Новости за 19.12.2021

KHARTOUM: Tens of thousands of Sudanese protesters rallied yesterday for a civilian-led transition to democracy, three years since the start of mass demonstrations that led to the ouster of veteran strongman Omar Al-Bashir. Security forces fired tear gas canisters – leaving several wounded, witnesses said – as activists at the presidential palace in Khartoum chanted […]

DOHA: Qatar passed their first test with a successful hosting of the Arab Cup but bigger challenges lie ahead when 1.2 million fans and 32 international teams arrive for the World Cup one year from now. Algerian rejoicing at Saturday’s 2-0 extra-time win over Tunisia in the final – exactly a year before the 2022 […]

ISLAMABAD: Muslim nations resolved yesterday to work with the United Nations to try to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in frozen Afghan assets in a bid to tackle a growing humanitarian crisis. At a special meeting in Pakistan of the 57-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) delegates said they would work “to unlock the […]

LONDON: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was left reeling yesterday after his Brexit minister resigned, ending a difficult week during which his Conservative party suffered a humiliating defeat in a local by-election and his own MPs rebelled over new coronavirus curbs. David Frost, a trusted ally of the prime minister and former Brexit negotiator, sent […]

BERLIN: Five years after a truck ploughed into a Christmas market in Berlin, Germany will hold a ceremony to honour the victims of the deadliest Islamist attack perpetrated on its soil. Carried out by 24-year-old Tunisian Anis Amri and claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) group, the attack on December 19, 2016 killed 12 […]

NEW YORK: Major US companies are having to reassess their return-to-office plans and getting tough on vaccine or mask requirements as the Omicron COVID variant looks set to extend pandemic-induced work-from-home culture. A resumption of pre-virus workplace norms was only partially moving forward in the United States when the fast-spreading new variant arrived and provoked […]

ISTANBUL: Fatih Yuksel is one of thousands of Turks rushing from one pharmacy to another in search of imported drugs that are disappearing as quickly as the lira is losing value. “Sometimes I have periods where I don’t have the drugs I need and my illness gets worse. I suffer pains,” said the 35-year-old, who […]

MEKNES, Morocco: Recycling in Morocco may be in its infancy, but the North African kingdom is making steady progress, helped by a Swiss firm that specializes in processing organic waste. “Nothing’s thrown away here: everything is transformed,” says Mohamed El Kabous proudly, crumbling a fistful of compost produced by Elephant Vert (EV-Green Elephant) in the […]

HONG KONG: Turnout was looking muted yesterday as Hong Kongers cast ballots for city lawmakers under Beijing’s new “patriots only” rules which drastically reduce the number of directly elected seats and control who can run for office. It is the first legislature poll under the new political blueprint China imposed on Hong Kong in response […]

MANILA: More than 100 people have been killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, official tallies showed yesterday, as efforts to deliver water and food to devastated islands ramped up. More than 300,000 people fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Typhoon Rai ravaged the southern and central regions of the […]

Masks a must at Kuwait airport • Egypt reports first Omicron cases KUWAIT: The interior ministry announced domestic helpers will lose their residencies if they stay outside Kuwait for more than six months. Residencies will automatically be canceled if a resident on article 20 visa fails to return to Kuwait six months after the date […]

LONDON: London mayor Sadiq Khan yesterday declared a “major incident” in the British capital due to the spread of the Omicron variant. More than 65,000 new cases were confirmed in London over the past seven days, and 26,418 cases reported in the last 24 hours – the highest number since the start of the pandemic. […]

ISTANBUL: Turkey will send 15 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Africa, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced yesterday at a major summit of the continent’s leaders, adding that the low vaccination rates there were a blot on humanity. Ankara has invested heavily in developing trade and diplomatic ties with the world’s poorest continent during Erdogan’s rule […]

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines: More than 30 people were killed in the strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, official figures showed yesterday, with a charity reporting “alarming” destruction on islands that bore the brunt of the storm. Hundreds of thousands fled their homes and beachfront resorts as Typhoon Rai ravaged the southern and central […]

DOHA: Algeria scored two goals in extra-time to beat neighbors Tunisia 2-0 and win the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup. Amir Sayoud scored in the ninth minute of extra-time while Yacine Brahimi scored with the final kick of the game at the Al-Bayt stadium in Al Khor city to take Algeria to the title yesterday. It […]

BERGAMO: Tammy Abraham struck twice as Roma ran out 4-1 winners at fancied Atalanta yesterday, in the biggest win for Jose Mourinho since returning to Serie A. English striker Abraham opened the scoring with less than a minute on the clock at the Gewiss Stadium and rounded off the match late on as Roma closed […]

NEW YORK: A defiant Ghislaine Maxwell said Friday that prosecutors had failed to prove her guilty of sex crimes, as her defense wound up in a trial that heard lurid claims she groomed minors for abuse by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking for the first time since her sensational trial opened late last month, […]

PARIS: French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Friday likened the spread of the Omicron variant in Europe to “lightning”, adding it would be the dominant strain in France from the start of 2022. Castex added that while much remains unknown about the variant “it does not seem to be more dangerous than the Delta variant […]

VIENNA: Western powers on Friday reported some progress in talks to save the landmark Iran nuclear deal, but European diplomats warned that they were “rapidly reaching the end of the road”. In a blow to European mediators, Iran requested a new pause in the talks in Vienna, which aim to bring the United States back […]