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Judge orders truckers to end US-Canada border blockade

“Freedom Convoy” protesters have a deadline to disperse from Ambassador Bridge on US-Canada border or face arrest Truckers and other protesters demonstrating on the bridge between Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan have until 7 pm local time to leave or face being arrested and having their vehicles seized, the Ontario Superior Court said on Friday. Chief Justice […]

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Children with disabilities offered ‘do not resuscitate’ orders amid pandemic

The UK’s efforts to “protect the NHS” from being overwhelmed during the Covid-19 pandemic reportedly extended to asking families of disabled minors whether they should be resuscitated in the event their heart stopped beating. The so-called “do not resuscitate” orders, known as DNACPRs, were offered to families of children with autism and other learning disabilities […]

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Government orders masks & Covid passes for children to ‘save Christmas’

Authorities in Cyprus have announced strict new Covid-19 restrictions, including mandatory screenings and masking for children as young as six years old. In response to a rise in cases on the Mediterranean island, health officials have notched up their pandemic protocols, even announcing citizens’ vaccination certification, referred to as a SafePass, will be null and […]

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France orders lockdown… for domestic fowl over bird-flu threat

The French Agriculture Ministry has ordered the country’s poultry farmers to keep their fowl indoors to prevent the potential spread of a highly contagious bird-flu strain via migratory birds. The ministry published the order in the French official journal on Thursday, citing the “rising infection rate in migratory corridors” as a sufficient reason to consider […]

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Kuwait orders Lebanon’s top diplomat to leave country in regional row over comments on Yemen

The Lebanese charge d’affairs in Kuwait has been given 48 hours to leave. The expulsion is the latest development in a diplomatic row involving Saudi Arabia, following a Lebanese minister’s comments on the war in Yemen. The diplomatic crisis in the Gulf region further worsened on Saturday, when Kuwait evicted Lebanon’s senior diplomat and also […]

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India’s Supreme Court orders investigation into allegations government used Pegasus spyware to monitor journalists and politicians

The Supreme Court of India has ordered an independent probe into the government’s alleged ‘Orwellian’ use of the Pegasus spyware, made by Israeli firm NSO, to monitor activists, opposition politicians and reporters. Following petitions from reported targets of the spyware, the Supreme Court’s Chief Justice N.V. Ramana ruled on Wednesday that an independent investigation should […]

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Turkey orders arrest of 158 suspects with links to Muslim cleric Gulen, accused of being behind 2016 coup attempt

Turkish prosecutors have ordered the arrest of 158 suspects, including 33 active-duty soldiers, with alleged links to Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen, accused by Ankara of being behind the unsuccessful 2016 coup attempt. The investigations, carried out by the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, spanned 41 provinces, state-owned Anadolu agency said on Tuesday. The latest operation […]

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3 Swiss Guards resign after Vatican orders vaccinations & introduces Covid-19 Green Passes for staff and visitors

Three Swiss Guards have resigned ‘voluntarily’ from the ceremonial Vatican force, while several others have been suspended, after the Holy See ordered the troops to get vaccinated against Covid-19 without any religious exemptions. While other Vatican staff and visitors have an option to undergo regular Covid-19 tests to maintain their Green Pass status, all Swiss Guards […]

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China’s Harbin shuts down spas and entertainment venues, orders people not to leave city after reporting one Covid case

Authorities in Harbin, China have imposed a slew of restrictions and ordered a range of venues – including spas, cinemas and mahjong salons – to temporarily close after detecting a Covid case in the Northeastern city. On Tuesday, local officials urged residents to stay put in the capital of the Heilongjiang province to stop the […]

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Philippines’ Duterte orders officials to get his consent before attending senate probes, accused of trying to ward off scrutiny

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered that members of his cabinet are required to get his consent to appear at Senate investigations, with some critics calling the move an attempt to avert scrutiny. Duterte issued the orders in a recorded televised address on Tuesday, declaring: “I will require every cabinet member to clear with me […]