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by Sam KINGSLEY Agence France Presse HELSINKI, Finland (AFP) — Finnish school children began returning to class on Thursday after eight weeks of coronavirus lockdown despite warnings from the teacher’s union it may not be totally safe for staff or children. The reopenings see pupils back at school for just over two weeks before the summer holidays begin in early June, with strict social distancing rules in place. Break times will be staggered to […]
BEIJING, China (AFP) — Beijing accused the United States on Thursday of smearing China after Washington alleged Chinese hackers were attempting to steal research on developing a vaccine against the coronavirus. The claims have added fuel to tensions between the global superpowers, who have traded barbs over the origin of the pandemic that has killed 300,000 people. US authorities said Wednesday that Chinese hackers were trying to obtain coronavirus data on treatments and vaccines, warning […]
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — World leaders past and present insisted on Thursday that any eventual COVID-19 vaccines and treatments should be made available to everyone, free of charge. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan were among more than 140 signatories of a letter saying any vaccine should not be patented while the science should be shared between nations. The World Health Assembly, the policy-setting body of the UN’s World Health […]
by Shingo ITO TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s prime minister on Thursday lifted a state of emergency imposed due to the coronavirus for the majority of the country but kept it in place for top cities Tokyo and Osaka. After fears the virus could explode in Japan, new infections have come down sharply, enabling the government to end the measure in 39 out of 47 prefectures before it was due to expire on May 31. […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — Japan’s government said Thursday it wants to lift a state of emergency declared over the coronavirus in most of the country, though not yet the capital Tokyo and other urban centers. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe earlier this month extended a nationwide state of emergency until the end of May. But with infections sharply down, his government is now hoping to lift the measure early in up to 39 of the country’s […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia celebrated a rare bit of good news on Wednesday as a 100-year-old woman left a Moscow hospital after fully recovering from the coronavirus. In the country’s first reported case of a survivor that old, the woman, Pelageya Poyarkova, was discharged on her 100th birthday, the Moscow clinic treating her said. Russian television showed the elderly woman wearing a face mask and clutching a bouquet of red roses as she exited […]
LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — NBA commissioner Adam Silver will study coronavirus outbreak and testing developments for another two to four weeks before the league decides about a return to competition, according to multiple reports. The timetable, shared in a conference call between Silver and club owners, was the first indication about when the league might return from the coronavirus shutdown that began March 12, The Athletic and ESPN reported. “Health is number 1. […]
LONDON, United Kingdom (AFP) — A 14-year-old boy with no underlying health conditions has died from a Kawasaki-like disease linked to coronavirus, a London children’s hospital said on Wednesday. The teenager was part of a cluster of eight cases treated at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital over a 10-day period in April, according to a report by his medical team published in The Lancet journal. The 14-year-old spent six days in intensive care at the […]
by Paulina ABRAMOVICH Agence France Presse SANTIAGO, Chile (AFP) — Chile ordered a mandatory total quarantine for the capital Santiago’s seven million people Wednesday after authorities reported a 60 percent spike in coronavirus infections in 24 hours, dealing a stunning blow to hopes the economy would soon reopen. “The most severe measure I must announce is a total quarantine in Greater Santiago,” the location of 80 percent of the country’s 34,000-plus confirmed cases, Health Minister […]
MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russia registered more than 10,000 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday continuing a grim trend that has seen the country become a global virus hotspot. Health officials reported 10,028 new cases over the last 24 hours, bringing Russia’s total number of infections to 242,271. The Kremlin this week eased a national lockdown to slow the spread of the virus, despite a steady rise in numbers that has brought Russia to second place […]
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A 28-year-old sumo wrestler died in Japan on Wednesday after contracting coronavirus and suffering multiple organ failure, becoming the ancient sport’s first COVID-19 fatality, the national association said. Shobushi, a lower-ranking wrestler belonging to the Takadagawa stable in Tokyo, died early Wednesday after battling the disease for more than a month. He developed a fever over April 4-5 but had trouble contacting the local public health office because phone lines were […]
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — America’s top infectious diseases official has warned that ending lockdowns too quickly could trigger uncontrollable new coronavirus outbreaks, as the global death toll closes in on 300,000. The stark words from Anthony Fauci came as much of the United States and Europe press ahead with easing curbs that have confined billions to their homes to stem the spread of the disease. Opening up continues despite the toll spiking in some […]
