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Facebook censors iconic photo with Soviet flag raised over Berlin

MOSCOW: Facebook seems to have taken issue with an iconic photo that symbolises the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany, and it keeps deleting a recently-colorised version of it, foreign media reported on Saturday.Taken during the Battle of Berlin on May 2, 1945, Yevgeny Khaldei’s...




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Venezuela charges Americans with terrorism, conspiracy

CARACAS: Venezuela has charged two former US soldiers with terrorism and conspiracy for allegedly taking part in a failed bid to topple President Nicolas Maduro, the attorney general said on Friday.Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were among 17 people captured by the Venezuelan...




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Anti-viral drug trio found to shorten COVID-19 illness

PARIS: Researchers in Hong Kong have found that patients suffering milder illness caused by the new coronavirus recover more quickly if they are treated with a three-drug antiviral cocktail soon after symptoms appear.Authors of the study, published in the Lancet on Friday, described the findings...




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Abundant aid from China manifests its peaceful national character

BEIJING: “We have received critical medical supplies worth millions of RMBs from Chinese donors including major SOEs, entrepreneurs engaged in several projects in Pakistan, provincial governments of China and also from private individuals. These donations have reinforced Pakistan’s...




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Turkish doctors turn detectives to track virus

ISTANBUL: In full protective gear, two doctors climb the stairs four at a time. Their first task of the day: to test a woman who has had contact with a coronavirus patient in Istanbul.Visibly perturbed by the appearance of men in white bodysuits on her landing, the resident in the populous Fatih...




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Putin calls for 'invincible' unity amid marking Victory Day

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin told Russians they are "invincible" when they stand together as the country on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in lockdown from the coronavirus.With cases surging and authorities urging Russians to stay in their homes, celebrations...




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Kashmir police bury slain rebels, won't hand over bodies

SRINAGAR: Indian authorities did not hand over the bodies of the slain Kashmiri fighters to their families under a new government policy designed to thwart large-scale funerals that have become a rallying point for anti-India protests, foreign media reported.Instead, they are being buried in...




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'Closing down forever': German messages from end of WWII revealed

LONDON: Britain’s spy agency has revealed the last messages from a German military communications network that were intercepted during World War II at Bletchley Park, the mansion house where Nazi codes were cracked. The secret messages, sent on May 7, 1945, were made public for the first...




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China admits coronavirus exposed 'shortcomings' in healthcare system

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed “shortcomings” in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home...




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Turkish doctors turn detectives to track virus

ISTANBUL: In full protective gear, two doctors climb the stairs four at a time. Their first task of the day: to test a woman who has had contact with a coronavirus patient in Istanbul.Visibly perturbed by the appearance of men in white bodysuits on her landing, the resident in the populous Fatih...




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Britain to introduce 2-week quarantine for arrivals

LONDON: Britain plans to introduce a 14-day mandatory quarantine for most international arrivals, reports said Saturday, despite growing pressure on the government to relax virus lockdown measures. It comes as the UK, which has the world’s second highest coronavirus death toll after the US,...




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Liberia eases prayer restrictions but extends lockdown

MONROVIA: Liberian President George Weah has said he will partially lift restrictions on praying in mosques and churches aimed at curbing coronavirus, while extending a lockdown in the capital Monrovia. In a statement on Friday, the former international footballer said emergency measures announced...




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Maradona autographs shirt to help Buenos Aires poor

BUENOS AIRES: Diego Maradona has lent a hand in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic in his hometown by autographing an Argentina national team jersey for a raffle. The sale raised money for an underprivileged area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires affected by quarantine rules....




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Indian pharmacist dies after drinking botched coronavirus treatment

NEW DELHI: An Indian pharmacist died and his boss was left hospitalised after the pair drank a chemical concoction they had developed in an effort to treat coronavirus, police said Saturday. The men worked for a herbal medicine company and were testing their treatment — a mix of nitric oxide...




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Indian forces clash with lockdown rebels

AHMEDABAD, India: Indian security forces clashed with angry residents who flouted a pandemic lockdown in the city of Ahmedabad on Friday as the country saw a surge in coronavirus deaths and cases that is predicted to worsen. While authorities have insisted that the crisis is under control in the...




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Seven killed in protests over food distribution in Afghanistan

KABUL: Seven people were killed when protesters angry over what they see as unfair food aid distribution during the coronavirus pandemic clashed with police in Afghanistan’s western Ghor province on Saturday, according to a local member of parliament.Fourteen more were wounded during the...




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Georgia man's death raises echoes of US racial terror legacy

BRUNSWICK: Many people saw more than the last moments of Ahmaud Arbery’s life when a video emerged this week of white men armed with guns confronting the black man, a struggle with punches thrown, three shots fired and Arbery collapsing dead.The Feb. 23 shooting in coastal Georgia is drawing...




