With new WHO guidelines on face masks, what are rules for wearing them around the world?
WHO Friday changed its guidelines on using face masks, advising that face masks should be worn in public to stop the spread of COVID-19, which has over 6.7 million cases worldwide with a death toll that is nearing 400,000. In a statement, WHO’s Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the body has updated its guidance keeping […]
Iran violating all restrictions of nuclear deal, says UN agency
VIENNA: Iran has continued to increase its stockpiles of enriched uranium and remains in violation of its deal with world powers, the United Nations’ atomic watchdog said on Friday. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported the finding in a confidential document distributed to member countries. The agency said that as of May 20, Iran’s total […]
Trump orders big US troop cut in Germany, official says
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the military to remove 9,500 troops from Germany, a senior U.S. official said on Friday, a move likely to raise concerns in Europe about the U.S. commitment to the continent. The move would reduce U.S. troops numbers in Germany to 25,000, from the 34,500 currently there. The official, who […]
Iran records highest daily infections in second wave
TEHRAN: Iran announced 3,574 new coronavirus infections on Thursday, the most in one day since the pandemic started, as authorities increase health warnings following a resurgence in recorded cases. After hitting a near two-month low in early May, new coronavirus infections have been on a rising trajectory in the country, which is battling the Middle […]
Roadside bomb kills nine civilians in southern Afghanistan
KANDAHAR: A roadside bomb tore through a small bus in southern Afghanistan on Wednesday, killing nine civilians including women and children, officials said. The bombing, which occurred in Kandahar, the birthplace of the Taliban, came a day after a blast in a mosque in Kabul’s fortified Green Zone killed two people including a well-known imam. […]
US probes digital services tax imposed by India & others, could hit back with tariffs
Washington: The Trump administration is starting investigations into digital services taxes considered by several trading partners from the European Union to India that could lead to tariffs being imposed on the countries’ exports to the U.S. The probe announced Tuesday encompasses digital taxes that have been either adopted or are under consideration in Austria, Brazil, the […]
Turkey’s Grand Bazaar reopens, along with cafes and restaurants
ISTANBUL: Turkey reopened restaurants, cafes and Istanbul’s iconic 15th century Grand Bazaar market on Monday as the government further eased coronavirus restrictions. Many other facilities including parks, beaches, libraries and museums reopened across the country, while millions of public sector employees returned to work. At Istanbul’s landmark Grand Bazaar, traders were dusting the shelves and […]
Malaysia’s ruling party dumps Mahathir, dissenters
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s ruling party on Thursday terminated the membership of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad, a move widely seen as an attempt to consolidate power as he faces a possible challenge to his nascent premiership. Mahathir, 94, had said he would seek to oust Muhyiddin from office for making a “backdoor […]
China’s parliament approves Hong Kong national security bill
China’s parliament on Thursday overwhelmingly approved directly imposing national security legislation on Hong Kong to tackle secession, subversion, terrorism and foreign interference in a city roiled last year by months of anti-government protests. The National People’s Congress voted 2,878 to 1 in favour of the decision to empower its standing committee to draft the legislation, […]
YouTube has been deleting comments critical of China’s Communist Party
San Francisco: YouTube has been deleting comments critical of China’s ruling party due to a software flaw, the company said on Tuesday in response to criticism of the practice. Users of the online video giant, a division of Alphabet Inc.’s Google, flagged that certain comments posted below videos critical of the Chinese Communist Party were quickly […]
