LIVE: Countries across the world dispatch aid flights to coronavirus hotspots

A handout picture released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 2, 2020, shows labourers unloading medical equipment and coronavirus testing kits provided bt the World Health Organisation, from a United Arab Emirates military transport plane upon their arrival at Mehrabad International Airport in Iran's capital Tehran. (File/AFP)
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Updated 13 April 2020
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LIVE: Countries across the world dispatch aid flights to coronavirus hotspots

DUBAI: Countries around the world have been standing in solidarity to help bring an end to the coronavirus pandemic that killed above 100,000 people worldwide.

Countries across the Middle East have been repatriating their stranded citizens abroad and carrying out thousands of daily medical examinations.

Aid has also been sent to coronavirus hotspots in an attempt to help governments with their medical stocks.

Kuwait was one of the states that received an Indian Air Force plane carrying medical supplies to help the state curb the coronavirus spread, state news agency KUNA reported on Saturday.

Sunday, April 12 (All times in GMT)

18:02 - Spain's overnight death toll from coronavirus rose for the first time in three days on Sunday, to 619, health ministry data showed, bringing the cumulative toll to 16,972. 

17:57 - Jordan on Sunday extended a month-long lockdown that has closed schools, universities and government agencies until the end of the month to stem the spread of coronavirus, the government spokesman said.
Amjad Adailah said Prime Minister Omar Razzaz took the decision in light of "developments and recommendations" related to the pandemic.
The country announced on March 20 a nationwide curfew that closed shops and prohibited the movement of people. It came days after the monarch enacted emergency law that gave the government sweeping powers that restrict civil and political rights.

17:50 - Dubai Health Authority has decided to start using blood plasma from patients who have recovered from coronavirus to treat critical cases of the virus after the UAE announced that it would adopt the treatment method. 

17:30 - Bahrain's Ministry of Health has reported 49 new cases of coronavirus.

17:15 - Morocco reported 116 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 1,661.

16:39 - Turkey’s confirmed cases of coronavirus increased by 4,789 in the past 24 hours, and 97 people more have died, taking the death toll to 1,198, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

16:08 - Deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 431, down from 619 the day before, and the number of new cases slowed to 4,092 from a previous 4,694.

15:48 - The number of people killed by the coronavirus in Canada rose by more than 12% to 674 in a day, official data posted by the public health agency showed.
By 1500 GMT, the total number of those diagnosed with the coronavirus had risen to 23,719. The respective figures at the same time on Saturday were 600 deaths and 22,559 positive diagnoses.15:18 - Iraq has reported four new coronavirus deaths and 34 new infected cases.

14:42 - The death toll from COVID-19 has risen to 10,612 across hospitals in the United Kingdom after a recorded daily rise of 737, the health ministry said.

14:36 - Abu Dhabi’s Etihad airways will operate special passenger flights to Brussels, Dublin, London Heathrow, Tokyo Narita and Zurich for those wanting to leave UAE, it said in a statement.

13:15 - Health officials say 657 more people in England with the coronavirus have died, taking total UK deaths over 10,000.

12:40 - Saudi Arabia confirmed 429 new coronavirus cases, brining the total number of infected people to 4,462.
The Ministry of Health said 59 new deaths have been recorded and 761 cases have recovered, adding that more than 40,000 people are in self-isolation or quarantine throughout the Kingdom to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The ministry’s spokesperson said the Kingdom aims to increase the number of coronavirus testing even further after conducting over 3,540 tests for every 1 million people.
He also said that youth can also contract coronavirus as per reports from the World Health Organization.

12:30 - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson left hospital to convalesce from COVID-19 at Chequers, the country estate of British prime ministers, a week after he was admitted and then spent three days in intensive care.
The 55-year-old leader will not be immediately returning to work, on the advice of his medical staff, a Downing Street spokesperson said.

11:33 - Qatar recorded 251 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infected people to 2,979.

11:30 - Palestine reported 19 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of cases so far to 287.
10:48 - Dozens of medical teams have continued random coronavirus testing on hospital visitors and people in their homes on Saturday in Jordan, as the 48-hour comprehensive curfew has ended.

10:31 - Fifty sailors aboard the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, the flagship of the French navy, have contracted the novel coronavirus the armed forces ministry said.
The nuclear-powered ship is heading to the southern French port of Toulon where it is expected to arrive on Sunday so that those infected can begin a period of quarantine on dry land, according to the ministry.

10:15 - Morocco has recorded 72 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of infected people to 1617.

10:13 - Kuwait has confirmed 80 new coronavirus cases, raising the total to 1234.

