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Majority of measures that have been in place for almost two years will be lifted on Saturday, prime minister says.

Ireland is to scrap almost all its COVID-19 restrictions on Saturday after coming through the storm of the Omicron variant that led to a major surge in infections, Prime Minister Micheal Martin has said.

Ireland had the second-highest incidence rate of COVID-19 in Europe just last week but also one of the continent’s highest uptake of booster vaccines, which has helped keep the number of seriously ill people well below the previous peak.

“We have weathered the Omicron storm,” Martin said in Friday’s televised address, in which he said booster vaccines had “utterly transformed” the situation in the country.

“I have stood here and spoken to you on some very dark days. But today is a good day,” he said.

The country has been one of the most cautious in the European Union on the risks of COVID-19, putting in place some of the longest-running restrictions on travel and hospitality.

But following advice from public health officials, the government decided that bars and restaurants will no longer need to close at 8pm, a restriction put in place late last year when the Omicron wave struck, or to ask customers for proof of vaccination.

Read More: Ireland to drop almost all COVID restrictions

Faced with the spread of the Omicron variant in Brazil, both Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have announced that the world-famous parades of samba schools have been put back two months to the end of April. The festival, which was cancelled last year, brings in hundreds of millions of euros each year and supports tens of thousands of workers. FRANCE 24’s Perrine Juan, Louise Raulais and Tim Vickery report from Rio’s city of samba.

UN official says the body is investigating the incident involving CAR troops and ‘other security personnel’.

Government says Repsol spilled about 6,000 barrels of oil into the ocean last week near its La Pampilla refinery.

Argentina’s economy minister discusses plan to renegotiate the largest loan in the IMF’s history.

At least 70 people were killed in an air strike on a prison as Yemen’s long-running conflict suffered a dramatic escalation Friday that drew condemnation from UN chief Antonio Guterres.

Tongans said they were determined to rebuild their battered homeland in the wake of last week’s devastating eruption and tsunami as a massive clean up continued Saturday in the Pacific kingdom.

The actor’s spokesman confirmed that he was driving the SUV involved in the crash.

It’s the latest example of “vaccines for thee, but not for me…”

Despite the fact that the Supreme Court has blocked OSHA from enforcing the Biden Administration’s corporate vaccination mandate for most US workers, the administration has decided to require travelers visiting the US for “essential” reasons – i.e. to fill “essential” jobs like serving as a hospital nurse treating COVID patients – to be fully vaccinated.

Travelers arriving in the US by plane have already been required to prove their vaccination status for months now. But the new restrictions, which take effect at the beginning of next week, will expand the requirement to cover foreigners entering the US via port, land or ferry terminals along the US-Mexico and US-Canada borders (though, fortunately for them, a negative COVID test isn’t required for entry at these locations).

The requirement will also apply to “non-essential” travelers, meaning that people seeking to visit the US must be from one of the countries fortunate enough to have broad access to vaccines.

In a statement, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said he was moving to protect public health while “safely facilitating the cross-border trade and travel that is critical to our economy.”

“Starting on January 22, 2022, the Department of Homeland Security will require that non-U.S. individuals entering the United States via land ports of entry or ferry terminals along our Northern and Southern borders be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and be prepared to show related proof of vaccination,” said Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas. ”These updated travel requirements reflect the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to protecting public health while safely facilitating the cross-border trade and travel that is critical to our economy.”

Read More: Biden Admin Decrees All “Essential” Workers Traveling To US Must Be Fully Vaccinated