By , , , (Reuters) - Dr. Gopi Patel recalls how powerless she felt when New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital overflowed with COVID-19 patients in March.Guidance on how to treat the disease was scant, and medical studies were being performed so hastily they couldn’t always be trusted.“You felt very helpless,” said Patel, an infectious disease doctor at the hospital. “I’m standing in front of a patient, watching them struggle to breathe. What can I give them?”While there is still no simple answer to that question, a lot has changed in the six months since an entirely new coronavirus began sweeping...…By , , , (Reuters) - Dr. Gopi Patel recalls how powerless she felt when New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital overflowed with COVID-19 patients in March.Guidance on how to treat the disease was scant, and medical studies were being performed so hastily they couldn’t always be trusted.“You felt very helpless,” said Patel, an infectious disease doctor at the hospital. “I’m standing in front of a patient, watching them struggle to breathe. What can I give them?”While there is still no simple answer to that question, a lot has changed in the six months since an entirely new coronavirus began sweeping...WW…

By , RIYADH/DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia indefinitely extended a curfew due to the coronavirus on Sunday amid a surge of new infections, and the United Arab Emirates warned of possible action against countries refusing to allow migrant workers to be repatriated.Since placing the capital Riyadh and other big cities under 24-hour curfew on Monday, Saudi Arabia has reported more than 300 new cases per day. The nationwide curfew, initially set for three weeks, runs from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m everywhere else. For both this and the 24-hour curfew, residents may go out only for essential needs.The...…By , RIYADH/DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia indefinitely extended a curfew due to the coronavirus on Sunday amid a surge of new infections, and the United Arab Emirates warned of possible action against countries refusing to allow migrant workers to be repatriated.Since placing the capital Riyadh and other big cities under 24-hour curfew on Monday, Saudi Arabia has reported more than 300 new cases per day. The nationwide curfew, initially set for three weeks, runs from 3 p.m. to 6 a.m everywhere else. For both this and the 24-hour curfew, residents may go out only for essential needs.The...WW…

By DUBAI (Reuters) - Donald Trump’s business partner in Dubai on Wednesday said he was interested in expanding their commercial relationship despite the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week.Trump has faced stinging criticism after encouraging supporters on Jan. 6 to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. That led to a violent invasion during which five people died.“Our relationship with the Trump Organisation, and especially with (Trump’s son and Trump Organisation executive) Eric Trump and his team, is fabulous and we have no intention to cancel...…By DUBAI (Reuters) - Donald Trump’s business partner in Dubai on Wednesday said he was interested in expanding their commercial relationship despite the storming of the U.S. Capitol last week.Trump has faced stinging criticism after encouraging supporters on Jan. 6 to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. That led to a violent invasion during which five people died.“Our relationship with the Trump Organisation, and especially with (Trump’s son and Trump Organisation executive) Eric Trump and his team, is fabulous and we have no intention to cancel...WW…

By DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a document issued by a state-owned business park.A source briefed on the matter told Reuters the visas had temporarily stopped being issued to Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of several other countries over security concerns, but did not provide details of those concerns.The document, sent to companies operating in the park and seen by Reuters, cited an immigration circular that came into effect on Nov....…By DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a document issued by a state-owned business park.A source briefed on the matter told Reuters the visas had temporarily stopped being issued to Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of several other countries over security concerns, but did not provide details of those concerns.The document, sent to companies operating in the park and seen by Reuters, cited an immigration circular that came into effect on Nov....WW…

By DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a document issued by a state-owned business park.A source briefed on the matter told Reuters the visas had temporarily stopped being issued to Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of several other countries over security concerns, but did not provide details of those concerns.The document, sent to companies operating in the park and seen by Reuters, cited an immigration circular that came into effect on Nov....…By DUBAI (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates has stopped issuing new visas to citizens of 13 mostly Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a document issued by a state-owned business park.A source briefed on the matter told Reuters the visas had temporarily stopped being issued to Afghans, Pakistanis and citizens of several other countries over security concerns, but did not provide details of those concerns.The document, sent to companies operating in the park and seen by Reuters, cited an immigration circular that came into effect on Nov....WW…

By , SYDNEY/DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar expressed regret on Wednesday over the treatment of the female travellers after Australia said women on 10 flights underwent invasive physical searches following the discovery of an abandoned baby at the country’s international airport.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking about the issue for the first time, told reporters in Canberra that “Australia’s strong objections and views” about the incident involving Australian travellers on October 2 were widely shared, without elaborating.Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin...…By , SYDNEY/DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar expressed regret on Wednesday over the treatment of the female travellers after Australia said women on 10 flights underwent invasive physical searches following the discovery of an abandoned baby at the country’s international airport.Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, speaking about the issue for the first time, told reporters in Canberra that “Australia’s strong objections and views” about the incident involving Australian travellers on October 2 were widely shared, without elaborating.Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin...WW…

By DUBAI (Reuters) - A Qatari company helping build a 2022 World Cup stadium has been banned from the event’s projects after its labourers went unpaid for months, organisers said on Thursday, in a case Amnesty International said showed inadequate worker welfare standards.Around 100 employees of a Qatari subcontractor, Qatar Meta Coats (QMC), working on the Al Bayt stadium went up to seven months without pay and continue to be owed unpaid salaries, Amnesty said in a report.QMC has also not renewed residency permits for most of its workers, necessary for foreigners working in Qatar, the...…By DUBAI (Reuters) - A Qatari company helping build a 2022 World Cup stadium has been banned from the event’s projects after its labourers went unpaid for months, organisers said on Thursday, in a case Amnesty International said showed inadequate worker welfare standards.Around 100 employees of a Qatari subcontractor, Qatar Meta Coats (QMC), working on the Al Bayt stadium went up to seven months without pay and continue to be owed unpaid salaries, Amnesty said in a report.QMC has also not renewed residency permits for most of its workers, necessary for foreigners working in Qatar, the...WW…

By DUBAI (Reuters) - The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 special envoy on Wednesday urged countries to focus on defeating the deadly virus after the United States halted funding to the WHO over its handling of the global pandemic.President Donald Trump, who has become increasingly hostile towards the WHO, on Tuesday announced the United States would cut off funding the Geneva-based organisation, prompting condemnation from infectious disease experts.“There are one or two countries that seem to be quite concerned about actions that were taken early on in the pandemic...We say to...…By DUBAI (Reuters) - The World Health Organization’s COVID-19 special envoy on Wednesday urged countries to focus on defeating the deadly virus after the United States halted funding to the WHO over its handling of the global pandemic.President Donald Trump, who has become increasingly hostile towards the WHO, on Tuesday announced the United States would cut off funding the Geneva-based organisation, prompting condemnation from infectious disease experts.“There are one or two countries that seem to be quite concerned about actions that were taken early on in the pandemic...We say to...WW…