Qatar distributes 10 mln USD to Gaza's poor families to fight COVID-19 epidemic

Apr 01, 2020, at 12:42 pm

Gaza/Xinhua/UNI: Qatar on Tuesday started distributing 10 million U.S. dollars to 100,000 poor families in the Gaza Strip to help them fight COVID-19 epidemic.

Coronavirus cases in France reach 52,128, death toll at 3,523

Apr 01, 2020, at 12:36 pm

Paris, Mar 31 (Xinhua) The coronavirus cases in France have reached 52,128, with a death toll of 3,523, General Director of Health Jerome Salomon announced on Tuesday at a daily briefing.

S Africa records 1,353 coronavirus cases with 5 deaths

Apr 01, 2020, at 12:30 pm

Cape Town/Xinhua/UNI: South Africa has recorded 27 new cases of COVID-19, bringing its total confirmed cases to 1,353.

Harry, Meghan relocate to California after stepping down as senior royals

Apr 01, 2020, at 11:41 am

California/UNI:  British royal family members Prince Harry and wife Meghan Merkel have reportedly kicked start their new life and relocated to sunny California in the United States after formally stepping down as senior royals on March 31.

Thailand to shut down Phuket airport for 20 days amid COVID-19 outbreak

Mar 31, 2020, at 07:33 pm

Bangkok/Xinhua/UNI: Thailand's Phuket International Airport will be shut from April 10 to 30 after Phuket Province sealed its entry points by land and sea amid the COVID-19 outbreak, Thai authorities announced on Tuesday.

‘Immediate nationwide ceasefire’ needed for all-out effort to counter COVID-19 in Syria

Mar 31, 2020, at 04:47 pm

New York/IBNS: Syria is at “high risk” of being unable to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Special Envoy for the country said on Monday, reiterating calls for a “complete, immediate nationwide ceasefire” to enable an all-out-effort to counter the march of the new coronavirus.

Release inmates in Yemen to avert nationwide coronavirus outbreak, experts urge

Mar 31, 2020, at 04:30 pm

New York/IBNS: An international panel of human rights experts called today for the immediate release of political prisoners and detainees in war-ravaged Yemen to help avert a nationwide outbreak of COVID-19.

COVID-19 cases come down in Italy despite rising death count: Report

Mar 31, 2020, at 03:50 pm

Rome/IBNS: Amid a growing death rate, the coronavirus spread in Italy is slowing as the country has started recording fewer COVID-19 cases, a media report said.

Russia registers 500 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours

Mar 31, 2020, at 03:47 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI: Russia has registered 500 new cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, which brings the total number of cases in the country to 2,337, the country's operational headquarters for preventing the spread of coronavirus said in a statement on Tuesday.

Vietnam to close border gates with Laos, Cambodia to prevent spread of COVID-19

Mar 31, 2020, at 03:46 pm

Hanoi/Xinhua/UNI: Vietnam's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that it will close its border gates and border crossings with Laos and Cambodia starting from Wednesday in an effort to limit the spread of the COVID-19 in the country.

UN helps Pacific prepare for COVID-19 pandemic, warns that children are ‘hidden victims’

Mar 31, 2020, at 01:43 pm

New York/IBNS: United Nations agencies are working together to provide vital support to Pacific Island countries as they rally to combat COVID-19 outbreaks across the region.

China's GDP growth to decline to 2.3 pc in baseline scenario in 2020, warns World Bank

Mar 31, 2020, at 01:43 pm

Washington/Sputnik/UNI/IBNS: China's GDP growth is expected to decline to 2.3 per cent in the baseline scenario in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Bank said in a report.

COVID-19 stoking xenophobia, hate and exclusion, minority rights expert warns

Mar 31, 2020, at 01:22 pm

Combatting the COVID-19 pandemic must also include stamping out what one independent human rights expert has called the “darker sides” of the disease: verbal and physical attacks against Chinese and other minority communities, and excluding them from access to healthcare.

S.Korea to begin new school year with online classes from April 9

Mar 31, 2020, at 12:20 pm

Seoul/Xinhua/UNI: South Korea decided Tuesday to begin this year's new school year with online classes from April 9 in a gradual manner amid lingering concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak.

China's GDP growth to decline to 2.3 pc in baseline scenario in 2020: World Bank

Mar 31, 2020, at 12:14 pm

Washington/Sputnik/UNI: China's GDP growth is expected to decline to 2.3 per cent in the baseline scenario in 2020 due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the World Bank said in a report.