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US approves helicopters for Egypt

Washington: The United States has approved a $2.3 billion deal on attack helicopters for Egypt, but an official insisted Friday that Washington was still pressing on human rights concerns.President Donald Trump’s administration informed Congress on Thursday that it has given the green light...




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Indian protesters carry dead bodies into gas leak plant

Visakhapatnam, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility’s closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days earlier.Thursday’s pre-dawn accident in the industrial port city of Visakhapatnam injured hundreds...




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Anti-viral drug trio found to shorten Covid-19 illness in mild cases

Paris: Researchers in Hong Kong have found that patients suffering milder illness caused by the new coronavirus recover more quickly if they are treated with a three-drug antiviral cocktail soon after symptoms appear. Authors of the study, published in the Lancet on Friday, described the findings...




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Founding father of rock Little Richard has died: Rolling Stone

NEW YORK: Little Richard, whose outrageous showmanship and lightning-fast rhythms intoxicated crowds in the 1950s with hits like “Tutti Frutti” and “Long Tall Sally,” has died. He was 87 years old. Citing the rock ´n´ roll pioneer´s son, Rolling Stone...




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Ivanka Trump's personal assistant tests positive for coronavirus

WASHINGTON: Ivanka Trump’s personal assistant has tested positive for the deadly coronavirus, making her the third White House staff member to be infected from COVID-19, a media report said on Saturday.The assistant, who works in a personal capacity for US President Donald Trump’s...




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Vaccine orders plummet amid coronavirus outbreak: CDC

Washington: Orders for vaccines against diseases such as measles have declined since a national emergency was declared in the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.The number of vaccine doses ordered around the country has...




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Nepal protests new Indian road through disputed territory

KATHMANDU: Nepal protested India´s inauguration of a new road to China that passes through territory claimed by Kathmandu on Saturday, with police arresting dozens demonstrating close to India´s embassy.Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated via video link the...




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Venezuela charges Americans with terrorism, conspiracy

CARACAS: Venezuela has charged two former US soldiers with terrorism and conspiracy for allegedly taking part in a failed bid to topple President Nicolas Maduro, the attorney general said on Friday. Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were among 17 people captured by the Venezuelan...




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Lebanon rooftops bustle as virus shifts life upstairs

BEIRUT: Usually the kingdom of water tanks and satellite dishes, Lebanon´s rooftops have recently been graced by unlikely scenes of locked-down residents fleeing their flats. Deprived of rehearsal rooms or workshops by restrictions imposed to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus, or just...




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Belarus holds Victory Day parade despite virus threat

MINSK: Thousands of troops paraded before crowds of spectators in Minsk Saturday to mark 75 years since the defeat of Nazi Germany as Belarus held a celebration of Victory Day despite the coronavirus pandemic.Neighbouring Russia cancelled its Victory Day parade over the pandemic and Belarus was...




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Crisis lays bare poverty in Geneva, as thousands queue for food

GENEVA: In one of the world´s most expensive cities, thousands of people lined up Saturday for free food, as the COVID-19 crisis casts a spotlight on Geneva´s usually invisible poor.In the Swiss city famous for its private banks, luxury watchmakers and fancy boutiques, people began...




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End of an era: B'desh's last Armenian dies

DHAKA: Michael Joseph Martin, Bangladesh´s last Armenian, has died aged 89, bringing an end to the more than 300-year presence of the once thriving and powerful minority Christian community. Martin spent decades as custodian of the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection which was founded...




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Hundreds protest Swiss anti-virus restrictions

GENEVA: Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in Bern and other Swiss cities Saturday to protest restrictions put in place to halt the spread of the novel coronavirus, local media reported.Several hundred people gathered in front of the Swiss parliament in the capital, the Keystone-ATS news agency...




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Jet tanks targeted at Tripoli airport

TUNIS: Jet fuel tanks at Tripoli’s Mitiga airport were targeted in an attack on Saturday that caused a large fire, Libya’s National Oil Corp said.Mitiga is the last functioning airport in the Libyan capital, though civilian flights stopped in March because of repeated shelling even...




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PM urges caution as Spain eases virus lockdown

MADRID: Spanish Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez warned Saturday that the coronavirus pandemic remains a threat, lying in wait as the country moves towards easing its strict lockdown. One of the worst-hit countries, Spain plans a phased transition through to end-June, with around half of the 47 million...




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Russians mark Victory Day

Moscow: President Vladimir Putin told Russians they are “invincible” when they stand together as the country on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in lockdown from the coronavirus.With cases surging and authorities urging Russians to stay in their homes,...




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Venezuela charges Americans with terrorism

CARACAS: Venezuela has charged two former US soldiers with terrorism and conspiracy for allegedly taking part in a failed bid to topple President Nicolas Maduro, the attorney general said on Friday.Luke Alexander Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, were among 17 people captured by the Venezuelan...




