Saudi authorities have detained three royal family members including two senior princes, the US media reported Friday, signalling the powerful crown prince is further tightening his grip on power. Prince Ahmed bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, a brother of King Salman, and the monarch’s nephew Prince Mohammed bin Nayef were taken from […]
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China reports 28 more coronavirus deaths, rise in new cases outside Hubei
China on Saturday reported 28 new deaths from the coronavirus outbreak, bringing the nationwide toll to 3,070. There were 99 fresh cases of infection, according to the National Health Commission, with a rise in the new cases outside the virus epicentre of Hubei province for a third consecutive day. There […]
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‘I’d rather have them stay on ship,’ says Trump on passengers stranded on cruise
President Donald Trump said on Friday he would rather have passengers on a cruise ship, which was denied entry to San Francisco over coronavirus concerns, remain on board the vessel. But Trump said he would let others make the decision whether to allow the passengers to leave the Grand Princess […]
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Afghan political leader Abdullah Abdullah escapes attack on Kabul ceremony
Gunmen attacked a ceremony in the Afghan capital Kabul on Friday where a top Afghan political leader, Abdullah Abdullah, was present but escaped unharmed. Two were killed and 18 wounded at the event, according to Afghan officials, the first big attack on the capital since a troop withdrawal agreement was […]
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China’s Hubei reports no new coronavirus cases outside city of Wuhan
China’s central province of Hubei, excluding the provincial capital Wuhan, has reported zero new cases of coronavirus over 24 hours for the first time in the outbreak, as authorities seek to stem imported infections in other areas. Wuhan, the centre of the epidemic, reported 126 new confirmed cases on Thursday […]
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Pak doesn’t want any security role for India in Afghanistan
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said Pakistan does not want any security role for India in Afghanistan as he accused New Delhi of playing the role of a “spoiler” in the war-torn country, according to a media report. After months of negotiations, the US and Taliban signed a landmark peace deal […]
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Joe Biden surge, Bernie Sanders slump, Elizabeth Warren exit and India
Former vice-president Joe Biden is know for gaffes. And he has made a few mocking and mimicking Indian Americans and Indian accent. But he has rarely been as publicly critical of India as his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination as Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren recently. And his […]
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Coronavirus: How it is different from seasonal flu and common cold
As the number of coronavirus cases rise, some key differences set it apart from the seasonal flu and common cold – mainly the intensity of the symptoms and the recovery period. All three, however, are spread by air-borne respiratory droplets and contaminated surfaces. Here is a guide to identify the differences between […]
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Bhutan confirms first coronavirus case
The isolated Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has reported its first case of the coronavirus after a US tourist tested positive, the prime minister said Friday. The tiny, land-locked country, famous for measuring Gross National Happiness has emerged as a popular tourist destination in recent years. But the government immediately shut […]
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South Korea blasts Japan over virus entry restrictions
Seoul expressed “extreme regret” Friday over Japan’s ordering 14-day quarantines on all visitors from South Korea due to a surge in viral infections and warned of retaliation if Tokyo doesn’t withdraw the restrictions. The response came a day after Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announced the quarantine, which also applies […]
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US announces $8.3bn in coronavirus funding as cases surge
US lawmakers passed an emergency USD 8.3 billion spending bill to combat the coronavirus on Thursday as the number of cases surged in the country’s northwest and deaths reached 12. The Senate gave sweeping bipartisan support to the funding one day after the House passed the bill, so that it […]
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Indian on student visa in US pleads guilty to sexual enticement of minor
A 23-year-old Indian with a student visa in the US has pleaded guilty to sexual enticement of a minor girl, prosecutors have said. Sachin Aji Bhaskar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. He pleaded guilty before Senior US District Judge William M Skretny to sexual enticement of a […]
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Pakistan struggles to combat devastating locust plague
Pakistan’s farmers are struggling to combat the worst locust plague in nearly three decades as insect swarms decimate entire harvests in the country’s agricultural heartlands and send food prices soaring. Heavy rains and cyclones sparked “unprecedented” breeding and the explosive growth of locust populations on the Arabian peninsula early last […]
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‘Even with all this…’: Woman uses drone to look for son’s body in Mexico fields
Frustrated with a lack of response from authorities, retired school teacher Hidalgo has taken a years-long quest for her missing son into her own hands, learning to use a drone to search for traces of his body. Mexico has been overwhelmed by an escalation of narco violence that has left […]
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UK reports first death from coronavirus
Britain has recorded its first death in the new coronavirus outbreak, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty said on Thursday, as the total number of confirmed cases jumped to 115 . “I am very sorry to report a patient in England who tested positive for COVID-19 has sadly died,” he […]