Amid COVID 19 outbreak, Van Gogh's painting Spring Garden stolen from Dutch museum

Mar 31, 2020, at 10:46 am

Laren/IBNS: An iconic painting- Spring Garden- by Van Gogh has been stolen from a museum in Dutch town of Laren which was shuttered in the wake of coronavirus spread.

Over 2,000 sent to put out forest fire in China's Sichuan

Mar 30, 2020, at 04:43 pm

Chengdu/Xinhua/UNI:  Over 2,000 people were dispatched to put out a forest fire in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a local fire department said.

Chinese yuan weakens to 7.0447 against USD Monday

Mar 30, 2020, at 04:40 pm

Beijing/Xinhua/UNI: The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, weakened 20 pips to 7.0447 against the U.S. dollar Monday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.

Passenger train derails in China, zero casualties

Mar 30, 2020, at 04:38 pm

Beijing/UNI: A passenger train on Monday derailed in central China's Hunan Province due to landslide that was triggered due to heavy rains in the region, however, so far no death was reported.

UNGA president supports UN $2bln COVID-19 response plan

Mar 30, 2020, at 04:31 pm

United Nations/Sputnik/UNI:  The United Nations' $2 billion appeal to fight the coronavirus in some of the most vulnerable countries is a "good, timely call," UNGA President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande told Sputnik.

Thailand's Phuket on lockdown until April 30 to curb COVID-19 spread : reports

Mar 30, 2020, at 12:39 pm

Moscow/Sputnik.UNI: Phuket, Thailand’s biggest island and major tourist destination, was put on lockdown on Monday in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus, national media reported, citing the governor’s order.

North Korea tests 'super-large’ rocket launcher, test appears successful - Reports

Mar 30, 2020, at 12:30 pm

Moscow/Sputnik/UNI:  The two short-range projectiles fired by North Korea on Sunday were a test of a ‘super-large’ multiple rocket launcher, the South Korean Yonhap News Agency reports.

Saudi authorities impose curfew in Jeddah amid coronavirus pandemic - Interior Ministry

Mar 29, 2020, at 08:06 pm

Beirut/Sputnik/UNI: Saudi Arabia has imposed a curfew in the western Jeddah province starting from Sunday at 15:00 local time (12:00 PM GMT) due to the spread of COVID-19, the Interior Ministry said.

Iran plans to use plasma of recovered people for new COVID-19 patients

Mar 29, 2020, at 07:33 pm

Tehran/Xinhua/UNI: Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Iran's capital Tehran is considering the use of COVID-19 convalescent plasma in the newly affected patients, Press TV reported on Sunday.

Peacekeeping radio stations provide COVID-19 information to vulnerable communities in conflict-affected countries

Mar 28, 2020, at 04:57 pm

New York/IBNS: UN Peacekeeping radio stations have in recent decades helped build support for peace process in a dozen countries around the world including Cambodia, Croatia, Namibia and Timor-Leste.

OneWeb blames COVID 19 for collapse

Mar 28, 2020, at 04:42 pm

New York/IBNS: Blaming Coronavirus for the collapse, OneWeb, the global communications company, on Saturday announced that the company and certain of its controlled affiliates have voluntarily filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

Violence erupts in China as people attempt to leave COVID19-hit Hubei province

Mar 28, 2020, at 03:34 pm

Beijing/IBNS: The Chinese government's decision to relax an epidemic lockdown, which was triggered following the spread of Coronavirus in Wuhan region seems to have backfired as violent protests occurred on a bridge between China’s virus-stricken Hubei province and neighbouring Jiangxi province recently, media reports said.

UAE records 72 new COVID-19 cases, 405 in total

Mar 28, 2020, at 11:35 am

Dubai/Xinhua/UNI:  The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday reported 72 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 405, the Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement.

Global economy has clearly entered recession: IMF chief

Mar 28, 2020, at 10:12 am

Washington/IBNS:  International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva on Friday said the growing COVID 19 outbreak across the globe has led the world to enter the state of financial recession.

IMF approves first emergency COVID-19 aid for Kyrgyzstan

Mar 27, 2020, at 06:29 pm

Bishkek/Xinhua/UNI: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Thursday approved a disbursement of 120.9 million U.S. dollars to address Kyrgyzstan's COVID-19 outbreak, its first offer of emergency financial assistance since the pandemic started.