DailyWorld News - The First International Newspaper From India https://dailyworld.in/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:45:38 +0530 en https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-russia-vienna-disarmament-talks-end-without-breakthrough-58893.html Vienna Aug 19 The second round of nuclear disarmament talks between the US and Russia ended here on Tuesday without any decisive progress US Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall Billingslea said after the negations that there are some areas of convergence between Russia and the US but we do remain far apart on a number of key issues Xinhua news agency reported citing a leading Austrian media outlet These issues include whether China has to be included in any new treaty according to Russian chief negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov Billingslea tweeted after the talks that the two sides had substantive and serious talks covering some groundbreaking topics but now the ball is in Russias court Ryabkov for his part was quoted as saying on the official Twitter account of Mikhail Ulyanov Russias permanent representative to the Viennabased international organization The US insists on the need for a trilateral agreement with the participation of China Russia in its turn believes that UK and France should also be engaged But in view of nonreadiness of the abovementioned countries the US and Russia should concentrate on bilateral track said the tweet adding that the Russian chief negotiator had the impression that an extension of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty New START is not closed Last Friday Wang Qun Chinese envoy to the United Nations UN and other international organisations in Vienna had said that the socalled trilateral arms control negotiations raised by the United States subvert the international consensus on nuclear disarmament The international community has a clear consensus on how to carry out global nuclear disarmament and a series of international legal instruments have been formed on this basis said Wang Wang pointed out that these instruments clearly stipulate that the United States and Russia with the largest nuclear arsenals in the world bear a special responsibility for disarmament and should continue to drastically reduce their nuclear weapons in a verifiable irreversible and legallybinding manner When conditions are ripe other nuclearweapon states will join the multilateral disarmament negotiation process said Wang noting that the maintenance of global peace and stability in the over 70 years after World War II cannot be separated from the abovementioned consensus and nonproliferation system The twoday negotiations convene experts from the US and Russia who had dealt with military doctrines potential threats and questions of verification at the end of July The first round of disarmament talks between the US and Russia ended here with no tangible results in late June as the New START will expire in several months IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-russia-vienna-disarmament-talks-end-without-breakthrough-58893.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 01:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/365-new-covid-19-cases-reported-in-uae-64-906-in-total-58904.html Dubai Aug 19 The United Arab Emirates UAE on Tuesday announced 365 new Covid19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 64906 The UAEs Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement that the new cases are in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment Xinhua reported Besides 115 more patients have recovered from the virus taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 57909 according to the ministry It also confirmed two more deaths pushing the countrys death toll to 366 The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report Covid19 cases It has been showing solidarity with China in fight against the novel coronavirus On February 2 and March 12 the iconic landmarks in the UAE including Burj Khalifa in Dubai were lit up twice in the colors of Chinas national flag In late April the Chinese consulate general in Dubai organised an online conference for Chinese doctors and medical experts to share experience in preventing and treating the coronavirus with the UAE counterparts IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/365-new-covid-19-cases-reported-in-uae-64-906-in-total-58904.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 02:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-deaths-near-110-000-58908.html Sao Paulo Aug 19 Brazil has registered 1352 more deaths from Covid19 raising the death toll to 109888 the Ministry of Health announced Meanwhile 47784 new cases were reported on Tuesday bringing the total number of infections to 3407354 Xinhua reported Sao Paulo continues to be the epicentre of the disease in the country with 711530 cases and 27315 deaths followed by Rio de Janeiro with 14728 deaths and Ceara with 8196 deaths Brazil is the country second hardesthit by Covid19 in the world only after the US IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-deaths-near-110-000-58908.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 05:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/43-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-58910.html Beijing Aug 19 The National Health Commission said on Wednesday that 43 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Tuesday There were 569 patients still being treated including 26 in severe condition the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 79685 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Tuesday the report said As of Tuesday a total of 84888 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/43-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-58910.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 06:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/68-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-indonesia-58912.html Jakarta Aug 19 An earthquake measuring 68 on the Richter scale rocked Indonesias western Bengkulu province on Wednesday the countrys meteorology and geophysics agency said The quake struck at 529 am with the epicentre at 78 km southwest of Bangkulu Utara district and a depth of 11 km under the sea bed Xinhua reported The intensity of the quake was felt at IV MMI Modified Mercalli Intensity in Kepahiyang district of the province II MMI in Liwa the capital of West Lampung district of Lampung province II MMI in Padang the provincial capital of West Sumatra Painan town and Mentawai islands district of the province Indonesia has been frequently hit by earthquakes as it lies on a vulnerable quakeimpacted zone called the Pacific Ring of Fire IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/68-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-indonesia-58912.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 07:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-17-new-imported-covid-19-cases-58913.html Beijing Aug 19 The Chinese mainland reported 17 new imported Covid19 cases on Tuesday bringing the total number of imported cases to 2339 the National Health Commission said on Wednesday Of the new imported cases eight were reported in Shanghai four in Guangdong two each in Zhejiang and Shaanxi and one in Shandong the commission said Xinhua news agency reported Among all the imported cases 2127 patients had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 212 remained hospitalised with no one in severe condition the commission said No deaths had been reported from the imported cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-17-new-imported-covid-19-cases-58913.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-surpass-22-million-58914.html New York Aug 19 The number of global Covid19 cases has surpassed 22 million according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University The global case count on Wednesday reached 22046135 with a total of 778557 deaths worldwide the CSSE data showed Xinhua reported The US has suffered the most from the pandemic with 5480487 cases and 171687 fatalities followed by Brazil with 3359570 cases and 109888 deaths India has confirmed more than 27 million cases Countries with more than 400000 cases also include Russia South Africa Peru Mexico and Colombia while other countries with over 30000 deaths include Mexico India Britain Italy and France according to the CSSE IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-surpass-22-million-58914.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-democrats-formally-nominate-biden-for-president-58916.html Washington Aug 19 The ongoing US Democratic National Convention has voted to officially nominate Joe Biden as the partys presidential candidate Xinhua reported Biden on Tuesday was nominated in a virtual roll call at the Democratic National Convention that followed nominating speeches by US Senator Chris Coons and US Representative Lisa Blunt Rochester both Democrats from Bidens home state of Delaware a US media outlet reported Joe has tackled gun violence and climate change Coons said He stood up to dictators and supported our troops He led the recovery effort after the last recession and delivered on a promise to make our health care system fairer and stronger IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-democrats-formally-nominate-biden-for-president-58916.html Wed, 19 Aug 2020 08:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/seoul-church-under-fire-for-mass-covid-19-cases-58689.html Seoul Aug 17 New Covid19 cases linked to a church in Seoul continued to surge on Monday not only causing concerns over infected members but also public backlash against the church and its leader against their uncooperative response Cases traced to the Sarang Jeil Church in the northern ward of Seongbuk reached 319 as of Monday up 70 cases from the previous day Yonhap News Agency quoted the Central Disease Control Headquarters as saying in a report With the latest figure the church has emerged as the countrys secondbiggest virus cluster following 5214 cases associated with Shincheonji a fringe religious sect that was deemed accountable for mass cases in Daegu city earlier this year Despite repeated warnings from the South Korean government members of the church led by conservative pastor Jun Kwanghoon attended a mass Liberation Day rally in Seoul on Saturday Jun himself has tested positive health authorities said urging people who attended the rally to be placed under quarantine and tested Health authorities voiced concern that the number of virus cases tied to the church may further increase as thousands of elderly people took part in the rally Meanwhile public outrage over the church and its leader has also mounted with more than 200000 people signing an online petition asking the pastor to be detained reports Yonhap News Agency The online petition first posted on August 15 demands that Jun who was released on bail be again detained for harming societys safety under the mask of religion In addition to churchlinked cases health authorities warned of chain transmissions spreading at other facilities outside of the greater Seoul area South Korea reported 197 new coronavirus cases on Monday taking the countrys total caseload to 15515 The death toll stood at 315 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/seoul-church-under-fire-for-mass-covid-19-cases-58689.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 02:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-confirmed-covid-19-cases-close-to-112-million-58730.html Addis Ababa Aug 18 The number of confirmed Covid19 cases in Africa surged to 1118814 as the death toll rose to 25618 the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC said on Monday The Africa CDC a specialised healthcare agency of the African Union AU Commission in its latest situation update issued on Monday said the number of people who recovered from their Covid19 infections is also increasing as the number of recoveries reached 834262 as of Monday Xinhua reported South Africa currently has the most Covid19 cases which hit 587345 The country also has the highest Covid19 related deaths with the death toll currently standing at 11839 according to the Africa CDC Egypt came next with 96475 Covid19 cases and 5160 Covid19 related deaths followed by Nigeria which has so far recorded 49068 Covid19 cases and 975 deaths The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions the Africa CDC said IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-confirmed-covid-19-cases-close-to-112-million-58730.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 09:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-2-071-new-covid-19-cases-94-751-in-total-58737.html Jerusalem Aug 18 Israels Ministry of Health reported 2071 new coronavirus cases on Monday bringing the total cases to 94751 The ministry also reported a total of 692 death cases with seven new deaths while the number of patients in serious condition rose from 382 to 399 out of 841 patients currently hospitalised Xinhua reported The number of recoveries reached 70291 with 1781 new recoveries while the number of active cases rose to 23774 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-2-071-new-covid-19-cases-94-751-in-total-58737.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 10:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/65-magnitude-earthquake-rattles-philippines-58747.html Manila Aug 18 A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 65 shook Masbate province in the Philippines on Tuesday the Philippine Institute of Seismology and Volcanology Phivolcs said No casualties and damage have been reported yet The institute said the quake which struck at around 8 am local time hit at a depth of 1 km about 5 km southwest of Cataingan town of Masbate province in the Bicol region Xinhua reported The institute said the tremor was also felt in Mapanas town in Northern Samar province Legazpi City in Albay province Lezo town in Aklan province Iloilo City Capiz province and many provinces in the central Philippines The institute said the quake which was tectonic in origin will trigger aftershocks The Philippines has frequent seismic activity due to its location along the Pacific Ring of Fire IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/65-magnitude-earthquake-rattles-philippines-58747.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 10:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-22-new-imported-covid-19-cases-58749.html Beijing Aug 18 The Chinese mainland reported 22 new imported Covid19 cases on Monday bringing the total number of imported cases to 2322 the National Health Commission said on Tuesday Of the new imported cases 14 were reported in Shanghai three in Jiangsu two each in Tianjin and Shaanxi and one in Guangdong the commission said Xinhua reported Among all the imported cases 2109 patients had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 213 remained hospitalised with no one in severe condition the commission said No deaths had been reported from the imported cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-22-new-imported-covid-19-cases-58749.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-deaths-reach-108-536-58752.html Sao Paulo Aug 18 Brazil has registered 684 more deaths from Covid19 raising the death toll to 108536 the Ministry of Health announced Meanwhile 19373 new cases were reported on Tuesday bringing the total number of infections to 3359570 Xinhua reported Sao Paulo continues to be the epicentre of the disease in the country with 702665 cases and 26899 deaths The state with the secondhighest death toll is neighbouring Rio de Janeiro which has registered 14566 deaths and 194651 cases Brazil is the country second hardesthit by Covid19 in the world only after the US IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-deaths-reach-108-536-58752.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/39-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-58754.html Beijing Aug 18 The National Health Commission said on Tuesday that 39 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Monday There were 595 patients still being treated including 27 in severe condition the commission said Xinhua reported Altogether 79642 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Monday the report said As of Monday a total of 84871 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/39-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-58754.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-108-536-58755.html Sao Paulo Aug 18 Brazil has registered 684 more deaths from the Covid19 raising the death toll to 108536 the Ministry of Health announced Meanwhile 19373 new cases were reported on Monday bringing the total number of infections to 3359570 Xinhua news agency reported Sao Paulo continues to be the epicentre of the disease in the country with 702665 cases and 26899 deaths The state with the secondhighest death toll is neighbouring Rio de Janeiro which has registered 14566 deaths and 194651 cases Brazil is the country second hardesthit by Covid19 in the world only after the US IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-108-536-58755.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-218mn-johns-hopkins-58757.html Washington Aug 18 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 218 million while the deaths have increased to over 772000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Tuesday morning the total number of cases stood at 21814597 and the fatalities rose to 772782 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of cases and deaths at 5437969 and 170491 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 3359570 infections and 108536 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 2647663 and is followed by Russia 925558 South Africa 589886 Peru 535946 Mexico 525733 Colombia 468332 Chile 387502 Spain 359082 Iran 345450 the UK 321060 Saudi Arabia 299914 Argentina 299126 Pakistan 289215 Bangladesh 279144 France 256533 Italy 254235 Turkey 250542 Germany 226700 Iraq 180133 Philippines 180133 Indonesia 141370 Canada 124218 Qatar 115368 Kazakhstan 103033 Ecuador 101751 and Bolivia 100344 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 57023 India 50921 UK 41454 Italy 35400 France 30434 Spain 28646 Peru 26281 Iran 19804 Russia 15707 Colombia 15097 South Africa 11982 and Chile 10513 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-218mn-johns-hopkins-58757.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 11:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/aus-states-covid-19-outbreak-stemmed-from-failed-hotel-quarantine-scheme-58760.html Melbourne Aug 18 The deadly coronavirus outbreak in Australias worsthit state of Victoria stemmed almost entirely from a hotel quarantine scheme intended to house returned overseas travellers an inquiry revealed on Tuesday Since June Victoria has experienced a resurgence of the virus peaking at 725 daily infections on August 5 and prompting a return to strict lockdowns including a nightly curfew in the state capital of Melbourne reports Xinhua news agency Ben Howden medical microbiologist and infectious diseases physician told an inquiry into the scheme that according to genomic sequencing 99 per cent of Victorias cases as of late July could be traced back to people returning from overseas While Howden did not refer directly to the hotel quarantine programs or those within it it has been the policy of the Australian government to house all returning travellers in hotel quarantine operated at a state level since March With Victorias daily case numbers subsiding in recent weeks attention has turned firmly to the failures of the hotel quarantine system with allegations that it was badly mishandled allowing for the infection to spread into the community Evidence has shown multiple lapses of protocol by security guards who critics say were not sufficiently trained or equipped to be working in virus containment Microbiologist and infectious disease expert Lindsay Grayson told the inquiry that an online training program for the guards was confusing and misleading The majority of it is like a training module for the general public rather than someone who is going to come into direct contact or be responsible for managing COVID patients Grayson said Barrister Tony Neal said Victorias hotel quarantine program fell short of its goal to prevent COVID19 spreading into the community Neal added that the inquiry would seek to determine who was responsible for overseeing the program and whether the training of staff was sufficient As of Tuesday Australias overall coronavirus caseload stood at 23599 with 421 deaths Victoria accounts for 17027 of the total cases with 334 fatalities IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/aus-states-covid-19-outbreak-stemmed-from-failed-hotel-quarantine-scheme-58760.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 12:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-ethnic-groups-more-likely-to-be-hospitalized-due-to-covid-19-58822.html Washington Aug 18 A new analysis has revealed that AfricanAmericans Hispanics and the American IndianAlaskan Native ethnic populations in the US are significantly more likely to be hospitalized due to COVID19 than whites The analysis from the University of Minnesota published on Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine found significant disparities among racial and ethnic groups after reviewing nearly 49000 COVID19 hospitalizations over a twomonth period in 12 states reports Xinhua news agency The unique clinical financial and social impacts of COVID19 on racial and ethnic populations that are often systematically marginalized in our society must be well understood in order to design and establish effective and equitable infrastructure solutions said Pinar KaracaMandic professor and academic director of the Medical Industry Leadership Institute in the University of Minnesota Carlson School and the studys lead author The study found that the AfricanAmericans were hospitalized at higher rates than those who were white in all 12 states reporting data with Ohio Minnesota and Indiana having the largest disparities The Hispanics were hospitalized at higher rates than those who were white in 10 of the 11 states reporting this data with Virginia Utah and Rhode Island with the largest disparities according to the study The American IndianAlaskan Natives were hospitalized at higher rates than whites in the eight states reporting data Researchers note the disparities found in other population groups are largely reversed among Asian communities In six of the 10 states that reported data for the Asian group the proportion of hospitalizations was lower relative to their population representation In Massachusetts individuals who identify as Asian comprise 7 per cent of the population but only 4 per cent of the coronavirus hospitalizations according to the study IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-ethnic-groups-more-likely-to-be-hospitalized-due-to-covid-19-58822.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 17:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/72-workers-at-uk-dessert-factory-test-covid-19-positive-58844.html London Aug 18 Seventytwo workers at a dessert factory in Nottinghamshire England have tested positive for the novel coronavirus The positive cases were reported at Bakkavor in Newark which describes itself as the leading provider of fresh prepared food in the UK Xinhua news agency quoted a Sky News report as saying on Monday The cases were confirmed after 701 workers were tested for the virus All 1600 employees will now receive coronavirus tests at a facility set up on site by the British National Health Service NHS according to the report Some 33 of those who have tested positive have since returned to work fully fit following a period of isolation Last week it was revealed nearly 300 employees had tested Covid19 positive at a factory that makes sandwiches for Marks and Spencer in Northampton The Greencore factory which employs around 2100 people said some of its staff were now selfisolating Coronavirus outbreaks have also taken place at food processing plants in Wisbech Wrexham Cleckheaton Merthyr Tydfil and Llangefni IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/72-workers-at-uk-dessert-factory-test-covid-19-positive-58844.html Tue, 18 Aug 2020 19:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/skoreas-new-covid-19-cases-hit-5-month-high-58462.html Seoul Aug 16 New Covid19 cases in South Korea increased to 279 on Sunday a fivemonth high mainly due to a surge in churchrelated infections in the greater Seoul area This brought the countrys total caseload to 15318 according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention KCDC Of the total 267 were locally transmitted cases reports Yonhap News Agency It marks the highest figure since March 8 when the new daily infections stood at 367 after hitting a record high of 909 on February 29 with Daegu and its neighbouring North Gyeongsang province at the center of the mass outbreak It also marked a threedigit number for the third straight day following 103 infections on Friday and 166 on Saturday As of Sunday infections tied to the Sarang Jeil Church in northern Seoul have increased to 249 while cases linked to the Woori Jeil Church in Yongin south of Seoul increased to 126 Local authorities have ordered the churches congregations to undergo Covid19 tests Alarmed by a resurgence of infections in recent days the government raised social distancing in Seoul and its neighbouring areas by one notch to Level 2 in the threetier system Sunday for two weeks On Sunday President Moon Jaein warned of stern responses to unlawful acts by some church members reports Yonhap News Agency It is a clear challenge to the national disease control and prevention system and an unforgivable act that threatens the lives of the people Moon wrote on his Facebook page adding the government will take very stern and strong measures even by resorting to compulsory means He said the coronavirus outbreak is at a serious stage and the government will make allout efforts to get the virus under control South Korea meanwhile reported no additional fatalities keeping the death toll at 305 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/skoreas-new-covid-19-cases-hit-5-month-high-58462.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 03:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-covid-19-cases-pass-11-million-mark-58471.html Addis Ababa Aug 17 The number of confirmed Covid19 cases in Africa surged to 1108837 as the death toll rose to 25337 the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC revealed on Sunday The Africa CDC a specialised healthcare agency of the African Union AU Commission in its latest situation update issued on Sunday said the number of people who recovered from their Covid19 infections is also increasing as the number of recoveries reached 823 614 on Sunday Xinhua reported South Africa currently has the most Covid19 cases which hit 583653 The country also has the highest Covid19 related deaths with the death toll currently standing at 11677 according to the Africa CDC Egypt comes next with 96336 Covid19 cases and 5141 Covid19 related deaths followed by Nigeria which has so far recorded 48770 Covid19 cases and 974 deaths The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions the Africa CDC said The Africa CDC also said nine African countries are reporting case fatality rates comparable to or higher than the global case fatality rate of 37 per cent These African countries include Sudan Liberia Niger and Egypt IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-covid-19-cases-pass-11-million-mark-58471.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/lavrov-pompeo-discuss-7-state-summit-on-iran-58474.html Moscow Aug 17 Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday discussed the proposal of Russian President Vladimir Putin to hold a sevenstate summit on Iran On Friday Putin proposed holding an urgent online meeting of the heads of the five permanent members of the United Nations UN Security Council with the participation of the leaders of Germany and Iran to discuss Iran and the Persian Gulf situation Xinhua reported During the phone call with Pompeo Lavrov reaffirmed Russias full support for UN Security Council Resolution 2231 which created the international legal basis for the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a press release Lavrov stressed that the Iran nuclear deal is a major political and diplomatic achievement aimed at strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime and regional security in the Middle East it said Lavrov and Pompeo also discussed scheduling bilateral contacts in the near future during the phone conversation it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/lavrov-pompeo-discuss-7-state-summit-on-iran-58474.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/8-killed-28-injured-in-blast-at-mogadishu-hotel-58475.html Mogadishu Aug 17 At least eight persons including three suspected attackers were confirmed dead and 28 others injured in an attack at a hotel in Somali capital Mogadishu on Sunday an official said Ismael Mukhtar Omar government spokesman said four civilians and a director in the ministry of information were among those killed by the terrorists who rammed a car bomb into the Elite Hotel in Liido Beach before storming inside the popular facility Xinhua reported So far we have confirmed five people including a government official were killed in the attack Security forces also shot dead two AlShabaab fighters An AlShabaab driver was also killed inside the car he used to detonate the bomb Omar told Xinhua over phone Sources said a fierce gunfight was still ongoing inside the hotel Meanwhile Omar said the attackers entered the Elite hotel after setting off a car bomb outside the hotel entrance The hotel is one of the newly built upscale beachside hotels frequented by young people and the citys elite He said the attackers are holed up on the fifth floor of the hotel and have been restrained from the floor Now the situation is close and AlShabaab fighters have been restrained from crossing the floor said Omar There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast but AlQaeda allied group AlShabaab had conducted such attacks in the past IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/8-killed-28-injured-in-blast-at-mogadishu-hotel-58475.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-447-new-covid-19-cases-92-680-in-total-58476.html Jerusalem Aug 17 The Israeli Ministry of Health reported 447 new coronavirus cases on Sunday bringing the total cases to 92680 According to the ministry the total number of death cases reached 685 with 11 new deaths while the number of patients in serious condition dropped from 387 to 382 out of 860 patients currently hospitalised Xinhua reported The number of recoveries reached 68510 with 559 new recoveries while the number of active cases dropped to 23491 Earlier on Sunday the Israeli government approved Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Israel Katzs plan to accelerate the economy and help government ministries and populations at risk of the coronavirus crisis amounting to about 85 billion new shekels 25 billion According to the Prime Ministers Office the plan includes promoting transportation projects increasing the supply of apartments promoting the hitech industry developing tourism in northern regions and upgrading sports facilities The plan also includes sums for vocational training and employment incentives ensuring food security for underprivileged families grants for businesses and supporting social workers senior citizens discharged soldiers battered women atrisk youth and more IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-447-new-covid-19-cases-92-680-in-total-58476.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-54-million-58477.html New York Aug 17 The total number of Covid19 cases in the US surpassed 54 million on Sunday according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University The US case count rose to 5400180 with the national death toll reaching 169955 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported The hardesthit US state of California reported 622427 cases followed by Florida with 573416 cases Texas with 554826 cases and New York with 425508 cases the tally showed Other states with over 180000 cases include Georgia Illinois Arizona and New Jersey according to the CSSE By far the US remains the worsthit nation in terms of both the caseload and death toll IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-54-million-58477.