09:53 - Iran has confirmed that 71,686 people were infected with coronavirus, while have died to 4,474.

09:47 - Lebanon has reported 11 new coronavirus cases, increasing the total to 630 infected people.

09:05 - UAE’s Ministry of Economy said they will discount the prices of several of their services to support companies during the coronavirus pandemic.

08:41 - Turkey’s government said they will send medical supplies to Israel and Palestine.

08:37 - Chairman of Mashreq Bank and head of UAE’s Bank Federation more than $13 billion are available for local companies and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic, and reported that 97 percent of the bank’s of employees are working from home.

08:24 - Iranian lawmakers have refused to remain in quarantine in the parliament building for the next few months, Persian media Radio Farda reported.

07:57 - Kuwait received an Indian Air Force plane carrying medical supplies to help the state curb the coronavirus spread, state news agency KUNA reported

07:54 - Chinese cities of Harbin and Suifenhe will implenet a 28 days quarantine for people coming from abroad. Harbin will also put residential units with confirmed and asymptomatic coronavirus cases under lock down for 14 days.

07:53 - Saudi Arabia’s health ministry has issued a precautionary guidebook for citizens arriving in the kingdom, as part of the country’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, state news agency SPA reported.

07:24 - Easter celebrations will be muted this year for Egyptian Christians under the constraints imposed by the coronavirus pandemic.

07:21 - Egypt’s Grand Mufti Shawqi Allam has sought to end the public outcry about burying dead COVID-19 patients in some villages in the country, local media Egypt Today reported.

07:14 - Lebanese town Bcharri went on lockdown as local authorities continued to administer coronavirus tests, The Daily Star in Lebanon reported.

07:13 - Some 1,639 repatriated Saudi nationals have so far been tested for coronavirus and placed in mandatory isolation, Health Ministry spokesman Dr. Mohammed Al-Abd Al-Aly said.

07:06 - Although China is claiming success in its battle against the coronavirus, millions have lost their jobs in the economic fallout, throwing into jeopardy an ambitious target to eradicate poverty this year

07:01 - Russia on Sunday reported 2,186 new coronavirus cases, the largest daily increase since the start of the outbreak, bringing the national tally of confirmed cases to 15,770.

06:30 - Oman has confirmed 53 new coronavirus cases, brining the total to 599 people diagnozed with COVID-19.

06:18 - Kuwait has reported that nine more people have recovered from coronavirus, bringing the total of recoveries to 142.

01:54 - The United States passed the grim milestone of 20,000 coronavirus deaths Saturday as huge swaths of the globe celebrated the Easter holiday weekend under lockdown at home.

The outbreak has now claimed the lives of at least 20,506 people in the US, which leads the world in deaths and in the number of declared infections — at least 527,111, according to a tally maintained by Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University.

Saturday, April 11 (All times in GMT)

19:29 - Saudi Arabia’s health ministry has issued a guidebook for citizens arriving in the kingdom, as part of the country’s efforts to contain the spread of the coronavirus, state news agency SPA reported.

Citizens should isolate themselves before their return to the country and not leave their homes except if it is necessary, the ministry said in a tweet. They should also avoid getting in contact with others and should maintain handwashing with soap and water, or they can use sanitizers, it added.

17:21 - The UAE health ministry has reported 376 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 3,736, state news agency WAM reported.


Iranian Revolutionary Court sentences four individuals to death over charges of spying for Israel

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Iranian Revolutionary Court sentences four individuals to death over charges of spying for Israel

DUBAI: Four people were sentenced to death by a revolutionary court in northwest Iran over charges of spying for Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Wednesday.


Rescuers pull 30 bodies from a building in central Lebanon hit in an Israeli strike

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Rescuers pull 30 bodies from a building in central Lebanon hit in an Israeli strike

  • The airstrike hit the building in the town just north of the port city of Sidon, an area that has not been regularly targeted by Israeli military operations

