NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the military alliance has decided to expand its mission in Iraq by training personnel for the Iraqi army and security forces. Stoltenberg made the announcement on Thursday during a press conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers where the alliance’s response to the …
Read More »US hampering Iran’s coronavirus fight, crime against humanity
A high-ranking Iranian security official says the efforts made by the administration of US President Donald Trump to block Iran’s access to financial and other resources it needs to contain an ongoing pandemic of new coronavirus, known as COVID-19, amount to crime against humanity. Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran’s …
Read More »Iraq expects a “significant” reduction in “OPEC” oil production
Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Oil, Thamer Al-Ghadban attributed on Sunday the postponement of the conference of oil-producing and exporting countries, until next Thursday due to “technical reasons”. Al-Ghadban said, in a statement to the official newspaper, “Al-Sabah”, that “the conference that was scheduled to take place on Monday …
Read More »Rouhani: Low-risk economic activities to resume within days
Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani says low-risk economic activities, which have been suspended over the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will resume from April 11. In a Sunday address to the National Headquarters for Managing and Fighting the Coronavirus, Rouhani announced that medium- and low-risk businesses can recommence next week, except those …
Read More »No, 5G does not spread coronavirus
Conspiracy theories claiming 5G technology helps transmit coronavirus have been condemned by the scientific community. Videos have been shared on social media showing mobile phone masts on fire in Birmingham and Merseyside – along with the claims. The posts have been shared on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram – including verified …
Read More »India curbs diagnostic testing kit exports as virus spreads; South Asia updates
India is restricting the export of most diagnostic testing kits, as coronavirus cases in the South Asian nation topped 3,350 on Sunday despite a three-week nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the respiratory disease. India, which in recent weeks already banned the export of certain drugs, along with ventilators, …
Read More »Coronavirus: Trump warns ‘there will be a lot of death’ this week
Donald Trump has warned the US that “there will be a lot of death” this week as he said the country faced its toughest period during the coronavirus pandemic. He was speaking as Johns Hopkins University said the US now had more than 300,000 cases. Speaking at his daily White …
Read More »Saudi Arabia, UAE expand lockdowns as coronavirus cases rise; Mideast updates
Saudi Arabia and the UAE have adopted fresh measures to tackle the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic amid an uptick in the number of patients in both Persian Gulf countries. Saudi Interior Ministry announced a lockdown and a partial curfew in seven neighborhoods of the port city of Jeddah starting on …
Read More »Colombian coal mine blast results in multiple fatalities
Eleven people were killed and four injured in an accidental explosion at a Colombian coal mine in Cucunuba, near Bogota, on Saturday, according to the local fire department. The victims were miners who were working despite the health emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Most Colombians are quarantined by government …
Read More »NATO says plans to expand the mission in Iraq
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says the military alliance has decided to expand its mission in Iraq by training personnel for the Iraqi army and security forces. Stoltenberg made the announcement on Thursday during a press conference after a meeting of NATO foreign ministers where the alliance’s response to the coronavirus …
Read More »Keir Starmer elected new UK Labour leader: party
Britain’s main opposition Labour party on Saturday announced that Keir Starmer had been elected as its new leader, replacing Jeremy Corbyn who resigned after its crushing December election defeat. The 57-year-old former chief state prosecutor defeated Corbyn loyalist Rebecca Long-Bailey and backbencher Lisa Nandy for the top job. Angela Rayner …
Read More »Iraqi forces foil an ISIS attack on oil fields
A force from the 1st Brigade in the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) has foiled an attempt to target oil fields by ISIS, according to the official PMF website on Saturday. The website stated that “based on the intensity of monitoring and follow-up operations to secure the sector of responsibility, a …
Read More »US accused of ‘piracy’ over mask ‘confiscation’
The US has been accused of redirecting 200,000 Germany-bound masks for its own use, in a move condemned as “modern piracy”. The local government in Berlin said the shipment of US-made masks was “confiscated” in Bangkok. The FFP2 masks, which were ordered by Berlin’s police force, did not reach their …
Read More »Video: Tunisia deploys police robot on lockdown patrol
A police robot has been deployed to patrol areas of Tunisia’s capital, Tunis, to ensure that people are observing a coronavirus lockdown. If it spies anyone walking in the largely deserted streets, it approaches them and asks why they are out. They must then show their ID and other papers …
Read More »Indian officials warn of lockdown extensions as COVID-19 cases in South Asia near 6,000
The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases in South Asia neared 6,000 on Saturday, even as authorities in some cities tightened restrictions on movement and warned lockdowns could be extended in a bid to rein in the pandemic. “If people don’t obey the rules seriously and cases continue to rise, …
Read More »Lebanon complains to UN Security Council against Israel over violating airspace
Lebanon has lodged a complaint to the United Nation against the Tel Aviv regime for violating the country’s airspace after Israeli military aircraft carried out airstrikes on multiple targets in Syria’s central province of Homs. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants has filed a complaint before the UN Security Council …
Read More »Patriot missile system deployment breach of Iraqi sovereignty
A member of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee has strongly condemned the deployment of Patriot missile systems at the bases hosting US troops in Iraq as a breach of the Arab country’s sovereignty, urging senior government officials to detail any agreement pertaining to the US move. “The decision …
Read More »Coronavirus: Potential vaccine generates enough antibodies to fight off virus, study suggests
A potential coronavirus vaccine developed by US scientists has been found to produce antibodies capable of fighting off COVID-19 in the first peer-reviewed study of its kind. The vaccine, which was tested on mice by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, generated the antibodies in quantities thought …
Read More »Lockdown in Italy ‘will probably continue’ beyond May 1, civil protection chief says
Italy’s national lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus will probably continue beyond the start of May, Angelo Borrelli, the head of the Civil Protection Agency, said on Friday. The government extended the lockdown this week. Severe restrictions were imposed on movement and all services and firms not deemed …
Read More »Google releases location data to show if coronavirus lockdowns working in 131 countries
Alphabet Inc’s Google on Thursday published reports for 131 countries showing whether visits to shops, parks, and workplaces dropped in March when many governments issued stay-at-home orders to rein in the spread of the novel coronavirus. Google’s analysis of location data from billions of users’ phones is the largest public …
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