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazil-sees-620-covid-19-deaths-in-one-day-58478.html Rio de Janeiro Aug 17 Brazil registered 620 more Covid19 deaths in a single day bringing its total death toll to 107852 the Ministry of Health said on Sunday Meanwhile tests detected 23101 new cases in the same oneday period taking the total number of people who have tested positive to 3340197 Xinhua reported Brazil has the worlds second largest outbreak of Covid19 after the US in both number of deaths and cases of infection The state of Sao Paulo the countrys most populous is the hardest hit with 699493 cases of infection and 26852 deaths followed by Rio de Janeiro with 194279 cases and 14562 deaths and Ceara with 197619 cases and 8133 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazil-sees-620-covid-19-deaths-in-one-day-58478.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-no-new-locally-transmitted-covid-19-cases-58479.html Beijing Aug 17 No new locally transmitted Covid19 cases were reported on Sunday across the Chinese mainland the National Health Commission said on Monday A total of 22 confirmed cases arriving from outside the mainland were reported on Sunday the commission said Xinhua reported No new deaths related to the disease were reported on the Chinese mainland it added IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-no-new-locally-transmitted-covid-19-cases-58479.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 06:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/biden-to-prioritise-india-ties-to-fight-terror-stop-china-threats-58481.html By Arul Louis New York Aug 17 Joe Biden who will be the Democratic Partys presidential candidate will give high priority to strengthening IndiaUS relations including on counterterrorism and for ensuring China cant threaten its neighbours according to his campaign A document Joe Bidens Agenda for the Indian American Community issued by his campaign on Saturday outlining his stand on issues of interest to those citizens said that Biden will introduce several immigration reforms that could benefit Indians who face decadeslong backlogs and modernise the H1B and other workbased visas for highly qualified professionals The document said No common global challenge can be solved without India and the United States working as responsible partners Biden believes there can be no tolerance for terrorism in South Asia crossborder or otherwise the agenda said A Biden administration will also work with India to support a rulesbased and stable IndoPacific region in which no country including China is able to threaten its neighbours with impunity it added Unlike communal appeals to Muslims and Jewish people in religionspecific documents there were no such Biden agendas for Hindus Sikhs Buddhist and Jains but only a general document directed at Indian Americans The Democratic Partys list of religious leaders who will be saying the opening prayers and giving the blessings at its convention sessions has only members of various Christian sects the Jewish faith and Islam On bilateral relations with India the Agenda for Indian American Communities noted that when Biden was the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2007 he had said My dream is that in 2020 the two closest nations in the world will be India and the United States Biden will deliver on his longstanding belief that India and the United States are natural partners and a Biden administration will place a high priority on continuing to strengthen the USIndia relationship it said It added Together we will continue strengthening Indias defence and capabilities as a counterterrorism partner improving health systems and pandemic response and deepening cooperation in areas such as higher education space exploration and humanitarian relief On issues directly impacting Indian Americans the agenda said that Biden will ensure that South Asian Americans are represented in his administration starting with his vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris whose mother emigrated from India On immigration the agenda said that reforms that while supporting familybased immigration increase the number of green cards for those qualifying based on employment subject to macroeconomic conditions the agenda said These reforms will cut the decadeslong waits for visas it said Any recent PhDs in science technology engineering and mathematics fields would be exempt from the limits on the number of green cards it said Biden will also support reforming the the H1B and other employmentbased visa systems to protect wages and workers the agenda said without providing further details It said that Biden will support a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants from India who it said numbered 500000 Trump has proposed ending green cards for extended family members beyond the nuclear family while introducing a meritbased system of immigration Bidens agenda said the work visas procedures for religious workers like priests and imams would be streamlined The Biden agenda offered direct federal protection for places of religious worship like temples gurdwaras and mosques so that they dont have to depend on donations to ensure their safety The document mentioned the 2012 White supremacist attack on a Wisconsin gurdwara in which seven people were killed while he was vice president and the 2019 horrific act of vandalism against a Hindu temple in which a murti or sacred image was defaced window broken and xenophobic messages painted It said that we cannot leave our faithbased organizations to rely on donations and internal fundraising efforts to guard against deadly attacks and said that Biden would ensure that places of worship have access to robust and direct security support from the federal government The agenda accused Trump of encouraging and emboldening prejudice and hatred dangerously Indian Americans of all backgrounds Hindu Sikh Muslim Jain and others have been subjected to bullying and xenophobic attacks and need now more than ever a reassurance that our leaders in Washington will have their backs the agenda said A Biden administration would prioritise fighting hate crimes confront White nationalist terrorism and increase penalties for hate crimes occurring in places of worship like gurudwaras mandirs temples and mosques The agenda directed towards Indian Americans offered that Biden will rescind Trumps Muslim ban on day one even though the restrictions by the Trump administration does not apply to all Muslims but to citizens of all faiths from certain countries where there are problems with screening visa applicants India is not among those countries and there are no blanket bans on Indian Muslims The Agenda for Indian American Communities was silent on the Kashmir issue and the Citizenship Amendment Act CAA which had been raised in his Agenda for Muslim American Communities In contrast the document for Indian Americans was silent on the persecution or infringement of the rights of Hindus Sikhs Buddhists Jains and Christians in Muslim countries whom the CAA sought to protect However responding to the attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan had said in May I stand with the Sikh and Hindu communities in Afghanistan seeking safety for their families and the freedom to practice their faiths He had urged the Department of State to give them emergency refuge Arul Louis can be reached at arulliansin and followed on Twitter at arulouis IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/biden-to-prioritise-india-ties-to-fight-terror-stop-china-threats-58481.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-deaths-top-170-000-58482.html New York Aug 17 US Covid19 deaths have surpassed the 170000 mark according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University With the national cases topping 54 million the death toll from the disease in the US rose to 170019 on Sunday evening according to the CSSE Xinhua reported The state of New York recorded the most deaths across the country with 32840 fatalities followed by New Jersey with 15912 deaths California and Texas both reported more than 10000 deaths the tally showed States with more than 7000 fatalities also include Florida Massachusetts Illinois and Pennsylvania The US has registered the highest caseload and deaths of any nation accounting for more than 20 per cent of the global death toll US nursing homes have once again seen a spike in new Covid19 cases due to community spread a recent report released by the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living showed Meanwhile the nationwide number and rate of cases in children have been steadily increasing from March to July said a new guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-deaths-top-170-000-58482.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 07:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/28-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-58483.html Beijing Aug 17 The National Health Commission said on Monday that 28 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Sunday There were 612 patients still being treated including 30 in severe condition the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 79603 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Sunday the report said As of Sunday a total of 84849 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/28-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-58483.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 08:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-215mn-johns-hopkins-58485.html Washington Aug 17 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 215 million while the deaths were nearing 774000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Monday morning the total number of cases stood at 21598893 and the fatalities rose to 773934 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 5403213 and 170052 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 3340197 infections and 107852 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 2589682 and is followed by Russia 920719 South Africa 587345 Peru 525803 Mexico 522162 Colombia 468332 Chile 385946 Iran 343203 Spain 342813 the UK 320343 Saudi Arabia 298542 Argentina 294569 Pakistan 288717 Bangladesh 276549 Italy 253915 France 252965 Turkey 249309 Germany 225007 Iraq 176931 Philippines 161253 Indonesia 139549 Canada 124004 Qatar 115080 Kazakhstan 103033 Ecuador 101542 and Bolivia 100344 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 56757 India 49980 UK 46791 Italy 35396 France 30410 Spain 28617 Peru 26075 Iran 19639 Russia 15653 Colombia 15097 South Africa 11839 and Chile 10452 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-215mn-johns-hopkins-58485.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 08:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/aus-state-extends-emergency-measures-despite-drop-in-cases-58490.html Melbourne Aug 17 Victoria Australias worsthit state on Monday extended emergency measures to help deal with the coronavirus pandemic despite a decline in the number of new cases Victoria officials said that the State of Emergency would be extended for a further four weeks allowing for the continuation of stage 4 lockdowns and a nightly curfew for capital Melbourne reports Xinhua news agency The State of Emergency will extend until 1159 pm local time on September 13 allowing police to continue enforcing physical distancing and isolation requirements This includes issuing fines ranging from A200 for not wearing a mask in public to A20000 for continued breaches of stayathome orders On Monday the state recorded its highestever single day deaths with 25 new fatalities taking the total to 309 However the number of new cases was 282 continuing a steady downwards trend The overall caseload in the state now stood at 16764 Despite the declining case rates state officials said that it was important not to become complacent and continue to suppress transmission of the virus primarily through limiting movement We will beat this virus and extending the State of Emergency ensures we have all the tools we need for the fight Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews said I thank every Victorian who is part of our massive team keeping our community safe you can thank them too by following the rules which will see us all get through the pandemic As of Monday Australia has reported a total of 23288 coronavirus cases with 396 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/aus-state-extends-emergency-measures-despite-drop-in-cases-58490.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 09:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/89-brazilians-eager-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-survey-58506.html Brasilia Aug 17 Some 89 per cent Brazilians intend to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as soon as a vaccine is available according to a new survey The survey by polling firm Datafolha and published on Sunday by regional daily Folha de Sao Paulo showed that 9 per cent of the respondents would refuse to get vaccinated and another 3 per cent were undecided reports Xinhua news agency Of those surveyed 46 per cent expect the vaccine to be ready by the first half of 2021 and 22 per cent want its availability by the end of next year Twentyfive per cent expressed more optimism saying a vaccine will be ready in 2020 according to the survey conducted on Aug 1112 Trials of two vaccines under development are currently in their third and final stages of testing in Brazil One is being developed by Oxford University in conjunction with pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca through an agreement with Brazils Ministry of Health and the Federal University of Sao Paulo While the second one is being developed by Chinese company Sinovac Biotech and tested in Brazil by the Butantan Institute a vaccine maker and laboratory Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths just after the US As of Monday the total number of cases in the country stood at 3340197 while the death toll increased to 107852 It is also the country with the maximum amount of infections and fatalities in Latin America Sao Paulo the most populated state in the country and the epicentre of the pandemic has registered over 699000 confirmed cases and 26852 deaths followed by Bahia Ceara and Rio de Janeiro IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/89-brazilians-eager-to-get-covid-19-vaccine-survey-58506.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 10:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/south-africas-covid-19-recovery-rate-reaches-80-58507.html Cape Town Aug 17 South Africas coronavirus recovery rate has reached 80 per cent 48 per cent more than a month ago Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said The number of recoveries currently stood at 472377 Xinhua news agency quoted Mkhize as saying in his daily update Currently South Africas overall caseload stood at 587345 Of the total tally 3692 cases were reported in the past 24 hours Mkhize said Regrettably we report a further 162 COVID19 related deaths 70 from Eastern Cape 27 from Gauteng 21 from KwaZuluNatal six from Free State 18 from North West and 20 from Western Cape This brings the total COVID19 related cumulative deaths to 11839 said Mkhize The total number of tests conducted to date was 3400638 with 22609 new tests conducted since the last report on Saturday said Mkhize South Africa has seen a decline in the number of cases in recent days Over the last three weeks the number of new confirmed cases has dropped from a peak of over 12000 a day to an average of around 5000 a day over the past week The number of patients hospitalized has decreased from 10000 at the beginning of the month to around 4000 significantly reducing the pressure on the health facilities official figures showed According to the countrys riskadjusted strategy announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Saturday South Africa will further ease the lockdown restrictions from level three to level two beginning from midnight on Monday Level two allows the country to remove nearly all of the restrictions on the resumption of economic activity across most industries Under level two all restrictions on interprovincial travel and the ban on sales of tobacco and alcohol will be lifted with the reopening of restaurants and bars IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/south-africas-covid-19-recovery-rate-reaches-80-58507.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 11:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-first-lady-recovers-from-covid-19-58533.html Brasilia Aug 17 Brazilian First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro has recovered from the novel coronavirus after she tested positive for the disease on July 30 The test came out negative thank you for your prayers and affection Xinhua news agency quoted the 38yearold as saying in an online post on Sunday The First Lady tested positive after her coronasceptic husband and President Jair Bolsonaro contracted the disease on July 7 The President announced on July 25 that he had recovered According to official information Jair Bolsonaro underwent four COVID19 tests in 18 days and tested positive thrice Besides the President and the First Lady Science Technology and Innovation Minister Marcos Pontes Citizenship Minister Onyx Lorenzoni Education Minister Milton Ribeiro were also tested positive in July Two other ministers Bento Albuquerque who is in charge of mines and energy and Augusto Heleno who heads the institutional security cabinet tested positive in March but quickly recovered Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths just after the US As of Monday the total number of cases in the country stood at 3340197 while the death toll increased to 107852 It is also the country with the maximum amount of infections and fatalities in Latin America Sao Paulo the most populated state in the country and the epicentre of the pandemic has registered over 699000 confirmed cases and 26852 deaths followed by Bahia Ceara and Rio de Janeiro IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-first-lady-recovers-from-covid-19-58533.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 13:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/turkeys-neighbourhood-inspection-teams-to-enforce-measures-58545.html Ankara Aug 17 The Turkish government will establish neighborhood inspection teams to enforce the measures against the coronavirus pandemic according to a circular issued by the Interior Ministry The members of state institutions local administrations law enforcements and school officials will be responsible for these teams Xinhua news agency quoted the circular as saying on Sunday Turkey confirmed 1192 new COVID19 cases on Sunday raising the total tally to 249309 Health Minister Fahrettin Koca tweeted Meanwhile 19 people died in the past 24 hours taking the death toll to 5974 he noted Turkish health professionals conducted 65956 tests in the past 24 hours bringing the overall number of tests to 5725242 he said A total of 997 patients recovered in the last 24 hours raising the total recoveries to 230969 in Turkey since the outbreak Koca added The rate of pneumonia in Covid19 patients is 76 per cent and the number of seriously ill patients is 679 he stated Turkey reported the first coronavirus case on March 11 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/turkeys-neighbourhood-inspection-teams-to-enforce-measures-58545.html Mon, 17 Aug 2020 14:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazil-reports-over-40-000-new-covid-19-cases-58374.html Brasilia Aug 16 Brazil has reported 41576 new Covid19 cases and 709 more deaths in the last 24 hours according to the Ministry of Health The new figures on Saturday increased the national caseload to 3317096 and the death toll reached 107232 Xinhua news agency reported With this Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths just after the US It is also the country with the maximum amount of infections and fatalities in Latin America Sao Paulo the most populated state in the country and the epicentre of the pandemic has registered 697530 confirmed cases and 26780 deaths followed by Bahia Ceara and Rio de Janeiro IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazil-reports-over-40-000-new-covid-19-cases-58374.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 17:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/turkey-records-highest-daily-covid-19-cases-for-45-days-58416.html Ankara Aug 16 Turkey has recorded the highest number of daily coronavirus cases for the past 45 days Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said The country reported 1256 new COVID19 cases on Saturday raising the total caseload to 248117 Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying in a tweet Meanwhile 21 people died in the past 24 hours taking the death toll to 5955 Koca said Turkish health professionals conducted 67214 tests in the past 24 hours bringing the overall number of tests to 5659286 he said A total of 992 patients recovered in the last 24 hours raising the total recoveries to 229972 in Turkey since the outbreak Koca added The rate of pneumonia in the infected patients is 76 per cent and the number of seriously ill patients is 668 he stated Turkey reported the first Covid19 case on March 11 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/turkey-records-highest-daily-covid-19-cases-for-45-days-58416.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 21:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-19-new-covid-19-cases-58429.html Beijing Aug 16 The Chinese mainland has reported 19 new Covidcases taking the overall tally to 84827 the National Health Commission said on Sunday Of the 19 four were locally transmitted cases in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region while the remaining 15 were imported ones reports Xinhua news agency One new suspected COVID19 case also imported from outside the mainland was reported in Fujian province and no deaths related to the disease were reported on Saturday the commission said Of the imported cases five were reported in Shanghai three each in Guangdong and Shaanxi two in Tianjin and one each in Fujian and Sichuan the commission said On Saturday 56 COVID19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery the commission said Of the overall 84827 cases 618 patients were still being treated with 34 in severe conditions Altogether 79575 people had been discharged after recovery and 4634 had died of the disease on the mainland the commission said According to the commission 19933 close contacts were still under medical observation Also on Saturday 16 new asymptomatic cases including 11 from outside the mainland were reported and one asymptomatic case was recategorized as a confirmed one The commission said 319 asymptomatic cases including 176 from outside the mainland were still under medical observation IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-19-new-covid-19-cases-58429.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 23:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/new-zealand-extends-covid-19-restrictions-for-12-days-58262.html Wellington Aug 14 New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday announced a 12day extension of the countrys Covid19 restrictions after a cluster of cases in Auckland city increased to 29 amid the second and stronger wave of the pandemic in the country Addressing the media here Ardern said the decision to extend the restrictions was in keeping with our cautionary approach and New Zealands philosophy of going hard and going early the BBC reported She said that in 12 days time she thought the cluster will be identified will be isolated and we can move to Level 2 in Auckland with confidence All 29 cases remain linked to one cluster centred in Auckland Ardern said adding that 38 people are in government quarantine There are four alert levels in New Zealand and Auckland has been on Level 3 since Wednesday The rest of the country is on Level 2 and the Prime Minister said both would be extended In terms of the ongoing investigation to identify where the virus originated from there are still no clear connections at this point the BBC quoted Ardern as saying But she said genomic testing and contacttracing suggested the current outbreak was not linked to border entry points or New Zealands previous outbreak in March New Zealand could expect to see more cases from the cluster she said adding It will grow before it slows On Friday the country reported 12 new cases all linked to the Auckland cluster taking the overall caseload to 1251 New cases started resurfacing this week after a gap of 102 days New Zealand went to a monthlong national Alert Level 4 lockdown in late March and declared an early success of the coronavirus battle in June So far it has reported a total of 22 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/new-zealand-extends-covid-19-restrictions-for-12-days-58262.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 02:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-213mn-johns-hopkins-58320.html Washington Aug 16 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 213 million while the deaths have increased to over 769000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Sunday morning the total number of cases stood at 21377367 and the fatalities rose to 769652 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 769652 and 169463 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 3317096 infections and 107232 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 2526192 and is followed by Russia 915808 South Africa 583653 Mexico 517714 Peru 516296 Colombia 445111 Chile 383902 Spain 342813 Iran 341070 the UK 319208 Saudi Arabia 297315 Argentina 289100 Pakistan 288047 Bangladesh 274525 Italy 253438 France 252965 Turkey 248117 Germany 224488 Iraq 172583 Philippines 157918 Indonesia 137468 Canada 123788 Qatar 114809 Kazakhstan 102287 and Ecuador 100688 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 56543 India 49036 UK 46791 Italy 35392 France 30410 Spain 28617 Peru 25856 Iran 19492 Russia 15585 Colombia 14492 South Africa 11677 and Chile 10395 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-213mn-johns-hopkins-58320.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 12:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/new-zealand-reports-13-new-covid-19-cases-58325.html Wellington Aug 16 New Zealand reported 13 new coronavirus cases on Sunday including 12 from the Auckland cluster said DirectorGeneral of Health Ashley Bloomfield The 13th cases was from a managed isolation facility reports Xinhua news agency The 13 new cases brought the total number of confirmed COVID19 cases in New Zealand to 1271 The case from the managed isolation is a child returning New Zealand from Afghanistan via Dubai on August 3 From early investigation the 12 cases in the community were linked to the current identified cluster as close contacts of previously confirmed cases said Bloomfield The public were urged by Health Minister Chris Hipkins to take tests only when they were symptomatic to avoid delays Hipkins also urged the public to be cautious about rumours and misinformation on the social media as one particular rumor was shared widely overnight in the community causing online bully and damage to the family involved People were also encouraged to download official COVID19 contact tracing app New Zealand businesses were asked to display contact tracing QR code for people to scan and register On Friday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declared the Alert Level 3 lockdown for Auckland region and Alert level 2 restriction for the rest of the country to continue for 12 days until August 26 New Zealand went to a monthlong national Alert Level 4 lockdown in late March and declared an early success of the COVID19 battle in June IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/new-zealand-reports-13-new-covid-19-cases-58325.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 12:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/4-year-old-becomes-youngest-covid-19-patient-in-bhutan-58330.html Thimphu Aug 16 A fouryearold child has become the youngest Covid19 patient in Bhutan after she and her mother tested positive for the virus the Health Ministry said The child and her mother are primary contacts of a 25year old man who tested positive for on August 12 from Phuentsholing town Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry as saying He has no known recent travel history and works at the mini dry port under Regional Revenue and Customs Office The Ministry said that they were tested while in a quarantine facility at Phuentsholing town They were quarantined since August 12 along with hundreds of other people who have come in contact with the 25year old man Three new positive cases were reported on Friday This was following 12 positive cases reported on August 13 from Phuentsholing town the Health Ministry stated All 16 of the adults have worked at the mini dry port in Phuentsholing town With growing positive cases and concern of more community spread the government has declared Phuentsholing subdistrict as the zed zone As of Friday the Ministry has traced 442 contacts of 12 positive cases from Phuentsholing that was reported on August 13 and 188 contacts of three positive cases reported on August 14 The contact tracing is still on going as per the Health Ministrys statement Bhutans total positive COVID19 cases now stand at 133 of which 102 were declared recovered and 31 listed as active cases with zero death IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/4-year-old-becomes-youngest-covid-19-patient-in-bhutan-58330.