JOHANNESBURG — South African experts have expressed concern about the rising number of COVID-19 infections among young children, even as the country recorded a further 16,055 infections and 25 deaths overnight on Friday, PTI reported. “We have always seen children not being heavily affected by the Covid epidemic in the past (and) not having many […]
NEW YORK — About one in 100 patients hospitalised with Covid-19 are likely to develop central nervous system complications, including strokes, according to a study. The researchers from the Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, US analysed nearly 40,000 cases of hospitalised Covid-19 positive patients from seven US and four western European university hospitals. Symptoms led […]
WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund warned of “economic collapse” in some low-income countries unless creditors in the world’s richest nations suspend debt-service obligations and help renegotiate new terms. About 60% of the world’s poorest countries are at high risk or are already in debt distress, double the share in 2015, IMF Managing Director Kristalina […]
UNITED NATIONS — The Taliban’s move to restrict women from working could immediately cost the Afghan economy up to $1 billion, or 5% of GDP, the United Nations Development Programme said in a new report as the militant group seeks global help to avert a deepening crisis. The UN report painted a grim picture of […]
KOCHI — A new variant of Covid-19 with over 30 spike mutations has been reported from southern Africa. On November 23, Dr. Tom Peacock, a virologist at Imperial College London, posted the details of the variant on github.com, noting that the “incredibly high amount of spike mutations suggest this could be of real concern (predicted […]
DUBAI — Former Grand Mosque Imam of Mecca has been widely criticised after appearing in a promotional video clip for a combat game event as part of the Riyadh Season 2021, The New Arab reported. Adil al-Kalbani appeared in a video posted to Twitter on Thursday by Saudi Arabia’s Entertainment Authority chief, Turki Al Sheikh, promoting the “adventurous” ‘Combat Field’ event, which […]
DUBAI — UAE princess Hend bint Faisal Al Qasim has lashed out at an organiser for inviting Zee News anchor Sudhir Chaudhary to her country blaming him for “promoting Islamophobia” through his TV broadcasts. Addressing Chaudhary as a ‘terrorist,’ the UAE princess reminded the organiser how the controversial TV anchor had been routinely defaming Islam […]
BEIJING — China and the US have agreed to ease restrictions on each other’s media workers amid a slight easing of tensions between the two sides. The official China Daily newspaper on Wednesday said the agreement was reached ahead of Tuesday’s virtual summit between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden. Under the […]
LONDON — Nobel Peace Prize laureate and activist Malala Yousafzai said she is ‘lucky’ that husband Asser Malik understands her values, during an interview on Sunday (November 14). Malala recently wed Pakistan Cricket Board member Malik having previously told Vogue Magazine in July that she was unsure if she would ever get married. The 24-year-old, […]
LONDON — Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Pakistani Taliban for campaigning for girls’ education, got married on Tuesday in a small ceremony in Birmingham, central England, she announced on social media. “Today marks a precious day in my life. Asser (Malik) and I tied the knot to be partners […]