Name: In unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia halts pilgrimages over virus
Uploaded: 2020-02-27T07:38:27.fff+05:30
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In an unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears of coronavirus just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage

In unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia halts pilgrimages over virus

In an unprecedented move,&nbsp;Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears of coronavirus&nbsp;just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage. The move comes after the Mideast has reported over 240 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia stops foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba. The decision also affects travel to Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina. Authorities also suspended entry to the kingdom to those with tourist visas from nations affected by the new virus.

In an unprecedented move, Saudi Arabia on Thursday halted travel to the holiest sites in Islam over fears of coronavirus just months ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage. The move comes after the Mideast has reported over 240 confirmed cases of coronavirus. The extraordinary decision by Saudi Arabia stops foreigners from reaching the holy city of Mecca and the Kaaba. The decision also affects travel to Prophet Muhammad's mosque in Medina. Authorities also suspended entry to the kingdom to those with tourist visas from nations affected by the new virus.

A new study published in the medical journal Lancet has found "consistent, strong evidence" that the novel coronavirus is predominantly transmitted through the air

A new study published in the medical journal Lancet has found "consistent, strong evidence" that the novel coronavirus&nbsp;is predominantly transmitted through the air. A team of 6 experts from UK, USA and Canada found that 'evidence supporting airborne transmission is overwhelming, and evidence supporting large droplet transmission is almost non-existent'. They urged the WHO and other public health agencies to change their description of Covid&nbsp;transmission 'so that the focus of mitigation is put on reducing airborne transmission'.
They said while hand washing is an important measure, it should be given less emphasis than measures such as wearing mask at all times, even when indoors, air ventilation, reducing crowding as they are more effect for curbing air borne transmission.&nbsp;

PNB scam case: The UK government has cleared fugitive billionaire Nirav Modi’s extradition to India.

The UK government has cleared fugitive billionaire <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/nirav-modi-extradition-a-timeline-of-his-arrest-in-2-billion-pnb-fraud-case-1614270800011" target="_blank">Nirav Modi&rsquo;s extradition</a> to India. The approval comes ahead of UK PM Boris Johnsson&rsquo;s visit to India.
In February, a UK court had cleared the first legal hurdle for his&nbsp;extradition&nbsp;and sent the case to the Home Secretary.
Nirav Modi however still has the option of legally challenging his extradition to India. The jeweller is wanted by Indian courts for fraud and money laundering in the ₹ 14,000-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) loan scam.
Also Read | <a href="https://www.editorji.com/story/arthur-road-jail-keeps-special-cell-ready-to-lodge-nirav-modi-1614325525895" target="_blank">Arthur Road jail keeps special cell ready to lodge Nirav Modi</a>

Pakistan blocked access to all social media on Friday, after days of anti-French protests across the country by Islamist gruops opposed to Prophet's cartoons. Govt off

Pakistan blocked access to all social media on Friday, after days of anti-French protests across the country by Islamist gruops opposed to Prophet's cartoons.
Govt officials said that Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites have been temporarily blocked on orders from the country&rsquo;s interior ministry.
On Thursday, the French embassy in Pakistan advised all of its nationals and companies to temporarily leave the country due to anti-France protests.

Hong Kong billionaire and media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to a year in prison over his role in huge anti-Beijing protests. The 73-year-old founder of Appl

Hong Kong billionaire&nbsp;and media mogul Jimmy Lai has been sentenced to a year in prison over his role in huge anti-Beijing protests. The 73-year-old founder of Apple Daily is a fierce critic of Beijing. Lai's media house supported the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong in the wake of the new pro-China security law. Lai and several other activists were pronounced guilty of charges relating to organisation of large pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019.
The verdict comes as the mainland is increasingly cracking down on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms.

A Canadian MP was left red-faced after appearing stark naked on a House of Commons Zoom conference call. 'William Amos, an MP from PM Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, wa

A Canadian MP was left red-faced after appearing stark naked on a House of Commons Zoom conference call. ' William Amos, an MP from PM Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party, was caught covering his nether regions with a mobile phone when his laptop camera turned on during the virtual session.
"I made a really unfortunate mistake today &amp; obviously I'm embarrassed by it," the 46-year-old tweeted late Wednesday after the incident.
He explained that his laptop camera was accidentally left on as he changed into work clothes after the morning jog. "It was an honest mistake and it won't happen again," he added.

Multiple people were shot in the city of Indianapolis late Thursday, according to US media. It is unclear exactly how many people were shot and the severity of their in

Eight people were shot and killed in a late-night shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis. The shooter has killed himself, police said.
Multiple other people were injured Thursday night when gunfire erupted at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport, police said.
At least four were hospitalized, including one person with critical injures. Another two people were treated and released at the scene, officials said.
The shooter wasn't immediately identified, and police said investigators were still in the process of gathering information.