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 13:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/italy-marks-ferragosto-holiday-amid-pandemic-58358.html Mykonos People gather at the narrow streets of Matogiannia after the bars closed at midnight on the Aegean Sea island of Mykonos Greece early Sunday Aug 16 2020 The Greek government has been worried about the recent surge in coronavirus cases that threatens to undo its initial success in keeping infections and deaths at low levels On the island of Mykonos an internationally famous tourist destination restaurants bars and cafes were forced on Aug 11 to close at midnight and not to reopen until 7 am PTI Rome Aug 16 Italians marked the annual Ferragosto a public holiday which falls on August 15 every year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic Ferragosto the Italian name for the holiday comes from the Latin Feriae Augusti and marks the official peak of the summer holiday season when most Italians head to beaches mountains or across borders with family and friends reports Xinhua news agency The festival was introduced by the ancient Roman Emperor Augustus over 2000 years ago Because of the pandemic this is the first Ferragosto without the traditional country festivals called sagre in Italian which celebrate a particular food product animal plant or historic custom and which are held in villages and small towns throughout the country at this time of year The sagre have been banned in order to prevent people from crowding after a recent spike in new coronavirus infections According to a survey by the National Confederation of Farmers Coldiretti in its Italian acronym 73 per cent of respondents said that under normal circumstances they would have attended a local sagra during the Ferragosto holiday The banning of the sagre affects approximately 34000 food vendors the Coldiretti analysis said adding that 92 per cent of typical national food and wine products originate in small Italian villages with under 5000 inhabitants On August 13 the Health Ministry imposed mandatory swabs to test for the virus on anyone returning from Croatia Greece Malta and Spain traditional summer holiday destinations for many Italians Young people want to travel and have fun and rightly so Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese said adding that the nations prefects will conduct stringent checks in tourist resorts and areas frequented by youth many of whom underestimate the risks they are exposing themselves to This is why I call on young people tomaintain responsible behaviours The spike in cases also prompted the government to issue a decree on August 7 extending to September 7 the minimum precautionary measures to combat and contain the spread of the Covid19 virus These include mandatory wearing of face masks in enclosed public spaces and the obligation to guarantee social distancing during public events both indoors and outdoors Italy one of the worsthit countries in Europe has so far reported a total of 253438 coronavirus cases with 35392 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/italy-marks-ferragosto-holiday-amid-pandemic-58358.html Sun, 16 Aug 2020 16:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/nearly-300-test-covid-19-positive-at-england-food-factory-58117.html London Aug 14 Nearly 300 staff at a convenience food factory in Englands Northampton have tested positive for the novel coronavirus health officials said The officials are dealing with the outbreak at the Greencore food company which has seen 299 confirmed cases of Covid19 Xinhua news agency quoted Lucy Wightman director of public health at Northamptonshire County Council as saying on Thursday A spokesman for the company which employs 2100 people said those who tested positive were selfisolating The confirmed test results may force the town in Englands Midlands region into local lockdown Wightman said 79 workers tested positive through National Health Service NHS tests while 220 positive results came back from Greencores private testing Northampton borough has been experiencing a high number of cases over the last four weeks and residents and employees have been asked to act now to follow additional measures to avoid a local lockdown or further government intervention Wightman said Greencore said in a statement that the company took the decision to proactively test workers as a result of a rise in cases in the Northampton area All of Greencores sites have wideranging socialdistancing measures stringent hygiene procedures and regular temperature checking in place and we are doing everything that we can to keep our people safe it said Public Health England Midlands have been providing support to colleagues at Greencore in managing the outbreak This has been supplemented by support from the local infection prevention and control team and Northampton Borough Councils environmental health colleagues said a joint statement by Northampton Borough Council and Public Health Northamptonshire Over the past seven days there were 70 new confirmed cases in Northampton alone and the infection rate is well above the county rate with 580 cases per 100000 population Greencore has a number of factories across Britain and makes food for supermarkets including Marks Spencer Tesco and Sainsburys according to media reports IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/nearly-300-test-covid-19-positive-at-england-food-factory-58117.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 11:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/nz-reports-12-new-covid-19-cases-amid-2nd-wave-58121.html Wellington Aug 14 New Zealand reported 12 new coronavirus cases on Friday all linked to to an Auckland family cluster amid the second and stronger wave of the pandemic in the country There was also one suspected Covid19 case reported in Waikato which is still under observation in a hospital Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said in a daily briefing New Zealand has reported a total of 48 active COVID19 cases with 30 linked to the Auckland cluster which has brought overall caseload in the country to 1251 Bloomfield said Bloomfield said 38 people linked to the cluster were already in the Auckland quarantine facility adding that the number is expected to grow Weve seen no evidence of a Covid19 positive test outside of Auckland which is unrelated to the cluster were dealing with said Health Minister Chris Hipkins Testing had ramped up at the borders and all frontline workers will be tested by the end of Friday Hipkins said Auckland resumed Alert Level 3 on Wednesday for three days with the rest of the country going to Level 2 after 102 days without community transmission in the country New Zealand went to a monthlong national Alert Level 4 lockdown in late March and declared an early success of the coronavirus battle in June The government will make decisions and inform people of any further alert level changes at 530 pm in advance of the lockdown ending on Friday midnight IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/nz-reports-12-new-covid-19-cases-amid-2nd-wave-58121.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 11:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/skorea-reviews-tightening-social-distancing-58232.html Seoul Aug 14 The South Korean government on Friday launched a review on raising the level of social distancing as new coronavirus clusters in the greater Seoul area have raised concerns of a possible bigger outbreak The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said it views the status quo in a grave manner saying it has started to review tightening social distancing by one notch in the socalled capital area which includes Seoul and Gyeonggi province reports Yonhap News Agency We are facing another critical moment as the spread of Covid19 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province is worrisome said Vice Health Minister Kim Ganglip Since the conditions for raising the level have not been met we have to see how things go today and tomorrow If the conditions are met we should be able to take necessary measures even during the holiday period Kim said The government considers raising the antiinfection measure when daily new infections reach 50 to 100 over a twoweek period or when infection clusters that are being closely monitored continue to grow Currently under the Level 2 social distancing gatherings of 50 or more people that take place indoors and of 100 or more people outdoors are restricted South Korea is set to enjoy a threeday weekendk with August 17 being designated as a special public holiday to prop up the pandemichit economy The latest move comes as cluster infections coming from small churches are growing Many of the infected patients were found to have had meals together or not worn masks On Friday South Korea reported 103 new infections including 85 locally transmitted ones bringing the COVID19 caseload to 14873 Yonhap News Agency quoted the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention KCDC as saying The number of newly identified local infections marks the most since 88 on March 31 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/skorea-reviews-tightening-social-distancing-58232.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 20:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-30-new-covid-19-cases-58007.html Beijing Aug 14 The Chinese mainland has reported 30 new coronavirus cases health authorities said on Friday According to the National Health Commission the new cases comprise 22 imported and eight locally transmitted reports Xinhua news agency All the locallytransmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Of the imported cases 16 were reported in Shanghai five in Shaanxi and one in Sichuan the commission said Two new suspected Covid19 cases which were imported from outside the mainland were reported in Shanghai and no deaths related to the disease were reported on Thursday the commission said By the end of Thursday a total of 2249 imported cases had been reported on the mainland Of them 2075 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 174 remained hospitalized with one in serious condition No deaths from the imported cases had been reported As of Thursday the total number of confirmed Covid19 cases on the mainland had reached 84786 including 690 patients who were still being treated with 39 in severe conditions Altogether 4634 people have so far died of the disease According to the commission 21456 close contacts were still under medical observation Also on Thursday 28 new asymptomatic cases including 24 from outside the mainland were reported and no asymptomatic cases were recategorized as confirmed ones The commission said 309 asymptomatic cases including 167 from outside the mainland were still under medical observation IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-30-new-covid-19-cases-58007.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 00:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/mayor-of-venezuelan-capital-dies-of-covid-19-58008.html Caracas Aug 14 Dario Vivas the Mayor of Venezuelas capital Caracas has died after suffering from Covid19 for more than three weeks The senior member of the ruling socialist party died on Thursday The 70yearold announced on July 18 that he had tested positive for the virus and was undergoing treatment in isolation reports Xinhua news agency I report that I have tested positive for COVID19 Vivas said on Twitter at the time Known to be a strong ally of President Nicolas Maduro Vivas was appointed head of the Capital District in January Vivas is the first toplevel government official to die of Covid19 although several others have tested positive including Diosdado Cabello the president of the National Constituent Assembly ANC Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami and several governors and mayors of the South American nation IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/mayor-of-venezuelan-capital-dies-of-covid-19-58008.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 00:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/eu-concludes-talks-on-potential-covid-19-vaccine-supply-from-jj-58042.html Brussels Aug 14 The European Commission has announced that it concluded exploratory talks with Johnson Johnson to purchase a potential vaccine against COVID19 Stella Kyriakides Commissioner for Health and Food Safety said in a statement on Thursday that the talks are intended to result in an Advance Purchase Agreement which could enable all European Union EU member states to purchase the vaccine as well as to donate to lower and middleincome countries or redirect to countries in the European Economic Area EEA reports Xinhua news agency The statement said that the contractual framework would facilitate an initial purchase of 200 million doses on behalf of all EU member states and could further purchase an additional 200 million vaccine doses Ursula von der Leyen president of the European Commission said our citizens lives and our economy need a safe and effective vaccine She said the talks with the American pharmaceutical corporation have brought the union closer to this target In July the EU announced it had concluded exploratory talks with French pharmaceutical company Sanofi aiming for a deal that could secure 300 million doses of the companys COVID19 vaccine for Europeans once it is developed and proven to be safe and effective against the coronavirus Europe has so far registered a total of 3147645 coronavirus cases with 208549 deaths according to figures by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/eu-concludes-talks-on-potential-covid-19-vaccine-supply-from-jj-58042.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 06:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/social-distancing-reduced-covid-19-infection-rates-by-45-in-europe-58110.html Copenhagen Aug 14 A new study has revealed that social distancing during the six weeks of the Covid19 pandemic has reduced infection rates by up to 45 per cent in Europe according to the University of Southern Denmark In these smartphone times we have access to so much data that we can monitor pandemics in a completely new and more accurate way Xinhua news agency quoted Francesco Sannino professor of theoretical physics at the University of Southern Denmark as saying on Thursday Sannino worked on the study in association with colleagues Giacomo Cacciapaglia and Corentin Cot at the University of Lyon in France According to the study the inhabitants of Italy France Portugal and Spain had the lowest mobility and infection rates fell by an average of 30 per cent during the six weeks monitored However Sweden proved an anomaly The Scandinavian country experienced a reduction in the infection rate of the same order of magnitude as Italy France Portugal and Spain despite having a far more mobile population The researchers accounted for the discrepancy by suggesting that a certain degree of social distance consensus must have arisen within the Swedish population The study warned that though the calculations may show a reduced rate of infection during the six weeks monitored it does not mean there will be fewer cases of Covid19 The reduction means that the curve for infection cases is longer to reach the maximum it does not necessarily affect the total number which is an independent amount Europe has so far registered a total of 3147645 coronavirus cases with 208549 deaths according to figures by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/social-distancing-reduced-covid-19-infection-rates-by-45-in-europe-58110.html Sat, 15 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-207mn-johns-hopkins-57991.html Washington Aug 14 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 207 million while the deaths have increased to over 752000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the total number of cases stood at 20764220 and the fatalities rose to 752893 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 5248172 and 167092 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 3164785 infections and 104201 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 2396637 and is followed by Russia 905762 South Africa 572865 Mexico 505751 Peru 498555 Colombia 422519 Chile 380034 Spain 337334 Iran 336324 the UK 315583 Saudi Arabia 294519 Pakistan 286674 Argentina 276072 Bangladesh 269115 Italy 252235 Turkey 245635 France 244096 Germany 222281 Iraq 164277 Philippines 147526 Indonesia 132816 Canada 123180 Qatar 114281 and Kazakhstan 101372 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 55293 India 47033 UK 46791 Italy 35231 France 30392 Spain 28605 Peru 21713 Iran 19162 Russia 15353 Colombia 14145 South Africa 11270 and Chile 10299 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-207mn-johns-hopkins-57991.html Fri, 14 Aug 2020 23:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/australia-records-deadliest-day-of-covid-19-pandemic-57022.html Canberra Aug 10 Australia on Monday recorded its deadliest day of the coronavirus pandemic amid a second wave of infections in Melbourne Victoria state of which Melbourne is the capital reported 19 deaths on Monday reports the BBC More than 100 deaths have been recorded in the state in just the past week as hospital admission rates also rise Victoria also reported 322 new cases on Monday down from a high of 725 registered five days ago The states Premier Daniel Andrews said it was too early to tell if the state was at a turning point but were certainly seeing some greater stability following the stricter measures Its always better to be lower than the previous day but it is only one days data the BBC quoted Andrews as saying Meanwhile on neighbouring New South Wales NSW which has seen small virus clusters in Sydney the state government urged young people to restrict their social activities Queensland which has closed its border to NSW and Victoria said on Monday it appeared to have avoided an outbreak two weeks after travellers brought the virus back from Melbourne As of Monday Australia has reported a total of 21084 confirmed coronavirus cases with 295 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/australia-records-deadliest-day-of-covid-19-pandemic-57022.html Tue, 11 Aug 2020 03:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/no-new-covid-19-case-reported-in-nz-for-5th-day-56832.html Wellington Aug 10 For the fifth consecutive day there was not a single new COVID19 case in New Zealand on Monday while the number of active infections in the country stood at 21 all in managed isolation and quarantine facilities according to the Ministry of Health It has been 101 days since the last case of COVID19 was transmitted locally from an unknown source reports Xinhua news agency Two additional cases are reported as having recovered so there are now 21 active cases of COVID19 in managed isolation facilities said a ministry statement New Zealands total number of confirmed cases of COVID19 remains at 1219 it said adding there is no one currently requiring hospitallevel care for the deadly virus Weve now passed 100 days without community transmission but testing remains one of the best ways to ensure theres no undetected community transmission in New Zealand We need everyone to play their part in that the statement said While COVID19 continues around the world New Zealand cannot be complacent it said adding that every New Zealander needs to be prepared for the virus to reemerge The Ministry continues to recommend households add masks to their earthquake emergency kits as part of New Zealands ongoing response to COVID19 and assures the public there will sufficient masks for everyone The nationwide COVID19 death toll currently stands at 22 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/no-new-covid-19-case-reported-in-nz-for-5th-day-56832.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 11:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/turkey-becomes-3rd-country-to-develop-covid-19-vaccines-prez-56870.html Ankara Aug 10 Turkey has become the third country to develop vaccines locally against COVID19 after the US and China claimed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan The COVID19 Turkey Platform founded by the TUBITAK the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey is currently working on eight different vaccines and 10 different medication projects Erdogan said at the opening ceremony of the TUBITAK Excellence Centers in the northwestern province of Kocaeli Collaborating with state and private sectors and universities Turkey has been making significant progress in developing vaccines and drugs against COVID19 he was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency Erdogan noted that two vaccine candidates have successfully completed the animal tests and one of them has received ethical approval to move on to the clinical trial on humans The total COVID19 cases in Turkey has reached 239622 with a death toll of 5829 according to the latest official data IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/turkey-becomes-3rd-country-to-develop-covid-19-vaccines-prez-56870.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 14:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-covid-19-cases-surpass-103mn-toll-rises-to-22-966-56790.html Addis Ababa Aug 10 The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC on Sunday revealed that the number of Covid19 cases across the African continent surged to 1036564 The Africa CDC a specialised healthcare agency of the 55member African Union AU Commission in its latest situation update issued on Sunday said that the number of Covid19 cases across the African continent has risen from 1022084 on Saturday to 1036564 as of Sunday registering about 14480 new Covid19 cases across the continent Xinhua reported The Africa CDC also noted that the death toll due to illnesses related to the Covid19 pandemic also rose to 22966 on Sunday registering about 505 new Covid19 deaths across the continent from Saturdays 22461 report The continental disease control and prevention agency also said the number of people who recovered from their Covid19 infections also reached 723040 so far South Africa with 553188 confirmed Covid19 cases is Africas highest affected country in terms of positive cases followed by Egypt Nigeria Algeria and Morocco it was noted The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions the Africa CDC said Amid the rapid spread of the Covid19 pandemic across the continent the Africa CDC had on Friday urged the African continent to increase compliance to the public health and social measures as the Covid19 pandemic continued to gain momentum in Africa We must increase mass wearing of masks as we expand testing and treatment services the Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong said in his message following the launch of the World Mask Week slated from August 7 to 14 as an effort to increase the use of face coverings in public across the globe As the pandemic spread across Africa the Africa CDC together with the World Health Organization WHO and more than 40 other global regional and national organisations and institutions have initiated the Pandemic Action Network which launched the World Mask Week that envisaged increasing the use of face coverings in public in Africa and beyond IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-covid-19-cases-surpass-103mn-toll-rises-to-22-966-56790.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 06:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russian-jet-intercepts-us-reconnaissance-plane-over-black-sea-56793.html Moscow Aug 10 A Russian Su27 fighter jet was scrambled over the Black Sea on Sunday to intercept a US Navy radiotechnical reconnaissance aircraft the Russian Defence Ministry said On August 9 Russian airspace control systems detected an air target approaching the Russian state border over the neutral waters of the Black Sea the ministrys Zvezda broadcasting service said Xinhua reported The crew of the Su27 fighter jet identified the aerial objects as US Navy EP3E Aries radio reconnaissance aircraft it added After the US reconnaissance planes turned away from the Russian state border the Russian fighter safely returned to the airfield Zvezda said adding that no violation of the Russian state border was allowed The Russian aircraft proceeded in strict compliance with international airspace rules it said IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russian-jet-intercepts-us-reconnaissance-plane-over-black-sea-56793.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 07:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-reports-225-new-covid-19-cases-62-525-in-total-56794.html Dubai Aug 10 The United Arab Emirates UAE on Sunday announced 225 new COVID19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 62525 The Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement that the new cases of many nationalities are all in stable condition and receiving medical treatment Xinhua reported In addition 323 more patients recovered from the virus taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 56568 according to the ministry It also confirmed one more death pushing up the countrys death toll to 357 The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report COVID19 cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-reports-225-new-covid-19-cases-62-525-in-total-56794.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 07:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-600-56795.html Jerusalem Aug 10 The Covid19 death toll in Israel has reached 600 with seven new deaths Israeli Ministry of Health has said The ministry on Sunday also reported 678 new coronavirus cases bringing the tally to 83002 Xinhua reported The number of patients in serious condition increased from 388 to 395 out of 847 patients currently hospitalised The number of recoveries reached 57533 after 462 new recoveries were added while the number of active cases rose to 24867 Earlier on Sunday the ministry announced that Israel will increase the number of daily coronavirus tests to 60000 at a cost of 4 billion new shekels 117 billion Currently the daily number of Covid19 tests stands at about 25000 in average while on weekends the daily number has sometimes dropped below 10000 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-death-toll-rises-to-600-56795.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 07:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/64-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-56796.html Beijing Aug 10 The National Health Commission on Monday said 64 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Sunday There were 802 patients still being treated including 41 in severe conditions the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 79232 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Sunday the report said As of Sunday a total of 84668 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/64-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-56796.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 08:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-49-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-56799.html Beijing Aug 10 Chinese health authority said on Monday it received reports of 49 new confirmed Covid19 cases in the Chinese mainland on Sunday including 35 imported cases and 14 locallytransmitted ones All the 14 locallytransmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region the National Health Commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported One new suspected Covid19 case which was imported from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai Municipality No deaths related to the disease were reported Sunday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-49-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-56799.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 08:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-197mn-johns-hopkins-56802.html Washington Aug 10 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 197 million while the deaths have increased to over 729000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Monday morning the total number of cases stood at 19778566 and the fatalities rose to 729692 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 5044435 and 162919 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 3035422 infections and 101049 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 2153010 and is followed by Russia 885718 South Africa 559859 Mexico 480278 Peru 471012 Colombia 376870 Chile 373056 Iran 326712 Spain 314362 the UK 312555 Saudi Arabia 288690 Pakistan 284121 Bangladesh 257600 Italy 250566 Argentina 246499 Turkey 240804 France 235237 Germany 217288 Iraq 150115 Philippines 129913 Indonesia 125396 Canada 121362 and Qatar 112947 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 52298 UK 46659 India 43379 Italy 35205 France 30327 Spain 28503 Peru 20844 Iran 18427 Russia 14903 Colombia 12540 South Africa 10408 and Chile 10077 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-197mn-johns-hopkins-56802.html Mon, 10 Aug 2020 08:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-brazil-surpasses-100-000-deaths-3-mn-cases-56577.html Rio de Janeiro Aug 9 Brazil has registered over 100000 deaths and more than 3 million cases of the novel coronavirus Covid19 the government has reported The Ministry of Health on Saturday stated that in the last 24 hours 905 more deaths and 49970 new cases were reported bringing the national death toll to 100477 and total caseload to 3012412 Xinhua reported The state of Sao Paulo the most populous in the country has been the most affected during the pandemic with 25016 deaths and 621731 cases followed by Rio de Janeiro with 14070 deaths and 178524 cases Brazil is one of the countries hit the hardest by the pandemic second only to the US both in terms of the caseload and death toll IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-brazil-surpasses-100-000-deaths-3-mn-cases-56577.html Sun, 09 Aug 2020 10:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-1-333-new-covid-19-cases-82-324-in-total-56566.html Jerusalem Aug 9 Israels Ministry of Health has reported 1333 new coronavirus cases on Saturday bringing the total number to 82324 According to the ministry the death toll reached 593 with 12 new fatalities while the number of patients in serious condition rose from 369 to 388 out of 807 patients currently hospitalised Xinhua reported The number of recoveries reached 57071 with 1758 new ones while the number of active cases dropped to 24658 Earlier in the day many Israeli shop owners reopened their businesses after a decision by the Israeli cabinet on Thursday to lift the weekend restriction The cabinet also cancelled the restriction on public playgrounds IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-1-333-new-covid-19-cases-82-324-in-total-56566.html Sun, 09 Aug 2020 10:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-in-chile-top-10-000-56573.html Santiago Aug 9 The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that 53 more deaths from Covid19 were registered in the past 24 hours bringing the national death toll to 10011 According to the ministrys daily report 2201 new cases were reported in the same period taking the total caseload to 371023 Xinhua reported Of the new cases 1511 presented symptoms and 604 were asymptomatic Chile remains under a state of emergency and its borders have been closed inperson classes have been suspended and nonessential activity has been severely limited The Chilean government has embarked on a plan to gradually relax the quarantine in some areas in order to reactivate the economy given a drop in new cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-in-chile-top-10-000-56573.html Sun, 09 Aug 2020 10:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/california-covid-19-deaths-surpass-10k-56427.html San Francisco Aug 8 The number of coronavirus deaths in California the new epicentre of the COVID19 pandemic in the US has surpassed the 10000 mark according to the states Department of Public Health COVID19 deaths in the countrys most populous state increased to 10011 on Friday after 142 new fatalities were reported in the last 24 hours Xinhua news agency reported citing the Department as saying California now accounts for the thirdhighest number of coronavirus deaths in the US New York tops the list with more than 32000 deaths followed by New Jersey with nearly 16000 fatalities Meanwhile confirmed COVID19 cases in California increased to a total of 538416 after by 8436 new infections were reported on Friday Health and Human Services Secretary Mark Ghaly disclosed that a glitch has led to a backlog of between 250000 and 300000 unprocessed health records in California many of them COVID19 test results But Ghaly insisted that the overall COVID19 trends in the state remained consistent since not all of the logged records are confirmed infection cases and some may be duplicates The state has conducted 8596882 tests which represent an increase of 96419 over the prior 24hour reporting period IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/california-covid-19-deaths-surpass-10k-56427.html Sat, 08 Aug 2020 17:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-31-new-covid-19-cass-56435.html Beijing Aug 8 At least 31 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the Chinese mainland in the last 24 hours taking the total caseload in the country to 84596 health authorities said on Saturday Of the 31 new cases 25 were locallytransmitted and all reported in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Xinhua news agency quoted the National Health Commission as saying On Friday six new imported cases were also reported two in Shanghai and one each in the provinces of Zhejiang Shandong Hubei and Guangdong So far a total of 2126 imported cases have been reported on the mainland According to the commission 14 new asymptomatic cases including six from outside the mainland were reported and no asymptomatic cases were recategorized as confirmed ones The countrys death toll stood at 4634 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-31-new-covid-19-cass-56435.html Sat, 08 Aug 2020 18:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-49-million-56299.html New York Aug 8 The number of Covid19 cases in the US surpassed 49 million on Friday reaching 4902692 according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the national death toll from the disease rose to 160255 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported The hardesthit state California recorded 541693 cases followed by Florida with 510389 cases Texas 484400 cases and New York 419642 cases the tally showed States with over 180000 cases also include Georgia Illinois New