NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A 100-year-old World War II veteran has died of the new coronavirus a century after his twin brother was killed in the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic, US media reports said. Philip Kahn fought at the Battle of Iwo Jima and helped with aerial surveys after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Newsday said Wednesday in its online edition. Kahn and his twin Samuel were born in December 1919 […]
North America
EBC Update: New Jersey senator says religion an essential service, should resume immediately
(Eagle News) – EBC Correspondent in New Jersey May Ann Manzano-Guerzon reports on the statement of State Senator Mike Doherty, who has launched a petition calling on Governor Phil Murphy to allow churches and houses of worship in New Jersey to resume in this time of coronavirus. The petition states that outdoor services should be allowed with reasonable precautions, and mentions the constitutional right to practice religion that should not be impeded through overly […]
US sees 1,738 new coronavirus deaths in 24 hours: Johns Hopkins
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Wednesday recorded 1,738 deaths from the coronavirus in the past 24 hours, a lower toll than the day before, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University. The new deaths bring the total number of COVID-19 fatalities in the US to 46,583 since the outbreak began there, by far the highest figures recorded by any country caught in the global pandemic. © Agence France-Presse
Pompeo vows to hold Iran ‘accountable’ over satellite launch
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday accused Iran of violating a UN Security Council resolution through a satellite launch and vowed repercussions. “I think Iran needs to be held accountable for what they’ve done,” Pompeo told reporters. Iran announced Wednesday that it had put its first military satellite in orbit after repeated tries and despite intense economic and military pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration. The Trump administration […]
Autopsies reveal US virus deaths weeks before first reported fatality
SAN FRANCISCO, United States (AFP) — Two people who died in California in early and mid-February were confirmed Tuesday as coronavirus cases — weeks before the first reported COVID-19 fatality in the United States. Autopsies on the two individuals who died at home on February 6 and February 17 showed they had succumbed to COVID-19, the Santa Clara County coroner said, after receiving confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Another person […]
US Senate approves new $480 bn pandemic relief plan
by Michael Mathes Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The US Senate approved a bipartisan, nearly half-trillion-dollar coronavirus relief package Tuesday, with funding earmarked for devastated small businesses, overwhelmed hospitals, and a ramp-up of testing nationwide during the pandemic. The essential job-saving measure, which passed by unanimous consent after more than a week of negotiations between Democrats, Republicans and the White House, now heads to the House of Representatives where a vote […]
Trump says immigration suspension to last 60 days
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was suspending immigration for green card seekers for 60 days, arguing the controversial move would help Americans find work again after coronavirus caused a surge in unemployment. Trump told reporters at the White House the suspension would come into force through an executive order that he would likely sign on Wednesday as he offered the first details about a vague announcement he made […]
Trump curbs immigration as UN warns of food shortages
by Chris Lefkow with AFP bureaux Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US President Donald Trump announced partial curbs on immigration Tuesday to “protect American workers” amid the economic carnage of the coronavirus pandemic. As Trump announced a 60-day pause in the issuing of “green cards” to people seeking permanent residency in the US, the United Nations warned that the virus could trigger famine in already vulnerable countries. The bleak warning came as […]
More than 2,700 dead in US from coronavirus in last 24 hours
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The coronavirus death toll in the United States — the country with the most fatalities in the pandemic — has climbed by 2,751 in the past 24 hours, the latest tally from Johns Hopkins University showed Tuesday. The US has recorded more than 800,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, according to the Baltimore-based university, with 44,845 deaths. Nearly 40,000 new cases were reported between Monday […]
Cuomo presses Trump for more federal help in coronavirus testing
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo pressed President Donald Trump Tuesday for more help from the federal government to carry out coronavirus testing during a face-to face-meeting he described as cordial and productive after weeks of sometimes nasty exchanges. As the virus death toll in the US keeps rising and now stands at nearly 45,000, widespread testing is viewed as key to states being able to lift stay-at-home orders and reopen […]
Coronavirus takes mental toll on New York’s medical staff
by Laura BONILLA Agence France Presse NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Battling to keep intensive care patients alive at a hospital in one of New York City’s worst-affected coronavirus neighborhoods is taking a toll on nurse Debbie Sanchez’s mental health. “I have extreme anxiety,” said Sanchez, who has been working 12-hour shifts covered head-to-toe in protective clothing since New York became the epicenter of America’s COVID-19 outbreak last month. Sanchez, 57, was working in […]
Trump says immigration suspension to last 60 days
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he was suspending immigration for green card seekers for 60 days, arguing the controversial move would help Americans find work again after coronavirus caused a surge in unemployment. Trump told reporters at the White House the suspension would come into force through an executive order that he would likely sign on Wednesday as he offered the first details about a vague announcement he made Monday […]