China’s Q1 GDP jumped a record 18.3% in the Jan-April quarter vs 6.2% in the previous quarter. The rise is the highest since 1992 at least as per

China&rsquo;s Q1 GDP&nbsp;&nbsp;jumped a record 18.3% in the Jan-April&nbsp;quarter vs 6.2% in the previous quarter. The rise is the highest since 1992 at least as per official data. The reading however was still a notch below the 19% markets were expecting.
The figures are inflated due to a very low base last year due the pandemic lockdown.In other economic data Industrial output rose 14.1% in March missing projection of 18%, while retail sales expanded 34.2% in March, beating expectations of a 28% gain
&nbsp;

Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said people will “likely” need a booster dose of a Covid-19 vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated. C

Pfizer&nbsp;CEO Albert Bourla said people will &ldquo;likely&rdquo; need a booster dose of a&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine within 12 months of getting fully vaccinated.
CNBC reported Pfizer Chief&rsquo;s comments stating "&ldquo;A likely scenario is that there will be &nbsp;a need for a third dose, somewhere between six and 12 months and then from there, there will be an annual revaccination, but all of that needs to be confirmed.&nbsp;And again, the variants will play a key role,&rdquo;
Initial data has shown that vaccines from Moderna&nbsp;and Pfizer&nbsp;retain most of their effectiveness for at least six months.&nbsp;Researchers still don&rsquo;t know how long protection against the virus lasts once someone has been fully vaccinated.

China should lift all birth restrictions to tackle the problems of an ageing population and plan ahead to compete economically with a demographically young India and an

China should lift all birth restrictions to tackle the problems of an ageing population and plan ahead to compete economically with a demographically young India and an immigration-friendly US, a report by the central bank has said, Hindustan Times has reported.
China&rsquo;s birth rate has been falling for years. That&rsquo;s why the government eased the one-child policy, which was in place since the late 1970s, in 2016, allowing couples to have two children.
Primarily focused on how China should tackle the problem of its ageing population, the People&rsquo;s Bank of China report has compared the situation to India and the US, making the radical suggestion that the government allow three or more children per household.
&nbsp;

Pakistan has played on both sides of the field in Afghanistan, contributing to the Taliban's success, a senior US senator has reminded his colleagues. The stark indictm

Pakistan has played on both sides of the field in Afghanistan, contributing to the Taliban's success, a senior US senator has reminded his colleagues. The stark indictment of Islamabad came a day after Washington announced plans to withdraw all troops from the war-torn Afghanistan by September 11.
Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Jack Reed, on Thursday, said "a crucial factor contributing immensely to the Taliban's success" has been the inability of the US to "eliminate the sanctuary the Taliban was granted in Pakistan."

France on Thursday became the third country in Europe after the UK and Italy to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 Covid-19-related deaths as new infections and deaths

France on Thursday became the third country in Europe after the UK and Italy to reach the grim milestone of 100,000 Covid-19-related deaths as new infections and deaths surged due to virus variants.
The country of 67 million is the eighth nation in the world to reach the mark after a year of overwhelmed hospitals and on-and-off coronavirus lockdowns.
In a message solidarity to the French people, President Emmanuel Macron said that France will not forget those taken away by the virus.
France added 300 new deaths Thursday to the previous day's tally of 99,777, bringing the total to 100,077 deaths.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday issued his final letter to shareholders before turning the helm over to AWS CEO Andy Jassy. Bezos in his later stated "It’s

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday issued his final letter to shareholders before turning the helm over to AWS CEO Andy Jassy. Bezos&nbsp;in his letter&nbsp;stated "It&rsquo;s clear to me that we need a better&nbsp;vision&nbsp;for how we create value for employees.&rdquo; The statement on employee value comes at the back of&nbsp;of the Amazon union drive, which bought to light gruelling workplace conditions in the e-commerce giant's warehouses.&nbsp;

Wall Street had a terrific Thursday with Dow closing above the 34,000 mark and S&P 500 soaring to a record high as falling yields boosted bets on tech stocks.