Jersey and Arizona the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-49-million-56299.html Sat, 08 Aug 2020 05:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/france-reports-biggest-daily-spike-of-covid-19-cases-since-april-end-56312.html Paris Aug 8 France has reported 2288 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours the biggest daily spike since the end of April In the past week France registered more than 9330 new infections bringing the countrys total number of confirmed Covid19 cases to 197921 the health ministry said on Friday Since May 9 when the French government started a gradual deconfinement some 787 clusters have been detected of which 288 remained active Over the past 24 hours 21 clusters were identified the ministry said on Friday Xinhua reported The indicators are deteriorating confirming a more active circulation of the virus throughout the territory especially among young people the health ministry warned We must strengthen vigilance mobilise ourselves to respect barrier measures common sense gestures in the fight against the Covid19 epidemic it said As of Friday the number of hospitalised Covid19 patients fell by 49 to 5011 continuing a downward trend of two and a half months Currently 383 people needed intensive care 7 fewer than the number on Thursday while 12 additional coronavirusrelated fatalities were recorded bringing the total deaths to 30324 French scientists expected a second wave of the coronavirus could hit the country in autumn or winter as a result of social mixing and absence of distancing and barrier measures during the summer holidays local media reported They asked French authorities to anticipate all the possible scenarios and prepare a prevention plan for the countrys most populated metropolitan areas and to consider local lockdown according to the epidemic situation IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/france-reports-biggest-daily-spike-of-covid-19-cases-since-april-end-56312.html Sat, 08 Aug 2020 07:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-192mn-johns-hopkins-56317.html Washington Aug 8 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 192 million while the deaths have increased to over 719000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Saturday morning the total number of cases stood at 19295350 and the fatalities rose to 719805 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4940939 and 161328 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2962442 infections and 99572 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 2027074 and is followed by Russia 875378 South Africa 545476 Mexico 469407 Peru 455409 Chile 368825 Colombia 357710 Iran 322567 Spain 314362 the UK 310667 Saudi Arabia 285793 Pakistan 282645 Bangladesh 252502 Italy 249756 Turkey 238450 Argentina 235677 France 235207 Germany 216196 Iraq 144064 Philippines 122754 Indonesia 121226 Canada 120901 and Qatar 112383 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 51311 UK 46596 India 41585 Italy 35190 France 30327 Spain 28503 Peru 20424 Iran 18132 Russia 14698 and Colombia 11939 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-192mn-johns-hopkins-56317.html Sat, 08 Aug 2020 08:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/shanghai-reports-2-new-imported-covid-19-cases-56319.html Shanghai Aug 8 Shanghai reported two new imported COVID19 cases but no increase in domestically transmitted infections the municipal health commission said on Saturday The two new patients are Chinese nationals who flew in from abroad reports Xinhua news agency While one arrived in Shanghai from the US via France on August 3 the second person flew in from from the United Arab Emirates three days later They were put under quarantine upon arrival and diagnosed as confirmed cases after showing symptoms according to the commission All 103 close contacts of the patients on the same planes have been put under quarantine As of Friday Shanghai had reported 424 confirmed imported cases and 342 locally transmitted cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/shanghai-reports-2-new-imported-covid-19-cases-56319.html Sat, 08 Aug 2020 08:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/ohio-guv-tests-covid-19-positive-ahead-of-trumps-visit-56138.html Washington Aug 7 Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that he had tested positive for the novel coronavirus just hours ahead of President Donald Trumps planned visit to the state As part of the standard protocol to greet President Trump on the tarmac in Cleveland I took a COVID test I tested positive Xinhua news agency quoted DeWine as saying in a tweet on Thursday I have no symptoms at this time Im following protocol and will quarantine at home for the next 14 days the 73yearold Republican added Local media said he later returned to Columbus the states capital city Lt Gov Jon Husted was also tested for coronavirus ahead of Trumps visit and turned out negative DeWines office said After landing in Cleveland Trump wished DeWine and called him a great guy who has done a fantastic job Latest data from the Ohio Department of Health showed there were 96305 coronavirus cases in the state DeWine is the latest politician to test positive for the virus ahead of their planned meetings with the President Last week Republican Representative Louie Gohmert who has frequently refused to wear a mask tested positive for the virus shortly before he was scheduled to fly aboard Air Force One with Trump to Texas IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/ohio-guv-tests-covid-19-positive-ahead-of-trumps-visit-56138.html Fri, 07 Aug 2020 15:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-deaths-surpass-710-000-56037.html New York Aug 7 Global Covid19 deaths surpassed 710000 on Thursday according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Total Covid19 cases around the world rose to 18908111 with deaths reaching 710318 the CSSE data showed Xinhua reported The US reported the most Covid19 cases and deaths which stood at 4864151 and 159600 respectively followed by Brazil with 2859073 cases and 97256 deaths Other countries with over 30000 fatalities include Mexico Britain India Italy and France IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-deaths-surpass-710-000-56037.html Fri, 07 Aug 2020 06:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-in-brazil-top-98-000-56039.html Sao Paulo Aug 7 Brazil has recorded 1237 new deaths from Covid19 bringing the national death toll to 98493 Tests also detected 53139 new infections bringing the total caseload to 2912212 said the health ministry on Thursday Xinhua reported A total of 2047660 people have recovered The state of Sao Paulo Brazils most populous state is the epicentre of the national outbreak with 598670 infections and 24448 deaths The death toll in the city of Sao Paulo has passed 10000 Brazil is one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic second only to the United States both in terms of caseload and death toll IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-in-brazil-top-98-000-56039.html Fri, 07 Aug 2020 06:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-10-new-imported-covid-19-cases-56040.html Beijing Aug 7 The Chinese mainland reported 10 new imported Covid19 cases on Thursday bringing the total number of imported cases to 2120 the National Health Commission said on Friday Of the new imported cases seven were reported in Shanghai and one each in the provinces of Liaoning Jiangsu and Sichuan the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Among all the imported cases 2014 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 106 remained hospitalized with one in severe condition the commission said adding that no deaths had been reported from the imported cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-10-new-imported-covid-19-cases-56040.html Fri, 07 Aug 2020 07:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-cross-19mn-mark-johns-hopkins-56045.html Washington Aug 7 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has crossed the 19 million mark while the deaths have increased to over 713000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the total number of cases stood at 19007938 and the fatalities rose to 713406 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4881974 and 160090 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2912212 infections and 98493 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1964536 and is followed by Russia 870187 South Africa 538184 Mexico 462690 Peru 447624 Chile 366671 Colombia 345714 Iran 320117 Spain 309855 the UK 309784 Saudi Arabia 284226 Pakistan 281863 Bangladesh 249651 Italy 249204 Turkey 237265 France 231310 Argentina 228195 Germany 215039 Iraq 140603 Canada 120387 Philippines 119460 Indonesia 118753 and Qatar 112092 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 50517 UK 46498 India 40699 Italy 35187 France 30308 Spain 28500 Peru 20228 Iran 17976 Russia 14579 and Colombia 11624 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-cross-19mn-mark-johns-hopkins-56045.html Fri, 07 Aug 2020 08:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/blast-rocks-beirut-in-run-up-to-hariri-assassination-case-verdict-55989.html Beirut Aug 4 Ahead of the UN tribunals verdict in the 2005 assassination of Lebanons former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri a bomb blast shook Beirut on Tuesday reports said According to the BBC the explosion was in the citys port area with videos and local media showing a billowing mushroom cloud people trapped under debris and extensive damage but there was no word of what caused the blast and who was responsible A witness described the blast as defeaning Lebanons Health Minister Hamad Hasan apprehended many injuries and extensive damage it said There were reports of another explosion at the Hariri residence in the city but no official confirmation The UN tribunal is due to issue its verdict on Friday in the trial in absentia of the four suspects all from the Hezbollah militia Hariri was assassinated in a massive car bomb blast in downtown Beirut in February 2005 The popular Sunni businessmanturnedpoliticians death soon led to a wave of protests the Cedar Revolution that ultimately forced Syria to wind up its longstanding military presence in Lebanon IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/blast-rocks-beirut-in-run-up-to-hariri-assassination-case-verdict-55989.html Thu, 06 Aug 2020 23:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/tokyos-daily-covid-19-cases-above-200-for-8th-day-55563.html Tokyo Aug 4 The Tokyo metropolitan government confirmed 309 new COVID19 cases on Tuesday with the figure marking the eighth straight day that cases have topped 200 in the Japanese capital The latest figure followed 258 new COVID19 infections confirmed a day earlier when the figure dropped for two straight days coming off record highs late last week when the capital logged 292 cases on Sunday and a record daily increase of 472 on Saturday reports Xinhua news agency Of the 309 people testing positive Tuesday 193 were in 20s and 30s accounting for about 62 per cent of the cases the metropolitan government said Tokyos cumulative total stands at 14022 with roughly 50 per cent of new infections added in July alone according to officials Tokyo has remained the epicentre of the outbreak in Japan with cases in July alone totalling 6466 the highest figure for any month The metropolitan government has kept its alert level at the highest fourtier scale meaning that infections are spreading As of Tuesday the total number of coronavirus cases in Japan stood at 40073 with 1018 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/tokyos-daily-covid-19-cases-above-200-for-8th-day-55563.html Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/over-50-killed-2-500-injured-in-beirut-blasts-55669.html Beirut An army helicopter drops water at the scene of Tuesdays massive explosion that hit the seaport of Beirut Lebanon Wednesday Aug 5 2020 Residents of Beirut awoke to a scene of utter devastation on Wednesday a day after a massive explosion at the port sent shock waves across the Lebanese capital killing dozens of people and wounding thousands PTI Beirut Aug 5 Over 50 people have been killed and around 2500 wounded in two huge explosions that rocked Lebanese capital Beirut Health Minister Hamad Hassan said The blasts took place on Tuesday evening around 610 pm local time shaking buildings all over the city while also causing severe damages and casualties Xinhua reported Hassan was quoted by alJadeed TV as saying that more than 50 people were killed and 2500 others were injured in the blasts The number of casualties were expected to rise as the counting continued Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has urged his countrys allies to help Lebanon overcome the repercussions of the disastrous explosions Meanwhile Diab declared Wednesday a national mourning day for the victims of the explosions Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for an emergency meeting of the Higher Defence Council to discuss the reasons and repercussions of the explosions The causes of the blasts remained unknown but Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi said that the explosive chemicals stored at Port of Beirut may have caused the explosions Customs authorities must be asked about the reasons behind storing such chemical materials at Port of Beirut Fahmi said Many countries in the region expressed solidarity and sympathy with Lebanon over the explosions that have dealt a further blow to the country already plagued by the Covid19 pandemic and an economic crisis Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday that Iran is ready to offer help to Lebanon after the huge blasts caused massive casualties and damages in Beirut Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon Zarif tweeted As always Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary he said Stay strong Lebanon he added Turkey on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the massive casualties and damages caused by the huge explosions in Lebanon Two Turkish citizens were slightly injured in the blasts said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a statement Egyptian President AbdelFattah alSisi extended his condolences to Lebanon over the deadly explosions that rocked the Lebanese capital My sincere condolences and sympathy go to the government and people of Lebanon over the tragic explosions that happened today in the Lebanese capital Beirut Sisi wrote on his official Facebook page Sisi also wished speedy recovery for those injured in the blasts while extending condolences to the families of the killed Palestine has also expressed its solidarity with Lebanon following the massive explosions in Beirut Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said his country is ready to provide any support it could to Lebanon to help it recover from the tragedy while sending his condolences to the families of the victims Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said in a press statement that Palestine is ready to put all its capabilities for the service of Lebanon and provide any needed assistance immediately IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/over-50-killed-2-500-injured-in-beirut-blasts-55669.html Wed, 05 Aug 2020 17:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-records-lowest-covid-19-cases-since-april-55710.html Moscow Aug 4 Russia recorded 5159 new coronavirus cases in 24 hours the lowest daily figure since April 23 authorities said on Tuesday The new cases took the overall caseload to 861423 the fourth highest in the world reports TASS News Agency According to the anticoronavirus crisis center the number was the lowest since April 23 when 4774 cases were identified The daily growth rate is 06 per cent Russias coronavirus death toll rose by 144 to 14351 while the recoveries stood at 661471 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-records-lowest-covid-19-cases-since-april-55710.html Wed, 05 Aug 2020 19:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-181-mn-johns-hopkins-55301.html Washington Aug 4 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 181 million mark while the deaths have increased to over 691000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Tuesday morning the total number of cases stood at 18193291 and the fatalities rose to 691642 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4712724 and 155388 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2733677 infections and 94104 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1803695 and is followed by Russia 854641 South Africa 516862 Mexico 443813 Peru 428850 Chile 361493 Colombia 317651 Iran 312035 the UK 307251 Spain 297054 Saudi Arabia 280093 Pakistan 280029 Italy 248229 Bangladesh 242102 Turkey 233851 France 225198 Germany 212111 Argentina 206743 Iraq 131886 Canada 118973 Indonesia 113134 Qatar 111322 and the Philippines 106330 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 48012 UK 46295 India 38135 Italy 35166 France 30268 Spain 28472 Peru 19614 Iran 17405 Russia 14183 and Colombia 10650 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-181-mn-johns-hopkins-55301.html Tue, 04 Aug 2020 09:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/another-us-diplomat-in-cambodia-tests-covid-19-positive-55395.html Phnom Penh Aug 4 Cambodian authorities on Tuesday confirmed that another US diplomat has tested positive for COVID19 bringing the total number of infected Americans in the country to four The Health Ministry described the latest patient as a senior diplomat at the American Embassy who arrived in Cambodia recently from the US via a connecting flight in South Korea reports Xinhua news agency According to a report provided by the US Embassy to Cambodia on the 15th day of the mans quarantine his samples were tested for the COVID19 for the third time and the result released on Monday showed that he turned out to be positive for the virus it said The patient has been placed in an isolation ward at the Eembassy in Phnom Penh receiving treatment from the US doctors to the embassy The man is the fourth US diplomat tested positive for the virus in Cambodia in recent weeks and two of them have recovered the statement said The Southeast Asian country has recorded a total of 241 confirmed COVID19 cases to date with 200 patients cured and 41 remained in hospital IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/another-us-diplomat-in-cambodia-tests-covid-19-positive-55395.html Tue, 04 Aug 2020 16:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/california-reports-over-9-000-new-single-day-covid-19-cases-55136.html San Francisco Aug 3 California the new epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic in the US witnessed a record surge of 9032 new cases in 24 hours health authorities said With a population of around 40 million the countrys most populated state has so far registered a totol 509162 cases to date Xinhua news agency quoted the Department of Public Health as saying Sunday In the past 24 hours 132 new COVID19 deaths were recorded bringing the states fatalities to 9356 With an increase of 149388 there have been 8035975 tests conducted in California so far As testing capacity continues to increase across the state an increase in the number of positive cases has been expected increasing the importance of positivity rates to find signs of community spread the Department said The number of confirmed cases in California surpassed New York state last week as the largest count in the US California has not reported any recoveries so far IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/california-reports-over-9-000-new-single-day-covid-19-cases-55136.html Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/40-people-test-covid-19-positive-on-norway-cruise-liner-55139.html Oslo Aug 3 Norwegian authorities are tracing passengers from recent Arctic voyages after at least 40 crew and passengers from a luxury cruise liner tested positive for the novel coronavirus the countrys public health department said All 158 crew members from the MS Roald Amundsen have been tested after 36 of them and four passengers were diagnosed with the disease on Friday Hurtigruten the owner of the ship currently docked at the port of Tromsoe said in a statement Four of the combined 387 passengers travelling on two separate cruises on the ship have been detected to carry the virus the Norwegian Institute of Public Health FHI and the Tromsoe municipality said on Sunday The MS Roald Amundsen had two expeditions to the Arctic one on July 17 with 209 passengers and another on July 24 with 178 reports Xinhua news agency While the crew was quarantined the 178 passengers who arrived on Friday were allowed to disembark before anyone had been diagnosed The FHI said that it has sent messages to all the passengers and are trying to verify the information that has been received According to Johns Hopkins University Norway has reported 9268 cases of COVID19 and 255 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/40-people-test-covid-19-positive-on-norway-cruise-liner-55139.html Mon, 03 Aug 2020 12:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/philippines-tightens-lockdown-due-to-surge-of-covid-19-cases-55161.html Manila Aug 3 A stricter lockdown will come into force from Tuesday in the Philippines requiring residents of Metro Manila and four nearby provinces to stay at home due to a surge in the number of COVID19 cases President Rodrigo Duterte reverted late on Sunday that Metro Manila and the outlying provinces of Laguna Cavite Rizal and Bulacan where many of the fresh COVID19 cases were recorded will be under stricter modified enhanced community quarantine MECQ effective from Tuesday to August 18 reports Xinhua news agency Public transport will be shut down in these areas and police checkpoints will be set up to limit the movement of people Only residents with governmentissued passes will be allowed to leave home for essential errands such as shopping for basic commodities The Philippines reported 5032 confirmed new cases on Sunday breaking a previous high of 4963 new cases on Saturday following 4063 new cases on Friday and 3954 new cases on Thursday according to the Department of Health DOH The overall caseload currently stands at 85486 with 1962 deaths The DOH said the Philippines has experienced a rapid increase in COVID19 cases after shifting from the strictest lockdown restrictions enhanced community quarantine ECQ to a more relaxed general community quarantine GCQ on June 1 In midMarch the Philippines imposed a lockdown in Metro Manila and other highrisk regions to stop the spread of COVID19 The restriction measures strictly limited the movement of the people and halted economic activities due to the travel bans and temporary closures of schools transport and businesses The prolonged containment that continues up to now forced private businesses to cut production and lay off employees IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/philippines-tightens-lockdown-due-to-surge-of-covid-19-cases-55161.html Mon, 03 Aug 2020 15:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-177mn-johns-hopkins-54880.html Washington Aug 2 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 175 million while the deaths have increased to more than 683000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Sunday morning the total number of cases stood at 17791377 and the fatalities rose to 683988 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4620182 and 154360 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2707877 infections and 93563 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1695988 and is followed by Russia 843890 South Africa 503290 Mexico 434193 Peru 407492 Chile 357658 Iran 306752 Colombia 306181 the UK 305572 Spain 288522 Pakistan 278305 Saudi Arabia 277478 Italy 247832 Bangladesh 239860 Turkey 231869 France 225197 Germany 211005 Argentina 196543 Iraq 126704 Canada 118523 Qatar 110911 and Indonesia 109936 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the Mexico 47472 UK 46278 India 36511 Italy 35146 France 30268 Spain 28445 Peru 19021 Iran 16982 Russia 14034 and Colombia 10330 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-177mn-johns-hopkins-54880.html Sun, 02 Aug 2020 09:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-deaths-top-150-000-54573.html New York July 30 US Covid19 deaths have surpassed the 150000 mark to reach 150034 on Wednesday according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the total Covid19 cases in the country rose to 4396030 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported New York state has reported the highest death toll of 32658 in the country California Florida and Texas have emerged as new epicentres of coronavirus infection in the country as the death tolls rose to 8724 6332 and 5913 respectively Other states with more than 6000 fatalities include New Jersey Massachusetts Illinois Pennsylvania and Michigan the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-deaths-top-150-000-54573.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 10:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-cases-up-2-006-to-68-299-54574.html Jerusalem July 30 The total number of coronavirus cases in Israel has reached 68299 with 2006 new cases on Wednesday the Ministry of Health said The number of death cases rose to 491 with five new deaths while the number of patients in serious condition rose from 314 to 328 out of 747 patients currently hospitalised Xinhua reported The total number of recoveries reached 32746 with 564 new recoveries while the number of active cases reached 35062 Earlier on Wednesday the Israeli parliament approved a plan to send every citizen cash grant to support financial difficulties amid the coronavirus crisis Under the plan all Israelis over 18 will receive a single payment of 750 new shekels about 220 with additional amounts for families with children IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-cases-up-2-006-to-68-299-54574.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/speculation-rises-kamala-harris-will-be-democratic-vp-candidate-54577.html By Arul Louis New York July 30 Speculation swirled around US Senator Kamala Harris becoming the Democratic Party candidate for vice president after Joe Biden who is to be the presidential candidate was photographed accidentally displaying a list of favourable talking points about her The first item under her name was Do not hold grudges a possible reference to her attacks on Biden over his civil rights record during the Democratic Party presidential debate last year when she was also seeking the party nomination That confrontation which saw Harriss standing in the poll momentarily rise while Bidens fell had been mentioned as one of the points against her in becoming Bidens running mate The note about not holding grudges may indicate that Biden has put that skirmish behind him The other points in the list in Bidens photograph circulated by a leading media outlet were Campaigned with me Jill Talented Great help to campaign and Great respect for her The vice president pick is expected to be announced in coming days and Biden said on Tuesday Im going to have a choice in the first week in August He has said that his vice president pick would be a woman and as the Black Lives movement protests gripped the nation he has been under pressure to select a woman of African descent She got an odd endorsement from Trump who told reporters I think shed be a fine choice Kamala Harris Shed be a fine choice Kamala Devi Harris is the daughter of an Indian American mother from Tamil Nadu and a Jamaican African father She has identified herself more closely with her fathers heritage and her religious affiliation is shown as Baptist Her husband Doug Emhoff is Jewish The influential web publication Politico reported that Harris had been chosen by Biden as his running mate but deleted the post It confirmed to Fox News that it had published the report but said that it was placeholder texta that had been accidentally released CNBC has reported that there was a sustained campaigned by some influential Biden supporters and donors have been campaigning against Harris which may indicate that she is among the top choices About a dozen women have reportedly been shortlisted and vetted by Bidens advisers One of the main criterion for the Democratic vice presidential candidate is that she should be prepared to assume the responsibilities of president as Biden is 77 and would be the oldest person to assume the office if he is elected Harris 55 has domestic political experience as a former California attorney general and now a senator which has also given her foreign policy expertise from serving on the Select Committee on Intelligence and on the Homeland Security Committee Another candidate mentioned as frontrunner is Susan Rice 55 who is African American was former President Barack Obamas national security adviser and had worked closely with Biden She will bring foreign and strategic policy expertise but has not run for any office Senator Tammy Duckworth 52 a retired Army pilot with the rank of lieutenant colonel who lost both her legs in the Iraq war is of part Thai descent is also mentioned as a frontrunner The names of two other Representatives Val Demings and Karen Bass have also been mentioned However any of the others on the short list could end up as the vice presidential candidate With the COVID19 pandemic and the national protests against police brutality and discrimination against African American which have some times turned violent emerging as the key areas for action next year domestic experience could be important Besides being able to step into the presidency Bidens running partner would also have to be a vigorous campaigner capable of keeping up the punishing routine of the election trail Harris can be tough campaigner able to stand up to Trumps harsh style One of Harriss drawback is her role as a prosecutor in California because she has been accused of contributing to the conviction and jailing of a large number of African Americans which could turn off some traditional Democratic Party supporters Her standing in the party sank amid the accusations of her prosecutorial role and she quit the race for presidential nomination Her initial bump in the polls came after she raked up Bidens opposition in the 1970s and 1980s to integrating schools by transporting children by buses to schools across neighbourhoods segregated by race Politico reported that former Senator Chris Dodd an adviser to Biden has reportedly said that when he asked Harris about it She laughed and said athataÂs politics She had no remorse This was considered a point against her Arul Louis can be reached at arulliansin and followed on Twitter at arulouis IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/speculation-rises-kamala-harris-will-be-democratic-vp-candidate-54577.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-death-toll-tops-90-000-54582.html Rio de Janeiro July 30 Brazils novel coronavirus Covid19 outbreak has marked grim milestones with the death toll surpassing 90000 the number of people testing positive going over 25 million and a record number of new cases emerging in a single day nearly 70000 According to the Health Ministry on Wednesday in the previous day tests detected 69074 new cases of infection taking the total caseload to 2552265 and 1595 more patients died of the virus raising the death toll to 90134 Xinhua reported Another 3684 deaths are suspected of being Covid19 related but have not been verified Brazil has the worlds secondlargest outbreak after the US in both the number of cases and number of deaths The state of Sao Paulo the countrys most populous area is the epicentre of the national outbreak with 514197 cases of infection and 22389 deaths followed by Rio de Janeiro with 161647 cases and 13198 deaths and Ceara with 169072 cases and 7643 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-death-toll-tops-90-000-54582.