About 20 African migrants were found dead on Thursday after their boat, which was trying to reach Europe, sank in the Mediterranean Sea, Tunisian authorities said. Five survivors were rescued and the Tunisian navy is searching for up to 20 others still believed missing. Tunisian coast guard boats and local fishermen found the bodies off the coastal city of Sfax …

PARIS: A mutated coronavirus strain spreading in Britain is on average 56 percent more contagious than the original version, scientists have warned in a study, urging a fast vaccine rollout to help prevent more deaths. The new variant, which emerged in southeast England in November and is spreading fast, is likely to boost hospitalisations and deaths from Covid next year, …

PANAMA CITY: A group of 220 Cuban health care professionals arrived in Panama on Thursday to help fight the coronavirus pandemic despite objections from the United States. The Cuban medics will “reinforce the health system in this fight against covid-19”, Panama’s health ministry said on Twitter. Panama announced on Dec 15 it would hire doctors from Cuba, the US, Mexico, …

WASHINGTON: Lawmakers blocked attempts to alter a $2.3 trillion coronavirus aid and government spending package, rejecting US President Donald Trump’s demand for extensive changes and leaving benefits for millions of Americans at risk. Democrats in the House of Representatives sought to increase direct payments to Americans included in the bill from $600 to $2,000 per person as part of a …

WASHINGTON: The killing of an unarmed African-American man by police in the US city of Columbus, Ohio, sparked a fresh wave of outrage this week against racial injustice and police brutality in the country. Andre Maurice Hill, 47, was in the garage of a house on Monday night when he was shot several times by a police officer who had …

The US State Department on Friday expressed its reservations after the Sindh High Court (SHC) ordered that the four men charged in journalist Daniel Pearl’s abduction and murder case be released immediately, terming their detention illegal. In a message on Twitter, the state department said it was “deeply concerned” at the Dec 24 ruling of the SHC to release “multiple terrorists …

Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch in California has found a new owner in billionaire businessman Ron Burkle. Burkle views the 2,700-acre property in Los Olivos, near Santa Barbara, as a land banking opportunity, his spokesperson said on Thursday in an email. The Wall Street Journal reports the property was sold for $22 million to Burkle, an associate of the late pop star and …

BRUSSELS: Just a week before the deadline, Britain and the European Union struck a free-trade deal on Thursday that should avert economic chaos on new year’s day and bring a measure of certainty for businesses after years of Brexit turmoil. Once ratified by both sides, the agreement will ensure Britain and the 27-nation bloc can continue to trade in goods …

RAWALPINDI: Chahan Dam is almost complete but no work has been started to supply six million gallon daily (MGD) water from the reservoir to seven union councils of Rawalpindi due to insufficient funds. Due to the delay, the project cost has increased from Rs5.3 billion to Rs6.7 billion. The Punjab government approved the project worth Rs5.3 billion to bring six …

ROME: Police in Italy enforced fresh Covid-19 travel restrictions on Thursday aimed at limiting Christmas get-togethers involving far-flung family members as public health officials appealed for a drastic reduction in social contacts to prevent new infections over the holidays. A modified nationwide lockdown went into effect on Christmas eve with restrictions and closures similar to the 10 weeks of hard …