Abu Dhabi to allow only COVID vaccinated people entry to some public areas
The UAE capital of Abu Dhabi will only allow those vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter some public areas, including malls, restaurants and gyms, starting August 20, according to an announcement made by the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee. The committee said it took the decision on Monday after vaccinating 93 percent of target groups in the emirate and to preserve public health.
“The decision covers shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, gyms, recreational facilities, sporting activities and all other retail outlets not within shopping centers, except those selling essential goods such as supermarkets and pharmacies,” the Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee said in its announcement.
The first phase of the decision also includes gyms, recreational facilities and sporting activities, health clubs, resorts, museums, cultural centers and theme parks, as well as universities, institutes, public and private schools and children nurseries in the emirate.
“The committee stated that the decision does not apply to unvaccinated individuals with vaccination exemption received through the approved process and registered on Alhosn app, nor to children aged 15 and under,” the committee added.
MIAMI BUILDING COLLAPSE: Death toll hits 10
Rescue workers pulled a 10th body from the rubble of a collapsed Florida condominium on Monday, as officials vowed to keep searching for any possible survivors five days after the 12-story building fell without warning as residents slept. Crews were using cranes, dogs and infrared scans as they looked for signs of life amid the ruins, hoping air pockets may have formed underneath the concrete that could be keeping some people alive. The death toll appears certain to rise, and Levine Cava acknowledged the number of casualties is “fluid.” There are 151 people still unaccounted for. The cause of the collapse at the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, near Miami, remains under investigation.
A 2018 engineer’s report found serious concrete deterioration in the underground parking garage as well as major damage in the concrete slab beneath the pool deck. The author, Frank Morabito, wrote the deterioration would “expand exponentially” if it was not repaired in the near future. But Ross Prieto, then Surfside’s top building official, met residents the following month after reviewing the report and assured them the building was “in very good shape,” according to minutes of the meeting released by the town on Monday.
Trafficking of more than three tons of narcotics from Iran to Bahrain foiled
The Director-General of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science stated that Iran had been the primary narcotics trafficking sources to Bahrain for the last fifteen years. He said that per the official statistics, Iran continues to follow the same approach. Around 3 tons and 72 KG of various narcotics, including Captagon, opium, and mostly hashish and shabu, were confiscated from 2007 to 2021.
In his statement to mark the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, he said 52 persons arrested were part of drug trafficking and dealing groups specialising in smuggling narcotics via regional waters in coordination with individuals in Iran. In most cases, the narcotics were seized from the seabed.
The Director-General highlighted that the many and various cases and the increase in the number of arrestees who are members of trafficking networks reflect the vigilance of the police personnel. Along with the high coordination between the General Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science, Coast Guard and the concerned security authorities. He said that round the clock security preparedness is the foundation in combating criminal attempts to traffic narcotics via the sea.
The Director-General said the protection of Bahraini youth from addiction and its various social, economic and health risks is a priority to safeguard society and national accomplishments. He called upon different segments of society, especially youth, to support national community partnership efforts to protect the nation’s security and general safety.
Saudi Arabia to start vaccinating 12 to 18 age group
The Saudi Arabia Ministry of Health announced the implementation of a new phase of the national campaign for immunization with COVID-19 Pfizer Vaccine for the age group of 12-18. This announcement was made after the approval of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the completion of scientific research, which showed the effectiveness of the vaccine for this age group.
The ministry indicated that this step comes as a continuation of its efforts to expand the administration of the vaccine, after vaccinating 70% of adults in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as it recently started administering the second dose to people over 50 years old, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. The Ministry of Health added that the registration for the vaccine is available via Sehaty and Tawakkalna smartphone Apps.
It also affirmed that the national campaign for COVID-19 vaccine is going as planned, as 17,255,254 COVID-19 doses have been administered so far for citizens and residents through 587 centers in the Kingdom.
Bahrain Endurance 13 members grab gold, silver medals
Bahrain Endurance 13 once again shone on the podium over the weekend with a gold and a silver medals in paratriathlon and half distance triathlon respectively. Lauren Parker won the Oceania Triathlon Cup paratriathlon event in Port Douglas on Saturday to put the finishing touches on her training camp in Cairns, Australia. She will have one final race hitout on the Gold Coast next month before the official announcement of Australia’s Paralympic team for Tokyo.
Parker is focused on sharpening her race skills, saying, “It was important to practice the little things because we haven’t had much race practice over the last 12 months… Practicing transitions and getting good starts and practicing my turns and getting some good power out there on the bike – I loved it and it was actually better than expected.”
On Sunday, Holly Lawrence took the second step on the podium at the Ironman 70.3 European Championship in Elsinore, Denmark. The defending champion finished with a time of 4:05:17 behind fellow British athlete Lucy Charles-Barclay.
