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Israeli city offers free drinks to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among young people

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(Asian News Hub) – At the Jenia bar at Dizengoff Square in Israel’s Tel Aviv, curious passersby were lured with free beer and coffee in exchange for receiving a COVID-19 vaccine jab.

The latest bid, initiated by the city’s government starting last weekend, aims to encourage its young people to take the vaccine shots as Israel’s vaccination drive, which has inoculated since last December about half of its population, started to slow down.

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Mai Perez, 29 years old, was one of the first young people to get a free beer alongside a COVID-19 vaccine shot at Jenia bar.

“It is a great idea to appeal to the young people here and an easy way to make them receive the vaccine,” she said.

The vaccination drive is operated by Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel’s national emergency service in conjunction with Tel Aviv municipality and Ministry of Health, which has set up mobile vaccination sites at various public locations.

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MDA now is dispatching across the city its special mobile caravans, which are equipped with refrigerators capable of storing the vaccines at their designated temperature.

Ilee Levanon, an MDA paramedic, said that they are going to the popular places to make it easier for people to get the vaccination, adding that some young people have not received vaccines because they prefer to avoid standing in long queues in vaccination centers or because the applications for vaccines are too complicated.

“So we give people a chance to receive vaccines easily without all the red-tape,” he said.

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While the elderly rushed to vaccination centers, younger populations were much more hesitant about getting jabs. Around 90 percent of Israelis above the age of 60 received the COVID-19 vaccine, while only half of the people aged 16-39 have been inoculated, said the Israeli Health Ministry.

Younger generations feel less pressure and urgency to take the vaccine, mostly because the virus seems to be less deadly and dangerous for them.

Eytan Schwartz, Tel Aviv municipality spokesperson, told Xinhua that “right now, Israel has enough vaccines to inoculate the entire population within a month. There is no shortage of vaccines, but there is a shortage of willingness. And that is what we are trying to tackle,” said Schwartz.

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Schwartz reminded the young people that if they miss bars, nightclubs, and parties, then they should take the responsibility to get vaccine shots so the dynamic nightlife of Tel Aviv can finally return.

XINHUA News Agency

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34 killed, 130 injured in ‘suicide blast’ near Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession in Balochistan

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In a blast that authorities believe to have been a suicide bombing that occurred Friday outside a mosque in Balochistan’s Mastung district, at least 34 people were killed, including a police officer, and more than 130 others were injured, Dawn.com reported.

Dr Saeed Mirwani, chief executive officer of Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com, while City Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Javed Lehri said a police official was among the dead.

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Earlier, Mastung Assistant Commissioner (AC) Attahul Munim said 15 people were killed due to the explosion while more than 50 were injured.

He added that the explosion took place when people were gathering for an Eid-i-Miladun Nabi procession near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road.

The Mastung AC stated that the blast took place by the car of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gishkori who was to remain on the sidelines of the procession.

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Meanwhile, SHO Lehri said the explosion was a “suicide blast”.

Meanwhile, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the blast and expressed his grief at the loss of lives.

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Erica Robin becomes first ever Miss Universe Pakistan

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Erica Robin, a model from Karachi has been crowned “Miss Universe Pakistan 2023”, becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win the title.

Four other models from different parts of the country participated in the beauty pageant, including Hira Inam from Lahore, Jessical Wilson from Rawalpindi, Pakistani-American Malika Alvi from Pennsylvania, and Sabrina Wasim. Jessica Wilson, a 28-year-old cyber security engineer was named first runner-up while Hira Inam (24), Malyka Alvi (19), and Sabrina Wasim (26) were the rest of the finalists.

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Award-winning actress, mental health advocate, and former Miss International Kylie Verzosa from the Philippines was one of the distinguished panel of judges who picked the winner.

Robin will be the official representative of Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to be held in El Salvador later this year. Pakistan will be sending five models to compete in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. This landmark moment marks the first time Pakistan has ever been represented in the world’s most esteemed beauty competition.

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Morocco earthquake: Death toll surpasses 2000

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According to state TV, the number of fatalities following a strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Morocco on Friday night has surpassed 2,000. The death toll makes it the deadliest earthquake to strike the nation of North Africa in decades.

Also Read: Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

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Rescue teams are reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas, with roads blocked by debris. One witness said “we are hoping for miracles from the rubble,” CNN reported.

The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a popular tourist city of about 840,000 people. The city’s historic walls, first laid out in the early 12th century, have been damaged.

The quake was the most powerful to shake the area surrounding Marrakech in more than 120 years, according to the US Geological Survey.

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