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BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The International Committee of the Red Cross warned Thursday of a worsening crisis in northeast Syria, where water cuts, food shortages and depleted health services are proving as dangerous as coronavirus. Home to sprawling displacement camps hosting tens of thousands of people, including families of Islamic State group members, the Kurdish-held northeast has been hard hit by nine years of war. A COVID-19 outbreak, which the United Nations says has infected […]
by Chris Stein Agence France Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Job losses in the United States are slowing but totaled an unheard-of 38.6 million since the coronavirus pandemic lockdowns began, while officials debate what additional steps will be needed to rescue the beleaguered economy. Another 2.43 million Americans were put out of work last week, fewer than the previous week but still among the highest figures on record, according to the latest Labor Department […]
by Alexandria SAGE ROME, Italy (AFP) — The sun is shining and it feels like summer. For many Italians, that means one thing — Aperol spritzes at a terrace cafe with friends. But just days after most coronavirus lockdown restrictions were lifted, authorities are saying not so fast. From Palermo to Turin, images of partygoers gathering in piazzas and outside bars have caused panic among regional leaders and mayors. They worry that crowds of mostly […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — The British government on Thursday announced that foreign care workers would be exempt from a charge imposed on migrants to fund the health service, after an outcry sparked by the coronavirus outbreak. Prime Minister Boris Johnson had defended the immigration health surcharge as recently as Wednesday, saying it raised much-needed funds for the state-run National Health Service (NHS). But Keir Starmer, the main opposition Labour leader, condemned the levy at […]
PEKIN, China (AFP) — China has made “major strategic achievements” in its response to the coronavirus outbreak, Premier Li Keqiang said at the opening of the National People’s Congress on Friday. “At present, the epidemic has not yet come to an end, while the tasks we face in promoting development are immense,” he told thousands of delegates in Beijing. © Agence France-Presse
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AFP) — The coronavirus death toll in Brazil surpassed 20,000 on Thursday, after a record number of fatalities in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said. The country is the epicenter of the outbreak in Latin America, and its highest one-day toll of 1,188 pushed the overall death tally to 20,047. Brazil has now recorded more than 310,000 cases, with experts saying a lack of testing means the real figures are […]
PARIS, France (AFP) — The number of coronavirus deaths registered in France over the last 24 hours dipped to 83 on Thursday, as a top doctor said he was not seeing a second wave of infections despite the country easing its lockdown. The latest deaths in hospitals and nursing homes brought France’s total toll from the pandemic to 28,215, the health ministry said in a statement. The trends remained optimistic, with 49 fewer people in […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The United States on Thursday urged China to respect Hong Kong’s autonomy, warning that its proposed national security law for the city would be “highly destabilizing” and face global opposition. “Any effort to impose national security legislation that does not reflect the will of the people of Hong Kong would be highly destabilizing, and would be met with strong condemnation from the United States and the international community,” State Department […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The Pentagon on Thursday announced that the US military would no longer bar people who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 from serving in its ranks. Defense Department personnel head Matthew Donovan said he had “rescinded” rules on the matter, which the military had put in place in early May out of concern over long-term respiratory damage from the disease. “There was some interim and draft guidance… that I rescinded,” Donovan […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Another 2.43 million US workers were put out of work last week amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to government data Thursday, bringing the total since mid-March to a massive 38.6 million. The Labor Department data on new first-time claims for unemployment benefits for the week ended May 16 was another decrease from prior weeks as the rate of new filings continued to slow, but the job losses remained among the […]
by Roland JACKSON / Ben PERRY LONDON, United States (AFP) — British pharmaceuticals group AstraZeneca on Thursday said it had secured more than $1.0 billion from the United States to help fund production of its coronavirus vaccine. AstraZeneca is partnering with University of Oxford to develop and distribute a vaccine being trialled in the UK. It comes amid concerns that the United States — which has the world’s highest official death rate from COVID-19 — […]
SINGAPORE, Singapore (AFP) — A yellow robot dog called Spot which found fame online for dancing to hit song “Uptown Funk” has been deployed to patrol a Singapore park and ensure people observe social distancing. The hi-tech hound is remote-controlled and can clamber easily over all types of terrain, which its creators say means it can go where wheeled robots cannot. As it trots through the park, Spot — who has the same name as […]