Wall Street had a terrific Thursday with Dow closing above the 34,000 mark and S&amp;P 500 soaring to a record high as falling yields boosted bets on tech stocks.&nbsp;
Tech backed Nasdaq Composite closed&nbsp;above 14,000 for the first time since Feb. 16 as&nbsp;benchmark 10-year Treasury yield slipped below 1.6% for the first time since March 25.
Economic data continues to be supportive with&nbsp;U.S. jobless claims dropping to the lowest level since March 2020 and retail sales jumping 9.8%&nbsp;in March beating estimates.&nbsp;
The S&amp;P 500 has gained 1% this week, on pace for its fourth straight positive week.&nbsp;

The White House has announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats amid the announcing tough new sanctions on Russia.The move comes in response to Russia's interferenc

The White House has announced the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats amid the announcing tough new sanctions on Russia. The move comes in response to Russia's interference in last year's US Presidential elections, and cyber-security attacks on federal agencies in Washington.
These sanctions are being seen as retaliatory attacks on the Kremlin for last year's hack and according to the US govt, intend to send a clear retributive message to Russia to deter from any such attacks in the future.
In a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, Biden said the US would "act firmly" in defence of its national interests. Biden also proposed a meeting with Putin "in a third country" that could allow the leaders to find areas to work together.

Cryptocraze back in headlines as Bitcoin climbed to an all-time high topping $64,000 as the largest cryptocurrency exchange debuted on Nasdaq with a $100

Cryptocraze&nbsp;back in headlines as&nbsp;Bitcoin climbed to an all-time high topping $64,000 as the largest cryptocurrency exchange debuted on Nasdaq&nbsp;with a $100 billion valuation.&nbsp; Coinbase, the largest crypto exchange in the United States, began trading at $381 per share, giving it a market cap of roughly $100 billion, but failed to sustain the gains.&nbsp; Bitcoin&nbsp;may have marked its comeback but watchers had their eye on Dodgecoin.&nbsp;&nbsp;The meme-cryptocurrency Elon Musk wouldn&rsquo;t stop tweeting about has reached an all-time high. Dodgecoin&nbsp;is now worth 10 cents.&nbsp; &nbsp;

US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year. The withdrawal will bring to end the countr

US President Joe Biden has announced that all American troops would be withdrawn from Afghanistan by September 11 this year. The withdrawal will bring to end the country's longest war, spanning across two decades.
"US troops, as well as forces deployed by our NATO allies will be out of Afghanistan before we mark the 20th anniversary of that heinous attack on September 11,&rdquo; Biden said during a televised address to the nation on Wednesday. &ldquo;It's time for American troops to come home," he added.
Biden reiterated that his administration would remain alert to the threat of terrorism. Before making the announcement, Biden had spoken with former US presidents Barack Obama and George Bush.

Denmark has become the only country to stop using AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, following reports of its possible link to rare blood clot cases.

Denmark has become&nbsp;the only country to stop using AstraZeneca&rsquo;s&nbsp;Covid-19&nbsp;vaccine, following reports of its possible link to rare blood clot cases.
This decision is likely going to postpone the scheduled conclusion of the country&rsquo;s vaccination programme to early August from July 25, as per Reuters. Results of investigations into the blood clots &ldquo;showed real and serious side effects,&rdquo; Denmark's health agency head Soren Brostrom said in a statement.

Pakistan on Wednesday banned a radical Islamist party under the Terrorism Act after its supporters clashed with the law enforcement agencies for the third consecutive d

Pakistan on Wednesday banned a radical Islamist party under the Terrorism Act after its supporters clashed with the law enforcement agencies for the third consecutive day leaving seven persons dead and over 300 policemen injured.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that at least two police officials were killed and 340 injured in clashes with the protestors during the last two days.&nbsp;There were media reports that at least two protestors were also killed.
The TLP had launched the country-wide protest on Monday following the arrest of its chief Saad Hussain Rizvi ahead of April 20 deadline the Islamists had given to the Imran Khan government demanding expulsion of the French ambassador for publication of caricatures of Prophet Muhammad.

Prince Harry reached the UK to attend his grandfather Prince Philip's funeral, however, the Duke of Sussex's wife Meghan Markle could not accompany him due to her secon

Prince Harry reached the UK to attend his grandfather Prince Philip's funeral, however, the Duke of Sussex's wife Meghan Markle could not accompany him due to her second pregnancy.&nbsp;
A source close to the Duchess of Sussex told E! News that Meghan wanted to 'support' Harry at the funeral and would have come along if she was not too far along in her pregnancy.
Harry's trip to the UK comes at an opportune time, the report said,&nbsp;as it will allow him and Prince William to 'work on their relationship'&nbsp;after an apparent fallout.
Prince Philip's funeral will be held on April&nbsp;17 at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.

India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is more likely to respond now with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, according to a US intelligence

India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is more likely to respond now with military force to perceived or real Pakistani provocations, according to a US intelligence report. The report to the US Congress said although a general war between India and Pakistan is unlikely, crises between the two are likely to become more intense. The report added &lsquo;heightened tensions raise the risk of conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, with violent unrest in Kashmir or a militant attack in India being potential flashpoints&rsquo;.

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