The authorities have urged the public to rely only on authentic sources of information.

The new structure includes the closure of 50 per cent of government services centres and their transformation into digital platforms within two years.

Tammy Duckworth, senator from Illinois and a war hero, is being looked at seriously.

The Russian embassy in the US earlier noted that citizens residing across Russia could check in for the flight

Personal protective equipment should be worn by both employees and customers

Over the past 24 hours, 602 coronavirus-related fatalities were recorded

Rossiya Airlines’ General Director Sergei Alexandrovsky noted that the company is planning to transport around 25,000 passengers

A statue for Frederick Douglass, a former slave who became a prominent civil rights advocate, has been torn down from its pedestal in Rochester, New York state. The damage to the monument is reportedly too significant to fix it. Read Full Article at RT.com

Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero, who specialized in playing tough guys on Broadway in such shows as Waitress, A Bronx Tale and Bullets Over Broadway, has died in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications after contracting the coronavirus. He was 41.

Quebec public health authorities announced Sunday that 55,863 people have now tested positive for COVID-19, while 5,574 have died due to the virus.

A man has been found dead in St. John's, hours after police closed a street and advised residents to stay inside their homes.

Mon, 2020-07-06 00:40 JEDDAH: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) general secretariat strongly condemned a suicide attack in Mogadishu and a terrorist bombing in Baidoa in Somalia that resulted in deaths and injuries, the Saudi Press Agency reported. The secretariat also condemned a terrorist attack that targeted villages in Mali that killed civilians and military personnel, while also wounding others. The secretariat offered its sincere condolences to the families of the victims, the government and the people of Somalia, wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. It reiterated its strong condemnation and rejection of violence and terrorism in all its forms, affirming that the OIC stood with Somalia in the fight against terrorism and extremism. The secretariat also condemned a terrorist attack that targeted villages in Mali that killed civilians and military personnel, while also wounding others. At least seven people were wounded on Saturday when a suicide car bomber tried to strike a police post in front of the port in Mogadishu. Security forces shot the suicide bomber and the vehicle exploded, police said. In the outskirts of Baidoa, four people were killed when land mine detonated in a restaurant. Ali Abdullahi, an official with the Southwestern regional state, told The Associated Press that the mine was detonated by remote control as people were dining during the morning rush. Several others were wounded, he said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabab group has targeted the city in the past In Mali, armed men massacred 31 civilians in simultaneous attacks on several villages last week, then killed nine soldiers responding to the assault as violence surges in the country’s conflict-wracked center. An Islamist insurgency that erupted in the north of the vast West African country in 2012 has swept to its center, inflaming ethnic tensions along the way. Clashes between the ethnic communities of Fulani, nomadic herders, and Dogon traditional hunters have increased in recent months, with community-based militias — initially formed for defense — now launching attacks. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) OIC condemns Houthis for launching drones toward Saudi Arabia

Mon, 2020-07-06 01:00 RIYADH: The Emergency Center for Epidemic Control has continued to provide medical services to beneficiaries in the Hajjah governorate of Yemen with the support of the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief), in partnership with the Taybah Development Foundation. During the period from June 25 to July 1, 2020, the registration and screening department received 353 patients; the observation department 92 patients; the epidemiological unit 353 patients; and the health awareness department 345 beneficiaries. KSRelief recently distributed 1,800 food baskets to 10,800 individuals, in cooperation with the Al-Khair Coalition for Humanitarian Relief. This aid is part of the food security support KSRelief extends to Yemen. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSRelief) KSRelief launches COVID-19 awareness initiative in Yemen

Mon, 2020-07-06 00:57 DUBAI: Saudi Arabia is launching a SR3 trillion ($800 billion) plan to double the size of Riyadh in the next decade and transform it into an economic, social and cultural hub for the region. The ambitious strategy for the capital city was unveiled by Fahd Al-Rasheed, president of the Royal Commission for the City of Riyadh, ahead of key meetings of the U20, the arm of the G20 leaders’ summit that deals with urban development and strategy. “Riyadh is already a very important economic engine for the Kingdom, and although it’s already very successful, the plan now, under Vision 2030, is to actually take that way further, to double the population to 15 million people,” he told Arab News. “We’ve already launched 18 megaprojects in the city, worth over SR1 trillion, over $250 billion, to both improve livability and deliver much higher economic growth so we can create jobs and double the population in 10 years. It’s a significant plan and the whole city is working to make sure this happens.” About $250 billion in investment is expected from the private sector, with the same amount generated by increased economic activity from population growth, finance and banking, cultural and desert tourism, and leisure events. HIGHLIGHTS 18 megaprojects have already been launched worth over $250 billion. 7 million trees planted in Riyadh in the next few years. King Salman Park will be bigger than Hyde Park in London. “We must also ensure the growth is managed properly, so there will be a focus on transport and logistics, including the Riyadh metro which will open at the beginning of next year. The aim is to increase productivity,” Al-Rasheed said. The plan involves the creation of a “mega industrial zone” focusing on advanced technology such as renewables and automation, and biotechnology and aquaponics. Another key feature is sustainability, with energy conservation, the circular carbon economy with its emphasis on reducing emissions, and water management, all priorities. “You will see 7 million trees planted in Riyadh in the next few years, and King Salman Park will be bigger than Hyde Park in London,” Al-Rasheed said. The city also aims to be a Middle East artistic and cultural hub. An opera house is being considered, as well as public art shows with 1,000 works commissioned from around the world. “We have not seen anything like it since Renaissance Florence,” Al-Rasheed said. The plans will be discussed this week during online meetings of the U20 linking Riyadh with Houston. The Texas oil capital is suffering a new spike in coronavirus cases and pandemics will be on the agenda. “We want to deal with this one, but also be ready for the next one,” Al-Rasheed said. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: RiyadhRoyal Commission for the City of RiyadhVision 2030 Qiddiya awards SR10bn in contracts to help construct Riyadh mega projectRiyadh Metro on track, says builder

