NEW DELHI -- Indian Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday, his office confirmed.
Following the test, Naidu isolated himself for a week in Hyderabad, the capital city of the southern state of Telangana. Naidu was in Hyderabad when he tested positive. (India-COVID-19-Cases)
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DHAKA -- The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is driving a huge spike in fresh infections in Bangladesh, a senior official said Sunday.
Nazmul Islam, a spokesman for the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), told reporters, "A huge spike in infections is being driven by the Omicron variant of COVID-19, which is gradually replacing Delta in the country." (Bangladesh-Omicron)
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KABUL -- Afghanistan's caretaker government began to deliver the China-aided humanitarian food supplies on Saturday to at least 10 provinces of the country's 34 provinces, an official said Saturday.
The supplies including 440 tons of rice will be shipped by 20 trucks to 10 most vulnerable provinces, Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, spokesman for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, told Xinhua here. (Afghanistan-Humanitarian Aid-China)
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SUVA -- The Chinese community in Fiji on Sunday voiced their support for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, wishing it a great success.
About 70 representatives, including adults and children, of the Chinese community in Fiji gathered in the Vodafone Arena Stadium in the Fijian capital city of Suva, holding a banner-signing event to show their support for the Beijing Winter Olympics. (Fiji-Chinese Community-Beijing Olympics)
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WELLINGTON -- New Zealand will move to Red Light settings from 11:59 pm local time Sunday due to Omicron cases detected in the community, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Sunday.
The prime minister announced the government decision at Sunday's unscheduled media conference. According to the Red Light settings under the COVID-19 Protection Framework, gatherings will be limited to 100 people in places where COVID-19 vaccine passports are used. (New Zealand-Omicron-Red Light Setting-2nd LD)
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HERAT, Afghanistan -- At least seven civilians, including four women, were killed and nine others wounded when a bomb blast hit a minibus in Herat city, capital of Afghanistan's western Herat province, on Saturday, a provincial official said.
"Seven dead and nine wounded were admitted to Herat Regional Hospital following a bomb blast in Herat city Saturday evening," Harif Jalali, physician-in-chief of the hospital, told Xinhua. (Afghanistan-Blast-1st LD Writethru) ■
