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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 […]
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 […]
MUMBAI, India (AFP) — India’s central bank released $6.7 billion in cheap financing for vaccine makers, hospitals and other health firms on Wednesday, to counter the devastating coronavirus surge gripping the country. Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das said cheap loans would be available until March 31 next year, and vowed to deploy “unconventional” measures if the crisis worsens. He spoke as India announced a record 3,780 deaths in 24 hours as well as […]
NAQURA, Lebanon (AFP) — Lebanon and Israel held US-mediated negotiations over their disputed maritime border on Tuesday after a months-long hiatus, in efforts to clear the way for offshore oil and gas exploration. The five-hour indirect talks, between countries still technically at war, were held at the UN base in the town of Naqura in southern Lebanon, the National News Agency (NNA) said. Washington said Friday they were to be brokered by US diplomat John […]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — The Iraqi army said two rockets were fired Tuesday at a base hosting Americans, in the third such attack in three days and as a US government delegation is visiting the country. The two rockets fell on an unoccupied segment of the Ain-al-Assad airbase, “without causing damage or casualties,” the army said. The latest rocket attack follows one against an airbase at Baghdad airport housing US-led coalition troops on Sunday […]
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AFP) — The United Nations said Tuesday that thousands of families across war-torn Yemen have been hit by torrential rains and deadly floods since mid-April that destroyed homes and shelters. “Initial reports indicate some 3,730 families (22,380 people) have been affected by the rains and flooding, the majority of whom are internally displaced people,” the UN humanitarian agency OCHA said. “Intensified rainfall over the past few days is causing damage to […]
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AFP) — Iraq’s health minister resigned on Tuesday, ten days after a fire in a Baghdad Covid-19 hospital killed more than 80 people. Hassan al-Tamimi, who joined the government with the backing of powerful Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, stepped down of his own accord, a government statement said. The fire, which killed 82 and injured 110, triggered outrage on social media, with a widespread hashtag demanding the health minister be sacked. Prime Minister […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — Singapore announced a slew of new coronavirus restrictions Tuesday including a ban on spectators at sporting events as infections rise in the wealthy city-state. After a partial lockdown and rigorous regime of testing and contact tracing, Covid-19 had almost disappeared in Singapore, with authorities in recent months reporting hardly any local transmission. But cases rose last week with officials announcing several new clusters, and in the last seven days 60 locally […]
by Bhuvan Bagga with Agence France Presse Bureaus NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s coronavirus caseload topped 20 million on Tuesday as the relentless surge finally forced the suspension of the nation’s lucrative cricket competition involving some of the sport’s biggest global stars. The South Asian nation’s plight was in stark contrast to Europe and the United States, where mass vaccinations have allowed the easing of many coronavirus restrictions. More than 350,000 new cases […]
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AFP) — Energy giant Saudi Aramco on Tuesday posted a 30 percent jump in first quarter profits, in a sign of recovery from last year’s oil market crash fuelled by the coronavirus pandemic. Aramco said its net profit rose to $21.7 billion in the first three months of the year, compared to $16.7 billion in the same quarter of 2020, owing to a stronger oil market and higher refining and chemicals margins. […]
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AFP) — Chinese navy ships have arrived off Bali to help haul up a submarine that sank last month killing 53 crew, the Indonesian Navy said Tuesday as it geared up for a deep-sea salvage operation. The help arrived after other foreign ships from Australia, Singapore and Malaysia left the archipelago, having assisted Indonesian authorities in finding the stricken vessel. The KRI Nanggala 402 — one of five submarines in Indonesia’s fleet — […]
NEW DELHI, India (AFP) — India’s total Covid caseload soared past 20 million on Tuesday, official data showed, as the pandemic continued to wreak havoc on the country’s hospitals. In the past 24 hours, India added 357,229 cases, taking the total to 20.3 million, according to the health ministry. Deaths rose 3,449 to 222,408. Many experts suspect the true number to be much higher. India has added around eight million new cases since the end […]