Mon, 2020-07-06 03:42 Dr. Hisham bin Mohammed Al-Haidari is the executive head of the Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities. The authority aims to protect the rights of people with disabilities and strengthen services provided to assist in their care and rehabilitation. Al-Haidari has worked for over 20 years in specialized rehabilitation and care facilities. He presided over and managed centers and hospitals including the King Fahd Medical Rehabilitation Hospital and the Prince Sultan Center for Special Education Support Services. Al-Haidari holds a Ph.D. in physical therapy and rehabilitation from Loma Linda University in California. He presented scientific research on rehabilitation and physiotherapy and participated in a number of scientific workshops and conferences. As part of his work, the Human Resources Development Fund (Hadaf), in cooperation with the Authority for the Care of Persons with Disabilities, is set to expand programs and initiatives for people with disabilities based on an agreement between the two parties. They will work in tandem to help the training and employment of people with disabilities in the Kingdom, in addition to sharing information and helping develop important legislation and programs. The authority will provide the fund, represented by the General Administration for the Employment of Persons with Disabilities Program, known as “Tawafuq,” with information that helps interim programs and plans empower people with disabilities. It will also develop programs to help improve public awareness of people with disabilities. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: Who's Who Dr. Lilak Al-Safadi, president of the Saudi Electronic UniversityAyman Al-Fallaj, CEO of THIQAH Business Services

Mon, 2020-07-06 03:49 MAKKAH: Makkah Mayor Mohammed Abdullah Al-Quwaihis chaired a virtual meeting on Sunday to discuss plans for this year’s Hajj season. Undersecretaries and directors general of Makkah Municipality joined the meeting via videoconferencing.   They discussed the arrangements for the Hajj season including a plan of action for field service centers. The mayor pointed out that this year’s Hajj will be safe as all necessary preemptive and precautionary measures will be taken to protect pilgrims from contracting COVID-19.  Al-Quwaihis stressed the importance of being aware of the responsibilities bestowed on everyone to achieve the best services for pilgrims.  He said Saudi Arabia, under the guidance of King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, had mobilized all human and financial resources for the pilgrimage. Saudi Arabia’s decision to limit this year’s Hajj to worshippers residing in the Kingdom has received support from various countries. The Arab League welcomed Saudi Arabia’s announcement and said in a statement that the wise decision came to preserve the health and safety of worshippers during the coronavirus pandemic. The UAE Hajj Affairs (HAO) said it will not take part in this year’s Hajj season.  The Egyptian Minister of Endowments and Al-Azhar have also welcomed the decision, as well as the ambassador of Djibouti to the Kingdom Dya-Eddine Bamakhrama.  Bahrain commended the Kingdom’s efforts to assist pilgrims and care for their health in order to enable them to perform the pilgrimage safely, state news agency. Main category: Saudi ArabiaTags: MakkahHajj 2020Mohammed Abdullah Al-QuwaihisCOVID-19 Mosques in Makkah ready to welcome worshippers on Sunday

The vast Laguna del Tigre National Park is home to Central America's largest rainforest. It's also a new way station for South American cocaine bound for the United States.

In a paper to be published this week, more than 200 experts warn that covid-19 can spread through aerosols that can be more infectious in smaller amounts than previously thought.

Several thousand people rallied in Black Lives Matter protests across Australia over the weekend to call for racial equality and highlight deaths of Indigenous people while in police custody.

Police say they have detained a Russian man after one of his compatriots was shot dead near Vienna late Saturday in what Austrian media report is being considered a possible political assassination.

Iran’s order to wear masks comes as public opinion polling and a walk through the streets of Tehran show the widespread apathy felt over a pandemic that saw Iran among the first countries struck after China.

For those who follow Somali politics, it’s impossible to ignore President Qoor-Qoor’s first five months in office. It has been an impressive and remarkable period in a country where negative politicking has become the norm.

If Kanye West is serious about running for president, the American rapper and fashion designer will face major obstacles to mount a serious campaign less than four months before the Nov. 3 U.S. presidential election.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has said that captain Lionel Messi will end his career at the Catalan club, dismissing a report saying the Argentine no longer wishes to renew his current contract when it expires next year.

Criticism of ‘Harry Potter’ author JK Rowling’s views on the transgender movement has spilled over into “death and rape threats,” but she has responded to it with even greater vehemence, sparking fresh outrage on social media. Read Full Article at RT.com

A midseason update for ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’ and ‘Warzone’ has one difference fans are pointing out: the removal of the ‘kay’ hand gesture, which has been deemed racist by politically correct activists on social media. Read Full Article at RT.com

The trade impasse between India and Bangladesh through the Petrapole-Benapole border came to an end on Sunday afternoon when five trucks from each side crossed over to the other side, reports Debasish Konar. Indian exports to Bangladesh via Benapole had come to a standstill from July 2 after Bangladeshi traders demanded import permits from India.