A city emerges from lockdown For the first time in months, people have been allowed to leave the Chinese city of Wuhan The authorities have hailed this moment as a success - but residents had markedly different experiences of what is arguably the largest lockdown in human history. It took 76 days, ...

16 Kurdish cities under quarantine Northern Kurdistan is particularly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic because of its proximity to Iran and Eastern Kurdistan Turkish health authorities started to carry out first tests in the region only last week. The extent of the tests is extremely limited, for ...

Executive reveals exit strategy to ease UK out of lockdown A former WHO executive and Number 10 advisor has today revealed his four-step strategy to ease Britain out of its draconian coronavirus lockdown. Professor Karol Sikora, ex-director of the UN body's cancer unit and former member of the Depa...

UK air pollution plummets Air pollution levels in the UK have dropped significantly in the two weeks since the country went into lockdown to stop the spread of coronavirus Some cities have seen nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels fall by up to 60% on the same period last year, analysis shows. NO2, releas...

The snood that could mask you from infection A germ-trapping 'snood'—a scarf that covers both the nose and the mouth — which claims to deactivate the coronavirus could be the latest way to protect yourself from the pandemic Unlike ordinary masks, say researchers from the Manchester Institute of Bio...

Quick as a FLASH! Scientists find way to deliver ENTIRE COURSE of cancer treatment in less than a second New research may revolutionize how cancer patients are treated after showing that it’s possible to give people an entire course of radiation therapy in less than a second instead of over several...

Medical workers warn of 'disaster' Disaster for Yazidis if coronavirus hits Iraq's Sinjar region Iraq's conflict-ravaged Sinjar region may become a "disaster area" if the coronavirus pandemic spreads there, health and aid workers warned. The region in northern Iraq has struggled to recove...

Impact of COVID-19 on Middle East conflicts? The novel coronavirus has put global trade on hold, placed half of the world population in confinement and has the potential to topple governments and reshape diplomatic relations The United Nations has appealed for ceasefires in all the major conflicts ...

Low-risk activities to resume in Iran Iran: COVID-19 infection rates start to steady "Medium and low-risk" activities in Iran are to resume from next week, President Hassan Rouhani announced on Sunday, in an easing of some restrictive government measures to combat the spread of COVID-19. ...

Some good news! Number of people who’ve RECOVERED from Covid-19 passes quarter of a million Perhaps the most under-reported statistic in the entire coronavirus pandemic passed an important milestone on Sunday as 250,000 were marked as having recovered from the illness. The onward march of the death...

Can an N95 mask protect from new? Face masks are reportedly selling out in cities across Asia as concerns over the spread of a deadly new coronavirus grow. China’s National Health Commission has deployed masks to healthcare workers responding to the outbreak, and millions of masks have been sent to...

Hydroxychloroquine Doctors worldwide say malaria drug is the best coronavirus treatment Doctors around the globe report that the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine seems the most effective treatment they've tried for coronavirus patients - but less than half as many doctors are prescribing it in the U...

Iraq to exhume bodies from Yazidi mass graves Khairi Ali Ibrahim watched on as teams of workers exhumed a mass grave of Yazidis in Kocho village, south of Sinjar. “It was difficult for the Yazidis," he said. "We waited for about five years for this step.” Ibrahim, the director of the Yazi...

As oil prices fall how will Iraq pay the bills? As crude prices plunge, Iraq's oil sector is facing a triple threat that has slashed revenues, risks denting production, and may spell trouble for future exports With global oil prices falling to around $25 per barrel, Iraq faces a significant challen...