstwhile confidants like Mohsin Baig have revealed as to how Imran Khan had issued orders to implicate Jang and Geo group owner Mir Shakilur Rehman and Dawn Group's Hamid Haroon in various cases. Also read | Assembly elections 2022: Polling begins in Punjab, 59 UP seats Imran Khan's desire was to see every analyst become Shehbaz Gill, every columnist Mansoor Afaq and every anchor Fawad Chaudhary. Those who moulded themselves according to Imran's wishes were rewarded and those who remained steadfast on their principles started facing difficulties. Some prominent and famous journalists who were sidelined from the media scene include Talat Hussain, Hamid Mir, Najam Sethi, Murtaza Solangi, Sana Bucha, Ambar Shamsi, Nusrat Javed among others. Some others continue to face harassment in the form of targeted trolling against them or vandalism, abduction or even instances of being shot at. Prominent journalists such as Mattiullah Jan, Asad Toor, Absar Alam Saleem Safi have been victims of such action. The anti-government media has at the same time been able to identify relevant topics on which to target Imran Khan. For instance, they point to how the Prime Minister has been rewarding failed politicians with the 'best performance' award. Similarly, while PM has repeatedly been mentioning of the relevance of the 'Riyasat-e-Madina" (religious ministry) and its exceptional role, at the same time the ministry never made it to the list of top ten performing ministries nominated for appreciation certificates recently. If indeed Imran Khan was sincere and serious with 'Riyasat-e-Madina' and the issue of religion, the Ministry of Religion would have been on top of the list. Several of Imran Khan's supporters felt that the concept of rewarding the ministries should have been avoided at a time when most ministries have been virtually non performing. Infact, with the Foreign, Finance, Defence, Information and Religious ministries not figuring in the list of 'best performers', Imran khan has only exposed the government's lack of performance. There has been outright criticism of the government on the grounds that if the Prime Minister himself lacks confidence in the performance of his primary ministries, how could the government deliver. It also raises questions on the Prime Minister`s performance in terms of the control and direction he caters to these ministries. Also read | Ahead of PM Khan's visit, Russia assures Moscow-Islamabad cooperation not against India On the issue of the government's harsh and often brutal attitude towards the media Nawaz Sharif mentioned in an interview on February 18 that this was the outcome of Imran Khan's sentiments of vendetta and grudge against opponents. He mentioned that the Federal Investigative Agency should not be used by the government to settle such scores. He further mentioned that Imran Khan was trying to push Pakistan towards destruction and crushing his opponents ruthlessly in the process. However, Nawaz mentioned that Imran Khan would not succeed in his endeavour. This situation has led to creation of necessary grounds for the opposition to target the government and go for the vote of no confidence playing on the above narrative. One of the crucial tests that Pakistan will face in the coming days is regarding the FATF and Pakistan's efforts to get itself off the Grey list. Pakistani officials have been making every effort possible to impress on FATF member countries about its significant achievement in strengthening its financial security mechanisms. Numerous tours were undertaken to different countries and several prominent interlocutors linked to FATF, especially those with the World Bank and the IMF were engaged by the Pakistanis, but internal developments in the country create enough room for speculation of the manner in which Pakistan has addressed the issues raised by FATF. Watch | Gravitas: Imran Khan is fighting for survival During discussions with Saleem Safi on February 17, Mubasher Lucman said that he had information that FATF is going to place Pakistan in the black list downgrading it from the grey list because of the Pakistani government`s agreement with Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and for not handing over Hafiz Saeed and Masood Azhar to India. Safi also mentioned that as per his information the lack of media freedom was another issue which had caught the attention of the FATF members and this too could have an impact on the FATF decision. There is no doubt that the performance and image of the Imran Khan government has dropped several folds in the last few years with the last few months being the worst in terms of delivery and squeezing of the media. The opposition thus has all the necessary wherewithal to unseat the government if they play their cards well.

Political victimisation of media in Pakistan

Beijing&nbsp;will include more than a dozen&nbsp;fertility&nbsp;services&nbsp;in a government-backed medical&nbsp;insurance&nbsp;scheme for the&nbsp;Chinese&nbsp;capital, state media reported on Monday,&nbsp;supporting those seeking to have babies with China's birth rate at a record low.

A total of 16 medical&nbsp;services&nbsp;using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) will be covered by the city's state&nbsp;insurance&nbsp;effective from March 26, in a move to "take proactive&nbsp;fertility&nbsp;support&nbsp;measures", according to the&nbsp;Beijing&nbsp;Daily.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-chinese-students-to-be-taught-xi-jinpings-thoughts-454530">Now, Chinese students to be taught Xi Jinping's 'thoughts'</a>

The new reproductive&nbsp;coverage&nbsp;could help lower out-of-pocket costs and benefit couples in lower-income brackets seeking to have babies and those with little or no access to private medical&nbsp;insurance.

Official data showed China's birth rate dropped to a record low in 2021, extending a downward trend that led the national government last year to begin allowing couples to have up to three children.

China will work towards achieving an "appropriate" birth rate, Premier Li Keqiang said at the start of the annual parliamentary meeting in March last year.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-human-rights-chief-can-visit-xinjiang-but-beijing-doesnt-welcome-any-probe-says-chinas-foreign-minister-454717">UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang but Beijing doesn't welcome any probe, says China's foreign minister</a>

China faces what experts call a "demographic time-bomb" as its elderly population increases while its workforce gets smaller due to decreasing&nbsp;births, partly due to a one-child policy in place for about four decades before being scrapped in 2016.

China will raise the statutory retirement age "in a phased manner", Li said last year.

The eastern province of Jiangsu said last month that starting from March, employees eligible for state pensions will be able to apply for delayed retirement for no less than one year from the statutory retirement age.

Beijing will include more than a dozen fertility services in a government-backed medical insurance scheme for the Chinese capital, state media reported on Monday, supporting those seeking to have babies with China's birth rate at a record low.

Beijing will include more than a dozen fertility services in a government-backed medical insurance scheme for the Chinese capital, state media reported on Monday, supporting those seeking to have babies with China's birth rate at a record low. A total of 16 medical services using assisted reproductive technologies (ART) will be covered by the city's state insurance effective from March 26, in a move to "take proactive fertility support measures", according to the Beijing Daily. Also read | Now, Chinese students to be taught Xi Jinping's 'thoughts' The new reproductive coverage could help lower out-of-pocket costs and benefit couples in lower-income brackets seeking to have babies and those with little or no access to private medical insurance. Official data showed China's birth rate dropped to a record low in 2021, extending a downward trend that led the national government last year to begin allowing couples to have up to three children. China will work towards achieving an "appropriate" birth rate, Premier Li Keqiang said at the start of the annual parliamentary meeting in March last year. Also read | UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang but Beijing doesn't welcome any probe, says China's foreign minister China faces what experts call a "demographic time-bomb" as its elderly population increases while its workforce gets smaller due to decreasing births, partly due to a one-child policy in place for about four decades before being scrapped in 2016. China will raise the statutory retirement age "in a phased manner", Li said last year. The eastern province of Jiangsu said last month that starting from March, employees eligible for state pensions will be able to apply for delayed retirement for no less than one year from the statutory retirement age.

To support births, Chinese capital Beijing adds fertility services to insurance coverage

Notices were issued on Saturday to hotels and marble factories in Pakistan's Faisalabad for rising pollution as per a media report. Deputy Director Environment, Farhat Abbas Kamoka on Saturday said that departmental teams conducted surprise checking in the district and found these halls (hotels) and factories polluting the environment, Daily Times reported. He further said, "Therefore, notices have been issued to the owners and their cases would be forwarded to the tribunal for further action", as quoted by Daily Times.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/imran-khan-govt-surrendered-countrys-economic-control-to-imf-pak-opposition-454534">Imran Khan govt surrendered country's economic control to IMF: Pak Opposition​</a>

Earlier in November 2021, Pakistan's Lahore was declared the most polluted city globally with Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing over 700. Last month, Karachi became the World's third most polluted city with an AQI of 224 according to Dhaka Tribune.​​​​​​

AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality and is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. According to multiple studies, breathing polluted air increases a person`s risk of acquiring heart disease, chronic respiratory disorders, lung infections, and cancer.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/politicisation-by-some-countries-says-pakistan-on-fatf-grey-list-454549">Politicisation by some countries, says Pakistan on FATF grey list</a>

Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people year, owing to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

Notices were issued on Saturday to hotels and marble factories in Pakistan's Faisalabad for rising pollution as per a media report. Deputy Director Environment, Farhat Abbas Kamoka on Saturday said that departmental teams conducted surprise checking in the district and found these halls (hotels) and factories polluting the environment, Daily Times reported.

