Author: News Desk

British author and WTX News Journalist Yvonne Ridley has made an astonishing offer to go to war-torn Syria and demand the release of East London aid worker Tauqir ‘Tox’ Sharif who was kidnapped by Idlib’s Syrian Rebels, the controlling rebel group Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham. Ridley, from Scotland, is understood to be in direct dialogue with the Islamists, in an attempt to break the deadlock between HTS and Sharif’s family, friends and supporters. Syrian Rebels Take ‘Tox’ captive The British aid worker was arrested on June 29 by around 15 HTS men heavily armed and wearing masks. Eyewitnesses have confirmed reports…

I don’t normally cry that easily but there were sections of Alice Walker’s book which caused me to tear up and on the final pages I struggled to read because my eyes were so full. but this book will make you laugh as well. Therefore it comes as no surprise to discover The Color Purple won Walker the coveted Pulitzer Prize and a host of other awards back in 1983. The only surprise for me is that it has taken me this long to read the novel. It has been described as a piece of feminist work about an abused and uneducated African American woman’s struggle…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 11,744,397 DEATHS: 540,764 RECOVERED: 6,740,096 ………………………………………………………………….. ………………………………………………………………….. Fury as Boris Johnson accuses care homes over high Covid-19 death toll  The Guardian says care leaders, unions and MPs have rounded on PM Boris Johnson after he accused care homes of failing to follow proper procedures amid the coronavirus crisis, saying the PM appeared to be shifting blame for the high death toll.  With nearly 20,000 care home residents confirmed to have died with Covid-19 and estimate that the true toll is much greater, there has been widespread criticism about a lack of PPE, testing and clear…

The US will not allow foreign students to stay if their university classes move online. And the US is to send foreign students back home if universities don’t resume classes soon. “Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States,” US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement. “Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures, such as transferring to a school with in-person instruction to remain in lawful status,” ICE said. “If…

Tensions between the United States and China continue to simmer with the United States to ban Tik Tok. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a TV interview on Monday that Washington was “certainly looking at” banning Chinese social media apps including Tik Tok. “I don’t want to get out in front of the President (Donald Trump), but it’s something we’re looking at,” Pompeo said in an interview with Fox News, As the presenter queried and pushed him to confirm that the United States to ban Tik Tok The development comes a few days after India announced it was boycotting 59…

Pakistan’s ‘fake pilot’ scandal Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) the largest airline operating in Pakistan has grounded 150 of its pilots over claims they may not hold a valid licence or had cheated on exams. The licence scandal emerged following a report into a plane crash in May. On 22 May 2020, a plane crashed in Karachi killing 97 people and leaving two survivors. It is unknown if the pilots held fake licences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK1cHoL8NYE May 2020 fatal crash According to the report, the pilots were distracted talking about coronavirus and repeatedly ignored warnings from air traffic controllers before the plane went…

GLOBAL COVID-19 TODAY CORONAVIRUS CASES: 11,564,185 DEATHS: 536,893 RECOVERED: 6,538,868 ………………………………………………………………….. Coronavirus can float in the air, experts say WHO and CDC should tell people that  CNN says the coronavirus can float in air droplets and is likely transmitting that way, a group of experts say. They are publishing an open letter to the WHO and other health agencies, asking them to be more forthright in explaining how the virus can transmit in the air.  “The airborne transmission word seems to be loaded,” said one of the main authors of the letter. “I guess we are hoping that WHO will…

On Monday, Saudi Arabia’s Health Ministry confirmed 58 new deaths from COVID-19 and 3,580 new infections. These new figures bring the total COVI-19 cases to 209,509 infections and 1,916 deaths from COVID-19. The Saudi Health Ministry also added that 1,980 have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 145,236. The Saudi health ministry on Sunday announced plans to open its Takkad coronavirus testing centres in all regions in coming days as it reported 3,580 new cases. The ministry said 357,000 people had visited the testing centres opened so far, while another 208,000 had availed of the…

A high-level meeting coordinated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday reviewed internal and external security situation where Pakistan sends India a warning. India must not test the resolve and sovereignty of the country which would be protected at all costs. The meeting was attended by high-rank officials including Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General (CJCSC) Nadeem Raza, and the Chief of Army Staff. Pakistan sends India a warning The participants of the meeting agreed that Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence with its neighbours. However, it sent a daring message to India ‘Pakistan sends…

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe quit his office on Friday signalling a government reshuffle by President Emmanuel Macron in a bid to increase his green credentials and win back disillusioned voters ahead of a possible re-election bid. French PM Edouard Philippe, head of President Emmanuel Macron’s government, resigns after poor local election results, as the French president is taking extreme measures in a bid to cling to power for as long as he can. French PM resigns The Elysee Palace said in a statement that Philippe would handle government affairs until a new cabinet was named. Questions over Philippe’s job…