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All passengers & crew allowed to leave cruise ship quarantined in Hong Kong after testing negative for coronavirus All 3,600 passengers and crew have been cleared to leave a cruise ship that was quarantined in Hong Kong, after testing for coronavirus on the vessel showed negative results, health officials said. The World Dream cruise ship was quarantined after it was discovered that crew may have come in contact with eight passengers infected with coronavirus on a previous trip. Subsequent tests showed that the staff were not carrying the deadly virus. As a result, all 3,600 people on board have been allowed off the ship. They cruise ship had been under quarantine for more than four days. Also on rt.com Cruise...

Indian pharma threatened by coronavirus outbreak that could lead to shortage of Chinese drug imports India's pharmaceutical industry has warned that the ongoing coronavirus epidemic could impact the supply of ingredients and drugs imported from China. The possibility that drug imports could be slashed due to the outbreak is being "closely monitored" and the government is working with pharmaceutical companies "in an integrated way to deal with the situation," Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance Secretary General Sudarshan Jain told local media. A shortage of Chinese drugs would have an immediate effect on India's pharmaceutical industry, as China accounted for some 68 percent of total imports for bulk drugs and ingredients in 2018-2019. ...

'Warsaw is closer to Moscow than to Washington': Ex-president Walesa vows to break ice in Poland-Russia ties It is imperative to improve Russia-Poland relations, outlive the troubled past and move forward, ex-president Lech Walesa has said, adding that only a "third party" benefits from the discord. While the relationship between Poland and Russia wasn't particularly warm throughout recent decades, it can be unfrozen if both sides do their part, Walesa told Russia's Sobesednik weekly. "Even now, these relations can be made good," the former president said. When we quarrel, only third parties win. Warsaw was always closer to Moscow than to Washington. Poland and Russia "deserve to live in peace and friendship... despite all the losses both sides ha...

UFC 247: Jon Jones retains light heavyweight title with controversial points win over Dominick Reyes in Houston Jon Jones retained his UFC light heavyweight title as he claimed a controversial unanimous decision victory against Dominick Reyes in Houston. After a back-and-forth battle in which Reyes dominated the early exchanges before Jones exerted late control, it was Jones who was awarded the decision 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 on the scorecards. The defeat was the first for 30-year-old Reyes in his 13th professional MMA outing, while 'Bones' picked up the 26th win of his gilded career.   STILL THE CHAMP.?☠️ @JonnyBones gets the unanimous decision! #UFC247 pic.twitter.com/V1hGZOUjI3— UFC (@ufc) February 9, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/w...

Motive exposed: Thai soldier who killed 26 people in shooting rampage felt CHEATED over land deal, PM reveals A soldier who went on a deadly shooting spree at a mall in northeastern Thailand was disgruntled over a land deal, the country’s prime minister said. The gunman was killed by special forces after an overnight siege. The suspect, identified as junior army officer Jakraphanth Thomma, was motivated by “the feeling of grudge over the land sale deal,” Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Sunday. Thomma killed his commander and two fellow soldiers, before stealing weapons, ammunition and a Humvee from his military base. He then drove to a Buddhist temple and then a busy shopping center, Terminal 21, in Korat, northeastern Thailand. He opened f...

Russian banks may grant loans to diamond buyers in India – media Indian diamond traders purchasing rough precious stones from major Russian miner Alrosa could be eligible for loans from Russian banks, as domestic lenders have reduced financing for the gem and jewelry sectors. Russian banks have already started granting money to Alrosa’s foreign clients, according to the Economic Times. The measure could boost India’s diamond industry, which has been lacking a source of financing since notorious jeweler Nirav Modi was accused of being involved in a $2.5+ billion fraud case in India. The billionaire was arrested in London in 2019 after managing to enjoy a lavish lifestyle in London for more than a year while on Interpol’s Red Notice list. ...

US military confirms 2 troops killed & 6 injured in Afghanistan by ‘individual in Afghan uniform’ At least two US service members were killed and six others injured after an indvidual in “Afghan uniform” armed with a machine gun opened fire on a joint patrol in Afghanistan, the US military has confirmed. The incident took place in Nangarhar province earlier on Saturday as a combined US and Afghan force was returning from a "key-leader engagement," a spokesman for US forces in Afghanistan said in a late night statement. NEW, statement from US Forces-Afghanistan spox Col. Leggett: 2 US troops killed and six injured in Afghanistan after “an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine...

Unpleasant surprise for Washington? US oil sanctions on Iran force India to look to Russia Escalating US pressure on Iran, including sanctions targeting Iranian oil exports, may have had an unexpected consequence – pushing India to diversify its energy supplies by shifting from Tehran to Moscow as a major oil supplier. State-owned oil refiner Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has just signed a contract with Russia’s Rosneft for the supply of up to 2 million tons of oil by the end of 2020. The meeting took place on the sidelines of India’s largest weapons fair, DefExpo, currently going on in Lucknow. “This is just the beginning,” Indian Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters after meeting with Rosneft chairman Igor Sechin in New Delhi on Wednesday...

Thai security forces kill shopping mall gunman & rescue hostages after 17-hour rampage Security forces in Thailand have finally managed to neutralize a heavily armed and highly trained gunman who killed at least 21 people during his shooting rampage that lasted for nearly 17 hours. “The police have killed the perpetrator and rescued eight hostages. Some were wounded,” a security source told Reuters on condition of anonymity pending an official press conference. Also on rt.com Thailand mall shooting spree: What we know so far "Thank you police and army for ending the situation. Shooter shot dead!!!" Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a post on Facebook. Thai security forces k...

21 killed in Thailand mall carnage, gunman still on the loose: What we know so far At least 21 people have been killed after a Thai soldier – who is still on the loose – went on a shooting spree and took hostages inside a shopping mall, sharing selfies on social media during his carnage. The gunman started his shooting spree around 3 pm (0800 GMT) Saturday, killing at least 20 visitors, injuring over 30, and taking hostages inside a busy Terminal 21 shopping center in Korat, also known as Nakhon Ratchasima, in northeast Thailand. The suspect was identified as junior army officer Jakraphanth Thomma – a shooting instructor in his unit, and a sniper who has completed a special forces program. Just before the carnage at the mall he killed his commander...