Notices were issued on Saturday to hotels and marble factories in Pakistan's Faisalabad for rising pollution as per a media report. Deputy Director Environment, Farhat Abbas Kamoka on Saturday said that departmental teams conducted surprise checking in the district and found these halls (hotels) and factories polluting the environment, Daily Times reported. He further said, "Therefore, notices have been issued to the owners and their cases would be forwarded to the tribunal for further action", as quoted by Daily Times. Also read | Imran Khan govt surrendered country's economic control to IMF: Pak Opposition Earlier in November 2021, Pakistan's Lahore was declared the most polluted city globally with Air Quality Index (AQI) crossing over 700. Last month, Karachi became the World's third most polluted city with an AQI of 224 according to Dhaka Tribune. AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality and is used by government agencies to inform people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is, and what associated health effects might be a concern for them. According to multiple studies, breathing polluted air increases a person`s risk of acquiring heart disease, chronic respiratory disorders, lung infections, and cancer. Also read | Politicisation by some countries, says Pakistan on FATF grey list Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people year, owing to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

Pakistan: Hotels, factories responsible for pollution in Faisalabad

Police&nbsp;in Kathmandu&nbsp;fired&nbsp;teargas&nbsp;and&nbsp;water&nbsp;cannon&nbsp;to&nbsp;disperse&nbsp;protesters opposed to a U.S.-funded&nbsp;infrastructure programme that was set to be presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday, witnesses and officials in&nbsp;Nepal's capital said.

Some&nbsp;protesters were injured in the clashes, they said.

The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 300-kilometre (187 mile) electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in&nbsp;Nepal.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/mcc-ratification-nepals-sovereign-decision-us-454675">MCC ratification Nepal’s sovereign decision: US&nbsp;</a>

Government officials said the grant will not have to be repaid and comes with no strings, but opponents say the agreement would undermine&nbsp;Nepal's laws and sovereignty as lawmakers would have insufficient oversight of the board directing the infrastructure project.

Major political parties including members of the ruling coalition are split over whether to accept or reject the U.S. grant money.

The U.S. Embassy in&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;described the $500 million MCC grant as "a gift from the American people and a partnership between our nations that will bring jobs and infrastructure to&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;and improve the lives of&nbsp;Nepalis."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-diplomat-says-us-and-british-spies-cant-be-trusted-on-ukraine-454775">Russian diplomat says: US and British spies can't be trusted on Ukraine</a>

"This project was requested by the&nbsp;Nepali government and the&nbsp;Nepali people and designed to transparently reduce poverty and grow the economy of&nbsp;Nepal," the embassy said in a statement issued late on Saturday.

"Whether&nbsp;Nepali leaders ratify MCC is a decision for&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;to make, as a sovereign democratic nation, and&nbsp;Nepal's decision alone," it added.

Watch |&nbsp;Nepal PM Deuba fails to garner consent for MCC as coalition divided over the grant

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nepal-pm-deuba-fails-to-garner-consent-for-mcc-as-coalition-divided-over-the-grant-454229/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Nepal&nbsp;relies heavily on foreign aid, and donors coordinate development aid policy through the&nbsp;Nepal&nbsp;Development Forum, whose members include donor countries and international financial organisations.

Police in Kathmandu fired teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to a U.S.-funded infrastructure programme that was set to be presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday, witnesses and officials in Nepal's capital said.

Police in Kathmandu fired teargas and water cannon to disperse protesters opposed to a U.S.-funded infrastructure programme that was set to be presented in parliament for ratification on Sunday, witnesses and officials in Nepal's capital said. Some protesters were injured in the clashes, they said. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agreed in 2017 to provide $500 million in grants to fund a 300-kilometre (187 mile) electricity transmission line and a road improvement project in Nepal. Also read | MCC ratification Nepal’s sovereign decision: US Government officials said the grant will not have to be repaid and comes with no strings, but opponents say the agreement would undermine Nepal's laws and sovereignty as lawmakers would have insufficient oversight of the board directing the infrastructure project. Major political parties including members of the ruling coalition are split over whether to accept or reject the U.S. grant money. The U.S. Embassy in Nepal described the $500 million MCC grant as "a gift from the American people and a partnership between our nations that will bring jobs and infrastructure to Nepal and improve the lives of Nepalis." Also read | Russian diplomat says: US and British spies can't be trusted on Ukraine "This project was requested by the Nepali government and the Nepali people and designed to transparently reduce poverty and grow the economy of Nepal," the embassy said in a statement issued late on Saturday. "Whether Nepali leaders ratify MCC is a decision for Nepal to make, as a sovereign democratic nation, and Nepal's decision alone," it added. Watch | Nepal PM Deuba fails to garner consent for MCC as coalition divided over the grant Nepal relies heavily on foreign aid, and donors coordinate development aid policy through the Nepal Development Forum, whose members include donor countries and international financial organisations.

Nepal police fire tear gas, water cannon to disperse protest against US funded projects

A helicopter crashed into the ocean just off Miami Beach, not so far away from the crowd of swimmers. The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) shared a video on their official Twitter handle, showing the helicopter crashing into the water.&nbsp;

As per MPBD, two out of the three helicopter passengers were taken to Jackson memorial hospital, where they were given treatment. Following the treatment, they were declared to be in ‘stable’ condition.&nbsp;

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This afternoon at 1:10 p.m., MBPD received a call of a helicopter crash in the ocean near 10 Street. Police and <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiBeachFire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MiamiBeachFire</a> responded to the scene along with several partner agencies. Two occupants have been transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition. 
 
1/2 <a href="https://t.co/heSIqnQtle">pic.twitter.com/heSIqnQtle</a>
— Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) <a href="https://twitter.com/MiamiBeachPD/status/1495118271498145796?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The tweet says that MBPD received a call at 1:10pm local time. Miami police, Miami beach fire department, and several other partner agencies rushed to the scene to respond.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/un-human-rights-chief-can-visit-xinjiang-but-beijing-doesnt-welcome-any-probe-says-chinas-foreign-minister-454717">Also read |&nbsp;UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang but Beijing doesn't welcome any probe, says China's foreign minister</a>

The Federal aviation administration (FAA) also ​responded to the scene. As per FAA, the helicopter is a Robinson R44. "The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates," the statement reads.

The crash occurred under "unknown circumstances," reports CNN.&nbsp;

As per NBC Miami, Miami beach fire rescue chief Linares described the incident as a "control crash."

The fire department also stated, “if this crash has happened 50 yards more inland, we would have had a mass casualty event on our hands.”

(With inputs from agencies)

A helicopter crashed into the ocean just off Miami Beach, not so far away from the crowd of swimmers. The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) shared a video on their official Twitter handle, showing the helicopter crashing into the water.

A helicopter crashed into the ocean just off Miami Beach, not so far away from the crowd of swimmers. The Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) shared a video on their official Twitter handle, showing the helicopter crashing into the water. As per MPBD, two out of the three helicopter passengers were taken to Jackson memorial hospital, where they were given treatment. Following the treatment, they were declared to be in ‘stable’ condition. This afternoon at 1:10 p.m., MBPD received a call of a helicopter crash in the ocean near 10 Street. Police and @MiamiBeachFire responded to the scene along with several partner agencies. Two occupants have been transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/heSIqnQtle — Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) February 19, 2022 × The tweet says that MBPD received a call at 1:10pm local time. Miami police, Miami beach fire department, and several other partner agencies rushed to the scene to respond. Also read | UN human rights chief can visit Xinjiang but Beijing doesn't welcome any probe, says China's foreign minister The Federal aviation administration (FAA) also responded to the scene. As per FAA, the helicopter is a Robinson R44. "The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide additional updates," the statement reads. The crash occurred under "unknown circumstances," reports CNN. As per NBC Miami, Miami beach fire rescue chief Linares described the incident as a "control crash." The fire department also stated, “if this crash has happened 50 yards more inland, we would have had a mass casualty event on our hands.” (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Helicopter crashes near crowd at Miami beach, two people injured

China&nbsp;reported&nbsp;195&nbsp;new&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;cases&nbsp;in the&nbsp;mainland&nbsp;for Feb.&nbsp;19, up from&nbsp;137&nbsp;cases&nbsp;a&nbsp;day&nbsp;earlier, the health authority said on Sunday.

Ninety-four of the&nbsp;new&nbsp;infections were imported, the National Health Commission said in a statement, while 101 were locally transmitted, compared with 80 a&nbsp;day&nbsp;earlier. There were no&nbsp;new&nbsp;deaths.

China&nbsp;also reported 39&nbsp;new&nbsp;asymptomatic patients, compared with 37 a&nbsp;day&nbsp;earlier.&nbsp;China&nbsp;does not classify asymptomatic&nbsp;cases&nbsp;as confirmed&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;cases.

As of Saturday,&nbsp;mainland&nbsp;China&nbsp;had 107,707 confirmed coronavirus infections, while the&nbsp;COVID-19&nbsp;death toll remained at 4,636, it said.

