World

Pakistan to purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China's Sinopharm 31 Dec 2020 - 11:01 pm

ISLAMABAD - Pakistan will purchase 1.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China's Sinopharm, a minister said on Thursday, the first official confirmation of...

Ontario Finance Minister resigns over Caribbean vacation outrage 31 Dec 2020 - 10:54 pm

Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips stepped down from the position amid public outrage that he was vacationing in the Caribbean over the holidays,...

Putin urges unity in 2021 as second wave batters Russia 31 Dec 2020 - 08:16 pm

Moscow - President Vladimir Putin in his New Year's speech on Thursday urged Russians to unite in the face of the country's battle...

China’s Xi lauds Covid-19 recovery in New Year’s eve speech 31 Dec 2020 - 07:51 pm

Chinese President Xi Jinping touted his government’s success in controlling Covid-19 in a New Year’s Eve address in which he sought to move...

England readies Nightingale field hospitals as cases surge 31 Dec 2020 - 07:44 pm

London - England on Thursday was preparing to reopen its Nightingale field hospitals as a surge in cases of the new strain of...

Oman's Sultan receives written message from Kuwait's Amir 31 Dec 2020 - 07:34 pm

Muscat: Oman's Sultan HM Haitham bin Tariq Al-Said received a written message Thursday from HH the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber...

Trump to skip New Year's Eve in Florida for early return to Washington 31 Dec 2020 - 07:24 pm

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday was due to fly back to Washington a day earlier than planned,...

North Korea holds New Year's Eve show despite COVID-19 restrictions 31 Dec 2020 - 07:08 pm

SEOUL - Crowds of partiers filled the main square in the North Korean capital Pyongyang on Thursday night to watch a concert and...

Goodbye 2020 as Australia and New Zealand welcome 2021 31 Dec 2020 - 04:45 pm

Sydney: The world began ushering in the New Year Thursday, with pandemic controls muting celebrations for billions of people eager to bid farewell...

Search continues for survivors after major Norway landslide 31 Dec 2020 - 03:52 pm

HELSINKI: Rescue workers in Norway on Thursday continued searching for 10 people, including children, who are missing a day after a massive landslide...

Guinea uses Russian COVID-19 vaccine on some officials 31 Dec 2020 - 03:35 pm

CONAKRY, Guinea: Guinea began vaccinating against COVID-19 with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine on an experimental basis, starting with government officials, authorities said...

Singapore sees most local coronavirus cases in 3 months, more of new variant 31 Dec 2020 - 03:29 pm

SINGAPORE: Singapore reported five locally transmitted COVID-19 cases on Thursday, its highest number in nearly three months, and was seeking to verify two...

Philippine islands self-isolate after new COVID-19 variant found in Malaysia 31 Dec 2020 - 03:16 pm

MANILA: A province of islands in the southern Philippines will seal itself off for an initial two weeks from Monday to keep out...

US vaccinations in 2020 falling far short of target of 20 mln people 31 Dec 2020 - 03:03 pm

Only about 2.6 million Americans had received a COVID-19 vaccine going into the last day of December, putting the United States far short...

Syria war killed 6,800 in 2020, lowest annual toll 31 Dec 2020 - 02:31 pm

Beirut: The Syrian conflict claimed at least 6,800 people in 2020, the lowest annual death toll since it began nearly a decade ago,...

British PM Johnson's father applying for French citizenship 31 Dec 2020 - 01:28 pm

PARIS: The father of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday he was in the process of applying for a French passport...

Case of highly infectious UK variant of coronavirus identified in California 31 Dec 2020 - 12:32 pm

LOS ANGELES: The highly infectious coronavirus variant originally discovered in Britain has been detected in California, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday, a...