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 11:56:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/pichai-zuckerberg-bezos-cook-take-heat-during-us-congress-grilling-54584.html By Nikhila Natarajan New York July 30 Four big tech CEOs Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg Amazons Jeff Bezos Sundar Pichai of Google and Tim Cook of Apple pushed back against accusations during a US Congress panel hearing capping a yearlong investigation into these companies market domination online Amid intense grilling on issues that centred on market power derived from uninhibited collection and access to data all four CEOs focused their attention on the value of their innovations and services to consumers They testified via video link to lawmakers in Washington DC Google CEO Sundar Pichai struggled to deflect accusations of anticonservative bias and retreated multiple times to a Happy to engage with you answer in response to questions that went deep into the working of the companys mighty algorithms Pichai squirmed when asked whether he signed off on the companys 2016 decision to merge data from the advertising company Double Click bought in 2007 with Googles own data Rep Val Demings described this move as one that effectively destroyed users anonymity on the internet I reviewed at a high level all the important decisions we make Pichai said He talked up how Google cares about privacy and security of users and noted that Google no longer uses data from Gmail for ad targeting a relatively recent change Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos repeatedly offered I dont remember or We are looking into it as an answer to lawmaker concerns about how the company might be killing off small businesses poaching ideas from competitors or employee testimony that there is nobody enforcing policies in a company that has become a candy shop of seller data For years Amazon has been dogged by allegations that it uses its dominance to identify and enter into new product categories using its unique lens into inside information on third party seller data Pushed on this question by Pramila Jayapal who represents the district in which Amazon is headquartered Bezos sidestepped saying he could not answer yes or no I can tell you we have a policy against using sellerspecific data to aid our private label business but I cant guarantee you that that policy has never been violated Facebook CEO Zuckerberg faced fire over the companys acquisition of Instagram and WhatsApp a pervasive strategy of copying competitors features selling user data to third parties and the forest fire analogy of how fake news and conspiracy theories go wild on the mighty platform In his responses Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook has certainly adapted features that others have led in but countered that the companys moves were not anticompetitive I have always been clear that we viewed Instagram as both a competitor and as a complement to our services Zuckerberg said The Facebooks CEO used his time during opening remarks to knock competitors In many areas we are behind our competitors he said The most popular messaging service in the US is iMessage The fastest growing app is TikTok The most popular app for video is YouTube The fastest growing ads platform is Amazon The largest ads platform is Google Apple CEO Tim Cook contended that his company does not have a dominant market share in any market where we do business and prioritises the quality of product versus scale Apple whose iPhone is the worlds thirdlargest selling phone is facing EU investigations over fees charged by its App Store and technical blockades that allegedly shut out competitors to Apple Pay Cook said In the more than a decade since the App Store debuted we have never raised the commission or added a single fee In fact we have reduced them for subscriptions and exempted additional categories of apps The App Store evolves with the times and every change we have made has been in the direction of providing a better experience for our users and a compelling business opportunity for developers IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/pichai-zuckerberg-bezos-cook-take-heat-during-us-congress-grilling-54584.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-administration-sends-federal-agents-to-three-more-cities-54593.html Washington July 30 The Donald Trump administration of the US has announced its sending federal agents to three more cities to deal with what it has called violent crime Attorney General William Barr said in a statement on Wednesday that the agents are going to Cleveland Ohio Detroit Michigan and Milwaukee Wisconsin Xinhua reported The three cities have seen disturbing increases in violent crime particularly homicides Barr said Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan tweeted the city believes there is no lawful basis for Homeland Security intervention in the protests or for any increased presence of Homeland Security agents in our community But he acknowledged the need to address the unacceptable level of gun violence in Detroit Last week US President Donald Trump said they were deploying a surge of federal agents to Chicago Illinois and Albuquerque New Mexico Wednesdays announcement came as Oregon Governor Kate Brown and the Trump administration are at odds over the presence of Department of Homeland Security DHS agents in Portland the largest city of the Beaver State Demonstrations have continued for weeks in Portland in the wake of the death of African American George Floyd in Minneapolis Minnesota police custody late May while law enforcement personnel and protesters have frequently clashed in the city The federal government has agreed to withdraw federal officers from Portland Brown tweeted on Wednesday They have acted as an occupying force brought violence Acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf however said in a statement that federal law enforcement will remain in Portland Less than 100 days until the November elections Trump has been focusing on a lawandorder message by lashing out at cities run by Democrats If you look at Portland if you look at whats going in Seattle Democratrun cities whether you like it or not theyre terribly run Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday ahead of a trip to Texas So either they clean out Portland the governor and the mayor who are weak either they clean out Portland or were going in to do it for them The stance has been roundly criticized by Democrats During a hearing with Barr on Tuesday House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said the Trump administration has endangered Americans and violated their constitutional rights by flooding federal law enforcement into the streets of American cities against the wishes of the state and local leaders of those cities IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-administration-sends-federal-agents-to-three-more-cities-54593.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 12:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-17mn-johns-hopkins-54594.html Washington July 30 The total number of global coronavirus cases was nearing the 17 million mark while the deaths have increased to more than 665000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Thursday morning the overall number of cases stood at 16957763 while the fatalities rose to 665486 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4424806 and 150676 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2552265 infections and 90134 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1531669 and is followed by Russia 827509 South Africa 471123 Mexico 408449 Peru 395005 Chile 351575 the UK 303058 Iran 298909 Spain 282641 Pakistan 276288 Saudi Arabia 272590 Colombia 267385 Italy 246776 Bangladesh 232194 Turkey 228924 France 221077 Germany 208546 Argentina 178996 Iraq 118300 Canada 117357 Qatar 110153 and Indonesia 104432 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 46046 Mexico 45361 Italy 35129 India 34193 France 30226 Spain 28441 Peru 18612 Iran 16343 and Russia 13650 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-17mn-johns-hopkins-54594.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 13:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/la-reports-highest-single-day-covid-19-cases-deaths-54603.html Los Angeles July 30 Los Angeles County the most populous in the US has reported the highest singleday increase of confirmed COVID19 cases and deaths Wednesdays figures 4825 cases and 91 deaths reflected a large backlog in the California states electronic lab system with as many as 2000 cases coming from said delay but it was an alarm as well Barbara Ferrer the countys public health director said in an online briefing If you take away the fluctuations weve had on lab delays we are really about 1000 cases per day over where we were about a month ago Ferrer was quoted as saying by the Xinhua news agency We do hope we will begin trending lower but we are going to need at least several weeks before we can get back to where we were in midMay and the beginning of June As of Wednesday in the county with a population of over 10 million a total of 4516 people have died from the virus and a total of 183383 people have tested positive for it California one of the worst hit states in the US has so far reported a total of 470000 COVID19 cases with 8902 deaths and no recoveries IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/la-reports-highest-single-day-covid-19-cases-deaths-54603.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 13:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/texas-surpasses-ny-in-number-of-covid-19-cases-54621.html Houston July 30 Texas the second largest US state by both area and population has surpassed New York in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases according to the Johns Hopkins University The southern state has so far registered 417098 COVID19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic while New York has reported a total of 413593 cases as of Wednesday Xinhua news agency reported citing the University as saying Florida Texas and New York are behind California which currently leads the country with 475806 total cases according to Johns Hopkins University Texas has also recorded 313 new COVID19 deaths taking the total toll to 6190 according to state health department figures In California there were 197 new virus deaths exceeding the 14day average of 109 and bringing its total to 8715 Florida reported 216 additional deaths among residents for a total of 6333 As of Thursday the US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4424806 and 150676 respectively according to the University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/texas-surpasses-ny-in-number-of-covid-19-cases-54621.html Thu, 30 Jul 2020 15:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-doubled-in-last-6-weeks-who-54086.html Geneva July 28 World Health Organization WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that he will reconvene the Emergency Committee on Thursday to reevaluate the coronavirus pandemic as the global COVID19 cases doubled over the last six weeks Thursday will mark six months since January 30 when the WHO declared the coronavirus outbreak a public health emergency of international concern reports Xinhua news agency Addressing a virtual press conference Tedros said that since then 16 million cases have now been reported to WHO with more than 640000 deaths worldwide This is the sixth time a global health emergency has been declared under the International Health Regulations but it is easily the most severe he said adding that the pandemic continues to accelerate In the past six weeks the global total number of cases has roughly doubled Tedros said He said that although the world has changed the basic measures needed to suppress transmission and save lives have not find isolate test and care for cases and trace and quarantine their contacts Countries and communities that have followed this advice carefully and consistently have done well either in preventing largescale outbreaks like Cambodia New Zealand Rwanda Thailand Vietnam and islands in the Pacific and Caribbean or in bringing large outbreaks under control like Canada China Germany and the Republic of Korea he said According to the Johns Hopkins University the overall number of global coronavirus cases stood at 16407310 as of Tuesday morning while the deaths have increased to 652459 The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4287974 and 148009 respectively Brazil came in the second place with 2442375 infections and 87618 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-doubled-in-last-6-weeks-who-54086.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 14:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-deaths-surpass-650-000-53839.html New York July 28 Global Covid19 deaths surpassed 650000 on Monday reaching 650029 according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the total Covid19 cases around the world rose to 16330977 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported The US reported the most Covid19 cases and deaths standing at 4262674 and 147143 respectively Other countries with over 20000 fatalities include Brazil Britain Mexico Italy France Spain and India IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-deaths-surpass-650-000-53839.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-reports-1st-animal-covid-19-case-54101.html London July 28 The UK has reported the countrys first confirmed COVID19 case in an animal according to the countrys Chief Veterinary Officer Christine Middlemiss The infection detected in a pet cat was confirmed following tests at the Animal and Plant Health Agency APHA laboratory in Weybridge on July 22 reports Xinhua news agency However there is no evidence to suggest that pets directly transmit the virus to humans the Middlemiss said on Monday We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will update our guidance to pet owners should the situation change said Middlemiss All available evidence suggests that the cat contracted the coronavirus from its owners who had previously tested positive for the virus according to a statement from the Department for Environment Food Rural Affairs The cat and its owners have since made a full recovery and there was no transmission to other animals or people in the household This is a very rare event with infected animals detected to date only showing mild clinical signs and recovering within a few days said Middlemiss Daniella Dos Santos President of the British Veterinary Association said Our advice to pet owners who have Covid19 or who are selfisolating with symptoms remains to restrict contact with their pets as a precautionary measure and to practise good hygiene including regular handwashing We also recommend that owners who are confirmed or suspected to have Covid19 should keep their cat indoors if possible but only if the cat is happy to be kept indoors Some cats cannot stay indoors due to stressrelated medical reasons IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-reports-1st-animal-covid-19-case-54101.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 14:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-does-not-seek-to-rejoin-g7-kremlin-53846.html Moscow July 28 Russia has no plan to rejoin the Group of Seven given its satisfaction with the Group of 20 the Kremlin said on Monday The G20 probably better meets modern economic realities from the point of view of economic development centres in the world Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters According to Peskov the G7 lacks global significance because it excludes China India Brazil Turkey and other countries Xinhua reported Russia was part of the Group of Eight along with Britain Canada France Germany Italy Japan and the US but its membership was terminated over Crimea in 2014 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-does-not-seek-to-rejoin-g7-kremlin-53846.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-expert-calls-for-quick-response-to-covid-19-resurgence-54137.html Geneva July 28 Governments should react quickly and communicate transparently to ensure small numbers of COVID19 cases and clusters dont reignite sustained and efficient community transmission said a senior expert of the World Health Organization WHO Michael Ryan executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program made the appeal on Monday when talking about the recent resurgence of COVID19 cases worldwide reports Xinhua news agency Countries such as Japan and Australia that have had contained the virus are experiencing a resurgence of COVID19 cases Japan has reported 4740 newly confirmed cases to WHO in the past seven days When the measures to suppress the virus are lifted the virus returns Ryan noted Some of the resurgences have started from longterm care facilities such as nursing homes others were happening in places like nightclubs where people come together and spend a prolonged period of time said Maria Van Kerkhove technical lead of the WHO Health Emergencies Program Meanwhile Ryan said that in order to efficiently control the resurgence countries need to have consistent clear sustained interventions and to get the interventions down to the community level It is equally important that governments be honest and trustful and communicate reality on the ground to the public According to the Johns Hopkins University the overall number of global coronavirus cases stood at 16407310 as of Tuesday morning while the deaths have increased to 652459 The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4287974 and 148009 respectively Brazil came in the second place with 2442375 infections and 87618 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-expert-calls-for-quick-response-to-covid-19-resurgence-54137.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 17:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-reports-264-new-covid-19-cases-59-177-in-total-53882.html Dubai July 28 The United Arab Emirates UAE has announced 264 new Covid19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 59177 The Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement on Monday that the new cases of many nationalities are all in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment Xinhua reported Meanwhile 328 more patients have recovered from the virus taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 52510 according to the ministry It also confirmed one more death pushing up the countrys death toll to 345 The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report Covid19 cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-reports-264-new-covid-19-cases-59-177-in-total-53882.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-confirmed-cases-surpass-300-000-53890.html London July 28 At least 300111 people have tested positive for coronavirus in Britain with a daily increase of 685 according to figures updated by the countrys health authorities The figures for coronavirusrelated deaths remain unavailable on the official website as Health Secretary Matt Hancock has ordered a review into the Public Health Englands PHE data Xinhua reported The government said that it is now able to better identify outbreaks at an early stage and take steps to ensure appropriate local intervention Working with local authorities the government has recently paused the further easement of lockdown measures in Blackburn with Darwen and Luton as data showed that the incidence of Covid19 in these areas was higher than in other areas of the country Meanwhile Britain is taking more precautionary measures to prevent the increase of Covid19 cases People returning to Britain from Spain including islands from midnight on July 25 will need to selfisolate for two weeks with the country removed from the travel corridors list the British government has announced Following a significant change recently in both the level and pace of change in confirmed cases Spain has been removed from the list of countries where people do not have to selfisolate when arriving into Britain the government explained IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-confirmed-cases-surpass-300-000-53890.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 08:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/notre-dame-withdraws-from-hosting-us-presidential-debate-53903.html Washington July 28 The University of Notre Dame has withdrawn from hosting the first presidential debate of this years election the Commission on Presidential Debates CPD has announced The CPD on Monday said instead the debate scheduled on September 29 2020 will be cohosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic at the Health Education Campus in Cleveland Ohio Xinhua reported The University of Notre Dame a private Catholic research university in Notre Dame Indiana said in a statement that the inevitable reduction in student attendance in the debate hall volunteer opportunities and ancillary educational events undermined the primary benefit of hosting to provide our students with a meaningful opportunity to engage in the American political process This year there will be three debates between sitting US President and presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump and former US Vice President and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden In addition to the Ohio debate two others will be held in October respectively in Miami Florida and Nashville Tennessee The University of Michigan was scheduled to host the second presidential debate but withdrew last month A vice presidential debate between Trumps deputy Mike Pence and whoever Biden chooses as his running mate will also be held in October All debates will be 90 minutes in length according to the CPD a nonprofit nonpartisan organization that has sponsored and produced all general election presidential debates since 1987 The coronavirus pandemic which has infected more than 42 million Americans and killed more than 147000 people in the US has forced the presidential and other campaigns to go virtual due to health and safety risks The Republican and Democratic national conventions both scheduled for August where Trump and Biden will formally receive each partys presidential nomination will take place on a smaller scale The Democratic National Convention Committee on Monday released health protocols for its convention in Milwaukee Wisconsin that require attendees going to the site to agree to daily coronavirus testing and wear masks inside the campus IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/notre-dame-withdraws-from-hosting-us-presidential-debate-53903.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 09:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-2-029-new-covid-19-cases-63-985-in-total-53943.html Jerusalem July 28 Israels Ministry of Health has reported 2029 new coronavirus cases bringing the total infections in the country to 63985 This is the third time since the outbreak of the pandemic in Israel in late February that the daily infections exceeded 2000 The death toll reached 474 with four new fatalities while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 303 to 311 out of 739 patients currently hospitalised the Ministry said on Monday Xinhua reported The number of recoveries rose to 27133 with 108 new ones while the active cases hit a record high of 36378 Earlier on Monday the ministry launched a national smartphone application to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Israel The application alerts its users to possible exposure to a confirmed coronavirus patient and provides relevant instructions Also on Monday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed government ministers to submit plans to manage the coronavirus routine in their ministries areas of responsibility According to a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office the ministers were instructed to submit the plans to the cabinet secretary by Thursday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-2-029-new-covid-19-cases-63-985-in-total-53943.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 09:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-68-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-53981.html Beijing July 28 Chinese health authority said on Tuesday that it received reports of 68 new confirmed Covid19 cases in the Chinese mainland on Monday including four imported cases and 64 locallytransmitted ones Fiftyseven of the 64 locallytransmitted cases were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region six in Liaoning Province and one in Beijing Municipality the National Health Commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported No deaths related to the disease or new suspected Covid19 cases were reported on Monday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-68-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-53981.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/16-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-54012.html Beijing July 28 The National Health Commission said on Tuesday that 16 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Monday There were 391 patients still being treated including 20 in severe condition the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 78934 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Monday the report said As of Monday a total of 83959 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/16-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-54012.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-164mn-johns-hopkins-54015.html Washington July 28 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has topped 164 million while the deaths have increased to over 652000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Tuesday morning the total number of cases stood at 16407310 while the fatalities rose to 652459 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4287974 and 148009 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2442375 infections and 87618 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1435453 and is followed by Russia 816680 South Africa 452529 Mexico 395489 Peru 375961 Chile 347923 the UK 301706 Iran 293606 Pakistan 274289 Spain 272421 Saudi Arabia 268934 Colombia 248976 Italy 246286 Turkey 227019 Bangladesh 226225 France 220352 Germany 207112 Argentina 167416 Canada 116471 Iraq 112585 Qatar 109597 and Indonesia 100303 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45844 Mexico 44022 Italy 35112 India 32771 France 30212 Spain 28432 Peru 17843 Iran 15912 and Russia 13334 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-164mn-johns-hopkins-54015.html Tue, 28 Jul 2020 10:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-46-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-53686.html Beijing July 26 Chinese health authority said on Sunday that it received reports of 46 new confirmed Covid19 cases in the Chinese mainland on Saturday 35 of which were domestically transmitted Of the domestically transmitted cases 22 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and 13 were in Liaoning Province the National Health Commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported No deaths related to the disease were reported Saturday the commission said On Saturday 19 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery and two new suspected cases were reported As of Saturday the overall confirmed cases on the mainland had reached 83830 including 288 patients who were still being treated with 18 in severe condition Altogether 78908 people had been discharged after recovery and 4634 had died of the disease the commission said Eleven new imported cases were reported on Saturday of which five were reported in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region three in Guangdong Province and one in Tianjin Fujian and Shandong each By the end of Saturday a total of 2045 imported cases had been reported on the mainland Of the cases 1963 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 82 remained hospitalized with two in severe condition No deaths from the imported cases had been reported There were still three suspected Covid19 cases the commission said According to the commission 11762 close contacts were still under medical observation after 673 people were discharged from medical observation on Saturday Also on Saturday 68 new asymptomatic cases including eight from outside the mainland were reported and 17 asymptomatic cases were recategorized as confirmed cases The commission said 292 asymptomatic cases including 91 from outside the mainland were still under medical observation IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-46-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-53686.html Mon, 27 Jul 2020 00:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-16mn-johns-hopkins-53688.html Washington July 26 The overall number of global coronavirus cases was nearing the 16 million mark while the deaths have increased to over 643000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Sunday morning the total number of cases stood at 15984384 while the fatalities rose to 643384 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4176716 and 146420 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2394513 infections and 86449 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1337024 and is followed by Russia 805332 South Africa 434200 Mexico 385036 Peru 375961 Chile 343592 the UK 300270 Iran 288839 Pakistan 273113 Spain 272421 Saudi Arabia 264973 Italy 245864 Colombia 233541 Turkey 225173 Bangladesh 221178 France 217801 Germany 206278 Argentina 158334 Canada 115470 Qatar 109036 and Iraq 107573 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45823 Mexico 42645 Italy 35102 India 31358 France 30195 Spain 28432 Peru 17843 Iran 15484 and Russia 13172 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-16mn-johns-hopkins-53688.html Mon, 27 Jul 2020 00:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bolosonaro-tests-negative-for-covid-19-53696.html Brasilia July 26 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced that he has tested negative for the COVID19 more than two weeks after he was first diagnosed on July 7 The coronavirusssceptic President made the announcement on Saturday via social media where he posted a photo in which he is seen having breakfast at the Alvorada Palace the presidential residence in Brasilia reports Xinhua news agency In the photo he appeared with a box of hydroxychloroquine the antimalarial drug he credited for his recovery despite a lack of scientific evidence about its effectiveness Bolsonaro announced that he tested positive for the novel coronavirus on July 7 and he thereafter went into isolation at Alvorada Palace while recovering from the disease According to official information Bolsonaro underwent four COVID19 tests in 18 days and tested positive thrice Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths in the world As of Sunday the country registered a total of 2394513 infections and 86449 deaths Despite the rising numbers Bolsonaro has argued that regional lockdowns were having a more damaging effect on the economy than the virus itself and accused the media of spreading panic and paranoia IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bolosonaro-tests-negative-for-covid-19-53696.html Mon, 27 Jul 2020 01:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-surpass-16mn-johns-hopkins-53749.html Washington July 26 The overall number of global coronavirus cases on Sunday surpassed the 16 million mark while the deaths have increased to over 644000 according to the Johns Hopkins University The total number of cases now stood at 16048100 while the fatalities rose to 644537 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4178027 and 146460 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2394513 infections and 86449 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1385635 and is followed by Russia 805332 South Africa 434200 Mexico 385036 Peru 375961 Chile 343592 the UK 300270 Iran 288839 Pakistan 273113 Spain 272421 Saudi Arabia 264973 Italy 245864 Colombia 240795 Turkey 225173 Bangladesh 221178 France 217801 Germany 206278 Argentina 158334 Canada 115470 Qatar 109036 and Iraq 107573 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45823 Mexico 42645 Italy 35102 India 32060 France 30195 Spain 28432 Peru 17843 Iran 15484 and Russia 13172 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-surpass-16mn-johns-hopkins-53749.html Mon, 27 Jul 2020 09:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-wont-join-us-alliance-against-china-kremlin-53505.html Moscow July 24 Russia wont join any alliance aimed against anyone especially against China as Moscow and Beijing