Category: World

Describing the coronavirus as a plague, Mr. Trump, during his White House news conference on Sunday, said that he is not happy with China where the pandemic emerged in December last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

PTI

The U.S. wants to send a team of experts to China to investigate coronavirus, President Donald Trump has said, a day after he warned Beijing of “consequences” if it was knowingly responsible for the spread of COVID-19 which has killed more than 165,000 people globally, including over 41,000 in America.

Describing the coronavirus as a plague, Mr. Trump, during his White House news conference on Sunday, said that he is not happy with China where the pandemic emerged in December last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

We spoke to them (Chinese) a long time ago about going in. We want to go in. We want to see what’s going on. And we weren’t exactly invited, I can tell you that, the President told reporters.

I was very happy with the (trade) deal (with China), very happy with everything and then we found out about the plague and since we found out about that I’m not happy, he said.

The US has launched an investigation into whether the deadly virus “escaped” from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

He has repeatedly expressed disappointment over China’s handling of the coronavirus disease, alleged non-transparency and initial non-cooperation from Beijing with Washington on dealing with the crisis.

Based on an investigation, we are going to find out, Trump told reporters.

A day earlier, he warned China that it should face consequences if it was “knowingly responsible” for the spread of the novel coronavirus, upping the ante on Beijing over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

If they (China) were knowingly responsible then there should be consequences. You’re talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody’s seen since 1917, Trump said on Saturday.

The opposition Democratic Party said that Trump has falsely claimed he acted early by restricting travel from China when it was little too late and he continued to downplay the virus throughout February.

The number of COVID-19 deaths in the US crossed 41,000 and the total infections were more than 764,000 so far.

New York, the epicentre of the deadly COVID-19 in the US, has 2,42,000 cases and over 17,600 fatalities so far. It has registered a 50-percent decline in new cases over an eight-day period.

The novel virus, which emerged in China in December last year, has killed over 160,000 and infected more than 2.3 million people worldwide.

On Friday night, the Israeli military fired flares along the volatile frontier after signs of a possible border breach. It said it later found damage to its security fence, just inside Israeli territory, in three locations.

AP

Israel on Saturday accused the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of “provocative” activity along the Lebanese-Israeli frontier and said it would complain to the U.N. Security Council.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Hezbollah of multiple attempts to breach the border Friday night.

On Friday night, the Israeli military fired flares along the volatile frontier after signs of a possible border breach. It said it later found damage to its security fence, just inside Israeli territory, in three locations.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a month-long war in 2006 that ended in a stalemate. Under a U.N.-brokered truce, Hezbollah is barred from conducting military activity along the frontier.

There was no immediate comment from the Iranian-backed militant group. But in recent days, both Hezbollah and the Lebanese government have accused Israel of violating Lebanese airspace.

Earlier this week, Hezbollah said an Israeli drone destroyed one of its vehicles in neighboring Syria, and Lebanon has reported Israeli drones flying over the capital Beirut. Lebanese soldiers also faced off with Israeli troops along the frontier.

According to a statement by the British High Commission in Islamabad, the funding is first in a series of measures to give wide-ranging support to help the poorest and the most vulnerable people in Pakistan during the coronavirus outbreak.

PTI

The U.K. on Saturday announced that it would provide 2.67 million pounds of funds to Pakistan for vital health support to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and protect the poorest and most vulnerable people in the country.

According to a statement by the British High Commission in Islamabad, the funding is first in a series of measures to give wide-ranging support to help the poorest and the most vulnerable people in Pakistan during the Coronavirus outbreak.

It said that the 2.67 million pounds support will ensure funds for vital health support to Pakistan, build stronger systems to detect and test for COVID-19 and support communities to have the right information to protect themselves and others.

The statement read that the 2.67 million pounds funds will help people in 27 districts of Pakistan.

It comes alongside the Prime Minister Imran Khan’s appeal to overseas diaspora to help fund-raise for the COVID-19 response, and the U.K.’s support for Pakistan’s debt relief and loan postponements from the G20 group of countries, according to the statement.

The British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Christian Turner, said that across the world millions of people were being affected by COVID-19 and expressed confident in Pakistan’s resilience and capability to defeat the pandemic.

U.K. health support of 2.67 million pounds will help the Government of Pakistan detect COVID-19, protect communities and help those most affected. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our friends in Pakistan at this difficult time, he said.

According to the statement, the wider package of support which the U.K. will roll-out over the coming weeks will repurpose Department for International Development’s programme of assistance to ensure it helps those at risk and the most vulnerable, during the Coronavirus response.

The U.K. also announced to provide 1 million pounds for the rapid response of controlling locusts in affected areas in Pakistan, which were having a devastating impact on crops and livelihoods.

The funding came as the number of coronavirus cases rose to 7,638 in Pakistan. Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Health Services reported that 143 people have died so far due to the coronavirus.

