Exclusive: Pakistani Taliban down but not out, says ex-spokesman
Islamabad, Pakistan – The Pakistani Taliban has suffered major losses from American and Pakistani security operations in recent years, but its cells remain active in Pakistan’s cities and are still capable of carrying out attacks, a former spokesman has told Al Jazeera in his first interview since escaping from Pakistani military custody in January. The group […]
UN predicts ‘deep recession’ in Latin America due to coronavirus
Latin America is heading into “a deep recession” in 2020, with an expected drop in the region’s GDP of 1.8 to 4.0 percent due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UN economic commission for the region said Friday. “We are at the beginning of a profound recession. We’re faced with the largest fall in growth that […]
Coronavirus: Russia uses facial recognition to tackle Covid-19
As Russian cities go into lockdown to try to contain coronavirus, Moscow is using the latest technology to keep track of residents. City officials are using a giant network of tens of thousands of cameras – installed with facial recognition software – which they plan to couple with digital passes on people’s mobile phones. It’s […]
Turkey imposes curfew on youths amid COVID-19 outbreak
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has imposed a partial curfew for citizens under the age of 20 as part of measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in the country. The mandatory confinement is due to come into effect at midnight on Friday, Erdogan said in a televised address, adding that Ankara also […]
Residents of Wuhan asked to stay home amid fears of fresh coronavirus wave
Beijing: China’s coronavirus city Wuhan has announced plans to resume 100 passenger trains from April 8 even as the city officials on Friday asked its residents to stay at home and avoid non-essential outings amid fears of a possible rebound of the disease due to the steady rise in the asymptomatic cases. Wuhan will resume operation […]
Coronavirus toll in New York City exposes wider inequalities
Under normal circumstances, low-income residents of New York City face heightened risks of economic dislocation, adverse health outcomes and workplace dangers. But in the age of the coronavirus, pre-existing inequalities are exacerbated by a disease that claims lives from all walks of life, but takes a far bigger toll on the less affluent. Low-income areas […]
5-minute coronavirus tests may give inaccurate re
Beijing: A Chinese drug and diagnostic firm has cautioned that the slew of new test kits that promise to detect the coronavirus in just a few minutes may not be as accurate as conventional kits, a potential setback for countries seeking to rapidly test their citizens. “Such rapid testing is not as accurate as the […]
Global Coronavirus Cases Cross One Million, Death Toll Exceeds 51,000
The global coronavirus toll crossed 51,000 late on Thursday with Italy (13,915) and Spain (10,096) accounting for nearly half the fatalities, while the number of cases crossed a million, with the US having over a fifth of them, as per the Johns Hopkins University’s Coronavirus Resource Centre. As of midnight, the death toll stood at […]
COVID-19 pandemic is testing world’s leaders. Who’s stepping up?
In just three months, more than a million people in 180 countries have fallen sick from the viral illness, while at least 50,000 have died in a public health emergency the United Nations is calling the world’s “most challenging crisis” since World War II. In large swathes of the globe, lockdowns aimed at stemming the […]
Iran parliament speaker tests positive for COVID-19
Iran’s parliament speaker tested positive for COVID-19, state television reported Thursday, becoming the latest official to contract the disease in the hard hit country. Ali Larijani “was tested for coronavirus after showing certain symptoms, and as the result was positive, he is currently in quarantine and undergoing treatment,” the report said. Larijani, 62, is close […]
