Global vaccine doses pass one billion mark as cases top new record
NEW YORK: The number of COVID-19 jabs administered globally surpassed the one billion mark, even as the number of virus cases worldwide hit a new daily record mainly due to an explosion of infections in India. At least 1,002,938,540 vaccine
Global pandemic recovery
The coronavirus pandemic is the biggest crisis since the end of the Second World War which has caused immense human suffering and the deepest economic contraction since the Great Depression. Thus, the world particularly the rich countries need to allocate
Tokyo Stock Exchange resumes after outage debacle
TOKYO: The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) resumed normal trading on Friday, with the main index holding steady a day after the worst-ever outage brought the world’s third-largest equity market to a standstill. The glitch was the result of a hardware
Global cases top 17 million as virus wreaks economic havoc
WASHINGTON: The scale of economic devastation from the pandemic was revealed as Western economies recorded historic slumps as resurgent caseloads forced many countries into new trade-offs between health and financial stability. Six months after the World Health Organisation declared a
Global coronavirus deaths top half a million
NEW YORK: The death toll from COVID-19 reached half a million people, a grim milestone for the global pandemic that seems to be resurgent in some countries even as other regions are still grappling with the first wave. The respiratory
COVID-19 quickly spreads at home without symptoms: Study
LONDON: A research has claimed that coronavirus is twice more infectious within households without showing any symptoms. The researchers said that their findings could have profound impacts on reducing the number of new infections as the pandemic progresses. Using data
Coronavirus could cut up to 9.7 percent off global economy: ADB
MANILLA: The Asian Development Bank on Friday said the coronavirus pandemic could cut up to 9.7 percent off the global economy, doubling its previous estimate as the virus stifles trade and leaves millions jobless. The estimated impact would cost as
Economic desparity and poverty
The COVID-19 pandemic is taking its toll on the world, causing deaths, illness and economic despair. It has not been ascertained how the deadly virus is impacting world economies. This requires assumptions on how to forecast growth and its impact
IEA projects record fall in oil demand due to coronavirus
NEW YORK: The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday projected that global oil demand will fall by a record amount this year as lockdown measures imposed to curb the coronavirus outbreak bring the economy to a virtual halt. The overall
Global trade will plunge by a third in 2020 amid pandemic: WTO
GENEVA: The World Trade Organisation has warned global trade growth is expected to plummet by up to a third in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. “World trade is expected to fall by between 13 percent and 32 percent in
WHO declares coronavirus a global ‘pandemic’
GENEVA: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared COVID-19 a pandemic, as the new coronavirus has rapidly spread to more than 121,000 people across the world. In a meeting at the agency’s headquarters, the WHO pointed to the over 118,000
KSE 100 index plunges by 1162 points as global markets fall
KARACHI: The stock market plunged on Friday on the final day of the week ending yet another dismal week on a downward trajectory. The benchmark KSE 100 index nose-dived by 1162.44 points and closed at 38,219.67 points. This marked a
WHO to decide if coronavirus has become global crisis
WASHINGTON: The World Health Organization (WHO) called a meeting of its emergency committee to decide whether the outbreak of the new coronavirus constitutes an international public health crisis. “Preventing the spread of this epidemic both in China and internationally is
Transgender from Pakistan nominated for global award
ISLAMABAD: A transgender woman from Pakistan has been nominated for an international award in Dublin, Ireland in appreciation of her work. The nominees are chosen by three major organisations including Amnesty International, Frontline Defenders and National Ex Foundation, and Syinat
Global leaders, tycoons flock to Saudi ‘Davos in desert’
JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia drew top finance moguls and political leaders to its Davos-style investment summit on Tuesday, in stark contrast to last year when outrage over critic Jamal Khashoggi’s murder sparked a mass boycott. Organisers say 300 speakers from over
Pakistan’s competitiveness decline
Pakistan has slipped by three spots on the Global Competitiveness Index released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), ranking at a dismal 110 out of 141 countries and the lowest in South Asia. The index is a guideline for policymakers