COVID-19 positive cases reach 555 in Afghanistan

Apr 11, 2020, at 04:40 pm

Kabul/Xinhua:  A total of 34 new positive cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Afghanistan over the past 24 hours bringing the number of the patients infected with the disease to 555, a spokesman of Public Health Ministry Wahid Majroh said Saturday.

Canada: Indian students in lockdown in Greater Toronto Area find saviour in Liaison College

Apr 11, 2020, at 02:04 pm

Brampton, Ontario/IBNS: The shutdown of the Colleges, Universities in Greater Toronto Area due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to lots of uncertainty among international students. Many students lost their daily jobs due to the lockdown situation, as it is well known that many of them meet their daily requirements with temporary part time jobs.

Pakistan settling retired soldiers, labourers in PoK in bid to change demography: Report

Apr 11, 2020, at 01:50 pm

Islamabad/IBNS: In a bid to change the demography of  Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), PM Imran Khan-led government is settling large numbers of retired Pakistani soldiers in that region, media reports said.

Explosion in Afghanistan's Kandahar Leaves 3 Civilians Killed, 2 Injured - Police Source

Apr 11, 2020, at 12:45 pm

Kabul/Sputnik/UNI: A bomb blast in the Spin Boldak district of Afghanistan's central province of Kandahar has left three civilians killed and two others injured, a source at the local police department told Sputnik on Friday.

China toughens crackdown on cybercrime

Apr 11, 2020, at 12:25 pm

Beijing/Xinhua/UNI: China launched a crackdown on cybercrime as it has seen a rapid spread of online fraud, rumormongering and infringements of individual privacy, among other offenses.

nCoV continues its fury in US, 2508 die in single day

Apr 11, 2020, at 12:20 pm

Washington/UNI: The storm of pandemic novel coronavirus continues unabated in the United States as the total number of cases crossed the 5,00,000-mark with death toll soaring to 18777.

Italian PM extends national coronavirus lockdown

Apr 11, 2020, at 12:15 pm

Rome, April 11 (Xinhua) Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Friday announced the decision to extend the national coronavirus quarantine until at least May 3.

Number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in South Korea rises by 30 to 10,480: KCDC

Apr 11, 2020, at 12:11 pm

Seoul/Sputnik/UNI:  The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in South Korea has risen by 30 to 10,480 over the past day, the Health Ministry's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said on Saturday.

COVID-19 threatening global peace and security, UN chief warns

Apr 11, 2020, at 11:58 am

New York/IBNS: While the COVID-19 pandemic is first and foremost a health crisis, its implications are more far-reaching and could threaten global peace and security, the UN Secretary-General told members of the Security Council in a closed video-conference held on Thursday.

Experts warn of China trying to take advantage of Covid-19 situation, Japan moves to shift production

Apr 10, 2020, at 05:43 pm

Beijing/IBNS: With China claiming that it is significantly recovering from COVID-19 crisis while other nations, including the UK and the US are struggling to contain the virus, some experts believe Beijing is trying to exploit the situation to its own advantage.

Fight against COVID-19: Bangladesh govt enforces nationwide lockdown till Apr 25

Apr 10, 2020, at 04:58 pm

Dhaka:  The Bangladesh government on Friday has enforced the nationwide lockdown till April 25 and said that the army will increase its patrol and resort to tough action against people not maintaining social distancing and violating home quarantine rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Syrian army brings reinforcement to battle zone with IS

Apr 10, 2020, at 04:32 pm

Damascus/Xinhua/UNI:  The Syrian army on Friday brought in reinforcement to the desert region in eastern Syria as battles with Islamic State (IS) militants continued, a war monitor reported.

Teachers in Singapore stop using Zoom after 'obscene image' incident

Apr 10, 2020, at 03:47 pm

Singapore/IBNS: Amid reports of breaches involving obscene images, teachers will now suspend use of video conferencing tool Zoom in the country, Singapore's Ministry of Education (MOE) said.

Donald Trump calls reports of receiving intelligence about coronavirus in November fake news

Apr 10, 2020, at 03:46 pm

Washington/Sputnik/UNI:  US President Donald Trump on Friday refuted claims that he received intelligence about the coronavirus outbreak as far back as last November, calling reports by US media "Fake News".

Pakistani lawmaker says COVID-19 lockdown in developing countries unlikely to succeed

Apr 10, 2020, at 02:56 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: Introducing a lockdown in Pakistan or any other developing country due to the coronavirus pandemic is unlikely to be effective since there are a lot of poor people there who will need to leave their homes to make a living, Saleem Mandviwalla, the deputy chairman of Pakistan's upper house, told Sputnik on Thursday.

