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BRASILIA, Brazil (AFP) — The Brazilian state of Parana signed a deal Wednesday to test and produce Russia’s new coronavirus vaccine, though officials stressed they would have to be sure of its safety and effectiveness first. The vaccine would have to receive Brazilian regulatory approval and complete Phase 3 clinical trials, or large-scale testing in humans, before being produced in Brazil, said officials from the southern state. Production, if it goes ahead, would likely only […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — A fast-moving brush fire north of Los Angeles prompted mandatory evacuation orders for some 500 homes on Wednesday as firefighters battled the flames that had burned 10,000 acres by early evening, authorities said. The Lake Fire erupted at around 3:30 pm (2230 GMT) near Lake Hughes, about a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles. Rapidly-spreading flames had scorched some 10,000 acres (4,050 hectares) within a little more than three hours, […]
NAIROBI, Kenya (AFP) — A shallow 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck southeast of the Tanzanian financial centre of Dar es Salaam late Wednesday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The offshore quake struck at a depth of 15.5 kilometers (9.6 miles) just after 8 pm (1700 GMT) local time. The epicenter was 66 kilometers southeast of Vikindu, USGS said. Vikindu is just outside Dar es Salaam. There were no immediate reports of damage, but the tremor […]
WILMINGTON, United States (AFP) — Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden and his vice presidential pick Kamala Harris — the first black woman tapped by a major party for the post — rolled out their campaign Wednesday with a call to restore a broken nation. Biden, speaking alongside Harris in his Delaware hometown of Wilmington, said it was time after one term of President Donald Trump to “rebuild this country.” “Everything we care about,” Harris […]
LONDON, United States (AFP) — A passenger train derailed in northeast Scotland on Wednesday, with reports of “serious injuries” in what First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described as “an extremely serious incident”. The crash, close to the town of Stonehaven around 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of Aberdeen, followed severe flooding across parts of the region overnight. Smoke could be seen rising from the scene in pictures broadcast on television news channels. “The emergency services are […]
ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia (AFP) — Bubonic plague has killed a man in western Mongolia, the country’s health ministry said Wednesday, the latest in a handful of cases to emerge there and in neighbouring China this year. At least one person dies of the plague every year in the landlocked Asian country, where the rare bacterial disease is usually spread by fleas clinging to the hair of the marmots native to the region. The government has responded […]
SANAA, Yemen (AFP) — Flash floods triggered by torrential rains have killed at least 172 people across Yemen over the past month, damaging homes and UNESCO-listed world heritage sites, officials said. The destruction has dealt a new blow to a country already in the grips of what the United Nations describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis after years of war between a Saudi-backed government and Iran-allied rebels. In the mainly government-held province of Maarib […]
SEOUL, South Korea (AFP) — South Korea has opened a high-tech new front in the battle against coronavirus, fortifying bus shelters with temperature-checking doors and ultraviolet disinfection lamps. Ten advanced facilities have been installed in a northeastern district of Seoul, offering protection from monsoon rains, summer heat, and the novel coronavirus. To enter, passengers must stand in front of an automated thermal-imaging camera, and the door will only slide open if their temperature is below […]
MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — Australia’s worst-hit state of Victoria appears to be curbing a virus outbreak after a week of tougher restrictions, authorities said Wednesday, with new cases falling in recent days even as fatalities topped records. Victoria state Premier Daniel Andrews announced 410 new cases and 21 fatalities — marking Australia’s deadliest day so far — but said the state “certainly” seemed to be flattening the curve. “If you look at the average over […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden on Tuesday named California Senator Kamala Harris as his vice presidential pick — the first black woman tapped for the role by a major US party. Here is how US politicians and celebrities have reacted to her nomination: – Barack Obama – Former president Barack Obama said that Biden had “nailed this decision” in a lengthy statement. “Now Joe has an ideal partner […]
by Michael Mathes, with Olivier Douliery in Wilmington Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US Presidential hopeful Joe Biden named Senator Kamala Harris, a former rival in the White House race, as his running mate Tuesday, marking a historic first for American women of color. Biden’s announcement capped a months-long search for a Democratic partner to challenge President Donald Trump in November. Harris, who would become America’s first female and first black […]
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AFP) — New Zealand locked down nursing homes nationwide Wednesday after a 102-day streak without the coronavirus ended, as Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the outbreak could force her to postpone next month’s general election. Ardern said authorities were scrambling to trace anyone who had been in contact with four Auckland residents who tested positive Tuesday, ending the dream run in which the virus had been contained at New Zealand’s borders. A […]
