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The interval for COVID-19 booster jabs will be standardised to be administered five months after the completion of two doses of vaccine. (Photo: Jalelah Abu Baker) - 

Eligible individuals will be able to receive their COVID-19 booster jabs five months after completing their second dose, instead of six months. 

"It is evident that waning of antibodies can clearly occur by around six months after the second dose and occur earlier for older groups," the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Saturday (Nov 20). 

The expert committee on COVID-19 vaccination therefore recommends that the interval for booster jabs be standardised to five months for all eligible age groups. 

"This would be an appropriate interval to pre-empt waning of antibodies for all," said MOH.

The change will take effect on Nov 24.

Currently, the Health Ministry is administering booster shots six months after the second dose for people aged 30 to 59, and five months for those aged 60 and above. 

There is an emerging view among the global clinical and scientific communities that COVID-19 vaccination against the Delta variant is “really a three-dose vaccine, like (for) Hepatitis B”, said Health Minister Ong Ye Kung at a COVID-19 multi-ministry task force press conference on Saturday.

From now until the end of December, the Government hopes to administer about 1.5 million booster shots, Mr Ong said.

This will raise Singapore's booster vaccination coverage from 21 per cent to 50 per cent, he added.

"This means by year-end, half of our population will be freshly boosted with high levels of antibodies," he told reporters.

In its press release, MOH said booster vaccination “significantly increases” protection against infection and severe disease, as well as prevents waning of vaccine protection.

“We encourage everyone eligible for the booster vaccination to receive it when it is offered to them, so as to achieve high levels of protection,” it added.

Those who are eligible for booster shots but have not received their SMS invitations may walk into any Moderna vaccination centre to receive the jab, without needing to book an appointment//CNA

A general view of the skyline of the Qatari capital, Doha, on Feb 28, 2020. (File photo: AFP/Giuseppe Cacace) - 

Exactly one year before it hosts the football World Cup, Doha is crisscrossed with trenches and snarled with traffic as officials race to install a vital feature - adequate drainage.

Rainstorms are rare but paralysing in the Qatari capital, often causing flooding that leads to gridlock. With 1.2 million fans expected next year, such disruption is to be avoided at all costs.

For taxi driver Mohamed, squeezing past construction sites in the downtown West Bay business district, the roadworks are a headache that he and his passengers could do without.

"They weren't thinking 20 years ago when they did this (drainage system)," he said. "Customers don't like waiting."

Cruising down the corniche, an arcing highway with West Bay views, is usually a Doha highlight, but now, with excavations and gaggles of workmen, the city's main artery is strangled.

Journey times have multiplied and in the evening rush hour, cars sit in a giant traffic jam. Frustrations have bubbled over into rare criticism of officials on social media.

"Doha has become a building site, we're driving in the middle of roadworks. And this is going to go on right up to the World Cup" next November and December, said a young Qatari.

Annual rainfall is only about 75mm in the city, but scenes of flooding are not unknown, with cars semi-submerged, tunnels blocked and residents enjoying impromptu watersports.

"Many of Doha's roads were built without proper drainage, so whenever it rained it flooded," said a source briefed on the construction efforts. "They are now rushing to install drainage, even on roads that were finished."

World Cup chiefs have boasted that because of Qatar's compact size, the longest journey between any two of the eight tournament stadiums in and around Doha would take less than 45 minutes.

But gridlock would affect journey times, especially with the heavy influx of visitors - some on hospitality packages that cost thousands of dollars for a single group game.

Qatar has earmarked 3.9 billion riyals (US$1.07 billion) in the 2021 budget for drainage and estuaries, compared to 3.2 billion riyals for highways.

"Development of drainage stations, water treatment plants, pumping and rainwater drainage networks in several regions to prevent flooding due to rain" are a priority in 2021, the Public Budget Statement said.

Qatar has spent billions of dollars on a new metro system that has so far been used mainly by migrant workers from South Asia and the Philippines, with wealthier expatriates and Qataris sticking to large SUVs and luxury cars.

Ashghal, the body in charge of public works, gave assurances that the main routes will be ready to link "the eight stadiums with a rapid road network that avoids any traffic jams for their users".

"These routes are also linked to metro and bus stations as well as commercial centres for World Cup fans," said Salem Al-Shawy, deputy director of roadworks at Ashghal.

"We understand that drivers are suffering ... but we want to make sure that this project will finish on time before the FIFA (World Cup)," he added.

In the meantime, Uber driver Mohammed, who comes from Bangladesh and has been living in Qatar for 15 years, is doing his best to keep his passengers happy.

"Now, I warn them in advance and I ask them if they know a shortcut, to avoid any unhappiness," he said//CNA

At least one police car was set on fire (Photo: ANP/AFP/Killian LINDENBURG) - 

Dutch police fired warning shots, injuring several people, after rioters against a partial COVID-19 lockdown torched a police car and hurled stones in Rotterdam on Friday (Nov 19).

Chaos broke out after a protest in the port city against the coronavirus restrictions and government plans to restrict access for unvaccinated people to some venues.

Dozens of people were arrested and seven people were injured in total, including police officers, during the nighttime rampage on one of Rotterdam's main shopping streets.

