Booster jabs accelerated to combat new Covid variant
Summary
- Booster jabs will be offered to all over 18s to help stop a potential wave driven by new variant Omicron
- Gap between second dose and booster reduced from six to three months
- Severely immunocompromised people will be offered a fourth dose of a vaccine
- Children aged 12 to 15 also invited for second dose three months after first
- Booster will be Pfizer-Biontech or Moderna - as these generate a very strong immune response
- Eleven cases of the Omicron variant have now been detected in the UK
- The Scottish and Welsh first ministers have written to Boris Johnson calling for a tougher approach to travel restrictions - but Downing Street have rejected this
- Australia pauses the re-opening of its borders because of the Omicron variant
- Japan is one of the latest countries to reinstate travel restrictions, banning all foreigners from entering
Iran hopes to covertly advance its nuclear programme, says Israel
Israeli foreign minister claims Tehran only agreed to restart talks to get sanctions removed
One of only two known survivors of last week’s Channel boat sinking that left at least 27 people dead has accused British and French authorities of failing to come to the group’s rescue despite appeals for help.
Mohammed Shekha, from northern Iraq, described how people on board the overcrowded, inflatable dinghy “started falling into the water” after the boat started to deflate and stopped moving.
Among the dead after Wednesday's tragedy are said to be a pregnant woman, children and a 24-year-old Kurdish woman trying to reunite with her fiance in the UK.
Afghanistan: How a remote border crossing provides a lifeline for traders and nomads
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August, Pakistani authorities have closed many border crossings, restricting the movement of people and goods. A remote crossing allows tribespeople continued access.
Angoor Ada lies on an arid high plateau in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika, one of the many hinterlands of Afghanistan. The area would not be of much importance — were it not connected to the border with Pakistan.
The border crosses near the edge of the long-stretched plateau, where the Pakistani tribal area of Waziristan begins.
After arriving in Angoor Ada, one encounters two long lines – one with lorries and the other with tractors, waiting to cross the border gate. On both sides are parking lots, with even more trucks and tractors.
Japan to bar new foreign arrivals for 1 month over Omicron fears
Japan will close its borders to new entries by foreigners amid concern over the new Omicron variant of the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday as he vowed to move quickly to "avoid the worst-case scenario."
The measure will take effect Tuesday and last for about one month. Additionally, 14 countries and regions including Britain and Germany will be added to a list of places from which returning Japanese citizens and foreign residents will be subject to stricter quarantine requirements.
Japan had just eased its ban on new entries by foreigners on Nov 8, allowing in businesspeople, students and participants in its technical internship program on condition that their host organizations agreed to monitor their activities.
Palestine: Femicide highlights need for domestic violence law
In the early hours of November 22, Sabreen Yasser Khweira, 30, was allegedly stabbed to death by her husband in a small Palestinian village on the outskirts of occupied Ramallah.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) police found Khweira’s body inside her home in the village of Kufr Ni’ma.
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