PTI

Thirty three Indian nationals and seven Pakistanis taking refuge in these mosques have been quarantined, according to a private news channel of the country.

Authorities in Nepal’s Sunsari district on Saturday sealed 14 mosques and quarantined 33 Indians and seven Pakistanis taking refuge in Kathmandu, amid a surge in the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in the country, according to a media report. The mosques were sealed in Itahari Municipality in eastern Nepal.

Thirty three Indian nationals and seven Pakistanis taking refuge in these mosques have been quarantined, according to Avenues Television, a private news channel.

The move came a day after 12 Indians were tested positive for COVID-19, nearly doubling the number of infected persons in the country.

The Indian nationals who tested positive have been staying at a local mosque in Udayupur district of Eastern Nepal. They have been admitted to Special Corona Hospital in Biratnagar of Eastern Nepal for treatment. Sixteen Nepalese nationals who were staying in the same mosque were also quarantined.

On Friday, the number of COVID-19 patients rose to 30 with 14 new coronavirus cases registered in a single day.

Meanwhile, main Opposition party Nepali Congress has demanded that the government form an all-party mechanisms in each of the local units to monitor the distribution of relief material to the needy during the lockdown imposed to control the coronavirus outbreak.

Nepal will be under lockdown until April 27. The party also alleged discrimination by the local government while distributing relief material to the needy people.

Reuters

Dubai, the United Arab Emirates business hub, has extended by one week a 24-hour-a-day curfew imposed as part of a sterilisation drive to control the spread of the coronavirus, the government said in a Twitter post on Friday.

The UAE has imposed a nationwide nightly curfew since March 26 for the disinfection campaign, but Dubai on April 4 expanded it within the emirate to a 24-hour lockdown for two weeks.

The Gulf Arab country on Friday reported 477 new cases and two more deaths, both Gulf nationals, taking its tally to 6,302 with 37 deaths. Authorities do not provide a breakdown for each of the seven emirates.

The Emirates Red Crescent humanitarian organisation will ”foster and care for” the families of those who have died in the UAE from the COVID-19 lung disease caused by the virus, the federal government said in a Twitter post.

The UAE has the second highest infection count after its much larger neighbour, Saudi Arabia, among the six Gulf Arab states, where the total number of infections has surpassed 22,500, with more than 140 deaths.

Saudi Arabia has installed thermal cameras to monitor the body temperature of the limited number of worshippers allowed to enter the Prophets Mosque in Medina, local media said.

Gulf states have taken drastic containment measures against the virus but seen a spread among low-income migrant workers living in cramped quarters.

Several countries have offered free testing to foreign workers, who make up the bulk of the labour force, and taken steps to rehouse thousands in schools or dedicated centres.

Qatar, which has locked down part of an industrial zone where many migrant workers live and work, on Friday announced 560 new cases, mostly among expatriate workers quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19 cases.

Decision reached after President Alvi meets religious scholars, government officials

Agencies | Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The government here decided to conditionally allow congregational prayers in mosques during the holy month of Ramadan, official media said Saturday.

The decision was made during a meeting that involved religious scholars and top government officials chaired by President Arif Alvi in Islamabad, according to state-run Radio Pakistan.

An agreement was reached to conditionally allow prayers in congregation, and Taraweeh — special night prayers performed during the holy month.

No carpet will laid on the floors of mosques and worshipers will keep a distance of 6 feet apart while praying.

Those coming to the mosque will be required to make ablution at home and wash hands for 20 seconds before going to the facility wearing faces masks.

Children and those older than 50 year of age, including those with conditions like flu, fever and a cough would not be allowed in the mosques for prayers, said Alvi.

The government will have the option to review the decision if precautionary measures are not followed or if there is a sharp increase of coronavirus cases.

Last month, provincial governments banned congregational prayers and other religious gatherings at mosques for an indefinite period in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus.

Pakistan recorded 7,638 cases with 144 deaths, while 1,832 patients have successfully recovered and discharged from hospitals, according to health officials.

Washington: US President Donald Trump has warned China of consequences if it was “knowingly responsible” for the spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Trump, who as expressed his disappointment over handling of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) by China, alleged non-transparency and initial non-cooperation with the US on this issue.

“If they were knowingly responsible, yeah, then there should be consequences,” he told reporters at a White House news conference on Saturday. “You’re talking about, you know, potentially lives like nobody’s seen since 1917.”

Trump said his relationship with China was very good till the time the deadly COVID-19 swept the world.
“The relationship was good when we were signing that, but then, all of a sudden, you hear about this. So, it’s a big difference.

“You know, the question was asked would you be angry at China. Well, the answer very well might be a very resounding yes, but it depends,” Trump said.

The president underlined that there was a big difference between a mistake that got out of control or something done deliberately.
“In either event, they should have let us go in. You know, we asked to go in very early and they didn’t want us in. I think they knew it was something bad and I think they were embarrassed,” Trump said.

He claimed that China was pitching for former vice president Joe Biden, who is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party for the presidential election.