The Netherlands went back into Western Europe's first partial lockdown of the winter last Saturday with at least three weeks of curbs on restaurants, shops and sports.

Rotterdam mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb described the riots as an "orgy of violence".

"The police have felt the need to draw a police weapon in the end to defend themselves," he told reporters.

Police said in a statement that the demonstration that started on the Coolsingel street "has resulted in riots. Fires have been set in several places. Fireworks were set off and police fired several warning shots."

"There are injuries related to the fired shots," they added. They did not give a number but public broadcaster NOS said two people were hurt.

Dutch media said several hundred protesters shouted slogans including "freedom", then threw stones at police and firefighters and set fire to several electric scooters.

The situation had largely calmed later but the smoking wreckage of a burned-out police car and dozens of smashed bicycles littered the scene, an AFP reporter said.

Riot police carrying shields and batons were directing groups of people away from the area. Officers on horseback and in police vans patrolled the streets.

Police also cordoned off several scenes to comb for evidence, with a human finger visible on the ground at one of them, the AFP correspondent said.

"Most of the demonstrators are now gone. There only remain a few groups in a few places," police spokesman Jesse Brobbel told AFP.

Dutch police said units from around the country were brought in to "restore order" to Rotterdam.

"Dozens of arrests have now been made, it is expected that more arrests will follow. Around seven people have been injured, including on the side of the police," a police statement said.

Rotterdam authorities issued an emergency order banning people from gathering in the area "to maintain public order", while its main railway station was closed.

"This is a very serious situation which requires action with the highest priority," said the emergency order by the Rotterdam municipality.

Tensions will now be high ahead of planned demonstrations in Amsterdam and the southern city of Breda on Saturday. Local media say thousands of people are expected to attend.

Like much of the rest of Europe, the Netherlands has seen COVID-19 cases soar to record levels in recent days, with more than 21,000 new infections reported on Friday.

The latest restrictions were announced on Nov 12, and sparked clashes between demonstrators and police outside the justice ministry in The Hague.

In January the Netherlands suffered its worst riots in four decades, including in Rotterdam, after a night-time COVID-19 curfew came into force.

But the most controversial measure could be yet to come.

The Dutch government is considering excluding the unvaccinated from bars and restaurants -- the so-called 2G option -- limiting admittance to people who have been vaccinated or who have recovered from the disease.

However there was significant opposition to the plan during a debate in parliament this week.

Similar measures have already been taken in neighbouring Germany, while Austria initially did so but has now gone into full lockdown.

Earlier Friday the Dutch government outlawed traditional fireworks over New Year for a second year in a row "to prevent an extra burden on care workers," the government said//CNA

FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2019 file photo, highway BR-163 stretches between the Tapajos National Forest, left, and a soy field in Belterra, Para state, Brazil. The number of deforestation alerts in the Brazilian Amazon rose for the second straight month in October 2021, compared to 2020, ending a streak of encouraging data at a moment when the government has promised to curb illegal logging. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File) - 

Diplomats expressed shock and disappointment on Friday (Nov 19) at new data revealing higher-than-expected deforestation in Brazil's Amazon this year, saying it increases pressure on President Jair Bolsonaro's government to do more to stop the destruction.

Evidence that Brazil sat on the data for three weeks before announcing it also drew outrage from non-governmental organizations.

The government released the report, which was dated Oct 27, after this month's high-profile UN COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, where Brazil signed up to a global pledge to end deforestation by 2030 and made more climate commitments.

Brazil's environment minister, Joaquim Pereira Leite, told reporters that he only gained access to the data on Thursday when it was announced. He called the data "unacceptable" and vowed more forceful action to fight deforestation.

The data showed deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rose to the highest level since 2006 with an area larger than the state of Connecticut being cleared, according to Brazil's national space research agency, Inpe.

Preliminary data from Inpe released earlier in the year had indicated deforestation might decline slightly, but the more accurate final data showed a 22 per cent increase.

The Amazon's trees absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet.

One European diplomat told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity, that he was "very disappointed with the latest figures."

A second European diplomat, from a different country, said the numbers were "vastly worse" than what was expected.

While the increase drew surprise, Brazil has not shown that environmental policy is moving in the right direction, the person said.

"All the political signals coming from the government through Congress or other means clearly do not show any political will toward reducing deforestation," the diplomat said.

Pressure from the private sector and foreign governments "is only increasing" for Brazil to show a concrete plan for how it will get deforestation under control, they added.

Brazil's presidency and its environment and foreign ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the criticism.

A Brazilian diplomat, who participated in the COP26 Glasgow summit, told Reuters that negotiators did not know about the data during the UN talks and acknowledged that it would increase pressure on Brazil.

But the diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that Brazil at the negotiations had already admitted that deforestation was a problem and the new deforestation goals had been welcomed.

"We have to admit to it and resolve it to maintain our ability to negotiate and influence," the person said.

Valentina Sader, assistant director of the Latin America center at the Atlantic Council, a think tank, said the data combined with Brazil's targets at COP could increase international scrutiny.

"Commitments made publicly in Glasgow will be essential for holding Brazil accountable," Sader said//CNA