A Japanese health ministry panel on Friday recommended approval of the COVID-19 antiviral pill developed by Merck, part of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s plan to roll out new treatments by year-end as concerns rise about the Omicron variant. The panel’s decision sets the stage for shipments of 200,000 doses across the country from this weekend, based on preparations announced earlier …

Millions of Americans carried on with travel plans through a second pandemic-clouded holiday season, despite a growing wave of COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant, as hundreds of canceled flights added to the turmoil. United Airlines and Delta Air Lines both canceled dozens of Christmas Eve flights because of staff shortages amid the surge in infections. According to the …

UK reported another day of record COVID-19 cases on Friday, with new estimates showing swathes of London’s population are carrying the virus, underlining the relentless advance of the Omicron variant. Omicron’s rapid spread has driven a surge in cases over the last seven days, especially in the capital. Around 1 in 20 Londoners likely had COVID-19 on Dec. 16 and …

In toddlers, one clue to a diagnosis of COVID-19 may be a sudden complete or nearly complete avoidance of solid foods due to alterations in the child’s sense of smell and taste, doctors in California suggest. In a report published on Tuesday in Pediatrics, they describe two small children, both younger than 18 months, who suddenly developed an aversion to solid food …

Adapting to new things is irritating sometimes and the same applies to Windows 11 users, who may not like the changes that Microsoft has made to the Taskbar, Start Menu, and File Explorer. However, a blog shared that they could be fixed and feel much more like Windows 10 with a few tweaks and the help of some add-on tools. Taskbar Icons …

KARACHI: Pakistan Test opener Abid Ali faces a long road to recovery following surgery after he was forced off the field with chest pain during a domestic match, officials said on Thursday. The 34-year-old fell ill Tuesday while batting for Central Punjab in a Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match in Karachi and was rushed to a hospital. He underwent two angioplasty procedures after …

TOKYO: Japan will not send a government delegation to February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing, it said on Friday, a move likely to deepen tension with China. The decision follows a United States-led diplomatic boycott of the Games over concerns about human rights in China, although Japan has avoided explicitly labelling its move as such. Japan, while a partner of the …

MELBOURNE: England have never come back from a 2-0 deficit to win an Ashes series but that is the task that faces Joe Root’s team when they walk out in front of a Boxing Day crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for the third Test on Sunday. Cricket enthusiasts around the world would probably be satisfied with something resembling a …

PRETORIA: India vice-captain K.L. Rahul knows all too well the unique challenges batting in South Africa brings but says helping the team to get off to a solid start will be a key ingredient to victory ahead of the first Test in Pretoria on Sunday. For all its glorious history, India have never won a Test series in South Africa …