Amidst severe warnings by health experts and medical practitioners, Sri Lanka on Friday reported 41 news cases of Covid's Omicron variant taking its tally to 45. ....

Some residents in the Chinese city of Xi'an, where a lockdown has been enforced in the wake of an ongoing Covid-19 resurgence, have said that they do not have enough food, even as officials insist there are adequate supplies, the BBC reported. ....

San Francisco has announced the cancellation of the city's annual New Year's Eve fireworks show as holiday gatherings and travel have expedited the spread of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant. ....

Four people were killed after a small plane crashed in California, according to authorities. ....

The overall risk associated with the Omicron variant remains 'very high' which could cause widespread disruption to health systems and other critical services, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned. ....

As Qatar and Turkey seek to take control of operations at the Kabul airport, Afghan businessmen are urging the government to sign a contract with a company from the United Arab Emirates instead, as many Afghans have investments in the UAE and they fear access will be restricted, Tolo News reported. ....

At 30 people were killed and over 200 others injured after a massive blaze ripped through a passenger ferry in Bangladesh, officials said. ....

People infected with the Omicron variant of Covid are 15 per cent less likely to attend hospital, and 40 per cent less likely to be hospitalised for a night or more, compared to Delta, according to a new study. ....

As Omicron variant spreads globally, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued an emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the Pfizer antiviral pill to treat Covid-19 along with caution for people with certain pre-existing conditions -- heralding a new era for the future, over-the-counter treatment of the deadly respiratory disease that has killed millions. ....

Omicron will dominate European countries within weeks, pushing an already stretched health system further to the brink, said head of the European office of the World Health Organization (WHO) while urging people to get a booster jab. ....