China reported 195 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland for Feb. 19, up from 137 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Sunday. Ninety-four of the new infections were imported, the National Health Commission said in a statement, while 101 were locally transmitted, compared with 80 a day earlier.

China reported 195 new COVID-19 cases in the mainland for Feb. 19, up from 137 cases a day earlier, the health authority said on Sunday. Ninety-four of the new infections were imported, the National Health Commission said in a statement, while 101 were locally transmitted, compared with 80 a day earlier. There were no new deaths. China also reported 39 new asymptomatic patients, compared with 37 a day earlier. China does not classify asymptomatic cases as confirmed COVID-19 cases. As of Saturday, mainland China had 107,707 confirmed coronavirus infections, while the COVID-19 death toll remained at 4,636, it said.

Mainland China reports 195 new COVID-19 cases vs 137 a day earlier

The members of the Jogi ethnic minority group living in Kabul have complained of the dearth of basic living necessities amid deprivation of national identity, local media reported.

The Jogi are an ethnic minority group whose roots are from the Central Asian states. They do not have national identity cards and are deprived of access to education and other basic rights, including property, Tolo News reported citing the members of the group. Mohammad Sabir, who was working as the representative of the Jogi ethnic group in Kabul before the Taliban takeover of the government, said that he was dismissed after the Islamic Emirate came into power.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-is-your-home-pm-modi-tells-afghan-minority-community-members-454546">&nbsp;'India is your home', PM Modi tells Afghan minority community members</a>

"I was appointed as representative of the people (Jogi). This is my ID. My documents are legal. I started working as representative of Jogi. If they want me to share my documents, I will. I was active in the former government, but I was dismissed after the Islamic Emirate swept into power," he said, according to the Afghan news agency.

However, Nimatullah Barakzai, a spokesman of Kabul municipality, claimed that Sabir was fired because he was not qualified for the position." The person that you have asked about was disqualified as a local representative. This person has no property, which is one of the conditions to be a representative. He is not educated," the media outlet quoted him as saying. Taliban said that there is no exact information about the number of people with Jogi ethnicity living in Afghanistan."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/six-year-old-haider-trapped-in-well-in-afghanistan-for-three-days-dies-454343">Six-year-old Haider, trapped in well in Afghanistan for three days, dies</a>

Due to lack of national identity cards, the Jogi lack access to education," Tolo News quoted the group as saying.In Afghanistan, the Taliban's swift ascension to power occurred in mid-August, triggering an economic disarray and food shortages that push the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis, reported Sputnik.&nbsp;

The members of the Jogi ethnic minority group living in Kabul have complained of the dearth of basic living necessities amid deprivation of national identity, local media reported.

The members of the Jogi ethnic minority group living in Kabul have complained of the dearth of basic living necessities amid deprivation of national identity, local media reported. The Jogi are an ethnic minority group whose roots are from the Central Asian states. They do not have national identity cards and are deprived of access to education and other basic rights, including property, Tolo News reported citing the members of the group. Mohammad Sabir, who was working as the representative of the Jogi ethnic group in Kabul before the Taliban takeover of the government, said that he was dismissed after the Islamic Emirate came into power. Also read | 'India is your home', PM Modi tells Afghan minority community members "I was appointed as representative of the people (Jogi). This is my ID. My documents are legal. I started working as representative of Jogi. If they want me to share my documents, I will. I was active in the former government, but I was dismissed after the Islamic Emirate swept into power," he said, according to the Afghan news agency. However, Nimatullah Barakzai, a spokesman of Kabul municipality, claimed that Sabir was fired because he was not qualified for the position." The person that you have asked about was disqualified as a local representative. This person has no property, which is one of the conditions to be a representative. He is not educated," the media outlet quoted him as saying. Taliban said that there is no exact information about the number of people with Jogi ethnicity living in Afghanistan." Also read | Six-year-old Haider, trapped in well in Afghanistan for three days, dies Due to lack of national identity cards, the Jogi lack access to education," Tolo News quoted the group as saying.In Afghanistan, the Taliban's swift ascension to power occurred in mid-August, triggering an economic disarray and food shortages that push the country to the brink of a humanitarian crisis, reported Sputnik.

Afghanistan: Members of Jogi minority demand basic necessities, rights

Western Australia, the mining-heavy state that has held firm on strict borders controls for two years, said it will be reopening to triple vaccinated visitors after deciding it can cope with the Omicron outbreak.

Widely labelled the&nbsp;hermit&nbsp;kingdom, Western Australia has stood out for its "hard border", while other Australian states have adjusted their border policies depending on the severity of the pandemic.

By comparison, the country's two most populous states, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria that are home to Sydney and Melbourne, relaxed their borders in November.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australias-largest-coal-fired-power-plant-to-close-453908">&nbsp;Australia's largest coal-fired power plant to close</a>

"We have the right systems in place to deal with the faster spreading Omicron, with the right close contact rules, public health measures and rapid antigen test supplies," Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan told reporters as he announced a March 3 reopening.

"Our hosts are ready, our workforce is ready, Western Australia is ready."

McGowan's tough border stance had proven popular with voters in his home state but a growing number of other state and federal leaders, unions and business groups had expressed concern about the economic impact of isolating Western Australia without a clear end date.

Under Western Australia's current border controls, people have to apply for permission to enter the state from elsewhere in the country, usually based on urgent family or business matters. If granted permission to enter, they are required to do seven days of quarantine and a series of rapid antigen tests - effectively keeping out most travellers.

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The decision to reopen came as Western Australia logged a record 194 locally transmitted coronavirus cases, still far lower than most other states which are preparing to welcome overseas arrivals from Monday.

Like most countries, the fast-moving Omicron variant has pushed Australia's coronavirus infections and hospital cases to record levels. But nationwide numbers have been on a downtrend in recent days with a booster rollout gathering pace.

In Sydney and Melbourne, authorities on Friday lifted curbs on singing and dancing in nightclubs as well as most other remaining COVID-19 restrictions amid a steady fall in hospital cases. Mandatory QR check-ins at buildings were also scrapped.

From Feb. 25, masks will be needed only on public transport and indoors at airports and hospitals.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Australia Day: Is Australia celebrating an invasion?

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"We don't want restrictions in place for any&nbsp;longer&nbsp;than necessary and with hospitalisation and ICU rates trending downwards, now is the right time to make sensible changes," said New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet.

New South Wales and Victoria, home to more than half of Australia's 25 million people, have been the worst hit by the Omicron wave and had to reintroduce several tough curbs last month.

More than 23,000 new cases and 38 deaths were reported in the country on Friday. Most of Australia's pandemic total of around 2.7 million confirmed cases have been detected since the emergence of the Omicron variant in late November. Total deaths stand at 4,836.

Western Australia, the mining-heavy state that has held firm on strict borders controls for two years, said it will be reopening to triple vaccinated visitors after deciding it can cope with the Omicron outbreak.

Western Australia, the mining-heavy state that has held firm on strict borders controls for two years, said it will be reopening to triple vaccinated visitors after deciding it can cope with the Omicron outbreak. Widely labelled the hermit kingdom, Western Australia has stood out for its "hard border", while other Australian states have adjusted their border policies depending on the severity of the pandemic. By comparison, the country's two most populous states, New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria that are home to Sydney and Melbourne, relaxed their borders in November. Also read | Australia's largest coal-fired power plant to close "We have the right systems in place to deal with the faster spreading Omicron, with the right close contact rules, public health measures and rapid antigen test supplies," Western Australia state Premier Mark McGowan told reporters as he announced a March 3 reopening. "Our hosts are ready, our workforce is ready, Western Australia is ready." McGowan's tough border stance had proven popular with voters in his home state but a growing number of other state and federal leaders, unions and business groups had expressed concern about the economic impact of isolating Western Australia without a clear end date. Under Western Australia's current border controls, people have to apply for permission to enter the state from elsewhere in the country, usually based on urgent family or business matters. If granted permission to enter, they are required to do seven days of quarantine and a series of rapid antigen tests - effectively keeping out most travellers. Also read | WHO shortens quarantine time for Covid-exposed after negative test The decision to reopen came as Western Australia logged a record 194 locally transmitted coronavirus cases, still far lower than most other states which are preparing to welcome overseas arrivals from Monday. Like most countries, the fast-moving Omicron variant has pushed Australia's coronavirus infections and hospital cases to record levels. But nationwide numbers have been on a downtrend in recent days with a booster rollout gathering pace. In Sydney and Melbourne, authorities on Friday lifted curbs on singing and dancing in nightclubs as well as most other remaining COVID-19 restrictions amid a steady fall in hospital cases. Mandatory QR check-ins at buildings were also scrapped. From Feb. 25, masks will be needed only on public transport and indoors at airports and hospitals. Watch | Gravitas: Australia Day: Is Australia celebrating an invasion? "We don't want restrictions in place for any longer than necessary and with hospitalisation and ICU rates trending downwards, now is the right time to make sensible changes," said New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet. New South Wales and Victoria, home to more than half of Australia's 25 million people, have been the worst hit by the Omicron wave and had to reintroduce several tough curbs last month. More than 23,000 new cases and 38 deaths were reported in the country on Friday. Most of Australia's pandemic total of around 2.7 million confirmed cases have been detected since the emergence of the Omicron variant in late November. Total deaths stand at 4,836.

