COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AFP) — Sri Lanka on Thursday became the latest of India’s neighbours to seal its borders with the South Asian giant as it battles a record coronavirus surge. Bangladesh and Nepal have also banned flights and sought to close their borders with India, where a huge rise in numbers in the past three weeks has taken deaths past 230,000 and cases over 21 million. All three countries are fighting their own pandemic […]
Asia
Qatar arrests finance minister over alleged corruption
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar’s finance minister Ali Shareef al-Emadi has been arrested over alleged abuse of power and misuse of public funds, state media said on Thursday. The official Qatar News Agency later reported that the country’s ruler, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, had issued a decree “relieving” Emadi of his post. Sheikh Tamim also asked Trade and Industry Minister Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari to “carry out the duties of minister of finance”, […]
Putin backs Russia waiving patents on its Covid jabs
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday said he supported the idea of a waiver on patent protections for coronavirus vaccines as Russia registered its fourth virus jab called Sputnik Light. A campaign to lift patent protections on Covid-19 vaccines picked up steam on Thursday, with French, German and EU leadership saying they were ready to discuss a proposal by US President Joe Biden, before Putin added his support. “We are […]
Squids in: Japan town builds giant statue with Covid grant
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A remote Japanese fishing town has sparked debate after spending coronavirus relief funds on a giant squid statue that cost nearly $250,000 in a controversial bid to boost post-pandemic tourism. The huge pink monument with its tentacles outstretched was unveiled in March by the coastal town of Noto in central Japan as a proud nod to its local delicacy. It cost around 27 million yen ($247,000) and was mostly paid for […]
India sees record Covid-19 deaths, new cases in 24 hours
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India saw almost 4,000 Covid-19 deaths and more than 412,000 new cases in the past 24 hours, both new records, official data showed Thursday. Health ministry numbers showed 3,980 deaths, taking the national total to 230,168, and 412,262 new cases, bringing India’s caseload since the pandemic began to 21.1 million. The renewed rise follows several days of falling case numbers that had raised government hopes that the catastrophic recent surge […]
Drought-hit Jordan ‘critical’ as water sources dry up
by Kamal Taha GHOR AL-HADITHA, Jordan (AFP) — Ahmad Daoud surveyed his shrivelled tomato plants near the Dead Sea in Jordan, where severe drought in what is already one of the world’s most water-deficient countries is hitting hard. “Look at how the land thirsts,” he said, walking on cracked earth stained with white salt patches, waving at the five hectares (12 acres) of his farm. “Everything I planted… is dead.” He inspected a tomato the […]
Hong Kong dissident Joshua Wong jailed for Tiananmen protest
HONG KONG, China (AFP) — Jailed Hong Kong dissident Joshua Wong was handed an additional 10-month sentence on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to taking part in an “unlawful” Tiananmen Square protest last year. Wong was sentenced alongside three other prominent young activists — Lester Shum, Tiffany Yuen and Janelle Leung — over the 4 June vigil, which was banned by police for the first time last year. © Agence France-Presse
India warned to brace for new coronavirus waves
by Bhuvan BAGGA NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India, gripped by one of the most deadly coronavirus surges seen by any country, will have to be ready for new waves and badly needs more oxygen from other countries, officials said Wednesday. Facing critical shortages of hospital beds and oxygen, the warnings came as India reported 3,780 new pandemic deaths, a new daily high, and 382,000 new cases. Experts say the peak may not be reached […]
India G7 delegation in Covid scare as crisis deepens back home
by AFP bureaus NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s foreign minister was forced to abandon face-to-face G7 meetings on the pandemic in London on Wednesday because he may have been exposed to Covid-19, as the crisis deepened back home with his nation’s daily death toll hitting a record at almost 3,800. The coronavirus continues to ravage India but in Europe and the United States mass vaccination programmes have allowed the easing of many restrictions. Foreign […]
Vietnam extends quarantine for arrivals after new virus outbreak
HANOI, Vietnam (AFP) — Vietnam has extended the quarantine period for anyone arriving in the country to three weeks, authorities said Wednesday, following a fresh community outbreak of the coronavirus. The nation has so far kept case numbers low — recording just over 3,000 cases and 35 deaths — thanks to strict quarantine measures and extensive contact tracing. But Vietnam reported its first community outbreak in weeks last Thursday, and other clusters have since emerged. […]
Iran reports three cases of Indian Covid variant
TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran has detected three cases of the Indian Covid-19 variant feared to behind a devastating surge of the virus in India, the health minister said Wednesday. “We have identified three confirmed cases among the Indians present,” Saeed Namaki said, according to the ministry’s official website, with the cases found in the central province of Qom. Ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told AFP these were “the first confirmed cases of Indian variant in […]
India FM at G7 says exposed to possible Covid-19 positive cases
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, in Britain for G7 meetings, said on Wednesday he would hold his talks virtually after being exposed to possible coronavirus cases. “Was made aware yesterday evening of exposure to possible Covid positive cases. As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, I decided to conduct my engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 Meeting […]