share special relations the Kremlin said on Friday Calling China our partner Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a daily briefing that the two countries have developed relations of a special partnership Xinhua reported Speaking at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in California on Thursday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for creating a new alliance to counter China Peskov for his part said that all alliances Russia takes part in are aimed at developing relations of goodneighbourliness and mutual benefit IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-wont-join-us-alliance-against-china-kremlin-53505.html Sun, 26 Jul 2020 06:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/iran-reports-2-316-new-covid-19-cases-288-839-in-total-53676.html Tehran July 26 Iran on Saturday reported 2316 new Covid19 cases over the past 24 hours raising the total number in the country to 288839 the media reported Sima Sadat Lari spokeswoman for Irans Ministry of Health and Medical Education said during her daily update that 1298 of the new cases have been hospitalised Xinhua reported citing the official IRNA news agency Since Friday 195 people died from the viral disease taking the total fatalities over the virus to 15484 So far 251319 have recovered and 3670 remain in critical condition said Lari According to the health spokeswoman 2302634 lab tests for Covid19 have been carried out in Iran as of Saturday The Iranian health official said 25 provinces are still in highrisk or alert condition over the virus resurgence Iran announced its first cases of Covid19 on February 19 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/iran-reports-2-316-new-covid-19-cases-288-839-in-total-53676.html Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-bangladesh-reach-221-178-deaths-near-2-900-53679.html Dhaka July 26 The number of confirmed COVID19 cases in Bangladesh reached 221178 on Saturday as about 2500 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a briefing that 2520 new COVID19 positive cases and 38 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh Xinhua reported The number of confirmed infections in the country totaled 221178 while fatalities stood at 2874 she said According to the official 10446 samples were tested in the last 24 hours in labs across the country She said the total number of recovered patients in the country now stands at 122090 including 1114 on Saturday According to the official the COVID19 fatality rate in Bangladesh stands at 130 per cent She also said that the current recovery rate is 5520 per cent in the country Bangladesh recorded the highest 4019 cases in a 24hour period on July 2 The country reported the highest 64 deaths of COVID19 patients in a day on June 30 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-bangladesh-reach-221-178-deaths-near-2-900-53679.html Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-confirmed-covid-19-cases-pass-810-000-53680.html Addis Ababa July 26 The number of confirmed Covid19 cases across the African continent reached 810008 on Saturday the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC said The Africa CDC a specialized healthcare agency of the African Union AU Commission in its latest situation update issued on Saturday said that the number of confirmed Covid19 cases across the continent rose from 787501 on Friday to 810008 as of Saturday afternoon Xinhua reported The Africa CDC report also said that the number of deaths related to the pandemic rose to 17088 as of Saturday afternoon up from 16697 on Friday afternoon The continental disease control and prevention agency also stressed that some 462374 patients who tested positive for Covid19 have recovered across the continent so far South Africa is Africas highest affected country followed by Egypt Nigeria Algeria and Morocco it was noted The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa the Africa CDC said The Africa CDC had earlier this week said that some 40 African countries are still under full border closure while nighttime curfew has been activated across around 34 countries in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-confirmed-covid-19-cases-pass-810-000-53680.html Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-cases-surpass-60-000-53682.html Jerusalem July 26 The number of coronavirus cases in Israel has crossed 60000 the Ministry of Health said According to the ministry 1021 new cases on Saturday brought the total to 60496 The number of death cases rose to 455 with seven new cases while the number of patients in serious condition rose from 308 to 312 out of 706 patients currently hospitalized Xinhua reported Also there are currently 94 ventilated Covid19 patients in Israel compared to 84 reported on Friday The number of recoveries rose to 26882 with 85 new recoveries while the number of active cases reached 33160 On Friday afternoon all shops malls barber shops beauty salons markets and libraries in Israel were closed until Sunday morning as part of the weekend restrictions IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-cases-surpass-60-000-53682.html Sun, 26 Jul 2020 23:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/afghanistan-reports-60-new-covid-19-cases-35-988-in-total-53465.html Kabul July 24 The Public Health Ministry of Afghanistan has registered 60 new Covid19 cases over the past 24 hours totalling the number of patients infected with the disease to 35988 in the country a ministry statement said on Friday According to the statement 14 new deaths were recorded bringing the number of Covid19 related deaths to 1225 since the outbreak of the pandemic in February in the country Xinhua reported A total of 52 more patients have recovered bringing the number of recovery to 24537 in Afghanistan the statement added The public health ministry on Thursday reported 201 cases of Covid19 within 24 hours Afghan health officials have urged the people to follow the public health ministrys advises and wear mask in public places IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/afghanistan-reports-60-new-covid-19-cases-35-988-in-total-53465.html Sun, 26 Jul 2020 01:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/gunman-holds-20-bus-passengers-hostage-in-ukraine-53015.html Kiev July 21 Police are engaged in a tense standoff with an armed man who has taken about 20 people hostage on a bus in the western Ukrainian city of Lutsk on Tuesday Officers said they had come under fire and a grenade was thrown although it did not explode The man has been named by police as Maksym Kryvosh 44 from Russia who has previous convictions and has undergone psychiatric treatment the BBC reported He is said to be demanding that senior politicians state they are terrorists Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko said police were talking to the man in the hope of resolving the crisis through negotiations Pictures from the scene showed officers of the counterterrorism SBU security services surrounding the bus Police said two shots had been fired from it and the man claimed to also have explosives The attacker threw a grenade from the bus which fortunately did not detonate a statement said There is no word on the condition of the hostages who have been on the bus for several hours According to the prosecutor generals office the gunman says he has placed an explosive device in a public place in the city that could be detonated remotely Police have cordoned off the city centre and told residents not to leave their homes or offices Herashchenko said Kryvosh had spent around 10 years in prison on convictions including fraud and illegal handling of weapons Ukrainian media have shared what appears to be the mans Twitter account on which he is posting criticism of senior national figures President Volodymyr Zelensky said he was closely following the situation We are in full control of the situation I am talking with our specialists who are in Lutsk Professionals are working doing everything to free our hostages he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/gunman-holds-20-bus-passengers-hostage-in-ukraine-53015.html Fri, 24 Jul 2020 10:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-top-4mn-as-trump-pushes-to-reopen-schools-53029.html Washington Former New York Yankees Hall of Fame pitcher Mariano Rivera looks on as President Donald Trump is handed a baseball glove as he greets youth baseball players on the South Lawn of the White House to mark Opening Day for Major League Baseball Thursday July 23 2020 in Washington PTI Washington July 24 The number of coronavirus cases in the US has surpassed the 4 million mark while the deaths have increased to more than 144000 as President Donald Trump pushes to reopen schools across the country As of Friday morning the coronavirus cases in the country reached 4034831 and the national death toll rose to 144242 both tallies account for the highest in the world according to data from the Johns Hopkins University JHU California has rsurpassed New York to be the hardesthit state with 421857 cases the data showed Other states with over 100000 cases include New York Florida Texas New Jersey Illinois Georgia Arizona Massachusetts Pennsylvania North Carolina and Louisiana The grim milestone came only 15 days after the US hit the 3 million mark on July 8 according to JHU figures It took the country nearly 100 days to count its first 1 million cases from January 21 to April 28 The countrys rising daily rate of confirmed coronavirus cases along with a nearrecord number of hospitalizations signals the US is far from containing a virus that is straining hospitals and labs said a CNN report citing health experts on Thursday The true number of COVID19 cases in the US may be 6 to 24 times higher than reported according to a new study published Tuesday In the crosssectional study of 16025 residual clinical specimens the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC estimated the proportion of persons with detectable COVID19 antibodies ranged from 1 per cent in the San Francisco Bay area to 69 per cent in New York City On Thursday Trump urged schools across the country to reopen as long as they can practice good hygiene and social distancing The White House is asking Congress to pledge 105 billion to schools as part of next coronavirus stimulus bill he said Trump and his administration is pressuring schools to reopen in fall threatening to withhold federal funding from schools that do not comply Reopening schools is seen a crucial step to restarting the countrys economy for his reelection campaign Few Americans want to see their local schools reopen for inperson instruction as usual or even with minor adjustments said a new poll released on Wednesday Eight per cent of Americans say their local K12 schools should open for inperson instruction as usual and 14 percent think schools can reopen with minor adjustments the survey conducted by The Associated PressNORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed Over 20 states have paused or partially reversed reopening efforts raising uncertainty over the prospect of economic recovery IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-top-4mn-as-trump-pushes-to-reopen-schools-53029.html Fri, 24 Jul 2020 11:51:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/political-leadership-community-engagement-vital-for-covid-19-response-53031.html Sandringham In this image taken in July 2020 and issued by Kensington Palace Britains Prince William and Kate the Duchess of Cambridge meets with members of the four organisations that will benefit from the Royal Foundation COVID19 response fund on the Sandringham Estate Sandringham England The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge has granted nearly GBP 18 million in supporting the frontline community and the nations mental health through a bespoke fund which was set up as part of the organisations response to COVID19 PTI Geneva July 24 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus DirectorGeneral of the World Health Organization WHO said that political leadership and community engagement are the two vital pillars of the response to COVID19 Tedros told a virtual press conference on Thursday that although all countries have been affected intense transmission has been seen in a relatively small group of nations Xinhua news agency Almost 10 million cases or twothirds of all cases globally are from 10 countries and almost half of all cases reported so far are from just three countries he said According to the latest figure released by the WHO the three countries that are hit the hardest by the COVID19 are the US Brazil and India Were asking everyone to treat the decisions about where they go what they do and who they meet with as lifeanddeath decisions because they are the WHO chief said It may not be your life but your choices could be the difference between life and death for someone you love or for a complete stranger In recent years weve seen young people leading grassroots movements for climate change and racial equality he said adding that now we need young people to start a global movement for health for a world in which health is a human right not a privilege As of Friday morning the total number of global COVID19 cases stood at 15439456 while the fatalities rose to 631926 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/political-leadership-community-engagement-vital-for-covid-19-response-53031.html Fri, 24 Jul 2020 11:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-154mn-johns-hopkins-53127.html Washington July 24 The total number of global coronavirus cases has topped 154 million while the deaths have increased to over 631000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the total number of cases stood at 15439456 while the fatalities rose to 631926 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 4034831 and 144242 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2287475 infections and 84082 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1238798 and is followed by Russia 793720 South Africa 408052 Peru 371096 Mexico 370712 Chile 334683 the UK 298721 Iran 284034 Spain 270166 Pakistan 269191 Saudi Arabia 260394 Italy 245338 Turkey 223315 Colombia 218428 France 216667 Bangladesh 216110 Germany 204881 Argentina 148027 Canada 114398 Qatar 108244 and Iraq 102226 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45639 Mexico 41908 Italy 35092 France 30185 India 29861 Spain 28429 Iran 15074 Peru 17654 and Russia 12873 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-154mn-johns-hopkins-53127.html Fri, 24 Jul 2020 18:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-146mn-johns-hopkins-52395.html Washington July 21 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has increased to over 146 million while the deaths have topped to more than 609000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Tuesday morning the total number of cases stood at 14655405 while the fatalities rose to 609198 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3825153 and 140957 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2118646 infections and 80120 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1118206 and is followed by Russia 776212 South Africa 373628 Peru 353590 Mexico 349396 Chile 330930 the UK 296944 Iran 276202 Pakistan 265083 Spain 264836 Saudi Arabia 253349 Italy 244624 Turkey 220572 France 214023 Bangladesh 207453 Colombia 204005 Germany 203325 Argentina 130774 Canada 112936 and Qatar 107037 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45397 Mexico 39485 Italy 35058 France 30180 Spain 28422 India 27497 Iran 14405 Peru 13187 and Russia 12408 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-146mn-johns-hopkins-52395.html Wed, 22 Jul 2020 04:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/italys-hardest-hit-region-showing-dramatic-improvement-52424.html Rome July 21 The northern Italian region of Lombardy the onetime epicentre of the countrys coronavirus pandemic has seen notable improvement in its COVID19 data recently The region that includes the Italian financial centre of Milan is home to around onesixth of Italys population of more than 60 million reports Xinhua news agency It reached a positive milestone on Sunday no single death from the COVID19 in the region and just 33 new infections On Monday cases rose slightly with 56 new cases and eight deaths But for a region that has seen nearly half of Italys total COVID19 mortalities 16796 of the countrys 35058 total deaths Sundays low totals were praised by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Minister of Health Roberto Speranza as well as Lombardy Regional President Attilio Fontana The recent positive developments in Lombardy mirrored those on a national level On Monday Italy recorded just 13 deaths the day before only three There were just 190 new infections nationally on Monday down from 219 a day earlier It has now been nearly two weeks since Italy had more than 30 COVID19 deaths in a day more than a month since it had more than 50 and it has not recorded more than 100 since May 30 But despite the positive trends officials urged caution noting that while Italy has made great strides in curbing the spread of the coronavirus the country still remained at risk We need to be patient and prudent Speranza said Walter Ricciardi senior advisor at the Ministry of Health on Monday called for the government to step up testing even as the numbers improve adding the government should be ready to act quickly at the first sign of a new wave of infections Over the last two weeks Italy has seen a handful of isolated COVID19 clusters and the overall infection rates have inched marginally higher than their lowest points during the pandemic in late June But measures taken to halt further spread have so far proved effective IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/italys-hardest-hit-region-showing-dramatic-improvement-52424.html Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russias-covid-19-cases-up-6-109-to-771-546-52118.html Moscow July 20 Russia has registered 6109 new Covid19 cases in the last 24 hours bringing its total to 771546 the countrys Covid19 response centre said in a statement on Sunday Meanwhile 95 new deaths were reported bringing the nationwide count to 12342 the statement said Xinhua reported Moscow the countrys worsthit region reported 591 newly confirmed cases taking its total infections to 233545 it said According to the statement 550344 people have recovered so far including 3481 over the past day On Saturday 273737 people were still under medical observation while over 249 million tests have been conducted nationwide Russias consumer rights and human wellbeing watchdog said Sunday in a separate statement IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russias-covid-19-cases-up-6-109-to-771-546-52118.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 00:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/singapore-reports-257-new-covid-19-cases-52119.html Singapore July 20 Singapores Ministry of Health MOH reported 257 new Covid19 cases on Sunday bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 47912 Of the new cases five are imported cases eight are community cases and the rest are linked with the dormitories of foreign workers Xinhua reported According to the ministry 98 per cent of the new infections are linked to known clusters while the rest are pending contact tracing On Sunday 253 more cases have been discharged from hospitals or community isolation facilities In all 44086 have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospitals or community care facilities the ministry said There are currently 181 confirmed cases who are still in hospital Of these most are stable or improving and none is in critical condition in the intensive care unit Furthermore 3618 who have mild symptoms or are clinically well but still test positive for Covid19 are isolated and cared for at community facilities Altogether 27 people have passed away from complications due to Covid19 infection IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/singapore-reports-257-new-covid-19-cases-52119.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 00:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-confirmed-covid-19-cases-pass-700-000-mark-52127.html Addis Ababa July 20 The number of confirmed Covid19 cases across the African continent has reached 701573 the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention Africa CDC said The Africa CDC in its latest situation update issued on Sunday said that the number of confirmed Covid19 cases across the continent rose from 683905 on Saturday afternoon to 701573 as of Sunday morning Xinhua reported The continental disease control and prevention agency also disclosed that the death toll from the pandemic surged to 14937 as of the stated period The Africa CDC further said that 369120 patients who tested positive for Covid19 have so far recovered from the infectious virus Amid the rapid spread of the virus across the continent the highly affected African countries in terms of positive cases include South Africa Egypt Nigeria Ghana Algeria Morocco and Cameroon The Africa CDC also said that the Southern Africa region is now the most affected area across the continent in terms of positive Covid19 cases followed by the North Africa region The West Africa region is the third most affected area in terms of positive cases followed by the Eastern and Central Africa regions respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/africas-confirmed-covid-19-cases-pass-700-000-mark-52127.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-death-toll-nears-80-000-52128.html Sao Paulo July 20 Brazils Covid19 death toll raced towards 80000 after 716 more deaths pushed the total number to 79488 The number of people who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus reached 2098389 after tests detected 23529 new cases the Health Ministry said on Sunday Xinhua reported Brazil has the worlds secondlargest outbreak after the United States in both numbers of cases and deaths Sao Paulo the most populated state is the epicenter of the nations outbreak with 19732 deaths and 415049 cases of infection followed by Rio de Janeiro with 12114 deaths and 138524 cases and Ceara with 7178 deaths and 146972 infections IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/brazils-covid-19-death-toll-nears-80-000-52128.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-cases-surpass-50-000-52129.html Jerusalem July 20 The number of coronavirus cases in Israel has crossed 50000 according to figures released by the Ministry of Health According to the data released on Sunday the total number of cases has reached 50035 with 670 new cases since Saturday night Xinhua reported The death toll rose to 409 with eight new deaths while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 217 to 254 out of 671 patients currently hospitalized The number of recovered cases reached 21589 with 241 new recoveries Earlier on Sunday Israels Prime Ministers Office said it will convene a discussion in the coming week on formulating practical steps to implement the government policy of procuring locallymade products This follows a directive from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to government ministries to act with all tools they have to encourage the Israeli economy including the preference for Israeli products in government procurement IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-covid-19-cases-surpass-50-000-52129.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-launches-first-mission-to-mars-52131.html Abu Dhabi July 20 The United Arab Emirates historic first mission to Mars is under way after a successful liftoff in Japan The Hope probe launched on an H2A rocket from Tanegashima spaceport and is now on a 500millionkm journey to study the planets weather and climate Two previous attempts to launch the probe in the past week had to be called off because of adverse weather Hopes arrival in February 2021 is set to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the UAEs formation the BBC reported on Sunday Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri the science lead on Hope spoke of her excitement and relief in seeing the rocket climb successfully into the sky And she stated the impact on her country would be the same as that on America when its people watched the Apollo 11 Moon landing 51 years ago also on July 20 It was an anchor for an entire generation that stimulated everyone that watched it to push further and to dream bigger she told BBC News Today I am really glad that the children in the Emirates will wake up on the morning of the 20th of July having an anchor project of their own having a new reality having new possibilities allowing them to further contribute and to create a larger impact on the world The UAE craft is one of three missions heading to Mars this month The US and China both have surface rovers in the late stages of preparation The American mission Perseverance sent its congratulations to Hope I cannot wait to join you on the journey its Twitter account said The UAE has limited experience of designing and manufacturing spacecraft and yet here it is attempting something only the US Russia Europe and India have succeeded in doing But it speaks to the Emiratis ambition that they should dare to take on this challenge Their engineers mentored by American experts have produced a sophisticated probe in just six years and when this satellite gets to Mars its expected to deliver novel science revealing fresh insights on the workings of the planets atmosphere IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-launches-first-mission-to-mars-52131.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:37:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-22-new-covid-19-cases-52132.html Beijing July 20 Chinese health authority said on Monday that it received reports of 22 new confirmed Covid19 cases in the Chinese mainland on Sunday of which 17 were domestically transmitted All domesticallytransmitted cases were reported in northwest Chinas Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region the National Health Commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported No deaths related to the disease were reported Sunday according to the commission IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-22-new-covid-19-cases-52132.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-144mn-johns-hopkins-52134.html Washington July 20 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has increased to over 144 million while the deaths have topped to more than 605000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Monday morning the total number of cases stood at 14448751 while the fatalities rose to 605116 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3768055 and 140500 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2098389 infections and 79488 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1077781 and is followed by Russia 770311 South Africa 364328 Peru 353590 Mexico 344224 Chile 330930 the UK 296358 Iran 273788 Pakistan 263496 Spain 260255 Saudi Arabia 250920 Italy 244434 Turkey 219641 France 211943 Bangladesh 204525 Germany 202735 Colombia 190700 Argentina 126755 Canada 112167 and Qatar 106648 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45385 Mexico 39184 Italy 35045 France 30155 Spain 28420 India 26816 Iran 14188 Peru 13187 and Russia 12323 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-144mn-johns-hopkins-52134.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 01:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-test-delays-too-long-in-us-nih-director-52146.html Washington July 20 Francis Collins Director of the US National Institutes for Health NIH has said that long delays in getting COVID19 test results across America was undercutting their usefulness The average test delay is too long Xinhua news agency quoted Collins as saying in an interview with NBC News on Sunday And that really undercuts the value of the testing because you do the testing to find out whos carrying the virus and then quickly get them isolated so they dont spread it around Collins said the US government must invest in new technologies in order to keep up with the testing demand We need to do things that are more on the spot Collins said Theres a number of new technologies that are coming along that look very promising in that space We need to invest a lot of money and the government is willing to do so in scaling those up the NIH Director added Collins remarks came a day after the US Food and Drug Administration FDA issued an emergency use authorization EUA to Quest Diagnostics that allows pool samples from up to four individuals to test for COVID19 The Quest test is the first COVID19 diagnostic test to be authorized for use with pooled samples This EUA for sample pooling is an important step forward in getting more COVID19 tests to more Americans more quickly while preserving testing supplies said FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn As of Monday the US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3768055 and 140500 respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-test-delays-too-long-in-us-nih-director-52146.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 04:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/aus-university-develops-20-minute-covid-19-blood-test-52168.html Melbourne July 20 A blood test developed by Australias Monash University could detect positive COVID19 cases in about 20 minutes Based on commonly used blood typing infrastructure researchers at the Melbournebased university developed a simple agglutination assay to identify antibodies generated in response to COVID19 Xinhua news agency reported The test requires 25 microliters of plasma from blood samples and positive COVID19 cases will cause agglutination or clustering of the red blood cells which is easily identifiable to the naked eye Detection of antibodies in patient plasma or serum involves pipetting a mixture of reagent red blood cells and antibodycontaining serum or plasma onto a gel card containing separation media incubating the card for 515 minutes and using a centrifuge to separate agglutinated cells from free cells senior lecturer in Chemical Engineering Simon Corrie said in a statement on Monday While the current swab tests are used to detect active COVID19 infection the antibody test can determine whether someone was infected in the past thus helping highrisk countries with population screening case identification contact tracing and confirming vaccine efficacy during clinical trials This simple assay based on commonly used blood typing infrastructure and already manufactured at scale can be rolled out rapidly across Australia and beyond Corrie said This test can be used in any lab that has blood typing infrastructure which is extremely common across the world The study has been published in the journal ACS Sensors Researchers said they were seeking commercial and government support to conduct full clinical evaluation of the test IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/aus-university-develops-20-minute-covid-19-blood-test-52168.html Tue, 21 Jul 2020 08:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/nkorea-claims-of-developing-coronavirus-vaccine-51753.html Seoul July 18 North Korea hsaid that it was developing a vaccine for the novel coronavirus on its own the countrys science research council claimed on Saturday According to a report posted on Mirae the website run by the Norths State Commission of Science and Technology its scientists are currently conducting clinical trials to develop a vaccine for COVID19 reports Yonhap News Agency reported The report said the vaccine development is led by a medical biology institute under the Norths Academy of Medical Science using angiotensinconverting enzyme 2 ACE2 North Korea claimed it has confirmed the immunogenicity and safety of its candidate vaccine through animal tests and that clinical trials have started from this month The country which is yet to report a single COVID19 case added that scientists are in discussions on conducting the third phase of clinical study North Korea said the bioengineering branch of the State Academy of Sciences is also conducting research for the development of the novel coronavirus vaccine Experts here have however cast doubt on North Koreas vaccine development considering its financial and medical situations IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/nkorea-claims-of-developing-coronavirus-vaccine-51753.