Author: News Desk

Kuwait has reported 582 new coronavirus cases, of which 319 are citizens, taking the total confirmed cases in the country to 45,524, according to the Ministry of Health. 2 patients died of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of deaths to 350. 819 new recoveries have been reported in the country, raising the total recoveries to 36,313. Kuwait has done 3,504 NP swab tests in the past 24 hours, as the country ramps up its efforts to test more people and detect cases early, according to the health ministry. So far, the country has conducted…

London shares retreated on Monday as investors feared a second round of lockdowns with global COVID-19 deaths crossing half a million, while a record plunge in British private-sector activity underlined the economic toll of the pandemic. The blue-chip FTSE 100 fell 0.3%, extending declines from last week, as the surge in cases of the novel coronavirus erased investor optimism around a faster economic rebound. The mid-cap FTSE 250 shed 0.5%, led by personal goods .FTNMX3760, food and beverage .FTNMX5330 .FTNMX3530 and banking .FTNMX8350 stocks. “With COVID-19 filling the airwaves, investors have been uncomfortable chasing the market higher, and with the…

Oman has registered 6 deaths and 910 new cases of coronavirus, most of the new cases are from citizens by 535 and the rest 375 from foreigners, taking the total cases to 39,060. The death toll reached 169 after reporting the new deaths. Most of the dead are elderly people. Meanwhile, 1,222 new recoveries were announced, bringing the total to 22,422. 3,191 tests were conducted in the past 24 hours, across the sultanate. https://twitter.com/OmaniMOH/status/1277527848807477248?s=20

Thailand will allow pubs and bars to re-open on Wednesday and plans to let in some foreign travellers after recording five weeks without any community transmission of the coronavirus, a government official said. Pubs, bars and karaoke venues will be able to operate until midnight as long as they follow safety guidelines such as ensuring two metre (6.6 ft) spaces between tables. “Alcohol consumption could reduce discipline so there will be close monitoring before customers enter venues,” Taweesin Wisanuyothin, a spokesman for the government’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration, told a briefing on Monday. Foreigners with work permits, residency and…

Beijing said on Monday it will impose visa restrictions on U.S. individuals with “egregious conduct” on Hong Kong-related issues, mirroring U.S. sanctions against unnamed Chinese officials deemed responsible for curbing freedoms in the city. The announcement comes as the top decision-making body of China’s parliament deliberates a draft national security law for Hong Kong that pro-democracy activists in the city fear will be used to eliminate dissent and tighten Beijing’s control. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian, who announced the new sanctions during a press briefing in response to a question about Washington’s new visa restrictions, did not specify which…

Director-General of Criminal Investigation and Forensic Science announced on Monday the arrest of two individuals for force robbery after stealing a wallet from a man. The directorate received a case from the victim, in which he highlighted that while walking in Karana two men approached him and took his wallet by threatening him with a knife. ♦ Two arrested for robbery attempt He said an investigation into the case led to identifying and arresting them while legal proceedings are being taken to refer the case to the Public Prosecution.

Director-General of Capital Governorate Police announced on Monday the arrest of two individuals while attempting to steal the contents of cars parked in parking lots in the Capital Governorate. He said that a police patrol suspected the men while trying to open the door of a car through tools and after searching them some theft items were found. Pills suspected to be narcotics were confiscated from them while legal proceedings were taken.

Bahrain has reported 438 new cases of coronavirus, among 279 expatriate workers, 150 new cases are contacts of active cases, and 9 are travel-related, after conducting over 7,200 additional COVID-19 tests on Sunday. The death toll stands at 83, as 5 new deaths were reported in the kingdom. Meanwhile, 736 additional recoveries from COVID-19 were reported. ♦ About half of the population tested, confirms Jameela Al-Salman ♦ Bahrain gives utmost safety for health workers ♦ Making the COVID-19 cases zero is not a miracle, but an achievement: Al-Qahtani The total cases have driven to 25,705 of which 20,517 have recovered, which means that over…

PepsiCo Inc will stop advertising on Facebook Inc, Fox Business News reported on Sunday, citing sources. The halt on advertising will run through July and August, the report said. Sources described the move as a “global boycott” on placing Facebook ads, the report said. ♦ Starbucks to pause advertising across social media ♦ Unilever to stop U.S. advertising on Facebook, Twitter for rest of year ♦ L’Oreal to drop words such as ‘whitening’ from skin products PepsiCo did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The food and beverage company joins a growing number of companies pulling ad dollars from Facebook, including ice-cream maker Ben…

Starbucks Corp will pause advertising on all social media platforms as it explores the best ways to help stop the spread of hate speech, the company said in a statement on Sunday. The company will “have discussions internally and with media partners and civil rights organizations to stop the spread of hate speech,” the statement said. A CNBC report on Sunday added that this social media pause by Starbucks will not include YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet Inc’s Google. It will continue to post on social media without paid promotion. ♦ Unilever to stop U.S. advertising on Facebook, Twitter for rest of…