Coronavirus: 92 dead, more than 10,000 test positive in Israel

Apr 10, 2020, at 02:52 pm

Tel Aviv/UNI: At least 92 people died and 10,095 were tested positive for the coronavirus in Israel, country’s Health Ministry said on Friday.

COVID-19: Baloch National Movement condemns police action against protesting doctors in Pakistan

Apr 10, 2020, at 01:38 pm

Quetta/IBNS: The Baloch National Movement (BNM) on Friday condemned the police action against doctors who were protesting against lack of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for health workers on the front lines fighting against COVID-19 outbreak in Pakistan.

German State halts payments to coronavirus-hit businesses amid fraud

Apr 10, 2020, at 12:39 pm

Berlin/Sputnik/UNI:  The German state of North Rhine-Westphalia froze one-off aid payments to freelancers and small businesses on Thursday after thousands were caught in online data scams.

US jobless claims again surpassed 6 mln last week as COVID-19 devastates economy

Apr 10, 2020, at 12:37 pm

Washington/Xinhua/UNI:  The number of initial jobless claims in the United States totaled 6.6 million last week amid mounting economic fallout from COVID-19, following a similar staggering figure the week earlier, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.

BNP chief and ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia to remain under 14-day home quarantine: Fakrul

Apr 10, 2020, at 12:34 pm

Dhaka/UNI: Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chief Khaleda Zia will remain under a 14-day home quarantine until the coronavirus situation improves in Bangladesh, parties Secretary General Fakrul Islam Alamgir said on Thursday.

Over 1Mln jobs lost in Canada in March amid COVID-19 pandemic: Labor Force Survey

Apr 10, 2020, at 12:23 pm

Toronto/Sputnik/UNI: More than a million Canadians lost their jobs last month, pushing the unemployment rate up 2.2 percentage points to 7.8 percent amid the growing novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Statistics Canada revealed in the Labor Force Survey for March.

Vietnamese tourist tests positive for COVID-19 in Cambodia, 119 in total

Apr 10, 2020, at 12:11 pm

Phnom Penh/Xinhua/UNI: Cambodia on Friday confirmed a Vietnamese female-tourist had tested positive for the COVID-19, increasing the total number of the confirmed cases in the country to 119.

Militants kill 5 banker employees in Afghanistan's western province: official

Apr 10, 2020, at 11:57 am

Herat/Xinhua/UNI:  Taliban militants killed five employees of Da Afghanistan Bank, the country's Central Bank, in western province of Herat on Thursday, a local official said Friday.

Coronavirus-driven debt crisis threatens poor countries already at risk, says UN report

Apr 10, 2020, at 11:39 am

New York/IBNS: As governments struggle to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people living in countries teetering on the brink of economic collapse are being threatened further by a looming debt crisis, according to a new UN report released on Thursday.

Put women and girls at centre of COVID-19 recovery: UN Secretary-General

Apr 10, 2020, at 11:26 am

New York/IBNS: Limited gains in gender equality and women’s rights made over the decades are in danger of being rolled back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Secretary-General said on Thursday.

Living apart, ‘we must stand together’ to battle coronavirus pandemic – UN rights chief

Apr 10, 2020, at 11:13 am

New York/IBNS: The COVID-19 pandemic is a “colossal test of leadership”, the top UN rights official said on Thursday, underscoring the need for “decisive, coordinated and innovative action from all, and for all”.

COVID-19 in Yemen: Saudi coalition ceasefire declared in bid to contain coronavirus

Apr 10, 2020, at 11:03 am

New York/IBNS: A ceasefire declaration by Saudi Arabia in war-shattered Yemen that was due to come into effect on Thursday has been welcomed by United Nations chief António Guterres as a way to promote peace and slow the advance of COVID-19.

Benjamin Netanyahu thanks India for sending hydroxychloroquine to Israel, PM Modi says both nations will jointly fight COVID-19

Apr 10, 2020, at 10:43 am

New Delhi/IBNS: Hours after Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu thanked Narendra Modi for sending hydroxychloroquine medicine, which is being considered as a possible cure for Covid-19, the Indian PM on Friday said both the nations need to fight the disease together.

Pakistan pledges USD 3 million to SAARC Covid-19 Emergency Fund with condition

Apr 10, 2020, at 10:33 am

Islamabad/IBNS: Pakistan on Thursday said it will contribute USD 3 million to the  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation’s (SAARC) Covid-19 Emergency Fund that was formed last month during a meeting of leaders of the member states to fight the menace.

150 members of the Saudi Royal family believed to be infected by coronavirus: Report

Apr 09, 2020, at 09:13 pm

Riyadh/IBNS: At least 150 members of Saudi Arabia's royal family are believed to be infected by coronavirus, said a media report.