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 15:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-cases-rise-to-293-239-51646.html London July 18 A total of 293239 people have so far tested positive for Covid19 in Britain with a daily increase of 687 the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Friday The figures for coronavirusrelated deaths are unavailable on Friday on the official website as Health Secretary Matt Hancock has ordered a review into the Public Health Englands PHE data Xinhua reported It was claimed that the current method does not take into account the fact that some people may have recovered from Covid19 and died of a different cause The previous data by the department showed that the total coronavirusrelated death toll in the country stood at 45119 The figures include deaths in all settings including hospitals care homes and the wider community Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Friday that city and town halls across England are to be empowered to introduce local lockdown measures to contain the spread of Covid19 Currently the city of Leicester is in the first lockdown under orders from the national government But under the plan unveiled by Johnson city and town leaders are to be given decisionmaking powers to force people to stay at home and not leave their communities IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-cases-rise-to-293-239-51646.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 01:22:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-36-million-51647.html New York July 18 The number of Covid19 cases in the US surpassed 36 million on Friday reaching 3604408 according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the national death toll from the disease rose to 138649 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported New York state remains the hardesthit with 405551 cases Other national Covid19 hotspots include California Florida and Texas reporting 364835 327234 and 308611 cases respectively the tally showed States with over 100000 cases also include New Jersey Illinois Arizona Georgia Massachusetts and Pennsylvania the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-36-million-51647.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 01:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/eu-says-deeply-concerned-over-us-growing-use-of-sanctions-51649.html Brussels July 18 High Representative of the European Union EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell has said he was deeply concerned over the growing use of sanctions or the threat of sanctions by the US against European companies and interests We have witnessed this developing trend in the cases of Iran Cuba the International Criminal Court and most recently the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream projects Borrell said in a statement on Friday Xinhua reported Emphasizing that European policies should be determined in Europe not by third countries Borrell said the EU opposes the use of sanctions by third countries on European companies carrying out legitimate business and the bloc considers the extraterritorial application of sanctions to be contrary to international law He said the EU is always open to dialogue but this cannot take place against the threat of sanctions On Thursday German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas rejected Washingtons latest threat of sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline between Russia and Germany The Kremlin also said on Thursday that Washingtons threat to impose sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 as well as the second line of the TurkStream pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey across the Black Sea is unfair competition On Wednesday US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sent fresh warnings of possible sanctions to companies involved in Nord Stream 2 and the second line of the TurkStream pipeline Pompeo claimed that the projects are not commercial but serve as Moscows tools to exploit European dependence on Russias energy supplies IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/eu-says-deeply-concerned-over-us-growing-use-of-sanctions-51649.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 01:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-threatens-to-exacerbate-conflict-humanitarian-crises-who-51653.html Geneva July 18 Covid19 threatens to exacerbate many issues the world is facing such as years of conflict and other humanitarian crises the chief of the World Health Organization WHO has warned while calling for continuity of essential health services Although Covid19 has rightly captured the worlds attention many countries especially in Africa and the Middle East are still reeling from years of conflict and other humanitarian crises WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday at a routine briefing Xinhua reported He said the pandemic and the restrictions put in place to suppress it are taking a heavy toll on 220 million people in protracted emergencies While it is too early to assess the full impact of socalled lockdowns and other containment measures up to 132 million more people may go hungry in 2020 in addition to the 690 million who went hungry last year According to the WHO chief deep budget cuts to education and rising poverty caused by the pandemic could force at least 97 million children out of school forever by the end of this year with millions more falling behind in learning Meanwhile the economic impact of the pandemic in humanitarian settings can aggravate already dire living conditions such as more displacement food shortages risk of malnutrition decrease in access to essential services and mental health problems said Tedros The pandemic is teaching us that health is not a luxury item its the foundation of social economic and political stability he said The impacts of the pandemic go far beyond health and so do the needs especially for the poorest and most vulnerable countries The WHO chief called on the international community to use Covid19 as an opportunity to build health systems that are more resilient and more able to withstand the impact of health emergencies IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-threatens-to-exacerbate-conflict-humanitarian-crises-who-51653.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 02:16:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-surpass-14mn-johns-hopkins-51657.html Washington July 18 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has surpassed the 14 million mark while the deaths have topped to more than 601000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Saturday morning the total number of cases stood at 14049207 while the fatalities rose to 601494 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3641417 and 139175 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2046328 infections and 77851 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 1003832 and is followed by Russia 758001 Peru 345537 South Africa 337594 Mexico 331298 Chile 326439 the UK 294803 Iran 269440 Spain 260255 Pakistan 259999 Saudi Arabia 245851 Italy 243967 Turkey 217799 France 211943 Germany 202045 Bangladesh 199357 Colombia 173206 Argentina 119301 Canada 111559 Qatar 105898 and the Netherlands 103134 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45318 Mexico 38310 Italy 35028 France 30155 Spain 28420 India 25602 Iran 13791 Peru 12799 the Netherlands 12295 and Russia 11920 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-surpass-14mn-johns-hopkins-51657.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 03:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-soar-by-over-70-000-for-2nd-day-51711.html Washington July 18 The US has reported an increase of over 70000 COVID19 cases in 24 hours for a second consecutive day after shattering the record for the highest number of singleday infections according to the Johns Hopkins University Cases rose by more than 70000 on Friday after going up by over 77000 on Thursday a record increase since the pandemic hit the country Xinhua news agency reported citing the University as saying As of Saturday morning the US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3641417 and 139175 respectively the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update In the last 24 hours 975 new deaths were recorded which was the highest spike since June 10 New York state remains the hardesthit with 405551 cases Other national COVID19 hotspots include California Florida and Texas reporting 364835 327234 and 308611 cases respectively the CSSE data revealed States with over 100000 cases also include New Jersey Illinois Arizona Georgia Massachusetts and Pennsylvania it added Experts have warned that cases could soon top 100000 a day if the country fails to take steps necessary to stem the spread of the virus IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-soar-by-over-70-000-for-2nd-day-51711.html Sun, 19 Jul 2020 11:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-school-reopening-plans-in-total-chaos-trump-gamble-meets-voter-defiance-51564.html Tehran In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency President Hassan Rouhani adjusts his face mask in a meeting of the national headquarters of the fight against the COVID19 in Tehran Iran Saturday July 18 2020 He estimated as many as 25 million Iranians could have been infected with the coronavirus since the outbreaks beginning citing an Iranian Health Ministry study that has so far not been made public the staterun IRNA news agency reported Writing in Farsi at top right reads The Presidency PTI By Nikhila Natarajan New York July 18 US schools scrambling to finalise hybrid reopening plans for the Fall session are largely silent on what to do if even a single person in the school community actually gets sick with Covid19 even as millions of students are learning this week that they are unlikely to return to classrooms full time in the Fall as the coronavirus death toll reached record highs across the country As the chaos spirals out of control the White House has blocked top officials of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from testifying next week before the US Congress on reopening schools All this is happening at a time when US death toll crossed the 139000 mark Friday with more than 36 million people sickened by the virus The US death rate has been steadily ticking upwards from the high 30s to 42 deaths per 100000 population Fearful of schools becoming petri dishes for Covid19 the Los Angeles and San Diego school districts the two largest in California with a combined K12 student population of about 720000 announced they wont bring students back to classrooms next month because of rising hospitalizations and infection rates In Texas public schools covering 5 million children got the green light to stay closed well into the fall with onlineonly instruction for up to the first eight weeks Chicago the third largest school system in the US is tentatively planning to have two days a week of inperson lessons and three days of remote learning Most schools have informed parents that final decisions will be announced sometime in August In New Jersey school superintendents have begun circulating letters preparing the community for difficult decisions based on guidance from the state Centers for Disease Control and local officials Our first priority is the health of our children staff and community as we work to develop the best options for our schools said a letter from a Union County school system in New Jersey Schools are finding themselves in the middle of an intensely politicised debate as parents and educators weigh the risks of inperson classes Doctors are waving red flags on reopenings saying they are learning more each day about the virus behaviour in children and the patterns are grim Wherever reopening protocols have been finalised one crucial piece is largely missing What happens if anyone in the school community contracts Covid19 The federal government is offering no clear paths forward except to keep repeating that schools must reopen Public health experts are warning of dire consequences if school reopenings go against the mandated guidelines Americas top infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci has said this should be a hyper local decision based on the infection patterns at the county level Parttime school with staggered schedules and face coverings for all or a fully online curriculum are the two broad categories of the currently raging debate after the Donald Trump White House inserted itself into the issue over a week ago Online petitions mudslinging and surveys are flying thick and fast across Americas school districts the cultural divides are stark and the bad news is unstoppable Some parents have threatened to pull their children from school if masks are required others are ready to go for a full gap year if schools are not willing to offer onlineonly education My childs life is more precious If he has to forgo a year of school so be it Uttara Kumar mother of a middle schooler in New Yorks Battery Park area told IANS At least 13 plans from policy organisations are floating around in the public domain and run into many pages each of detailed guidance on everything from cleaning protocols to desk spacing but at best vague on what to do in a real emergency and what happens next White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said this week that science should not stand in the way of schools fully reopening for the upcoming academic year McEnanys comments come as the Trump administration has pushed for schools to fully open for students five days per week Trumps push to reopen schools is largely seen as a gamble to win white suburban voters especially women whose support was flagging who could return to work and are cracking under the pressure of homeschooling and child care Trumps moves have largely been met with defiance A majority of polls show that voters are opposed to the Trump administration demand that K12 schools be opened for inperson instruction These are the same polls where 7 in 10 Americans say the country is out of control IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-school-reopening-plans-in-total-chaos-trump-gamble-meets-voter-defiance-51564.html Sat, 18 Jul 2020 16:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/14-more-us-soldiers-in-skorea-test-covid-19-positive-51445.html Seoul July 17 Fourteen more American service members affiliated with the US Forces Korea USFK have tested positive for the novel coronavirus upon arrival in South Korea the military said amid growing concerns over a surge in imported infections The USFK has seen a marked increase in the number of COVID19 patients among newly assigned service members and related personnel in recent weeks along with the fast spread of the virus in the US reports Yonhap News Agency The latest cases reported on Thursday brought the total number of USFKrelated infections to 88 Of them 52 were reported in July Of the 14 new patients 12 were service members and two were dependents and they tested positive after arriving here between July 9 and 15 according to USFK Nine soldiers and two family members arrived at Osan Air Base in Pyeongtaek 70 km south of Seoul on a US governmentchartered flight The remaining three arrived at Incheon International Airport west of Seoul on commercial flightsaccording to the USFK On Thursday South Korea added 47 imported COVID19 cases which is the highest since March 25 when the figure stood at 51 according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention KCDC The local infections were 14 and the countrys total caseload came to 13612 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/14-more-us-soldiers-in-skorea-test-covid-19-positive-51445.html Sat, 18 Jul 2020 02:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-active-covid-19-cases-surpass-25-000-51204.html Jerusalem July 17 The number of active Covid19 cases in Israel rose to 25305 on Thursday the highest since the outbreak of pandemic in late February according to the states Ministry of Health Meanwhile the total number of Covid19 cases climbed to 46059 after the addition of 1871 new cases the second highest daily rise since the outbreak the ministrys data showed Xinhua reported The death toll from the disease increased from 376 to 384 while the number of patients in serious condition decreased from 204 to 202 out of 542 patients currently hospitalized The number of recoveries reached 20370 with 381 new recoveries Earlier on Thursday Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened an urgent meeting in Jerusalem in light of the fast increase in morbidity The meeting was attended by senior ministers the head of the National Security Council and the Health Ministrys director general according to a statement issued by the Prime Ministers Office Netanyahu said that following the recent jump in the number of infections and severe cases temporary steps were discussed to prevent a general lockdown IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israels-active-covid-19-cases-surpass-25-000-51204.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 05:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-brazil-cross-2-million-51205.html Rio de Janeiro July 17 The Brazilian government reported on Thursday that the country has registered over 2 million cases of the novel coronavirus after 45403 new cases were confirmed in the last 24 hours for a total of 2012151 According to the Ministry of Health 1322 deaths were recorded in the last 24hour period bringing the total to 76688 Xinhua reported The state of Sao Paulo the most populous in the country has been the most heavily affected with 402048 cases and 19038 deaths followed by Rio de Janeiro with 134573 cases and 11849 deaths and Ceara with 144000 cases and 7127 deaths Brazil has seen the worlds secondlargest outbreak after the US in terms of both the death toll and caseload IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-brazil-cross-2-million-51205.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 05:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/18-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-51207.html Beijing July 17 The National Health Commission said on Friday that 18 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Thursday There were 251 patients still being treated including three in severe condition the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 78737 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Thursday the report said As of Thursday a total of 83622 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/18-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-51207.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 06:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/twitter-hack-fbi-investigates-attack-51211.html Washington July 17 The FBI has launched an investigation after hackers hijacked Twitter accounts of a number of highprofile US figures in an apparent Bitcoin scam The accounts appear to have been compromised in order to perpetuate cryptocurrency fraud said the bureau urging the public to be vigilant the BBC reported on Thursday Elon Musk Bill Gates and Joe Biden were among those hit in what Twitter said was a coordinated attack Their official accounts requested donations in the cryptocurrency Everyone is asking me to give back said a tweet from the account of Mr Gates the Microsoft founder You send 1000 I send you back 2000 The US Senate Commerce committee has demanded Twitter brief it about Wednesdays incident by July 23 Twitter said the hackers had targeted its employees with access to internal systems and tools We know they the hackers used this access to take control of many highlyvisible including verified accounts and Tweet on their behalf the company said in a series of tweets It added that significant steps had been taken to limit access to such internal systems and tools while the companys investigation continues The tech firm has also blocked users from being able to tweet Bitcoin wallet addresses for the time being The UKs National Cyber Security Centre said its officers had reached out to the tech firm We would urge people to treat requests for money or sensitive information on social media with extreme caution it said in a statement US politicians also have questions Republican Senator Josh Hawley has written to the company asking if President Donald Trumps account had been vulnerable Trumps account was not compromised the White House said The chair of the Senate Commerce committee has also been in contact with Twitter It cannot be overstated how troubling this incident is both in its effects and in the apparent failure of Twitters internal controls to prevent it Senator Roger Wicker wrote to the firm One cybersecurity expert said that the breach could have been a lot worse in other circumstances If you were to have this kind of incident take place in the middle of a crisis where Twitter was being used to either communicate deescalatory language or critical information to the public and suddenly its putting out the wrong messages from several verified status accounts that could be seriously destabilising Alexi Drew from Kings College London told the BBC IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/twitter-hack-fbi-investigates-attack-51211.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 08:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-137mn-johns-hopkins-51216.html Washington July 17 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has topped 137 million while the deaths have increased to more than 589000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the total number of cases stood at 13758533 while the fatalities rose to 589093 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3570037 and 138291 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 2012151 infections and 76688 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 968876 and is followed by Russia 751612 Peru 341586 South Africa 324221 Mexico 324041 Chile 323698 the UK 294114 Iran 267061 Spain 258855 Pakistan 257914 Italy 243736 Saudi Arabia 243238 Turkey 216873 France 211102 Germany 201450 Bangladesh 196323 Colombia 165169 Argentina 114783 Canada 111143 and Qatar 105477 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 45204 Mexico 37574 Italy 35017 France 30141 Spain 28416 India 24915 Iran 13608 Peru 12615 and Russia 11920 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-137mn-johns-hopkins-51216.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 08:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-weeks-away-from-high-rate-of-serious-covid-19-cases-51217.html Washington July 17 The US is just weeks away from such a high rate of serious COVID19 cases that every single American is going to know someone whos seriously ill a top vaccinologist warned Because the increasing COVID19related death rate is being paralleled by a rise in hospitalizations ICU admissions and now the deaths are starting to arrive Xinhua news agency quoted Peter Hotez dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College as saying to MSNBC News on Thursday Hotez gave the warning as the country registered over 1400 deaths from COVID19 on Wednesday the record nationwide singleday death toll since midMay according to The Hill news website The warning also came as the administration and President Donald Trump in particular continued to tout alleged progress in tackling the COVID19 outbreak by citing a falling US mortality rate In a recent tweet Trump even claimed that the US has the lowest mortality rate for COVID19 in the world However according to CNNs factchecking among the 20 countries most affected by COVID19 at least 14 have lower death rates than the US In another grim milestone the overall number of COVID19 cases in the US has cross the 35 million mark according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3570037 and 138291 respectively the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update While New York state remains the hardesthit with 404775 cases California Florida and Texas have become the countrys new COVID19 hotspots with a rapid increases in daily new cases California has reported 355046 cases Florida 315775 and Texas 292336 the tally showed States with over 100000 cases also include New Jersey Illinois Arizona Georgia Massachusetts and Pennsylvania the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-weeks-away-from-high-rate-of-serious-covid-19-cases-51217.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 09:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/most-of-nycs-early-covid-19-cases-trace-to-europe-51253.html New York July 17 Sequences of most of the early COVID19 positive specimens in New York City resembled those circulating in Europe suggesting probable introductions of the virus from the continent other US locations and local introductions from within New York the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC said To determine whether local transmission of COVID19 could be detected the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene DOHMH conducted deidentified sentinel surveillance at six hospital emergency departments during March 1 to 20 the CDC said report on Thursday DOHMH announced sustained COVID19 community transmission on March 8 before the US imposed travel ban from Europe on March 13 according to the report At this time 26 NYC residents had tested positive for COVID19 Xinhua news agency reported The following week on March 15 the level of community COVID19 transmission status was elevated from sustained to widespread community transmission said the CDC Although travel restrictions are an important mitigation strategy by the time the European restrictions were implemented importation and community transmission of COVID19 had already occurred in NYC said the report Through sentinel surveillance during March 1 to 20 DOHMH collected 544 specimens from patients with influenzalike symptoms 36 tested positive Using genetic sequencing CDC determined that the sequences of most COVID19 positive specimens resembled those circulating in Europe suggesting probable introductions of COVID19 from Europe from other US locations and local introductions from within New York said the report The sequence from March 2 the earliest positive sentinel specimen collected clustered with early sequences from Europe and US which also cluster with sequences from China said the CDC No sentinel sequences were directly connected to sequences from Wuhan China where the outbreak originated said the report IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/most-of-nycs-early-covid-19-cases-trace-to-europe-51253.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 12:26:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-breaks-single-day-record-with-over-77-000-covid-19-cases-51376.html Washington July 17 With more than 77000 new COVID19 cases US broke the record for the number of confirmed infections registered in a single day according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3570037 and 138291 respectively the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update In the last 24 hours 969 new deaths were recorded which was the highest spike since June 10 COVID19 fatalities in the US peaked in April when the country registered an average of 2000 deaths in a single day While New York state remains the hardesthit with 404775 cases California Florida and Texas have become the countrys new COVID19 hotspots with a rapid increases in daily new cases Xinhua news agency reported citing the CSSE data California has reported 355046 cases Florida 315775 and Texas 292336 States with over 100000 cases also include New Jersey Illinois Arizona Georgia Massachusetts and Pennsylvania the data showed Experts have warned that cases could soon top 100000 a day if the country fails to take steps necessary to stem the spread of the virus IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-breaks-single-day-record-with-over-77-000-covid-19-cases-51376.