World News

Expo 2020 Dubai visitor numbers have increased significantly to over 7.1 visitors up to December 20. The news comes as organizers continue to maintain robust Covid-19 measures, seeking to ensure a safe event for all attending.

The largest major global event to be held since the start of the pandemic, Covid-19 measures include the expansion of the number of on-site PCR testing facilities to four, and free testing for all country pavilion staff.

The world's biggest commercial airplane manufacturers are telling the Biden Administration to delay the rollout of 5G cell service next month.

Boeing (BA) CEO David Calhoun and Airbus Americas CEO Jeffery Knittel sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to say the January 5 rollout could cause interference that could "adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate."

Australia's government will pay A$2m (£1.1m; $1.4m) in compensation to hundreds of Aboriginal people who said a welfare scheme was racist.

The "work for the dole" scheme required people in remote outback communities to work up to 25 hours a week to receive income benefits.

Jurassic World fans can get ready for a new adventure with the first-ever Jurassic World virtual run experience in the Asia Pacific region!

The Jurassic World RUN! is an immersive experience for participants of all ages featuring dinosaurs from the ground-breaking film franchise Jurassic World. Following the initial launch, CNeX and LIV3LY are excited to announce 5 new countries in Asia Pacific – Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam.

Fresh from its success in being longlisted for the UK's City of Culture 2025, Derby is set to roll out a host of new visitor experiences in 2022.

After winning praise for is innovative transformation of its traditional Market Place into a summer al fresco meeting-and-eating venue and an autumn outdoor, and indoor, events space, Derby's city centre regeneration will pick up pace in the New Year.

The Italian region of Emilia Romagna has just added a new Pilgrim’s Path to its network of ancient pilgrimage routes. 

Sentiero dei Ducati (the Duchies Trail), which can be done either on foot or by bicycle, is designed to retrace the ancient routes contouring the borders of the historic Italian regions once ruled by a Duke or Duchess.

A Shropshire-based soldier and his wife are putting smiles on the faces of orphaned children and adults in Romania, bringing Christmas gifts, clothing and medicines from the UK.

Warrant Officer 2 David Hill lives in Down Hatherley near Innsworth in Gloucestershire with his wife Sarah. Apart from last year, due to Covid-19 restrictions, David and Sarah have travelled to Romania to visit orphanages in Bucharest and Bacau for the last 12 Christmases.

Pastor Somu Avaradhi got a shock when he entered his church in Hubballi city in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. "There were people sitting inside, singing Hindu religious songs and shouting slogans," he said.

He says he called the police, but when they arrived, the protesters accused him of abusing and forcing a Hindu man to convert to Christianity.

As India tries to contain the spread of the Omicron variant, laboratories are working round the clock to identify people who might be infected by it.

Every day it receives about 100 throat and nasal swabs sealed in small boxes. That's roughly five times more samples than it was testing before the omicron variant - first detected in South Africa and now spreading around the world - appeared.

Boeing is committing $1 million to assist with disaster recovery and relief efforts across the Midwest and Southern United States in the aftermath of the recent, unprecedented, tornado outbreak.

"The damage caused by these tornadoes is devastating, and Boeing and our employees stand ready to assist our neighbours and colleagues who have been affected," said Ziad S. Ojakli, executive vice president of Government Operations.

XPO Logistics, Inc., a leading provider of freight transportation services, will spread holiday joy this week with Elves & More of Northeast Ohio. This will be the 15th year that XPO has supported Elves & More in surprising entire neighborhoods with children’s bicycles at Christmastime.

A former park ranger from Australia has developed a storytelling app to teach the younger generation about the country’s indigenous people. Mikaela Jade, founder of Indigital, Australia’s first indigenous edu-tech company, said it is fitting that the technology is presented at Expo 2020 Dubai, with its theme of ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future.’

An exhibition at the UN Hub at Expo 2020 Dubai, titled ‘The United Nations and the United Arab Emirates: Working together for a better future’ opened on Monday, 6 December.

Visitors are taken on a visual journey celebrating the UAE’s Golden Jubilee and relationship of cooperation with the UN.

Kentucky's governor reflected on the "unspeakable trauma" in his state, as he confirmed that weekend tornadoes have killed at least 64 residents. The victims ranged in age from as young as five months to 86 years old and come from at least eight different counties, with 18 people still unidentified.

Governor Andy Beshear said that at least 105 people remain missing and more deaths may be confirmed soon.

The Central African Republic celebrated its National Day at Expo 2020 on Monday with cultural performances highlighting the people’s relationship with the environment, a message reinforced by the country’s leader, His Excellency President Faustin-Archange Touadéra during his visit.

His Excellency, President Faustin-Archange Touadéra, accompanied by Alain Koyangozo, Commissioner General of the Central African Republic, was welcomed by His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Commissioner General of Expo 2020 Dubai.

The numbers of nurses around the world are falling further just as the Omicron coronavirus spreads, and there is also an imbalance as Western countries step up recruitment of healthcare workers from African and other poorer countries, the International Council of Nurses said on Friday.

Howard Catton, CEO of the Geneva-based group that represent 27 million nurses in 130 national associations, said: “Many nurses are burned out from the COVID-19 pandemic and rates of intention to leave within a year have doubled to 20-30%.