Hermit kingdom no longer: Western Australia to open borders after two years

Canadian police are poised to clear out on Friday hundreds of truck drivers from Ottawa who have staged a three-week-long protest against pandemic restrictions that has crippled the capital and prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to assume emergency powers for the first time in more than 50 years.

The drivers, joined by thousands of demonstrators and some 400 vehicles, turned the streets around Parliament into a noisy party zone since first arriving on Jan. 28, in what has become one of the worst crises to hit Trudeau since he took power in 2015.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/you-just-look-dumb-elon-musk-compares-trudeau-to-hitler-later-deletes-the-tweet-heres-what-he-said-454172">'You just look dumb': Elon Musk compares Trudeau to Hitler, later deletes the tweet. Here's what he said</a>

Police made a handful of arrests Thursday evening, including of Chris Barber, one of the main fundraisers and organisers, after authorities said action was imminent. Barber went without resistance after police told him he was being arrested for mischief.

"We absolutely are committed to end this unlawful demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources," interim police chief Steve Bell told reporters on Thursday.&nbsp;Police will set up a perimeter with 100 checkpoints around downtown to stop people without legitimate reason from entering, he said.

"This weekend will look very different than the past three weekends," he added. Previous chief Peter Sloly quit this week amid residents' fury about what they saw as police inaction.

The truckers' protests started against vaccine mandates for cross-border drivers, a measure in place in the United States, too. But slowly it spread across Canada and morphed into an anti-government movement. Protesters blocked several land crossings with the United States, including the busiest, the Ambassador Bridge which connects to Detroit, for six days, hurting both economies.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/police-issue-an-ultimatum-to-canada-trucker-protestors-leave-capital-or-be-arrested-453881">Police issues ultimatum to Canada truck protestors: Leave capital or be arrested</a>

Calling the blockades a threat to democracy, Trudeau invoked emergency measures on Monday giving his government temporary powers to end the unrest. Government officials said they were worried about extremists causing violence.

Many protesters on Parliament Hill said they would not leave until their demands were met.

"End the mandates, give us our rights and this is over," said Chris Dacey on Thursday. "We'll all go back to our families."

The border blockades turned the pressure on Trudeau to act swiftly, and US&nbsp;President Joe Biden asked him to use federal powers.

"The illegal blockades and occupations have to stop and the borders have to remain open," Trudeau told legislators on Thursday as Parliament started debate on the Emergencies Act, which needs to be passed within seven days of an announcement.

Watch |&nbsp;Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls Freedom Convoy protest an 'Economic threat'

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/canadian-prime-minister-justin-trudeau-calls-freedom-convoy-protest-an-economic-threat-454179/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But the official opposition Conservative Party says there was no need for the Emergencies Act, especially since the border blockades are over. Conservative Parliamentarian Jeremy Patzer told the House of Commons on Thursday that people around the world were alarmed to see Trudeau "come down on peaceful protesters with a sledgehammer."

"It is absolutely shameful," he added.

Canadian police are poised to clear out on Friday hundreds of truck drivers from Ottawa who have staged a three-week-long protest against pandemic restrictions that has crippled the capital and prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to assume emergency powers for the first time in more than 50 years.

Canadian police are poised to clear out on Friday hundreds of truck drivers from Ottawa who have staged a three-week-long protest against pandemic restrictions that has crippled the capital and prompted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to assume emergency powers for the first time in more than 50 years. The drivers, joined by thousands of demonstrators and some 400 vehicles, turned the streets around Parliament into a noisy party zone since first arriving on Jan. 28, in what has become one of the worst crises to hit Trudeau since he took power in 2015. Also read | 'You just look dumb': Elon Musk compares Trudeau to Hitler, later deletes the tweet. Here's what he said Police made a handful of arrests Thursday evening, including of Chris Barber, one of the main fundraisers and organisers, after authorities said action was imminent. Barber went without resistance after police told him he was being arrested for mischief. "We absolutely are committed to end this unlawful demonstration. We have the plan, we have the commitment, we have the resources," interim police chief Steve Bell told reporters on Thursday. Police will set up a perimeter with 100 checkpoints around downtown to stop people without legitimate reason from entering, he said. "This weekend will look very different than the past three weekends," he added. Previous chief Peter Sloly quit this week amid residents' fury about what they saw as police inaction. The truckers' protests started against vaccine mandates for cross-border drivers, a measure in place in the United States, too. But slowly it spread across Canada and morphed into an anti-government movement. Protesters blocked several land crossings with the United States, including the busiest, the Ambassador Bridge which connects to Detroit, for six days, hurting both economies. Also read | Police issues ultimatum to Canada truck protestors: Leave capital or be arrested Calling the blockades a threat to democracy, Trudeau invoked emergency measures on Monday giving his government temporary powers to end the unrest. Government officials said they were worried about extremists causing violence. Many protesters on Parliament Hill said they would not leave until their demands were met. "End the mandates, give us our rights and this is over," said Chris Dacey on Thursday. "We'll all go back to our families." The border blockades turned the pressure on Trudeau to act swiftly, and US President Joe Biden asked him to use federal powers. "The illegal blockades and occupations have to stop and the borders have to remain open," Trudeau told legislators on Thursday as Parliament started debate on the Emergencies Act, which needs to be passed within seven days of an announcement. Watch | Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calls Freedom Convoy protest an 'Economic threat' But the official opposition Conservative Party says there was no need for the Emergencies Act, especially since the border blockades are over. Conservative Parliamentarian Jeremy Patzer told the House of Commons on Thursday that people around the world were alarmed to see Trudeau "come down on peaceful protesters with a sledgehammer." "It is absolutely shameful," he added.

Canada police set to end siege of capital by protesters fighting COVID measures

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into 416,000 Tesla vehicles over reports of unexpected brake activation tied to its driver assistance system Autopilot.

The preliminary evaluation covers 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the United States after the agency received 354 complaints about the issue over the past nine months.

NHTSA said the vehicles under review have an advanced driver assistance system that Tesla calls Autopilot that allows them to brake and steer automatically within its lanes.

NHTSA said: "Complainants report that the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-weighs-penalty-against-tesla-for-exaggerating-mileage-453748">South Korea weighs penalty against Tesla for exaggerating mileage</a>

Owners say they have raised concerns with Tesla, which has dismissed the complaints saying the braking is normal, and some have called it "phantom braking".

The owner of a 2021 Tesla Model Y told NHTSA in October that while driving on a highway at 80 miles per hour "the car braked hard and decelerated from 80 mph to 69 mph in less than a second.

The braking was so violent, my head snapped forward and I almost lost control of the car."

NHTSA in August opened a formal safety probe into Tesla`s Autopilot system in 765,000 U.S. vehicles after a series of crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles.

Earlier this month, NHTSA confirmed it was reviewing consumer complaints that Tesla vehicles were activating the brakes unnecessarily.

A preliminary evaluation is the first phase before NHTSA could issue a formal recall demand.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musk-donated-tesla-shares-worth-57-billion-to-charity-last-year-453478">Elon Musk donated Tesla shares worth $5.7 billion to charity last year</a>

In May, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said dropping a radar sensor from its partially automated driving system would address "phantom braking," which some Tesla drivers have long complained about. Tesla, which disbanded its media relations department, did not respond to a request for comment.

Tesla has come under increasing scrutiny from NHTSA, which is investigating several issues and the electric vehicle manufacturer has issued 10 recalls since October, including many for software issues and some under pressure from the agency.

Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, the group that represents state highway safety agencies, said on Twitter "another day, another issue with Tesla.

Good to see NHTSA being more active in reigning this company in."

In November, Tesla recalled nearly 12,000 US&nbsp;vehicles sold since 2017 because a communication error may cause a false forward-collision warning or unexpected activation of the emergency brakes.

Watch |&nbsp;South Korea investigates Tesla on mileage

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/south-korea-investigates-tesla-on-mileage-453381/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The recall was prompted after a software update on Oct. 23 to vehicles in its limited early access version 10.3 Full-Self Driving (FSD) (Beta) population.

FSD is an advanced driver assistance system that handles some driving tasks but Tesla and NHTSA say it does not make vehicles autonomous.

The recall came after NHTSA in October asked Tesla why it had not issued a recall to address software updates made to its Autopilot driver-assistance system to improve the vehicles` ability to detect emergency vehicles.

Last week, Tesla recalled 578,607 U.S. vehicles because pedestrians may not be able to hear a required warning sound of an approaching car due to loud music or other sounds played by its "Boombox" feature.