BARJA: Lebanese rescuers pulled 30 bodies out of the rubble after a late night Israeli strike on an apartment building in the town of Barja, Lebanon’s Civil Defense service said Wednesday as the Mideast wars press on with no signs of abating.
It remained unclear if there were any survivors or bodies still trapped under the rubble following the Tuesday night airstrike, which came without warning. There was no statement from the Israeli military and the strike’s intended target also was unknown.
Barja, a town just north of the port city of Sidon in central Lebanon, has not been regularly targeted so far in the conflict.
“Something pulled me hard, and then the explosion happened,” said Moussa Zahran, who was at home with his wife and son when the building was hit. He said he couldn’t see but started digging through the rubble until he found his wife and son — alive but injured — and pulled them out. Both are still in the hospital, he said.
Another building resident, Muhyiddin Al- Qalaaji, said he was at work when the strike happened and heard the news from his wife who called him frantically.
“There are many dead and injured,” he said as he carried out what he could salvage of the family’s belongings on Wednesday morning.
Civil defense official Mostafa Danaj said some of the neighbors have reported there are still people missing.
Israeli forces and the Hezbollah militant group have been clashing for more than a year, since Hezbollah started firing rockets across the border soon after the deadly Hamas-led attack on southern Israel sparked the ongoing war in Gaza in October last year.
The war on the Lebanese front has substantially escalated since mid-September, with Israel launching a massive aerial bombardment and ground invasion.
On Wednesday, sirens blared across northern and central Israel, including in the populous metropolitan area of Tel Aviv, as Hezbollah launched 10 rockets toward Israel. Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services said there were no reports of injuries.
A large portion of a rocket slammed into a parked car in the central Israeli city of Raanana. Rockets also struck an open area near Israel’s main airport, Israeli media reported, though the airport said flights were operating as normally.
Israel’s Magen David Adom rescue services said there were no injuries. Israeli police said they arrested 40 people during protests on Tuesday night when the demonstrators blocked Israel’s main highway in Tel Aviv.
On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in a surprise announcement that sparked protests across the country. Gallant’s replacement is Foreign Minister Israel Katz, a longtime Netanyahu loyalist and veteran Cabinet minister.
While Netanyahu has called for continued military pressure on Hamas, Gallant said military force created the necessary conditions for at least a temporary diplomatic deal that could bring home hostages held by the militant group.
The Israel-Hamas war began after Palestinian militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others, taking them back to Gaza as hostages.
Israel’s military response in Gaza has killed more than 43,000 people, Palestinian health officials say. They do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, but say more than half of those killed were women and children.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in 2023, at least 3,000 people have been killed and some 13,500 have been wounded in Lebanon, about a quarter of them women and children, the Health Ministry reported.
Hezbollah continues to send dozens of rockets and drones toward Israel. The projectiles have killed 72 people in Israel so far, including 30 soldiers, according to Netanyahu’s office.
A report by Lebanon’s crisis response unit said that 361,300 Syrians and over 177,800 Lebanese have crossed into Syria between Sept. 23 and Nov. 1, to escape the fighting.
Another night of protests was planned across Israel on Wednesday evening, over Gallant’s firing.
Netanyahu and Gallant have repeatedly been at odds over the war in Gaza but the prime minister had avoided letting go of his rival before the US presidential election on Tuesday.
By midday Wednesday in the Middle East, Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States in a remarkable political comeback.


Hezbollah says it fired missiles at military base near Ben Gurion Airport

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Hezbollah says it fired missiles at military base near Ben Gurion Airport

BEIRUT: Hezbollah said on Wednesday that it fired missiles at a military base near Ben Gurion Airport, Israel’s main international gateway.
Israeli media reported on Wednesday that a rocket had landed near the airport. The airports authority said the airport was continuing to operate as usual.


Algeria opens book fair without winner of top French language literary prize

Updated 44 min 55 sec ago
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Algeria opens book fair without winner of top French language literary prize

  • This year’s Prix Goncourt winner and his French publisher Gallimard — a regular participant — are among those who won’t be welcomed at the Algiers International Book Fair

ALGIERS: As one of the Arab world’s largest book fairs opens in Algeria on Wednesday, there is one conspicuous absence. French-Algerian author Kamel Daoud, who won France’s most prestigious literary award earlier this week, was not invited to this year’s event.
This year’s Prix Goncourt winner and his French publisher Gallimard — a regular participant — are among those who won’t be welcomed at the Algiers International Book Fair. The exclusion of several prominent authors and publishers from this year’s event reflects the ongoing limitations on freedom of expression in Algeria.
Daoud’s novels and their subject matter often polarize opinions in both France, where he lives, and Algeria, where he was born. His Goncourt-winning third novel Houris (Virgins, in English) centers on the memories of victims of Algeria’s “Black Decade.” After Islamists won the first round of legislative elections in 1990, Algeria descended into civil war after the second round was canceled by the military-backed government.
Though memories of that history loom large, Houris will not be among the more than 300,000 titles available at the book fair, which is being marketed under the slogan “Read to Triumph” and billed for having a special focus on history.
Ali Bey, the owner of Algiers’ Librarie du Tiers Monde, said he was “delighted” to see Daoud’s international recognition but lamented that Algerian readers would not be able to purchase his novels.
The censorship extends beyond Daoud and Gallimard. Koukou Publishing, an independent Algerian house led by former political activist Arezki Ait Larbi, has also been excluded from this year’s festival. Koukou — known for publishing works by essayists, novelists and journalists whose writings often challenge official narratives — wasn’t invited either, Ait Larbi wrote in a Facebook post.
“Our house is under threat of a complete ban from publishing,” Ait Larbi said, accusing the Ministry of Culture’s censors of targeting his books.


Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister

Updated 06 November 2024
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Thousands in Israel protest sacking of defense minister

JERUSALEM: Thousands of Israelis protested against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of his defense minister, demanding the government do everything in its power to bring home hostages held in Gaza.
The demonstration erupted soon after Netanyahu’s office announced the sacking of Yoav Gallant on Tuesday following public differences over the war with Hamas.
The removal of Gallant — a hawk on the war Hezbollah in Lebanon who also pushed for a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza — coincided with the presidential election in the United States, Israel’s top military backer.
Netanyahu and Gallant have frequently clashed over Israel’s retaliatory military offensive against Hamas following the Palestinian militant group’s deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year.
“Over the past few months... trust has eroded. In light of this, I decided today to end the term of the defense minister,” Netanyahu’s office said, adding that foreign minister Israel Katz would take his place.
Shortly afterwards, thousands of people took to the streets of commercial hub Tel Aviv, chanting slogans against Netanyahu and demanding the return of 97 hostages held in Gaza.
Protesters blocked traffic and lit fires, with some wearing “Bring them home now!” T-shirts referring to the hostages.
They held up signs with slogans such as “We deserve better leaders” and “Leaving no one behind!,” and one protester wore handcuffs and a face mask with Netanyahu’s likeness.
The reshuffle’s timing comes at a critical juncture in the Gaza and Lebanon wars, with both Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon massively weakened.
Jonathan Rynhold of the political studies department at Bar-Ilan University said Netanyahu was feeling “emboldened because he is improving in the polls.”
“He is also taking advantage of the fact that the US election is happening today... everyone’s focus is elsewhere,” he told AFP.
After his appointment, Katz vowed “victory over our enemies and to achieve the goals of the war,” including “the destruction of Hamas in Gaza, the defeat of Hezbollah in Lebanon” and the return of hostages.
Gideon Saar, a minister without portfolio, was appointed to replace Katz as foreign minister.
After being fired, Gallant posted on X that Israel’s security would remain his life’s “mission.”
He called on the government to bring home the hostages in Gaza while they were “still alive” and insisted all Israelis of draft age must serve in the military — a key issue that he and Netanyahu had disagreed on.
The sacked minister had been a key advocate for ultra-Orthodox Jews to be called up, but Netanyahu wanted their exemption to continue, fearing their conscription could break up his far-right coalition government.
Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel’s retaliatory campaign has killed 43,391 people in Gaza, a majority of them civilians, according to Gaza health ministry figures which the United Nations considers to be reliable.
Hamas also seized 251 hostages in their attack, of whom Israel believes 63 people including two children are still alive in Gaza.
After Gallant’s dismissal, the Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group urged Katz “to prioritize a hostage deal... to secure the immediate release of all hostages.”
Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri welcomed the sacking of Gallant, who especially in the early months of the war was seen as a key architect of the fight against the militant group.
“Netanyahu dismissed Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, who was bragging that he would eliminate Hamas. Today, we say to them that Gallant is gone, but Hamas remains, and will remain, God willing,” Abu Zuhri said.


Aviv Bushinsky, a political commentator and former Netanyahu chief of staff, said Gallant’s dismissal was just “a matter of time.”
“I cannot recall an incident when Israel Katz was in opposition to Netanyahu,” he said.
“Besides, Netanyahu thinks he can run the show himself.”
Meanwhile, on the ground, the wars in Gaza and Lebanon showed no sign of abating.
Authorities in Lebanon reported raids across the country, and the toll from a strike on Tuesday in the town of Barja, south of Beirut, rose to 20.
Hezbollah on Tuesday claimed it had fired rockets and drones into northern Israel, and also targeted Israeli troops near the border inside Lebanon.
Tuesday’s fighting came more than a month into the Hezbollah-Israel war which has left at least 1,990 dead in Lebanon since September 23, according to an AFP tally of health ministry figures.
Palestinians in Gaza told AFP that whoever wins the US presidential election must end the conflict in the territory.
“We are hanging by a thread, and like every other people in the world, we are looking for someone who can stop the war,” said Ayman Al-Omreiti, 45, in Gaza City.