NEWS IN REAL TIME
WASHINGTON – Global coronavirus cases exceeded 11 million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, marking another milestone in the spread of the disease that has killed more than half a million people in seven months. The number of cases is more than double the figure for severe influenza illnesses recorded annually, according to the … Continue reading CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC | Global Coronavirus Cases Exceed 11 Million
RIYADH | SAUDI ARABIA – The Saudi – led military coalition battling the Houthis in Yemen said on Friday it had destroyed four explosive-laden-drones launched by the Iran-aligned group in the direction of Saudi Arabia, the official Saudi Press Agency reported. The drones were intercepted over territory controlled by the Houthis in Yemen, the agency … Continue reading NEWS ALERT | Saudi – Led Coalition Destroyed Four Houthi Drones Over Yemen – Saudi Press Agency
VIENNA – Austria has issued travel warnings for Western Balkan countries outside the European Union (E.U) due to a rise in coronavirus infections here, Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said on Wednesday. The move by Austria, which has close ties to the region, is a particular blow for Serbia and Montenegro, which the EU on Tuesday … Continue reading TRAVEL WARNINGS | Austria Warns Against Travel To Non – EU Western Balkan Countries
GENEVA – The World Health Organization warned Wednesday the Middle East was at a decisive moment in the fight against the novel coronavirus, with cases surging as countries ease lockdown. ‘We are at a critical threshold in our region’, the WHO’s Middle East head, Ahmed al-Mandhari, said in an online press conference. According to figures … Continue reading HEALTH | WHO Says Mideast At ‘Critical Threshold’ Virus Numbers
RIYADH | SAUDI ARABIA – Saudi Arabia extended for an additional period several government initiatives to support the private sector and investors in mitigate the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, state news agency SPA reported on Thursday, citing a decision by King Salman.
LONDON – Luxury British department store Harrods said on Wednesday it plans to cut up to 672 jobs because of the coronavirus crisis, which kept its flagship branch in central London closed for nearly three months. Harrods, which is owned by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), told staff it needed to shep up to 14% … Continue reading BUSINESS | Luxury British Department Store Harrods To Cut Nearly 700 Jobs
ISTAMBUL – Turkey will introduce regulations to control social media platforms or shut them down, President Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday, pressing ahead with government plans after he said his family was insulted online. Finance Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law, said on Twitter on Tuesday that his fourth child had been born. Following the tweet, … Continue reading SOCIAL MEDIA | Turkey Determined To Control Social Media Platforms, Erdogan Says
LONDON – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cautioned Israel On Wednesday against annexation in the occupied West Bank, saying it would violate international law and harm its drive to improve relations with the Arab world. Israeli leaders decided in May that a cabinet debate on annexing parts of the West Bank, under a U.S. plan … Continue reading POLITICS | U.K. PM Tells Israel: Do Not Annex Parts Of The Occupied West Bank”
ANKARA – A Turkish official said on Wednesday that Volkswagen has suspended plans for a new plant in Turkey due to coronavirus uncertainty and that the company could reassess the matter once the pandemic is contained. In October last year, Volkswagen put a decision about the plant on hold amid international criticism about the country’s … Continue reading BUSINESS | Turkish Official Says VW Suspends Turkey Plant Plans Due To Coronavirus
ABU DHABI – The United Arab Emirates is seeking to verify the credentials of the Pakistani pilots and engineers employed in its airlines after the South Asian government grounded 262 pilots for holding ‘dubious’ qualifications. Pakistan grounded pilots on June 26 on suspicion that they allegedly falsified their examinations to qualify for flying aircraft, leading … Continue reading NEWS | UAE Seeks To Verify Credentials Of Pakistani Pilots In Its Airlines
