Australia’s first Covid deaths in almost a year

Sydney: The state of Victoria in Australia has reported its first Covid-19 deaths this year.

The state reported two deaths yesterday - the first since October - and the government conceded that Delta variant infection numbers would continue to rise.

The neighbouring state of New South Wales reported four deaths, bringing the death toll from a Delta variant outbreak that started in June to 102.

Victoria and New South Wales are both in lockdown and counting on getting their residents vaccinated to contain the outbreak.

With 120 new infections reported on Wednesday, Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said: “We will not see these case numbers go down. They are going to go up.”

San Diego: Five people are missing after a US navy helicopter crashed on Tuesday in the ocean off Southern California during a routine flight from an aircraft carrier, military officials said.

A search and rescue operation was launched after the MH-60S helicopter crashed about 60 nautical miles off San Diego, the navy’s US Pacific Fleet said.

Officials later confirmed that one crew member had been rescued and “search efforts continue for five additional crew members”. The crash happened while the aircraft was “conducting routine flight operations”, according to the navy. It had been aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Gaza Strip: Israel has approved a series of measures easing its blockade of the Gaza Strip, including opening the main commercial crossing with the Palestinian enclave to imports.

The announcement came a day after Israeli officials allowed the import of crucial construction material needed for the Gaza Strip’s rebuilding following the recent conflict in May.

Tensions have run high in recent weeks as Hamas activists have launched incendiary balloons into Israel, sparking a number of wildfires across the border, and staged a series of sometimes violent demonstrations along the border fence with Israel.

Cogat, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, said that the government approved expanding the Gaza Strip’s fishing zone, opening the Kerem Shalom Crossing, increasing water supply to the territory, and increasing the number of Gazan merchants allowed to enter Israel.

Texas: A law banning most abortions has come into effect in the US state of Texas.

The law represents the most dramatic restriction on abortion rights in America since the high court’s landmark Roe v Wade decision legalised abortion across the country in 1973.

The Supreme Court has yet to act on an emergency appeal to put the Texas law - which would prohibit abortions once a foetal heartbeat can be detected, usually at around six weeks and before most women know they are pregnant - on hold.

Abortion providers who are asking the Supreme Court to step in said the law - signed by Republican Governor Greg Abbott in May - would rule out 85% of abortions in Texas and force many clinics to close.