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End of an era: Bangladesh's last Armenian dies

DHAKA: Michael Joseph Martin, Bangladesh’s last Armenian, has died aged 89, bringing an end to the more than 300-year presence of the once thriving and powerful minority Christian community.Martin spent decades as custodian of the Armenian Church of the Holy Resurrection which was founded in...




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Britain mulls quarantine for visitors from abroad

LONDON: Britain could introduce a 14-day mandatory quarantine for international arrivals to stem the spread of coronavirus, an airline association said on Saturday, sparking alarm in an industry already hard hit by the global pandemic.Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the trade body...




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Pence spokeswoman tests positive for Covid-19

WASHINGTON: The US vice president’s spokeswoman became the second White House staffer this week to test positive for the coronavirus, officials said on Friday, even as President Donald Trump continued to go mask-free at a World War II commemoration with veterans in their 90s.News that...




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Putin calls for 'invincible' unity as Russians mark Victory Day on lockdown

MOSCOW: President Vladimir Putin told Russians they are "invincible" when they stand together as the country on Saturday marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in lockdown from the coronavirus.With cases surging and authorities urging Russians to stay in their homes, celebrations...




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Nepal protests new Indian road through disputed territory

KATHMANDU: Nepal protested India’s inauguration of a new road to China that passes through territory claimed by Kathmandu on Saturday, with police arresting dozens demonstrating close to India’s embassy.Indian defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday inaugurated via video link the...




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'Closing down forever': German messages from end of WWII revealed

LONDON: Britain’s spy agency has revealed the last messages from a German military communications network that were intercepted during World War II at Bletchley Park, the mansion house where Nazi codes were cracked. The secret messages, sent on May 7, 1945, were made public for the first...




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Italian woman freed 18 months after being kidnapped in Kenya: PM

ROME: A young Italian woman who was kidnapped in late 2018 from an orphanage in Kenya, has been freed, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced on Saturday.Silvia Romano was 23 and working as a volunteer in the orphanage in Chakama village in southeast Kenya when she was seized by gunmen in...




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Sierra Leone president accuses opposition of terrorism

FREETOWN: Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio has accused the political opposition of inciting "terrorist violence" after deadly disturbances linked to the coronavirus outbreak in the West African nation.In a televised address on Friday evening, Bio said that the opposition All...




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Indian protesters carry dead bodies into gas leak plant

VISAKHAPATNAM, India: Angry protesters carrying dead bodies stormed an Indian chemical plant on Saturday to demand the facility’s closure after a toxic gas leak that killed 12 people days earlier.Thursday’s pre-dawn accident in the industrial port city of Visakhapatnam injured hundreds...




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China admits coronavirus exposed 'shortcomings' in healthcare system

BEIJING: The coronavirus outbreak exposed "shortcomings" in China’s public healthcare system, a top health official admitted Saturday, saying that reforms are underway to improve the country’s disease prevention and control mechanisms.China has faced criticism both at home and abroad...




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Mauritanians flock to mosques after prayer ban lifted

NOUAKCHOTT: Worshippers packed Mauritania’s largest mosque on Friday, mostly ignoring social distancing rules, after the West African state lifted restrictions on public prayers meant to curb coronavirus infections.The government said this week it would "progressively ease" a series of...




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Crisis lays bare poverty in Geneva as thousands queue for food

GENEVA: In one of the world’s most expensive cities, thousands of people lined up on Saturday for free food, as the Covid-19 crisis casts a spotlight on Geneva’s usually invisible poor.In the Swiss city famous for its private banks, luxury watchmakers and fancy boutiques, people began...




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One of world's oldest men marks 116th birthday in South Africa

CAPE TOWN: South African Fredie Blom celebrated his 116th birthday on Friday unfazed by the coronavirus crisis, over 100 years since the Spanish flu pandemic killed his sister."I have lived this long because of God’s grace," said Blom, possibly one of the oldest men in the world.Lighting a...




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Indian pharmacist dies after drinking botched coronavirus treatment

NEW DELHI: An Indian pharmacist died and his boss was left hospitalised after the pair drank a chemical concoction they had developed in an effort to treat coronavirus, police said on Saturday.The men worked for a herbal medicine company and were testing their treatment -- a mix of nitric oxide...




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Needy Tunisians get food aid via text messages

TUNIS: A Tunisian NGO has set up a food bank that dispenses aid by text message to some 300 needy families rendered more vulnerable because of the coronavirus pandemic.The initiative, which had been long in the making, was finally launched at the end of April to coincide with the start of the holy...




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Britain's gardeners dig for victory as virus takes toll

LONDON: Britain’s coronavirus lockdown has deepened the nation’s love affair with gardening at the same time as threatening the future of traditional businesses in the sector.Some 83 percent of homes in England have some private outdoor space, according to 2016 government figures,...