Author: gizamail.com

The Japanese government is considering allowing hotels to refuse entry to guests who do not wear masks and follow other infection control measures during an outbreak. This is according to Fuji News Network reported on Wednesday. At an extraordinary session of parliament next month, the government will propose a bill that would revise the law governing hotels and inns. This would enable them to enforce infection control measures more effectively. Reports indicate that Japan is expected to ease its COVID-19 border controls by waiving visa requirements for certain tourists and removing a daily limit on arrivals. A debate on border…

Water-borne diseases have killed at least nine more people in flood-hit areas of Pakistan, officials reported on Tuesday, following Angelina Jolie’s surprise visit to meet people affected by the crisis. In recent weeks, Pakistan received three times as much rain as on average. This led to major flooding that killed 1,559 people, including 551 children and 318 women, according to the disaster management agency. UNICEF described the situation as beyond bleak as officials warn Pakistan risks losing control over the spread of infections. As flood waters recede – which officials say will take two to six months – hundreds of…

Leaders meeting in person for the first time in three years must address conflict and climate catastrophes, rising poverty and inequality, and growing divisions among major powers that have gotten worse, according to the United Nations chief, who warns that the world is in great peril. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking before Tuesday’s leaders’ meeting, cited the “immense” task of saving the planet, “which is literally on fire,” as well as dealing with the continuing COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, he noted that “access to finance for developing countries is limited – an unprecedented crisis” that has affected education, health, and women’s…

It is expected that the Canadian government will drop the requirement for people entering Canada to have a vaccine by the end of September, an official familiar with the matter told the Associated Press on Tuesday. In Canada, as in the United States, foreign nationals are required to be vaccinated upon entry. There is no immediate word from the USA on whether it will follow suit by September 30. Currently, unvaccinated travelers who enter Canada are subject to mandatory arrival tests and a 14-day quarantine. The official stated that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau needs to approve it, but the government…

In Nigeria, floods have killed 300 people this year. The situation could worsen as heavy rains and overflowing water from a dam in Cameroon affect 14 Nigerian states, the disaster management agency reports. A meeting of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) was held on Monday to review the flood situation and plan a response. According to NEMA director general Mustapha Habib Ahmed, over 100,000 people have been displaced by flooding since the start of the rainy season. They are now living in temporary shelters. According to Ahmed, Cameroon opened flood gates at its Lagdo dam last week, causing spillover…

MENA Newswire: True Global Ventures 4 Plus (TGV 4 Plus) Fund and TGV 4 Plus Follow On Fund (TGV 4 Plus FoF) today announce a US$17.2m convertible note investment into Animoca Brands out of a total raise of US$110m. Other investors included Boyu Capital, Singapore’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Temasek and GGV Capital. The investment comes after Animoca Brands’ second closing at a valuation of US$5.9 billion (based on Australian dollar exchange rates at the time), announced on July 12, 2022. The current investment is to further support Animoca Brands’ mission to deliver digital property rights to the world’s gamers and…

The share price of Volkswagen hovered around breakeven on Monday, reflecting a mixed response from investors to the automaker’s plans to list sports car brand Porsche AG in what could be Europe’s third biggest IPO. According to Reuters, Volkswagen wants to value Porsche AG at 70 billion-75 billion euros ($70-75 billion), a little below some estimates of up to 85 billion euros, but well above rival BMW’s 49 billion euros and Mercedes-Benz’s 61 billion euros. Even as shares of other luxury carmakers like Ferrari and Aston Martin have struggled this year on European stock markets, Porsche AG hopes its track…

An image rights dispute between Kylian Mbappe and the French soccer federation resurfaced Monday as the team prepared for Nations League matches. A months-long disagreement and an ongoing extortion scandal involving Paul Pogba threaten to disrupt France’s preparations for the World Cup in Qatar, AP reports. According to a statement released by Mbappe to France’s national news agency, the star of Paris Saint-Germain will not participate in the photo session with his teammates due to the fact that the French federation did not amend the collective agreement that governs the team’s rights before the World Cup. The lawyer for Mbappe…

Health ministry figures show that the estimated costs of medical services in Japan in fiscal year 2021 rose 4.6 percent from the previous year to a record high of 44.2 trillion yen, due to a surge in Coronavirus-related expenses, as well as an aging population and the use of expensive cutting-edge technologies. Due to fears of contracting a novel virus, many people refrained from visiting the doctor in fiscal year 2020, resulting in a steep decline in growth. Payments from the public health insurance system, taxpayers’ money, and patient out-of-pocket costs are included, excluding those fully paid by patients and…

As a result of the fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan raging on the border between the two Central Asian nations, Kyrgyzstan said its death toll from the conflict had risen to 36 people, with 129 people hurt during the conflict. Former Soviet republics clashed over a border dispute on September 14-16, with tanks, mortars, rocket artillery and assault drones being used to attack outposts and settlements in the nearby area. There are at least 54 people who have been killed as a result of the conflict. A Reuters report states that Central Asian border issues are mostly a legacy of…