SAN FRANCISCO: TikTok on Monday (Aug 17) stepped up its defence against US accusations that the popular video app is a national security threat, denouncing what it called “rumours and misinformation” about its links to the Chinese government. The video-snippet sharing service launched an online information hub as its Chinese […]
Month: August 2020
Although so-called “phantom pregnancies” are common with pandas and other large bears, Baker-Masson said an ultrasound scan revealed a “really strong-looking, fantastic fetus” that could be delivered this week. Zookeepers at Washington’s National Zoo are on furry black-and-white baby watch after concluding that venerable giant panda matriarch Mei Xiang is […]
WASHINGTON: Former first lady Michelle Obama launched a scathing attack on President Donald Trump on the first night of the Democratic National Convention on Monday (Aug 17), calling him the “wrong president” for the country and urging Americans to elect Joe Biden in November to end the chaos created by […]
VANCOUVER: Canada has released as much information as it legally can about the arrest of Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, the government’s lawyers said yesterday, as she sought more confidential documents relating to her 2018 detention. Meng, 48, was arrested in December 2018 at Vancouver International Airport on a […]
MANILA: The World Health Organization said on Tuesday (Aug 18) it was concerned that the novel coronavirus spread was being driven by people in their 20s, 30s and 40s, many of whom were unaware they were infected, posing a danger to vulnerable groups. WHO officials said this month the proportion […]
WELLINGTON: New Zealand today ruled out the possibility that a coronavirus outbreak in its biggest city of Auckland came from frozen food items or freight, as it reported 13 new cases. Investigations suggested the virus had not come through chilled services or material arriving from overseas at an Americold cold-storage […]
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump said yesterday he would pardon a “very, very important” person today, but added it would not be leaker Edward Snowden or former national security adviser Michael Flynn. “Doing a pardon tomorrow on someone who is very, very important,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. He […]
LONDON: The British government was forced yesterday to abandon its policy for grading exams that were cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic after protests by students and warnings that it threatened the career prospects of the most disadvantaged pupils. England’s exam regulator said it would accept at face value assessments […]
MANILA: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday eased the strict coronavirus lockdown in and around the capital Manila as his government promised a “refreshed” approach to fighting Covid-19 that includes intensified testing. Duterte, in a televised address, said there was a need to reopen the economy with small and medium enterprises […]
SYDNEY: Australia’s second most populous state of Victoria reported its lowest daily rise in new coronavirus cases in a month today, stoking hopes that a second wave of infection in the state is easing. The state recorded 17 deaths from the new coronavirus in the last 24 hours, a day […]