Musk said last week on Twitter "the fun police made us do it (sigh)."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into 416,000 Tesla vehicles over reports of unexpected brake activation tied to its driver assistance system Autopilot.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said Thursday it is opening a formal investigation into 416,000 Tesla vehicles over reports of unexpected brake activation tied to its driver assistance system Autopilot. The preliminary evaluation covers 2021-2022 Tesla Model 3 and Model Y vehicles in the United States after the agency received 354 complaints about the issue over the past nine months. NHTSA said the vehicles under review have an advanced driver assistance system that Tesla calls Autopilot that allows them to brake and steer automatically within its lanes. NHTSA said: "Complainants report that the rapid deceleration can occur without warning, at random, and often repeatedly in a single drive cycle." Also read | South Korea weighs penalty against Tesla for exaggerating mileage Owners say they have raised concerns with Tesla, which has dismissed the complaints saying the braking is normal, and some have called it "phantom braking". The owner of a 2021 Tesla Model Y told NHTSA in October that while driving on a highway at 80 miles per hour "the car braked hard and decelerated from 80 mph to 69 mph in less than a second. The braking was so violent, my head snapped forward and I almost lost control of the car." NHTSA in August opened a formal safety probe into Tesla`s Autopilot system in 765,000 U.S. vehicles after a series of crashes involving Tesla models and emergency vehicles. Earlier this month, NHTSA confirmed it was reviewing consumer complaints that Tesla vehicles were activating the brakes unnecessarily. A preliminary evaluation is the first phase before NHTSA could issue a formal recall demand. Also read | Elon Musk donated Tesla shares worth $5.7 billion to charity last year In May, Tesla chief executive Elon Musk said dropping a radar sensor from its partially automated driving system would address "phantom braking," which some Tesla drivers have long complained about. Tesla, which disbanded its media relations department, did not respond to a request for comment. Tesla has come under increasing scrutiny from NHTSA, which is investigating several issues and the electric vehicle manufacturer has issued 10 recalls since October, including many for software issues and some under pressure from the agency. Jonathan Adkins, executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association, the group that represents state highway safety agencies, said on Twitter "another day, another issue with Tesla. Good to see NHTSA being more active in reigning this company in." In November, Tesla recalled nearly 12,000 US vehicles sold since 2017 because a communication error may cause a false forward-collision warning or unexpected activation of the emergency brakes. Watch | South Korea investigates Tesla on mileage The recall was prompted after a software update on Oct. 23 to vehicles in its limited early access version 10.3 Full-Self Driving (FSD) (Beta) population. FSD is an advanced driver assistance system that handles some driving tasks but Tesla and NHTSA say it does not make vehicles autonomous. The recall came after NHTSA in October asked Tesla why it had not issued a recall to address software updates made to its Autopilot driver-assistance system to improve the vehicles` ability to detect emergency vehicles. Last week, Tesla recalled 578,607 U.S. vehicles because pedestrians may not be able to hear a required warning sound of an approaching car due to loud music or other sounds played by its "Boombox" feature. Musk said last week on Twitter "the fun police made us do it (sigh)."

US investigates 416,000 Tesla vehicles over unexpected braking reports

The Hong Kong government plans to make up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for COVID-19 patients as the city battles a surge in cases and local media reported the government will make testing compulsory from March.

Chief Executive Carrie Lam renewed an appeal for support from the global financial hub's 7.5 million people, many of whom are fatigued by some of the world's most stringent restrictions even as most other major cities adjust to living with the virus.

Daily infections have surged by more than 40 times since the start of February and authorities have shut schools, gyms cinemas and most public venues. Many office employees have reverted to working from home.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-overwhelmed-by-covid-waves-onslaught-says-leader-carrie-lam-453169">Hong Kong overwhelmed by Covid wave’s 'onslaught', says leader Carrie Lam</a>

Lam's comments, in a statement released late on Wednesday, came after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Hong Kong's leaders their "overriding mission" was to stabilise and control the coronavirus in the global financial hub.

"With the utmost concern and staunch support of President Xi Jinping...all in society must now join hands in riding out the fifth wave of the epidemic, displaying the Hong Kong spirit in full," she said.

"I am optimistic that, through the joint efforts by the Government and hotel sector, at least 10,000 hotel rooms could be made available."

In a move to free up beds for isolation, Lam said she had spoken with local hotel owners and security chief Chris Tang would oversee the operation of participating hotels.

Hong Kong was expected to report around 5,000 new cases on Thursday, Now TV reported, up from the previous day's record high of 4,285 confirmed infections and an additional 7,000 preliminary positive cases.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-censors-website-of-hong-kong-rights-group-amid-crackdown-on-freedom-of-speech-453529">China censors website of Hong Kong rights group amid crackdown on freedom of speech</a>

Some media reports, citing sources, said the government planned to test up to one million people each day from March and those who failed to comply would be fined HK$10,000 ($1,282).

The government did not respond to a request for comment.

Hong Kong has adopted the same 'dynamic zero' coronavirus strategy, employed by mainland China to suppress all outbreaks.

But the scale and speed of the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus has left authorities scrambling. Hospitals are operating at maximum or over capacity with some patients treated in makeshift open air spaces outside medical centres in chilly and rainy weather.

Authorities said they could no longer keep up their testing and isolation mandates, resulting in a backlog that could not keep pace with the daily infection numbers.

Watch |&nbsp;Hospitals overwhelmed as covid-19 cases rise in Hong Kong

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hospitals-overwhelmed-as-covid-19-cases-rise-in-hong-kong-453901/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

China has said it would help Hong Kong bolster its testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, and secure resources from rapid antigen kits and protective gear to fresh vegetables.

Hong Kong has recorded around 30,000 infections since the start of the pandemic, and around 230 deaths, far fewer than other similar sized major cities.

However, medical experts have warned daily cases could surge to 28,000 by the end of March amid worries about high levels of vaccine hesitancy among the elderly.

The Hong Kong government plans to make up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for COVID-19 patients as the city battles a surge in cases and local media reported the government will make testing compulsory from March.

The Hong Kong government plans to make up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for COVID-19 patients as the city battles a surge in cases and local media reported the government will make testing compulsory from March. Chief Executive Carrie Lam renewed an appeal for support from the global financial hub's 7.5 million people, many of whom are fatigued by some of the world's most stringent restrictions even as most other major cities adjust to living with the virus. Daily infections have surged by more than 40 times since the start of February and authorities have shut schools, gyms cinemas and most public venues. Many office employees have reverted to working from home. Also read | Hong Kong overwhelmed by Covid wave’s 'onslaught', says leader Carrie Lam Lam's comments, in a statement released late on Wednesday, came after Chinese President Xi Jinping told Hong Kong's leaders their "overriding mission" was to stabilise and control the coronavirus in the global financial hub. "With the utmost concern and staunch support of President Xi Jinping...all in society must now join hands in riding out the fifth wave of the epidemic, displaying the Hong Kong spirit in full," she said. "I am optimistic that, through the joint efforts by the Government and hotel sector, at least 10,000 hotel rooms could be made available." In a move to free up beds for isolation, Lam said she had spoken with local hotel owners and security chief Chris Tang would oversee the operation of participating hotels. Hong Kong was expected to report around 5,000 new cases on Thursday, Now TV reported, up from the previous day's record high of 4,285 confirmed infections and an additional 7,000 preliminary positive cases. Also read | China censors website of Hong Kong rights group amid crackdown on freedom of speech Some media reports, citing sources, said the government planned to test up to one million people each day from March and those who failed to comply would be fined HK$10,000 ($1,282). The government did not respond to a request for comment. Hong Kong has adopted the same 'dynamic zero' coronavirus strategy, employed by mainland China to suppress all outbreaks. But the scale and speed of the highly contagious Omicron variant of the virus has left authorities scrambling. Hospitals are operating at maximum or over capacity with some patients treated in makeshift open air spaces outside medical centres in chilly and rainy weather. Authorities said they could no longer keep up their testing and isolation mandates, resulting in a backlog that could not keep pace with the daily infection numbers. Watch | Hospitals overwhelmed as covid-19 cases rise in Hong Kong China has said it would help Hong Kong bolster its testing, treatment and quarantine capacity, and secure resources from rapid antigen kits and protective gear to fresh vegetables. Hong Kong has recorded around 30,000 infections since the start of the pandemic, and around 230 deaths, far fewer than other similar sized major cities. However, medical experts have warned daily cases could surge to 28,000 by the end of March amid worries about high levels of vaccine hesitancy among the elderly.

Amid surge in cases Hong Kong aims to make available 10,000 hotel rooms for COVID-19 patients

Thousands&nbsp;of pro-government&nbsp;demonstrators marched through Caracas Saturday in&nbsp;support&nbsp;of President Nicolas Maduro, with a smaller opposition rally gathering in parallel.