“If sleepy Joe Biden wins, China will own the United States,” Trump said, adding that his administration had gained billions of dollars from China due to his assertive trade policies.
The president said the coronavirus crisis had hurt everybody.

“We had the greatest economy in the world by far. China isn’t even close. Go back two months. And we’re going to keep it that way,” he said.

Trump asserted that Iran was now a much different country than it was before.

“When I first came in, Iran was going to take over the entire Middle East,” he said. “Right now, they just want to survive.”

The government allowed small businesses to reopen in Tehran

AFP

Iran on Saturday announced 73 new deaths from the coronavirus, raising the official toll to 5,031 as the government allowed small businesses to reopen in Tehran as they already have in the provinces.

It was the seventh day that the number of deaths in the previous 24 hours had fallen. It was also the fifth straight day that the number of new deaths had stayed in double figures, ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour told a news conference. .

“This (73) is a very low number compared to recent days,” he said, hoping the downward trend would continue. Mr. Jahanpour said the “small victory” against the coronavirus had been won despite “enmities” towards Iran.

He claimed that U.S. sanctions had prevented Iran from buying virus testing kits from South Korea, but gve no further details. “This is despite all their false claims that trade in medicines is not covered by the sanctions,” he said.

Mr. Jahanpour added that 1,374 new infections had been confirmed in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 80,860. Of those admitted to hospital, 55,987 have recovered and been discharged, while 3,513 remain in critical condition.

According to a parliamentary report, the published figures are based only on those hospitalised with “severe symptoms“. The report said the real death toll was estimated to be as much as 80 per cent higher and infections “eight to 10 times” higher.

The health ministry has confirmed the numbers may be higher due to limited testing. Tehran city councillor Nahid Khodakarami told the Shargh newspaperon Wednesday that the daily death toll in the capital ranged between 70 and more than 100.

But a member of the national coronavirus taskforce, Masoud Mardani, dismissed the claim, stressing that “not every respiratory disease is coronavirus.” Iran has struggled to contain the outbreak and keep Iran’s sanctions-hit economy running.

It shut schools and universities, postponed major events and imposed a range of other restrictions, but it has stopped short of ordering lockdowns. The government allowed small businesses in Tehran to reopen on Saturday, following a similar move in the provinces last week.

There was a “significant” rise in the volume of traffic on the capital’s streets on Saturday morning as many returned to work, Tehran’s traffic police said.

AP

Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Al al-Sheikh, the highest religious authority in the country, said that Muslim prayers during Ramadan and for the subsequent Eid al-Fitr feast should be performed at home if the coronavirus outbreak continues, Saudi’s Okaz newspaper reported.

“Ramadan’s Taraweeh (evening) prayer can be performed at home if it cannot be performed at mosques due to the preventive measures taken to fight the spread of coronavirus,” he said in response to a question, adding that same applies for Eid prayers, according to the paper.

COVID-19 has impacted travel and tourism like no other event before in history, UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said

PTI

Millions of jobs in the global tourism industry could be lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted travel like no other event in history and caused 96 per cent of all worldwide destinations to introduce restrictions in response to the outbreak, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) has said.

Over recent years, as the United Nations specialised agency for tourism, UNWTO has been regularly monitoring travel facilitation and observing a continuous trend towards more openness.

However, COVID-19 has dramatically interrupted this, the UNWTO said in a new report.

Almost all global destinations have imposed restrictions on travel since January 2020, including complete bans on all travel as they work to contain the pandemic, it noted.

“According to research carried out for the new report, as of April 6, 96% of all worldwide destinations have introduced travel restrictions in response to the pandemic. Around 90 destinations have completely or partially closed their borders to tourists, while a further 44 are closed to certain tourists depending on country of origin,” it said.

“COVID-19 has impacted travel and tourism like no other event before in history. Governments have put public health first and introduced full or partial restrictions on travel.

“With tourism suspended, the benefits the sector brings are under threat: millions of jobs could be lost, and progress made in the fields of equality and sustainable economic growth could be rolled back,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said.

The UNWTO called on all governments to continuously review travel restrictions and ease or lift them as soon as it is safe to do so.

The UNWTO world review shows that the global regions are largely consistent in their response to COVID-19.

In Africa, Asia and the Pacific and the Middle East, 100% of destinations have adopted COVID-19-related restrictions since January 2020. In the Americas, 92% of destinations have taken similar steps, while in Europe, the proportion is 93%.

The analysis identified four key types of restrictive measures, namely complete or partial closure of borders to tourists, destination-specific travel restrictions, total or partial suspension of flights and different measures, including requirements for quarantine or self-isolation, medical certificates, invalidation or suspension of visa issuances.

It said in many instances, destinations have already adjusted their restrictive measures as the situation has evolved. UNWTO will continue to regularly track and analyse the evolution of travel restrictions, in an effort to effectively support the responsible but also timely recovery of the tourism sector.