Afghans say Taliban behind bloodshed, reject U.S. blame of Islamic State
Afghan officials on Friday blamed the Taliban for a bloody attack on a maternity hospital in the capital, Kabul, this week, rejecting a U.S. assertion that it was carried out by Islamic State militants.
French lockdown led to less drug trafficking and spike in prices
The lockdown imposed in France to combat the coronavirus led to a sharp drop in drug trafficking and a huge spike in prices, officials said on Friday.
‘May Allah remove the virus’: Pandemic a grim addition to Afghanistan’s woes
Delkhah Sultani scrubs laundry outside her home in Kabul as her young daughter watches on. She says she once got paid around $3 a day to wash clothes for other households but since the coronavirus outbreak hit, work has dropped and she now earns $1 eve…
Hong Kong government will accept police watchdog recommendations, says Lam
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Friday her government will accept the recommendations made by the police watchdog in its review of the force’s handling of often violent pro-democracy protests since June last year.
Hong Kong police watchdog report branded ‘superficial’
Hong Kong’s police watchdog called on Friday for a review of guidelines on the use of tear gas and training for officers in public order policing, in a long-awaited report that some democracy lawmakers decried as “superficial”.
Georgia will cancel its coronavirus state of emergency after May 22: TASS
Georgia will cancel the state of emergency it declared over the new coronavirus after May 22, the TASS news agency cited Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia as saying on Friday.
Afghan accused of mutilating wife after she asks for divorce
An Afghan man cut off his wife’s nose with a kitchen knife after she asked for a divorce, officials said on Friday, amid a surge in domestic violence triggered by the coronavirus lockdown.
Special Report: Caught in Trump-China feud, WHO leader under siege
When the head of the World Health Organization returned from a whirlwind trip to Beijing in late January, he wanted to praise China’s leadership publicly for its initial response to the new coronavirus. Several advisers suggested he tone the message down, according to a person familiar with the discussions.
Swabbers Wanted: Singapore recruits virus testers as cases climb
Singapore is offering generous salaries for people to perform nasal swabs at places like quarantined migrant dormitories as the city-state ramps up its testing regime to bring down one of the highest COVID-19 caseloads in Asia.
Clowns visit Indian shelters, briefly giving stranded migrants a laugh
Two sisters dressed up as clowns are visiting shelters packed with Indian migrants, trying to bring a moment of levity to poor families stranded in cities where they can no longer afford rent or food.