To the sound of drums and salsa,&nbsp;thousands&nbsp;of Chavistas -- named after Hugo Chavez, a figure of the Latin American radical left and late predecessor of Maduro -- marched some 14 kilometers (nine miles) through the streets of the capital.

"Chavez sets the tone, Maduro is behind the wheel," read one banner.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;government&nbsp;had mobilized its party and chartered buses to bring in supporters of all ages from all over the country for the rally held on World Youth Day.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/a-million-bolivars-become-one-as-venezuela-recalibrates-battered-currency-417320">&nbsp;A million bolivars become one as Venezuela recalibrates battered currency</a>

"The courageous youth are following their dreams and continuing to fight for their homeland," 26-year-old Maria Amatima told AFP.&nbsp;

Maduro, met with cheers, ended the demonstration saying, "I ask you (the youth) to help me... against corruption and bureaucracy... I come to ask you for help."&nbsp;

Maduro's re-election in 2018 in a vote boycotted by the opposition is not recognized by part of the international community and in particular the United States, which backs the opposition.

Some 500 opposition supporters, joined by leader Juan Guaido, also gathered in Caracas in a parallel rally.

Watch |&nbsp;Venezuela: Visitors steadily return to Caracas's city centre

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/venezuela-visitors-steadily-return-to-caracass-city-centre-451308/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Guaido called for "unity" in the wake of the defeat of a divided opposition in regional elections in November.&nbsp;

"We pledge today to fight... we must strengthen unity," he said, promising to revive the street protests that rocked the&nbsp;government&nbsp;in 2019 but eventually died out.&nbsp;

"We are going to return... to the place where freedoms are exercised: the street."&nbsp;

Thousands of pro-government demonstrators marched through Caracas Saturday in support of President Nicolas Maduro, with a smaller opposition rally gathering in parallel.

Thousands of pro-government demonstrators marched through Caracas Saturday in support of President Nicolas Maduro, with a smaller opposition rally gathering in parallel. To the sound of drums and salsa, thousands of Chavistas -- named after Hugo Chavez, a figure of the Latin American radical left and late predecessor of Maduro -- marched some 14 kilometers (nine miles) through the streets of the capital. "Chavez sets the tone, Maduro is behind the wheel," read one banner. The government had mobilized its party and chartered buses to bring in supporters of all ages from all over the country for the rally held on World Youth Day. Also read | A million bolivars become one as Venezuela recalibrates battered currency "The courageous youth are following their dreams and continuing to fight for their homeland," 26-year-old Maria Amatima told AFP. Maduro, met with cheers, ended the demonstration saying, "I ask you (the youth) to help me... against corruption and bureaucracy... I come to ask you for help." Maduro's re-election in 2018 in a vote boycotted by the opposition is not recognized by part of the international community and in particular the United States, which backs the opposition. Some 500 opposition supporters, joined by leader Juan Guaido, also gathered in Caracas in a parallel rally. Watch | Venezuela: Visitors steadily return to Caracas's city centre Guaido called for "unity" in the wake of the defeat of a divided opposition in regional elections in November. "We pledge today to fight... we must strengthen unity," he said, promising to revive the street protests that rocked the government in 2019 but eventually died out. "We are going to return... to the place where freedoms are exercised: the street."

Thousands march in support of Venezuela government

China&nbsp;on Saturday said it had given "conditional"&nbsp;approval&nbsp;for&nbsp;Pfizer's&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;drug&nbsp;Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and a high risk of developing severe disease.

The&nbsp;drug&nbsp;has so far been authorised in about 40 countries including the United States and Israel, while the European Union has permitted member states to use it ahead of formal&nbsp;approval&nbsp;as an emergency measure against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.

Unlike&nbsp;Covid-19 vaccines,&nbsp;Pfizer&nbsp;says that preliminary studies show that Paxlovid does not target the ever-evolving spike protein the coronavirus uses to invade cells, meaning it should theoretically be more variant-proof.

China's National Medical Products Administration on Saturday said further research on the&nbsp;drug&nbsp;needed to be undertaken and submitted to the&nbsp;regulator.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/international-labour-organization-slams-china-for-racial-and-religious-discrimination-in-xinjiang-452555">International Labour Organization slams China for racial and religious discrimination in Xinjiang</a>

Beijing has not yet approved any foreign-made coronavirus vaccines.

Lab tests have shown Omicron patients jabbed with the Chinese-produced Sinovac vaccine experience larger drops in antibody levels than those given the&nbsp;Pfizer&nbsp;version.

Earlier this week,&nbsp;Pfizer, whose vaccine developed with Germany's BioNTech was the first approved in the US, forecast more than $50 billion in 2022 sales for its coronavirus jab and therapeutic treatment.

The company expects to make 120 million treatment courses of Paxlovid, with executives describing ongoing contract talks with about 100 governments.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/easing-curbs-in-covid-zero-regions-will-cause-2-million-deaths-infections-china-ccdc-study-451366">Easing curbs in Covid zero regions will cause 2 million deaths, infections: China CCDC study</a>

Beijing's&nbsp;conditional&nbsp;approval&nbsp;of the&nbsp;pill&nbsp;comes as&nbsp;China&nbsp;-- where the coronavirus first emerged in late 2019 -- has slowed new cases to a trickle with a strict "zero-Covid" strategy of targeted lockdowns, travel restrictions and lengthy quarantines.

The country has fought several isolated flare-ups in recent months, with some driven by the delta variant and others by the Omicron strain.

All 40 of&nbsp;China's new domestic cases on Saturday occurred in just two cities, according to the National Health Commission.

One of them, the southern city of Baise –- a major aluminium producer –- went into lockdown this week amid a spike in infections, sending global prices for the metal to a 14-year high.

The other cases were detected in the northeastern coastal city of Huludao, prompting authorities to suspend cross-provincial tourism in the surrounding province of Liaoning, state broadcaster CCTV reported Saturday.

Watch |&nbsp;Gravitas: Wuhan scientists flag deadlier coronavirus

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The country's uncompromising approach on the pandemic has led it to hold the ongoing Winter Olympics in a so-called closed loop, preventing participants from coming into contact with the wider population.

Organisers on Saturday announced eight new cases related to the Games, including four athletes and team officials.

More than 400 Olympics-related cases have been confirmed so far, the organisers said in a statement.

China on Saturday said it had given "conditional" approval for Pfizer's Covid-19 drug Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and a high risk of developing severe disease.

China on Saturday said it had given "conditional" approval for Pfizer's Covid-19 drug Paxlovid to treat adults with mild to moderate illness and a high risk of developing severe disease. The drug has so far been authorised in about 40 countries including the United States and Israel, while the European Union has permitted member states to use it ahead of formal approval as an emergency measure against the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. Unlike Covid-19 vaccines, Pfizer says that preliminary studies show that Paxlovid does not target the ever-evolving spike protein the coronavirus uses to invade cells, meaning it should theoretically be more variant-proof. China's National Medical Products Administration on Saturday said further research on the drug needed to be undertaken and submitted to the regulator. Also read | International Labour Organization slams China for racial and religious discrimination in Xinjiang Beijing has not yet approved any foreign-made coronavirus vaccines. Lab tests have shown Omicron patients jabbed with the Chinese-produced Sinovac vaccine experience larger drops in antibody levels than those given the Pfizer version. Earlier this week, Pfizer, whose vaccine developed with Germany's BioNTech was the first approved in the US, forecast more than $50 billion in 2022 sales for its coronavirus jab and therapeutic treatment. The company expects to make 120 million treatment courses of Paxlovid, with executives describing ongoing contract talks with about 100 governments. Also read | Easing curbs in Covid zero regions will cause 2 million deaths, infections: China CCDC study Beijing's conditional approval of the pill comes as China -- where the coronavirus first emerged in late 2019 -- has slowed new cases to a trickle with a strict "zero-Covid" strategy of targeted lockdowns, travel restrictions and lengthy quarantines. The country has fought several isolated flare-ups in recent months, with some driven by the delta variant and others by the Omicron strain. All 40 of China's new domestic cases on Saturday occurred in just two cities, according to the National Health Commission. One of them, the southern city of Baise –- a major aluminium producer –- went into lockdown this week amid a spike in infections, sending global prices for the metal to a 14-year high. The other cases were detected in the northeastern coastal city of Huludao, prompting authorities to suspend cross-provincial tourism in the surrounding province of Liaoning, state broadcaster CCTV reported Saturday. Watch | Gravitas: Wuhan scientists flag deadlier coronavirus The country's uncompromising approach on the pandemic has led it to hold the ongoing Winter Olympics in a so-called closed loop, preventing participants from coming into contact with the wider population. Organisers on Saturday announced eight new cases related to the Games, including four athletes and team officials. More than 400 Olympics-related cases have been confirmed so far, the organisers said in a statement.

