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ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — One of Greece’s most important archaeological sites escaped serious damage after firefighters tamed a wildfire that lashed the surrounding countryside, officials said on Monday. The fire erupted at noon on Sunday near the ruins of Mycenae, one of the centres of ancient Greek civilisation, about 120 kilometres (75 miles) south-west of Athens, prompting the evacuation of visitors and staff. “The damage caused to the archaeological site was the least possible, as […]
by Tatiana Kalinovskaya Agence France Presse MINSK, Belarus (AFP) — Tens of thousands of opposition supporters marched through Minsk Sunday, calling for an end to strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s rule amid a heavy security presence and despite dozens of arrests. Belarus protests have entered a third week since the disputed presidential election on August 9 in which Lukashenko claimed victory. Opposition rival Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says she was the true winner, meanwhile. An AFP journalist and […]
ROME, Italy (AFP) — Three Nigerian migrants attacked staff in a military hospital in Rome after testing positive for the new coronavirus, the defence ministry said Saturday. The incident at the Celio military hospital, now turned into a COVID-19 treatment centre, occurred when they saw a Bangladeshi migrant walking out after testing negative and then tried to flee but were stopped. They are accused of violence, resistance and causing bodily harm. “The attacks at […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — France on Friday said there had been an “exponential” rise in coronavirus cases with more than 7,000 new infections in 24 hours. “The dynamic of the progression of the epidemic is exponential,” France’s directorate general of health said, adding that there were 7,379 new infections in mainland France against 6,111 on Thursday and 5,429 on Wednesday. This was the highest figure recorded since testing was expanded in France. The 4,000-mark […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Britain’s government on Friday urged people to return to work amid concern about the impact of the coronavirus lockdown on the economy and struggling high street businesses. “It is now safe to go back to work,” Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told Sky News television in an interview. “I think there’s a limit, just in human terms, to remote working. And there are things where you just need to spark […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The WHO said Thursday it was setting up a committee to consider changing the rules on declaring an international health emergency, following criticism of its Covid-19 pandemic response. The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) over the new coronavirus on January 30 — at which time the respiratory disease had infected fewer than 100 people outside China, and claimed no lives beyond its borders. But […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — France’s prime minister on Thursday announced face masks will become compulsory throughout Paris, expressing concern over an “undeniable” trend of expanding coronavirus infection in the country. Jean Castex said 19 more departments have been added to a map with “red” zones of active virus circulation, meaning 21 of France’s 94 departments are classified as such. Official figures released Wednesday showed more than 5,400 confirmed new cases in just 24 hours, […]
BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Germany on Wednesday criticised naval exercises in the eastern Mediterranean as “not helpful” in easing tensions between Greece and Turkey, at odds over gas and maritime borders. “What we have to find is a starting point for us to enter once again into political discussions and negotiations,” German Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said after talks with her EU counterparts in Berlin. “The manoeuvres that took place today are certainly not helpful,” […]
by Hélène COLLIOPOULOU with Raziye AKKOC in Ankara ATHENS, Greece (AFP) — Greece and its EU allies held war games in the Mediterranean Wednesday while Turkey conducted drills with the US navy nearby, as the row between the two neighbours over gas and maritime borders ratcheted up another notch. The convergence of a growing number of warships on an energy-rich but disputed patch of sea between Cyprus and Crete came as NATO and a host […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — Pharma giant AstraZeneca said Tuesday it had begun a clinical trial of a drug designed to both prevent infection and treat people with COVID-19, with the first volunteers receiving doses. The drug, known as AZD7442, is a combination of two antibodies and is being tested on 48 healthy people aged between 18 and 55, the company said. “This trial is an important milestone in the development of our monoclonal antibody […]
ROME, Italy (AFP) — An Italian hospital said on Monday it had innoculated a first volunteer with an anti-COVID-19 vaccine as part of human trials expected to last six months. The woman, in her 50s, received the first dose developed by Rome-based biotech company ReiThera at the capital’s Spallanzani Institute for infectious diseases. The trials, developed between ReiThera and Spallanzani researchers, will be carried out on 90 volunteers divided into groups by age to […]
TBILISI, Georgia (AFP) — Ex-Soviet Georgia on Monday announced a day of mourning after 17 people were killed when a mini-bus plunged 80 metres (260 feet) off a mountain road. Police said the accident took place on Sunday in the country’s Mtskheta-Mtianeti region in the Caucasus Mountains. The mini-bus “fell over a rocky slope” while travelling in the municipality of Dusheti, killing 17 people and leaving three seriously injured, the interior ministry said in a […]
