Tajikistan says eight killed in landslides By: AFP on May 12, 2021Dushanbe: Tajikistan’s government said on Wednesday that eight people had died and many properties were devastated in landslides in different parts of the country following heavy rainfall. Fatal landslides affect mountainous Central Asian Tajikistan every year around springtime, blocking off important roads in a country lacking transport infrastructure and forcing families to rebuild homes from […]
Washington Post appoints first woman editor in its 144 history By: Web Desk on May 12, 2021Sally Buzbee has been named the first woman to be The Washington Post’s new executive editor. She was the executive editor and senior vice – president for Associated Press journalist since 2017. Buzbee, from 2010 to 2016, has also served news agency’s the Washington bureau chief. Sally has the experience of being AP’s Middle East […]
‘Economic recovery ‘under threat’ amid surging coronavirus’ on May 12, 2021 NEW YORK – While the global growth outlook has improved, led by robust rebound in China and the United States, surging coronavirus infections and inadequate vaccination progress in many countries threaten a broad-based recovery of the world economy, according to the latest United Nations forecast. According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) […]
Putin calls for de-escalation, Erdogan wants global force to protect Palestinians By: AFP on May 12, 2021MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday urged Israel and Palestinians to halt fighting in a call with Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said the world needs to give Israel a strong lesson. “Serious concern was expressed about the continuing clashes and the growing number of people killed and wounded,” the Kremlin said […]
Experts say world could have prevented Covid catastrophe By: AFP on May 12, 2021 GENEVA – The catastrophic scale of the Covid-19 pandemic could have been prevented, an independent global panel concluded on Wednesday, but a toxic cocktail of dithering and poor coordination meant the warning signs went unheeded. The Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (IPPPR) said a series of bad decisions meant Covid-19 went on […]
Computer game helps health workers combat Covid spread By: AFP on May 12, 2021Swiss health workers busy fighting the pandemic are being encouraged to unwind with a computer game that offers not only distraction but also knowledge to battle Covid-19 in real life. Players of “Escape Covid-19” are guided through a series of scenarios that health workers at hospitals and long-term care facilities encounter on a daily basis. […]
Hunger-striking Thai protest leader vows to keep fighting for royal reform By: AFP on May 12, 2021 A severely ill hunger-striking Thai democracy activist released from prison vowed Wednesday to keep fighting for reform to the country’s monarchy, defying his bail conditions. Parit Chiwarak, who goes by the nickname Penguin, was held in pre-trial detention for nearly 100 days for multiple royal defamation charges. He is one of several protest leaders […]
French MPs back Macron’s Covid ‘pass’ after changes By: AFP on May 12, 2021PARIS: France’s parliament on Wednesday backed President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to introduce a Covid “health pass”, after deputies pushed back against the move arguing it was discriminatory for those not yet vaccinated. Macron wants the pass to help speed up the lifting of coronavirus restrictions as his Covid vaccination programme gathers pace. It will be […]
Taliban seize district on outskirts of Afghan capital: officials By: AFP on May 12, 2021KABUL: The Taliban have seized a district from Afghan government forces on the outskirts of Kabul, ahead of a three-day ceasefire agreed between the warring sides, officials said. Nerkh district is around 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the Afghan capital in neighbouring Wardak province, which has long been used by militants as a gateway to […]
Users accuse Facebook, Instagram of bias by censoring Palestinian content By: Web Desk on May 11, 2021 Hundreds of users of social media networks have accused Instagram and Facebook of removing content and accounts reporting on violence in the Sheikh Jarrah, a neighborhood in East Jerusalem – a part of the Palestinian territories under international law, the Arab News reported. One of the videos that was deleted from the story […]