China gives 'conditional' approval for Pfizer Covid pill Paxlovid

Belgium announced further easing of coronavirus restrictions on Friday to allow nightclubs to reopen and drop the requirement for primary school pupils to wear masks, as cases of the Omicron variant fell from an end-of-January peak.

"The successive waves have not been easy for us," Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a news conference, referring to back-to-back Omicron and Delta variant surges. "But we have got through them and we have got through them together."

COVID-19 infections have fallen from a record 75,000 on Jan. 24 to an average of around 23,000 in the week to Feb. 7. Hospital admissions have also declined and the numbers of patients in intensive care was far lower than during previous waves.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trendy-look-belgium-starts-to-issue-passports-with-countrys-comic-strip-heroes-images-451193">Trendy look? Belgium starts to issue passports with country's comic strip heroes’ images</a>

From next Friday, nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, bars will be able to extend their hours beyond the current limit of midnight and end curbs on the number of customers per table and concerts will be possible with a standing audience.

Indoor access will still be largely based on a COVID pass, showing vaccination or a recent test or recovery from infection. Limits, from 70% to full capacity, will be based on the activity and the degree of ventilation.

Watch |&nbsp;Inflation push up price of Belgium's nation food- Fries

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/inflation-push-up-price-of-belgiums-nation-food-fries-451665/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Non-essential workers will also no longer need to work from home for at least four days a week and consumers will be able to go shopping in groups of more than two.

The easing of measures follows those already announced in Belgium`s neighbours. France has set in motion a gradual easing through February.

The Dutch government said on Thursday it aims to drop most coronavirus restrictions by the end of the month, but with COVID passes for access to many public places.

Belgium announced further easing of coronavirus restrictions on Friday to allow nightclubs to reopen and drop the requirement for primary school pupils to wear masks, as cases of the Omicron variant fell from an end-of-January peak.

Belgium announced further easing of coronavirus restrictions on Friday to allow nightclubs to reopen and drop the requirement for primary school pupils to wear masks, as cases of the Omicron variant fell from an end-of-January peak. "The successive waves have not been easy for us," Prime Minister Alexander De Croo told a news conference, referring to back-to-back Omicron and Delta variant surges. "But we have got through them and we have got through them together." COVID-19 infections have fallen from a record 75,000 on Jan. 24 to an average of around 23,000 in the week to Feb. 7. Hospital admissions have also declined and the numbers of patients in intensive care was far lower than during previous waves. Also read | Trendy look? Belgium starts to issue passports with country's comic strip heroes’ images From next Friday, nightclubs will be allowed to reopen, bars will be able to extend their hours beyond the current limit of midnight and end curbs on the number of customers per table and concerts will be possible with a standing audience. Indoor access will still be largely based on a COVID pass, showing vaccination or a recent test or recovery from infection. Limits, from 70% to full capacity, will be based on the activity and the degree of ventilation. Watch | Inflation push up price of Belgium's nation food- Fries Non-essential workers will also no longer need to work from home for at least four days a week and consumers will be able to go shopping in groups of more than two. The easing of measures follows those already announced in Belgium`s neighbours. France has set in motion a gradual easing through February. The Dutch government said on Thursday it aims to drop most coronavirus restrictions by the end of the month, but with COVID passes for access to many public places.

Belgium to reopen nightclubs, ease mask mandate as infections sink

At least 7 people were hospitalised after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio. According to reports by The Associated Press, the victims are in critical condition.&nbsp;

A call was made to 911 after a two-year-old girl was found unconscious in the pool. Marysville police chief, Tony Brooks said that following this several calls were made to 911 after people reported symptoms including dizziness and burning in the throat.&nbsp;

The Marysville fire chief, Jay Riley, while speaking to the Columbus Dispatch said that nine people were taken to local hospital.&nbsp;

He further added that the source of carbon monoxide remains. However, everyone who was hospitalised had been in the hotel’s pool area.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/beaten-and-handcuffed-alexa-whistleblower-talks-publicly-despite-knowing-the-risks-448956">Also read |&nbsp;Beaten and handcuffed: Alexa whistleblower talks publicly despite knowing the risks</a>

The hotel has been evacuated.&nbsp;A total of two people were treated at the scene.

Such incidents are usually rare.

Earlier in October&nbsp;a team of firefighters responded to reports of a gas leak in a store in Canberra, just to discover that the smell was caused by the pungent odour of a fruit inside the building.

After spending an hour searching in vain for the gas leak, the emergency responders were advised by the owners of the tenancy above the shops advised them about the potential source of the incident; Durian fruit.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

At least 7 people were hospitalised after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio. According to reports by The Associated Press, the victims are in critical condition.

At least 7 people were hospitalised after suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hampton Inn in Ohio. According to reports by The Associated Press, the victims are in critical condition. A call was made to 911 after a two-year-old girl was found unconscious in the pool. Marysville police chief, Tony Brooks said that following this several calls were made to 911 after people reported symptoms including dizziness and burning in the throat. The Marysville fire chief, Jay Riley, while speaking to the Columbus Dispatch said that nine people were taken to local hospital. He further added that the source of carbon monoxide remains. However, everyone who was hospitalised had been in the hotel’s pool area. Also read | Beaten and handcuffed: Alexa whistleblower talks publicly despite knowing the risks The hotel has been evacuated. A total of two people were treated at the scene. Such incidents are usually rare. Earlier in October a team of firefighters responded to reports of a gas leak in a store in Canberra, just to discover that the smell was caused by the pungent odour of a fruit inside the building. After spending an hour searching in vain for the gas leak, the emergency responders were advised by the owners of the tenancy above the shops advised them about the potential source of the incident; Durian fruit. (With inputs from agencies)

At least seven hospitalised after carbon monoxide poisoning in Ohio hotel

Several people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a lecture hall at Heidelberg University in southwestern Germany. The perpetrator is now dead. Mannheim police, in a statement, said, "A lone perpetrator injured several people in a lecture hall with a long gun. The perpetrator is dead."

The area has been cordoned off and a major police operation was underway. "Colleagues are still on site with strong forces - we will provide further information here," the statement read.

Taking to their Twitter handle, the police urged people to&nbsp;clear the area "so that rescue workers and emergency services can travel freely".

The police asked motorists to drive around Neuenheimer Feld in Heidelberg to help rescue workers and emergency services reach the scene.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-move-to-enhance-defence-nato-sends-extra-force-to-eastern-europe-447169">Also read |&nbsp;In a move to enhance&nbsp;defence, NATO sends extra force to eastern Europe</a>

This is not the first time that a shooting has taken place at a university. Earlier in December, a &nbsp;5-year-old student opened fire at his Michigan high school, killing three teenagers and wounding eight other people. This was considered the deadliest US school shooting on the year 2021.&nbsp;

The suspect was taken into custody and a semi-automatic handgun was seized. However, there was no immediate explanation for what might have prompted the attack in Oxford.

"There was no resistance during the arrest and the suspect has asked for a lawyer and has not made any statements as to a motive," the sheriff's office said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Several people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a lecture hall at Heidelberg University in southwestern Germany. The perpetrator is now dead. Mannheim police, in a statement, said, "A lone perpetrator injured several people in a lecture hall with a long gun.

Several people were injured after a gunman opened fire at a lecture hall at Heidelberg University in southwestern Germany. The perpetrator is now dead. Mannheim police, in a statement, said, "A lone perpetrator injured several people in a lecture hall with a long gun. The perpetrator is dead." The area has been cordoned off and a major police operation was underway. "Colleagues are still on site with strong forces - we will provide further information here," the statement read. Taking to their Twitter handle, the police urged people to clear the area "so that rescue workers and emergency services can travel freely". The police asked motorists to drive around Neuenheimer Feld in Heidelberg to help rescue workers and emergency services reach the scene. Also read | In a move to enhance defence, NATO sends extra force to eastern Europe This is not the first time that a shooting has taken place at a university. Earlier in December, a 5-year-old student opened fire at his Michigan high school, killing three teenagers and wounding eight other people. This was considered the deadliest US school shooting on the year 2021. The suspect was taken into custody and a semi-automatic handgun was seized. However, there was no immediate explanation for what might have prompted the attack in Oxford. "There was no resistance during the arrest and the suspect has asked for a lawyer and has not made any statements as to a motive," the sheriff's office said. (With inputs from agencies)

Several people injured after gunman opens fire at university in Germany

A Taiwanese woman is now facing the death penalty for allegedly starting the region's deadliest fire. The incident took place in October in the southern city of Kaohsiung after a fire engulfed a residential building overnight, killing 46 people.&nbsp;

It started when a resident named Huang left unextinguished incense ashes on a sofa before leaving the building. The woman was trying to get back at a boyfriend she suspected was cheating on her.&nbsp;

She has now been indicted on murder and arson charges. As per the prosecutors, she should get the death penalty for deliberately starting the fire. Kaohsiung district prosecutors' office, in a statement said, "Huang intended to light a fire to cause an incident and embarrass her boyfriend, leading to a major disaster and the loss of many innocent lives. She has shown no remorse and her attitude is bad ... (prosecutors) recommend that the court impose capital punishment to serve as a warning."