Backing up from winning Ironman 70.3 Des Moines and then flying long-haul from the USA to Europe was no easy feat. Lawrence said, “I always knew it was going to be ambitious to race back-to-back weekends on different continents. Fought hard for second today… Congrats for a great race, Lucy! Looking forward to getting back home to LA and getting back to work.”
Australia on edge over new Covid-19 clusters
Australian leaders were holding emergency talks on Monday as states and territories sought to stamp out new clusters of coronavirus infections. Prime Minister Scott Morrison called an urgent federal cabinet meeting and will meet with state and territory leaders in the evening, Australian news agency AAP reported.
Four states and territories have recorded new cases and three of the country’s state capitals have imposed lockdowns or tight restrictions, according to AAP. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg told broadcaster ABC on Monday that it was a “critical time” for Australia and that the world is entering a “new phase” of pandemic with the more contagious Delta strain.
Australia’s most populated state of New South Wales recently reintroduced restrictions, including a two-week stay-at-home order for Sydney and its surrounding areas that came into force on Saturday. NSW Health recorded 18 new local cases in the last 24-hour reporting period, 88 cases are being treated in the state in total.
In the Northern Territory, Greater Darwin is in lockdown until Friday over a cluster of cases linked to a worker at a gold mine, while in Western Australia the Perth and Peel regions are under restrictions for at least three days after a woman tested positive on her return from New South Wales, broadcaster ABC reported.
Australia has managed so far to largely stave off the pandemic with extremely strict measures, including by keeping its international border closed with few exceptions since March 2020. The country has recorded around 30,000 cases and 900 deaths since the pandemic began.
EU countries approve landmark climate change law
European Union countries on Monday gave the final seal of approval to a law to make the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions targets legally binding, as EU policymakers prepare a huge new package of policies to fight climate change.
Negotiators from Parliament and EU member states reached a deal in April on the climate law, which sets targets to reduce net EU emissions by 55% by 2030, from 1990 levels, and eliminate them by 2050. Ministers from the 27 EU countries formally approved the deal on Monday, except for Bulgaria, which abstained.
“The final compromise does not reflect our national position sufficiently,” a Bulgarian government spokesman said, without specifying further.
Leaders from all EU countries signed up to the 2030 emissions-cutting target in December, which aim to put the bloc on a pathway that, if followed globally, would avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The targets apply to overall EU emissions, rather than a binding requirement for each country.
The law aims to put climate at the heart of all EU policymaking, ensuring that future regulations support the emissions-cutting aims. Doing that will require a huge policy overhaul. Most EU laws are designed to meet a previous target to cut emissions by 40% by 2030.
The European Commission will begin that upgrade on July 14, when it proposes a dozen policies to reshape industry, energy, transport and housing to emit less CO2. The proposals will include EU carbon market reforms, tougher CO2 standards for new cars, and more ambitious renewable energy targets.
The climate law also requires Brussels to launch an independent expert body to advise on climate policies, and a budget-like mechanism to calculate the total emissions the EU can produce from 2030-2050, under its climate targets. The European Parliament approved the law last week. Parliament and member states will sign the text, a formal step, this week before it becomes law. (Reuters)
Saudi Arabia’s FII to take place on October with focus on investing in ‘humanity’
The fifth edition of Saudi Arabia’s annual investment forum, the Future Investment Initiative (FII), will take place on October 26 to 28 this year in the Kingdom’s capital Riyadh under the theme of ‘Invest in Humanity’. The annual event brings together a selection of experts and industry leaders to explore new ways to address society’s challenges and plan towards taking action to solve them.
“By leveraging the enormous economic opportunities that will lie ahead in the post-COVID era, we will also catalyze the changes needed to achieve an equitable, prosperous future for all,” Yasir al-Rumayyan, Chairman of the FII Institute board of trustees and governor of the Public Investment Fund, said in a statement. The most recent edition of FII, which took place in January 2021 both in-person and online, featured 200 speakers and thousands of attendees from 130 countries.
“As the world acknowledges the need for sustainable change, investors and leaders are looking for the right avenues to contribute in a way that creates both value and impact,” said FII Institute CEO Richard Attias.
“The Neo-Renaissance of the global economy, which we explored in January during the fourth edition of FII, is now emerging, and the FII fifth anniversary edition will be a unique call to action,” he added. (Al Arabiya)
Germany seeks to ban British travellers from EU: The Times
Germany will attempt to ban British travellers from the European Union regardless of whether or not they have had a COVID-19 vaccine, The Times reported on Monday. The German chancellor wants to designate Britain as a “country of concern” because the Delta variant of the coronavirus is so widespread, the newspaper said.
The plans will be discussed by senior European and national officials on the EU’s integrated political crisis response committee and will be resisted by Greece, Spain, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal, the newspaper added. German chancellor Angela Merkel is due to meet British Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Chequers next week. Britain plans to unveil plans next month to allow fully vaccinated people to travel unrestricted to all countries except those with the highest COVID-19 risk.
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