Worldwide fatalities from coronavirus rise to 43,082
Paris: The worldwide number of officially confirmed fatalities from the novel coronavirus rose to 43,082 on Wednesday, according to a tally compiled by AFP at 1100 GMT from official sources. More than 865,970 declared cases have been registered in 186 countries and territories since the epidemic first emerged in China in December. Of these cases, […]
Syria war records lowest monthly death toll in 9 years
Beirut: The war in Syria killed 103 civilians in March, marking the lowest monthly non-combatant death toll since the start of the conflict in 2011, a war monitor said on Wednesday. Of the total deaths, some 51 people were killed in shelling and air strikes by the Syrian regime, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human […]
Ex-Marseille president Pape Diouf dies from coronavirus
Marseille: Former Marseille president Pape Diouf has died aged 68 after contracting coronavirus, a family source told AFP. Diouf, who was born in Chad but had French and Senegalese citizenship, led the club between 2005-2009 and helped build the side that lifted the Ligue 1 title in 2010. He was set to leave Dakar for […]
Saudi urges Muslims to defer hajj plans over virus
Riyadh, Apr 01: Saudi Arabia’s hajj minister has asked Muslims to temporarily defer preparations for the annual pilgrimage amid uncertainty over the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia suspended the year-round “umrah” pilgrimage over fears of the new coronavirus spreading to Islam’s holiest cities, an unprecedented move that raised uncertainty over the annual hajj. […]
‘I feel nothing’: virus-stricken Wuhan buries its dead
Wuhan (China): As China’s coronavirus epicentre Wuhan awakens from its long nightmare, formerly locked-down citizens are beginning to reemerge, but for many, their first outdoor act in more than two months is grim: burying loved ones. At the Biandanshan Cemetery, downcast groups of masked residents filed quietly past hazmat-suit-wearing security personnel and police on Tuesday […]
Italy mourns its virus dead at end of fateful month
Rome: Italy marked a minute of silence and flew flags at half mast Tuesday to mourn the 11,591 people who have died from the coronavirus pandemic that has dramatically altered life in the Mediterranean country. The nation of 60 million people has recorded nearly a third of all fatalities caused by COVID-19 across the world. […]
Facebook offers $100 mn to help virus-hit news media
Washington: Facebook said Monday it was donating USD 100 million to support news organizations globally hurting from the coronavirus pandemic, citing the need for reliable information about the crisis. “The news industry is working under extraordinary conditions to keep people informed during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Facebook’s news partnerships director, Campbell Brown. “At a time […]
Saudi-led coalition air strikes hit rebel-held Yemen capital
Riyadh: The Saudi-led military coalition on Monday said it carried out multiple air strikes on Yemen’s rebel-held capital Sanaa in retaliation for missile strikes on Riyadh. The operation was aimed at destroying “legitimate military targets” including Huthi ballistic capabilities which “threaten civilian lives”, the coalition said in a statement released by the official Saudi Press […]
Spain announces record 838 virus deaths in 24 hours
Madrid: Spain confirmed another 838 deaths in 24 hours from coronavirus on Sunday, a new daily record bringing the total number of deaths to 6,528, according to health ministry figures. The number of confirmed cases in Spain has now reached 78,797 — after the one-day increase of 9.1 percent — as the country battles the […]
Turkish World Cup hero Recber hospitalised with coronavirus
Ankara: Former Turkish national team and ex-Barcelona goalkeeper Rustu Recber is in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus, his wife said. Recber took on hero status in Turkey as he kept goal at the 2002 World Cup, anchoring his team to the semi-finals and ultimately third place, their greatest ever performance in the tournament. The […]