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According to officials, 55 individuals were brought to the hospital, including 14 persons who exhibited no signs of life.

At least 11 persons discovered on the scene were immediately taken to the morgue, according to the director of the fire department, who spoke to journalists at the scene of the fire.

Throughout the afternoon, firefighters were performing search and rescue operations. According to the fire service, the blaze was "very intense" and damaged numerous stories of the structure.

(With inputs from agencies)

A Taiwanese woman is now facing the death penalty for allegedly starting the region's deadliest fire. The incident took place in October in the southern city of Kaohsiung after a fire engulfed a residential building overnight, killing 46 people.

A Taiwanese woman is now facing the death penalty for allegedly starting the region's deadliest fire. The incident took place in October in the southern city of Kaohsiung after a fire engulfed a residential building overnight, killing 46 people. It started when a resident named Huang left unextinguished incense ashes on a sofa before leaving the building. The woman was trying to get back at a boyfriend she suspected was cheating on her. She has now been indicted on murder and arson charges. As per the prosecutors, she should get the death penalty for deliberately starting the fire. Kaohsiung district prosecutors' office, in a statement said, "Huang intended to light a fire to cause an incident and embarrass her boyfriend, leading to a major disaster and the loss of many innocent lives. She has shown no remorse and her attitude is bad ... (prosecutors) recommend that the court impose capital punishment to serve as a warning." Also read | World War II aircraft found in India after nearly 80 years According to officials, 55 individuals were brought to the hospital, including 14 persons who exhibited no signs of life. At least 11 persons discovered on the scene were immediately taken to the morgue, according to the director of the fire department, who spoke to journalists at the scene of the fire. Throughout the afternoon, firefighters were performing search and rescue operations. According to the fire service, the blaze was "very intense" and damaged numerous stories of the structure. (With inputs from agencies)

Taiwan woman faces death penalty for starting fire that killed 46 people

The public is losing confidence in the democratically elected governments, a recent global survey has revealed, adding that pandemic response and pessimism over the economy has caused a major trust deficit.

The survey was done by Edelman Trust Barometer, which has been polling thousands of people for over two decades on trust in their governments, media, business and NGOs.

The report, which surveyed more than 36,000 people in 28 countries between November 1 and November 24 last year, found that the trust declined across all institutions compared to May 2020.

Only 61 <a name="_Hlk93431215">per cent </a>of survey respondents said they trust businesses to do the right thing, followed by 59 per cent trust in NGOs, 52 per cent in government and 50 per cent in media.&nbsp;

Comparatively, in May 2020, government was the most trusted source at 65 per cent, followed by business (62 per cent), NGOs (62 per cent) and media (56 per cent).&nbsp;

Surprisingly, people’s trust in the government seems to be high in autocratic countries, especially China, the survey noted.

“We really have a collapse of trust in democracies,” Richard Edelman, the head of the Edelman communications, told Reuters.

"It all goes back to: 'Do you have a sense of economic confidence?'" he added, noting high levels of concern about job losses linked either to the pandemic or automation.

The biggest losers of public trust over the last year were institutions in Germany, down 7 points to 46, Australia at 53 (-6), the Netherlands at 57 (-6), South Korea at 42 (-5) and the United States at 43 (-5).

By contrast, public trust in institutions in China stood at 83 per cent, up 11 points, 76 per cent in United Arab Emirates (+9) and 66% in Thailand (+5).

The trillions of dollars of stimulus spent by the world's richest nations to support their economies through the pandemic have failed to instil a lasting sense of confidence, the survey suggested.

But in China, nearly two-thirds were optimistic about their economic fortunes and 80 per cent of Indians believed they would be better off in five years.

Edelman said higher public trust levels in China were linked not just to economic perceptions but also to a greater sense of predictability about Chinese policy, not least on the pandemic.

(With inputs from agencies)

The public is losing confidence in the democratically elected governments, a recent global survey has revealed, adding that pandemic response and pessimism over the economy has caused a major trust deficit.

The public is losing confidence in the democratically elected governments, a recent global survey has revealed, adding that pandemic response and pessimism over the economy has caused a major trust deficit. The survey was done by Edelman Trust Barometer, which has been polling thousands of people for over two decades on trust in their governments, media, business and NGOs. The report, which surveyed more than 36,000 people in 28 countries between November 1 and November 24 last year, found that the trust declined across all institutions compared to May 2020. Only 61 per cent of survey respondents said they trust businesses to do the right thing, followed by 59 per cent trust in NGOs, 52 per cent in government and 50 per cent in media. Comparatively, in May 2020, government was the most trusted source at 65 per cent, followed by business (62 per cent), NGOs (62 per cent) and media (56 per cent). Surprisingly, people’s trust in the government seems to be high in autocratic countries, especially China, the survey noted. “We really have a collapse of trust in democracies,” Richard Edelman, the head of the Edelman communications, told Reuters. "It all goes back to: 'Do you have a sense of economic confidence?'" he added, noting high levels of concern about job losses linked either to the pandemic or automation. The biggest losers of public trust over the last year were institutions in Germany, down 7 points to 46, Australia at 53 (-6), the Netherlands at 57 (-6), South Korea at 42 (-5) and the United States at 43 (-5). By contrast, public trust in institutions in China stood at 83 per cent, up 11 points, 76 per cent in United Arab Emirates (+9) and 66% in Thailand (+5). The trillions of dollars of stimulus spent by the world's richest nations to support their economies through the pandemic have failed to instil a lasting sense of confidence, the survey suggested. But in China, nearly two-thirds were optimistic about their economic fortunes and 80 per cent of Indians believed they would be better off in five years. Edelman said higher public trust levels in China were linked not just to economic perceptions but also to a greater sense of predictability about Chinese policy, not least on the pandemic. (With inputs from agencies)

People losing trust in democratically elected governments, says survey

Pictures: People from different parts of the world celebrate Christmas

As cases of Omicron surge in the UK, researchers have warned that people who are suffering from sore throat and runny nose might have Covid. The Zoe Covid study team estimated that half of the people with cold-like symptoms actually have Covid.&nbsp;

Deeming it as an "explosion" of Covid cases, the researchers say that 144,000 people each day are catching the deadly virus and&nbsp;feeling unwell.

Lead scientist Prof Tim Spector, in a report by BBC, said, "The number of new symptomatic cases has exploded over the last week. For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. You only need to ask a friend who has recently tested positive to find this out. We need to change public messaging urgently to save lives."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/booster-efficacy-against-symptomatic-omicron-reduces-within-10-weeks-439513">Also read |&nbsp;Booster efficacy against symptomatic Omicron reduces within 10 weeks</a>

Even after a surge in Covid cases, UK's Health Minister Sajid Javid has confirmed that the ministers are not planning to announce any new restrictions after Christmas. "We're clear that there's no need for any further restrictions of any type before Christmas but of course, we will keep the situation under review," he said.

Javid further informed that the situation will be kept under review. "We will keep analysing that data and if we need to do anything more we will, but nothing more is going to happen before Christmas," he said.&nbsp;

The UK has been hardest hit by the threats of the Omicron variant as it has confirmed that over 10,000 new Omicron cases so far. This is fueling the Covid surge in the country.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

As cases of Omicron surge in the UK, researchers have warned that people who are suffering from sore throat and runny nose might have Covid. The Zoe Covid study team estimated that half of the people with cold-like symptoms actually have Covid.

As cases of Omicron surge in the UK, researchers have warned that people who are suffering from sore throat and runny nose might have Covid. The Zoe Covid study team estimated that half of the people with cold-like symptoms actually have Covid. Deeming it as an "explosion" of Covid cases, the researchers say that 144,000 people each day are catching the deadly virus and feeling unwell. Lead scientist Prof Tim Spector, in a report by BBC, said, "The number of new symptomatic cases has exploded over the last week. For most people, an Omicron positive case will feel much more like the common cold, starting with a sore throat, runny nose and a headache. You only need to ask a friend who has recently tested positive to find this out. We need to change public messaging urgently to save lives." Also read | Booster efficacy against symptomatic Omicron reduces within 10 weeks Even after a surge in Covid cases, UK's Health Minister Sajid Javid has confirmed that the ministers are not planning to announce any new restrictions after Christmas. "We're clear that there's no need for any further restrictions of any type before Christmas but of course, we will keep the situation under review," he said. Javid further informed that the situation will be kept under review. "We will keep analysing that data and if we need to do anything more we will, but nothing more is going to happen before Christmas," he said. The UK has been hardest hit by the threats of the Omicron variant as it has confirmed that over 10,000 new Omicron cases so far. This is fueling the Covid surge in the country. (With inputs from agencies)

Cold or Covid? 50% of people with cold in UK likely to have Covid

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