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 20:41:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-35-million-51196.html New York July 17 The number of Covid19 cases in the US surpassed 35 million on Thursday reaching 3533317 according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the national death toll from the disease rose to 137846 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported New York state remains the hardesthit with 404775 cases California Florida and Texas have become the countrys new Covid19 hotspots with rapid increases in daily new cases California has reported 355046 cases Florida 315775 cases and Texas 292336 cases the tally showed States with over 100000 cases also include New Jersey Illinois Arizona Georgia Massachusetts and Pennsylvania the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-35-million-51196.html Fri, 17 Jul 2020 04:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bangladesh-origin-tech-ceo-found-dismembered-in-new-york-50958.html New York A Black Lives Matter protester and NYPD officers scuffle on the Brooklyn Bridge during a demonstration Wednesday July 15 2020 in New York Several New York City police officers were attacked and injured Wednesday on the Brooklyn Bridge during a protest sparked by the death of George Floyd police said At least four officers were hurt including the departments chief and more than a dozen people were arrested PTI By Arul Louis New York July 16 A Bangladesh origin tech entrepreneur and CEO has been murdered and his body dismembered in a luxury flat in New York city according to media reports Fahim Salehs sister found the body on Tuesday afternoon when she went to his 25 millionflat to check in on him CBS local New York TV channel reported on Wednesday His killer may have been interrupted by her as he was cutting up the body with an electric saw The TV station reported that police said they have a video of her arriving at the apartment and his alleged killer was leaving about the same time after probably being interrupted by her ringing of the bell from the lobby It said that police are looking into the possibility that a business dispute was behind the killing According to his LinkedIn profile he was the founder of Pathao a Bangladeshbased company valued at 100 million that provides transportation and food delivery and offers a payment system He also lists himself as the founder and CEO of Gokada a Nigerian company which provides delivery service and motorcycle taxi service It claims investments of 69 million New York Post said that Saleh was born in Saudi Arabia to Bangladeshi parents and grew up in Poughkeepsie in New York state It quoted unidentified sources as saying that the killing appeared to be a professional job and his limbs and head cut with surgical precision The newspaper said that a surveillance video showed a man dressed in black following Saleh into his flat and tasering him after a dispute Arul Louis can be reached at arulliansin and followed on Twitter at arulouis IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bangladesh-origin-tech-ceo-found-dismembered-in-new-york-50958.html Thu, 16 Jul 2020 10:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/scotland-to-reopen-castles-palaces-as-covid-19-lockdown-eases-51161.html London July 14 Over 200 historic and tourism sites in Scotland are to open Wednesday as part of a rolling programme to allow visitors to attractions closed in March due to the Covid19 pandemic Historic Environment Scotland HES Scotlands biggest operator of visitor attractions has announced it will provide access to over 200 unstaffed and keykeeper sites across Scotland where physical distancing can be maintained Xinhua reported With over 300 properties in its care the HES is adopting a phased approach to reopen 70 per cent of its free to access and ticketed properties by midSeptember Edinburgh Castle Stirling Castle and Urquhart Castle will reopen on August 1 Visitors will have to prebook tickets online and to use contactless payment where possible with oneway systems implemented in some locations according to the HES IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/scotland-to-reopen-castles-palaces-as-covid-19-lockdown-eases-51161.html Thu, 16 Jul 2020 23:02:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-philippines-surge-to-57-545-50911.html Manila July 14 The number of Covid19 cases in the Philippines surged to 57545 after the Department of Health DOH reported 634 new infections on Tuesday The DOH said that the number of recoveries rose to 20459 after 88 more patients survived the disease Xinhua reported The death toll also increased to 1603 after six more patients died the DOH said Ninetyfive duplicates were removed from the total case count of these two duplicates previously reported as a death have been removed from the case count after final verification the DOH added The government is now discouraging homebased quarantine for those who tested positive for Covid19 to minimise the risk of transmission within households Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Policemen and local government personnel will be going house to house to search for Covid19 cases with no or mild symptoms who are under home quarantine and send them to quarantine facilities managed by the government Interior Secretary Eduardo Ano said on Tuesday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-philippines-surge-to-57-545-50911.html Thu, 16 Jul 2020 03:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/iran-reports-2-521-new-coronavirus-cases-262-173-in-total-50937.html Tehran July 14 Iran has recorded 2521 new coronavirus cases and 179 deaths within the past 24 hours the Ministry of Health and Medical Education said on Tuesday The total infection number and death toll rose to 262173 and 13211 respectively since the outbreak of disease in the country in February said Sima Sadat Lari the spokeswoman for the health ministry during her daily briefing Xinhua reported Among the new patients were 1820 in hospital according to Lari So far a total of 225270 recoveries from the virus have been reported while 3389 remain in critical condition she said According to the health spokeswoman 2023079 lab tests for Covid19 have been carried out in Iran as of Tuesday Iran has made it mandatory to wear face masks in indoor public places as an effective way to prevent virus contraction Iran announced its first cases of Covid19 on February 19 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/iran-reports-2-521-new-coronavirus-cases-262-173-in-total-50937.html Thu, 16 Jul 2020 08:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/california-indoor-businesses-to-shut-amid-surging-covid-19-cases-50563.html San Francisco July 14 California authorities have announced that indoor activities at restaurants and museums would be closed statewide while other operations including barbershops and hair salons in 30 of 58 counties would be shut as well due to a surge in the number of COVID19 cases According to the state governments official website effective from Monday all counties must close indoor operations in the sections including dinein restaurants wineries and tasting rooms movie theatres card rooms zoos and museums and family entertainment centres such as bowling alleys miniature golf batting cages and arcades reports Xinhua news agency Meanwhile 30 counties where 80 pe rcent of California residents live will now be required to close indoor business operations in fitness centres places of worship offices for noncritical sectors personal care services hair salons and barbershops and malls Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted the announcements saying the state made the decision because COVID19 cases continue to spread at alarming rates As of Monday California had more than 326000 confirmed cases of COVID19 and more than 7000 total deaths according to a tally by the Los Angeles Times The state data monitoring system showed that 109910 new cases and 1104 deaths have been reported in the past 14 days Also in a joint statement on Monday Los Angeles and San Diego school districts which have nearly 870000 students combined said the new school year will start online only since the pandemic is not yet under control Instruction will resume on Aug 18 in Los Angeles Unified and Aug 31 in San Diego Unified as previously scheduled the statement said adding that both districts will continue planning for a return to inperson learning during the 202021 academic year as soon as public health conditions allow The decision was made amid the President Donald Trump administrations threat to withhold federal funding from schools that do not reopen for inperson instruction this fall The US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos on Sunday renewed her push for schools to reopen However the two school districts argued in Mondays statement that the authority should provide confidence to local residents that opening schools in the middle of a public health crisis is the best option for children saying The federal government must provide schools with the resources we need to reopen in a responsible manner The Los Angeles Unified School District is the largest public school system in California and the 2nd largest public school district in the country with 734641 students and 26556 teachers while the San Diego Unified School District represents about 135000 students and 6500 teachers IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/california-indoor-businesses-to-shut-amid-surging-covid-19-cases-50563.html Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/no-return-to-old-normal-for-foreseeable-future-who-chief-50583.html Geneva July 14 There will be no return to the old normal for the foreseeable future as a result of the ongoing COVID19 pandemic and too many countries were still headed in the wrong direction the chief of the World Health Organization WHO warned The virus remains public enemy number one but the actions of many governments and people do not reflect this Xinhua news agency quoted WHO DirectorGeneral Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at as saying a regular briefing on Monday He noted that mixed messages from leaders are undermining trust which is the most critical ingredient of any response while the only aim of the virus is to find people to infect Things are going to get worse and worse and worse he warned unless governments communicate clearly with their citizens and roll out a comprehensive strategy focused on suppressing transmission and saving lives while populations follow the basic public health principles of physical distancing hand washing wearing masks coughing etiquette and staying home when sick COVID19 has been gaining its momentum lately According to Tedros Sunday saw a record of 230000 cases reported to WHO of which almost 80 percent were from just 10 countries and about half from just two countries But it does not have to be this way he said asking every single leader government and individual to do their bit to break the chains of COVID19 transmission and end the collective suffering To control the disease and get on with peoples lives Tedros said three things are required The first is to focus on reducing mortality and suppressing transmission the second is to focus on an empowered engaged community that takes individual behaviour measures in the interest of each other And the third is a strong government leadership and coordination of comprehensive strategies that are communicated clearly and consistently We werent prepared collectively but we must use all the tools we have to bring this pandemic under control And we need to do it right now he added At the WHO briefing on Monday health experts also said there was evidence to suggest that children under the age of 10 were only very mildly affected by Covid19 while those over 10 seemed to suffer similar mild symptoms to young adults To what extent children can transmit the virus while it appears to be low remains unknown On Tuesday the number of global coronavirus cases cross the 13 million mark according to the Johns Hopkins University The total number of cases currently stood at 13070097 while the fatalities rose to 572411 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3363056 and 135605 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1884967 infections and 72833 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/no-return-to-old-normal-for-foreseeable-future-who-chief-50583.html Wed, 15 Jul 2020 00:19:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-reports-nearly-60-000-covid-19-cases-in-24-hrs-50631.html Washington July 14 The US has registered another record singleday spike of nearly 60000 COVID19 cases which took the total tally over 336 million according to Johns Hopkins University On Monday the country registered a total of 59222 new cases in the past 24 hours taking the overall tally to 3363056 Xinhua news agency quoted the University as saying Another 411 deaths were reported in the past 24 hours taking the toal number of COVID19 fatalities in the US to 135582 With the two new figures the US currently accounted for the highest number of cases and deaths in the world The surge of coronavirus infections has pushed some states including Florida Texas Louisiana and Arizona to reinstate tougher antiepidemic measures On Sunday Florida reported a 24hour increase of 15299 shattering the previous oneday high for a US state by more than 3500 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-reports-nearly-60-000-covid-19-cases-in-24-hrs-50631.html Wed, 15 Jul 2020 03:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/squirrel-tests-positive-for-bubonic-plague-in-us-50632.html Washington July 14 A squirrel tested positive for bubonic plague in Colorado prompting the US state to issue a health warning the media reportedy The squirrel infection was reported in the town of Morrison Jefferson County about 27 km southwest of the state capital Denver after another case was earlier confirmed in the Broomfield county reports Xinhua news agency Media reports on Monday said Colorado issued a health warning after the newly confirmed infection citing an increased amount of reported plague activity in the state According to local health officials cats are in particular susceptible to the fatal bacterial disease spread by fleas living on wild rodents Humans can get infected through infected animals or bites by infected fleas Symptoms of bubonic plague include high fever chills headache and nausea among others occurring within a week after exposure IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/squirrel-tests-positive-for-bubonic-plague-in-us-50632.html Wed, 15 Jul 2020 03:21:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bubonic-plague-case-confirmed-in-mongolia-50657.html Ulaanbaatar July 14 A suspected case of bubonic plague reported in Mongolias GoviAltai province has been confirmed as positive the countrys Health Ministry said on Tuesday The result of a polymerase chain reaction PCR test revealed on Monday night that bubonic plague caused the death of a 15yearold boy Xinhua news agency quoted Dorj Narangerel head of public relations and surveillance department of the Ministry as saying to the media The teenager on Sunday died in Tugrug district on the way to a hospital He was found to have eaten marmot meat with two of his friends three days before his death according to the health ministry His two friends and 15 others who had contact with them have been isolated and treated at local hospitals the official said warning citizens not to eat marmot meat Bubonic plague is a bacterial disease spread by fleas living on wild rodents such as marmots It can kill an adult in less than 24 hours if not treated in time according to the World Health Organization In May 2019 two people in the country of Mongolia died from the plague which they contracted after eating the raw meat of a marmot the same type of rodent the second suspected case came into contact with Bubonic plague was responsible for one of the deadliest epidemics in human history the Black Death which killed about 50 million people across Africa Asia and Europe in the 14th Century a BBC report said There have been a handful of large outbreaks since It killed about a fifth of Londons population during the Great Plague of 1665 while more than 12 million died in outbreaks during the 19th Century in China and India But nowadays it can be treated by antibiotics Left untreated the disease which is typically transmitted from animals to humans by fleas has a 3060 per cent fatality rate Symptoms of the plague include high fever chills nausea weakness and swollen lymph nodes in the neck armpit or groin Bubonic cases are rare but there are still a few flareups of the disease from time to time Madagascar saw more than 300 cases during an outbreak in 2017 However a study in medical journal The Lancet found less than 30 people died IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bubonic-plague-case-confirmed-in-mongolia-50657.html Wed, 15 Jul 2020 07:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/surge-of-covid-19-cases-in-us-causes-testing-delays-50491.html Washington July 14 The recent surge in the number COVID19 cases across the US has resulted in delays in processing and delivering test results a leading American diagnostic service company said On Monday Quest Diagnostics one of the companies performing a significant amount of COVID19 testing in the US said the average time to get test results back is now seven or more days for everyone except the highestpriority patients meaning people who are hospitalized or symptomatic health care workers reports Xinhua news agency Despite our rapid scaling up of capacity soaring demand for COVID19 molecular diagnostic tests across the US is slowing the time in which we can provide test results the company said in a statement We attribute this demand primarily to the rapid continuing spread of COVID19 infections across the nation but particularly in the South Southwest and West regions of the country it added The company is able to perform up to 125000 molecular diagnostic tests a day almost double its capacity two months ago and expects to have the capacity for a 150000 tests a day by the end of July Despite that dramatic increase demand for testing is increasing even faster As a result our average turnaround time for reporting test results is slightly more than one day for our priority 1 patients However our average turnaround time for all other populations is 7 or more days said the company The development comes as the US currently accounts for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3363056 and 135605 respectively according to the Johns Hopkins University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/surge-of-covid-19-cases-in-us-causes-testing-delays-50491.html Tue, 14 Jul 2020 14:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/france-celebrates-bastille-day-with-little-fanfare-amid-pandemic-50528.html Paris Frances President Emmanuel Macron and French Armies Chief Staff General Francois Lecointre stand in the command car center as they review troops before the start of the Bastille Day military parade Tuesday July 14 2020 in Paris France are honoring nurses ambulance drivers supermarket cashiers and others on its biggest national holiday Tuesday Bastille Days usual grandiose military parade in Paris is being redesigned this year to celebrate heroes of the coronavirus pandemic PTI Paris July 14 Without the traditional military parade down the famous avenue of the Champs Elysees and public celebration French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday presided over the Bastille Day ceremony overshadowed by the coronavirus crisis For this years celebration the military parade which traditionally attracted huge crowds was cancelled for the first time since 1945 and replaced by a downsized defile in the Place de la Concorde square in central Paris Xinhua reported Following a government ban on public gatherings with more than 5000 people due to the coronavirus pandemic nearly 2500 men and women from Frances army navy and air force half of the usual number took part in the ceremony Without mask but respecting physical distance about 2000 participants including 1400 medical staff and representatives of civil society joined the gathering Accompanied by army chief Francois Lecointre Macron kicked off the festivities by reviewing troops on board of an openroof military vehicle before attending a tribute to Charles de Gaulle on the 50th anniversary of the generals death For his fourth July 14 celebration held in the shadow of the coronavirus the president paid tribute to Operation Resilience which he launched in March to help fight the coronavirus and saluted sacrifices of frontline health workers I wish with all the French with the armies themselves to pay a vibrant tribute to health workers and those who in all sectors have enabled public social and economic life to continue Macron said in message released ahead of the celebration By nightfall fireworks will light the sky over the Eiffel Tower as usual but without the public Many French cities had called off fireworks and other festivities over fears of the Covid19 spread The Bastille Day marks the anniversary of July 14 1789 when French citizens stormed the Bastille prison in Paris sparking the French Revolution IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/france-celebrates-bastille-day-with-little-fanfare-amid-pandemic-50528.html Tue, 14 Jul 2020 21:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-129mn-johns-hopkins-50263.html Washington July 13 The overall number of global COVID19 cases was nearing 129 million while the deaths have increased to more than 568000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Monday morning the total number of cases stood at 12872434 while the fatalities rose to 568296 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3302665 and 135176 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1864681 infections and 72100 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 849553 and is followed by Russia 726036 Peru 326326 Chile 315041 Mexico 299750 the UK 291154 South Africa 276242 Iran 257303 Spain 253908 Pakistan 248872 Italy 243061 Saudi Arabia 232259 Turkey 212993 France 208015 Germany 199919 Bangladesh 183795 Colombia 145362 Canada 109348 Qatar 103598 and Argentina 100166 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 44904 Mexico 35006 Italy 34954 France 30007 Spain 28403 India 22674 Iran 12829 Peru 11870 and Russia 11318 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-129mn-johns-hopkins-50263.html Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-couldve-existed-long-before-outbreak-who-official-50270.html Moscow July 13 The novel coronavirus could have existed in a dormant state long before its outbreak Melita Vujnovic the representative of the World Health Organization WHO to Russia has said WHO has established a large team that will work together with Chinese scientists to analyze the origin of the virus Xinhua news agency quoted Vujnovic as saying in a recent interview with RIA Novosti news agency This virus lived in animals and at some point passed to humans Its hard to say when and where this happened Its being investigated Viruses can be found in waste water But nothing can be said specifically she said The official further said that scientists were studying these samples and if there was any revolutionary result the WHO will immediately announce it Vujnovics statement echoes remarks made by Tom Jefferson a senior associate tutor at the Centre for EvidenceBased Medicine CEBM at Oxford and a visiting professor at Newcastle University earlier this month He had said that the novel coronavirus existed worldwide and broke out whenever and wherever favourable conditions occurred rather than starting in China last December leading to the ongoing global pandemic I think the virus was already here here meaning everywhere We may be seeing a dormant virus that has been activated by environmental conditions Jefferson added Meanwhile Spanish virologists have discovered traces of the novel coronavirus in a sample of Barcelona waste water collected in March 2019 nine months prior to the virus outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan According to the Italian National Institute of Health samples of sewage water from Milan and Turin showed traces of the novel coronavirus on December 18 2019 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-couldve-existed-long-before-outbreak-who-official-50270.html Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/40-of-covid-19-cases-in-us-asymptomatic-cdc-50332.html Washington July 13 Around 40 per cent of the confirmed coronavirus cases in the US were asymptomatic according to the countrys Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC The revelation was made on Sunday in the CDCs latest COVID19 Pandemic Planning Scenarios document Xinhua news agency reported The document which the agency said can be used to estimate the possible effects of COVID19 in US states and localities was first posted on May 20 The latest update is based on data received by the CDC through June 29 The new percentage of infections that are asymptomatic under the CDCs current best estimate is up from the 35 per cent the agency estimated on May 20 Also under the agencys current best estimate an asymptomatic individual is 75 per cent as infectious as a symptomatic individual Asymptomatic cases are challenging to identify because individuals do not know they are infected unless they are tested which is typically only done systematically as a part of a scientific study the CDC added The US has witnessed a sudden surge in the number of COVID19 cases especially in states like California Texas Arizona and Florida According to the Johns Hopkins University the country currently accounts for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3302665 and 135176 respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/40-of-covid-19-cases-in-us-asymptomatic-cdc-50332.html Mon, 13 Jul 2020 18:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/more-covid-19-cases-among-ncalifornia-low-income-communities-50377.html San Francisco July 13 The COVID19 pandemic has not impacted everyone equally in Northern California with the majority of the confirmed cases reported among the lowerincome communities across the San Francisco Bay Area a media report said According to the report published on Sunday by the San Francisco Chronicle the rates of infection are nearly five times higher in neighbourhoods like Oaklands Fruitvale than in the wealthiest suburbs reports Xinhua news agency The Chronicle analyzed data showing the daily number of confirmed coronavirus cases in each ZIP code since March The analysis found that the pandemic grew at a far quicker pace in lowincome neighbourhoods where more people couldnt work from home and where access to critical testing and other resources remained sparse early on The most severe impacts were in neighbourhoods already dealing with longstanding health and economic inequities said public health experts who reviewed the analysis Preventing the continued spread will require flooding those areas with financial and medical resources for people who need them most but local state and federal officials have been unable to fully patch an already tattered social safety net according to the experts We knew who was going to be hardest hit as soon as we knew we had a contagious virus We knew who was still going to have to go into work and live in crowded conditions and be without insurance We knew where we should have been focusing our efforts from day one Kiran SavageSangwan executive director of the California PanEthnic Health Network was quoted as saying By July 7 infection rates in lowincome ZIP codes were 45 times higher than in highincome ones 78 cases per 10000 residents compared with 17 cases per 10000 and twice as high as in middleincome areas Across the San Francisco Bay Area many heavily impacted neighborhoods are predominantly lowincome communities of colour the analysis showed We went into COVID with people marginally housed homeless in overcrowding living situations with no living wage no paid leave no sick leave Alameda County Health Director Kimi WatkinsTartt was quoted as saying in the report Its not one thing its not two things its a lot of things all coming together to make this a very difficult thing to prevent in some communities California has so far reported a total of 321000 COVID19 cases with 7014 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/more-covid-19-cases-among-ncalifornia-low-income-communities-50377.html Mon, 13 Jul 2020 21:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-particles-can-remain-infectious-in-air-for-over-an-hr-50172.html London July 12 Wendy Barclay chairwoman in influenza virology at Imperial College London has said that coronavirus particles can remain infectious in the air for more than an hour Speaking to the BBC on Sunday Barclay said It is the first time that the World Health Organization has acknowledged that the airborne route contributes to the spread of this disease Of course there are other routes as well But what this new acknowledgement means is that the route through the air probably also contributes in some circumstances Barclay said the virus could remain suspended in the air and travel some distance away from the person who had breathed them out with laboratory studies showing it could remain infectious in the air for more than an hour She added that replenishing the air in a room was important to avoiding spreading the virus rather than recirculating the air like some air conditioning systems do Barclays remarks come after the World Health Organization WHO last week acknowledged that there emerging evidence that COVID19 can be spread by tiny particles suspended in the air the BBC reported The airborne transmission could not be ruled out in crowded closed or poorly ventilated settings a WHO official had said WHO officials have cautioned the evidence is preliminary and requires further assessment If the evidence is confirmed it may affect guidelines for indoor spaces As of Sunday the total number of global coronavirus cases stood at 12735924 with 565489 deaths according to the Johns Hopkins University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-particles-can-remain-infectious-in-air-for-over-an-hr-50172.html Mon, 13 Jul 2020 06:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-127mn-johns-hopkins-49958.html Washington July 12 The overall number of global COVID19 cases was nearing 127 million while the deaths have increased to more than 564000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Sunday morning the total number of cases stood at 12681472 while the fatalities rose to 564420 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3245158 and 134764 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1839850 infections and 71469 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 820916 and is followed by Russia 719449 Peru 322710 Chile 312029 Mexico 295268 the UK 290502 South Africa 264184 Iran 255117 Spain 253908 Pakistan 246351 Italy 242827 Saudi Arabia 229480 Turkey 211981 France 208015 Germany 199709 Bangladesh 181129 Colombia 140776 Canada 109150 and Qatar 103128 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 44883 Italy 34945 Mexico 34730 France 30007 Spain 28403 India 22123 Iran 12635 Peru 11682 and Russia 11188 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-near-127mn-johns-hopkins-49958.html Sun, 12 Jul 2020 11:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/ny-covid-19-hospitalizations-deaths-fall-to-new-low-49965.html New York July 12 COVID19 hospitalizations and the threeday average death toll in the New York state has dropped to the lowest level since March Governor Andrew Cuomos office said Total hospitalizations on Friday was 799 the first time to drop below 800 since March 18 while the threeday average death toll plunged to 7 the lowest since March 16 Xinhua news agency quoted the office as saying on Saturday As we allow ourselves to celebrate some good news I urge residents to stay New York tough and not give up the ground weve worked so hard to gain together particularly in the face of rising cases throughout the country and compliance issues here at home Cuomo said in a statement Of the 69203 tests conducted across the state on Friday 730 or 105 per cent were positive bringing the statewide COVID19 case to 401029 he added In an interview on WAMC Northeast Public Radio late Friday Cuomo said that despite a 14day quarantine for people coming to New York from highrisk states he was still concerned about a resurgence How do you catch somebody driving in right I mean its very very difficult its trying to catch water in a screen he said It rises up in the other states and then is going to come back here from the other states Thats whats going to happen The only question is how far up our rate goes But you cant have it all across the country and not come back Starting on Sunday concessions will be allowed at state ocean and lakefront beaches the governor said late Friday As always New Yorkers and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines and wear face masks as appropriate and local governments will be actively monitoring to ensure compliance Cuomo added in Saturdays statement IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/ny-covid-19-hospitalizations-deaths-fall-to-new-low-49965.html Sun, 12 Jul 2020 12:34:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-partisanship-makes-fighting-covid-19-harder-fauci-49590.html Washington July 10 Americas top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci said that US partisanship has made the fight against the COVID19 pandemic harder You have to be having blindfolds on and covering your ears to think that we dont live in a very divisive society now Xinhua news agency quoted Fauci Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as saying in a podcast on Thursday Youd have to make the assumption that if there wasnt such divisiveness that we would have a more coordinated approach he said In his latest rebuke to President Donald Trump Fauci acknowledged that the country has performed poorly in the battle against COVID19 As a country when you compare us to other countries I dont think you can say were doing great I mean were just not he said Faucis remarks stood in sharp contrast to those of Trump who has repeatedly downplayed the worsening COVID19 pandemic in the country and encouraged states to quickly reopen their economies In a separate interview with The Hill news website also on Thursday Fauci says hardhit US states should pause moving forward with reopening their economies I would think we need to get the states pausing in their opening process looking at what did not work well and try to mitigate that he said in the interview However Fauci stopped short of calling for full lockdowns I dont think we need to go back to an extreme of shutting down he said adding that hardhit states should take measures including closing bars and avoiding large gatherings The US currently accounts for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3112252 and 133228 respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-partisanship-makes-fighting-covid-19-harder-fauci-49590.html Sat, 11 Jul 2020 00:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-says-israels-annexation-plan-to-cause-new-round-of-violence-49424.html Moscow July 10 An attempt to extend Israeli sovereignty to parts of the West Bank will provoke a new round of violence in the region Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Thursday Such an attempt will also put an end to the prospect of a twostate solution Zakharova said at a weekly briefing Xinhua reported She said many countries have a critical attitude towards Israels plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank Russia supports the twostate solution to the PalestinianIsraeli conflict within the international legal framework she said Russia believes that it is necessary to achieve the speediest resumption of direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinians under the auspices of the United Nations she added IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/russia-says-israels-annexation-plan-to-cause-new-round-of-violence-49424.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 12:45:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/532-new-covid-19-cases-reported-in-uae-53-577-in-total-49425.html Dubai July 10 The United Arab Emirates UAE on Thursday announced 532 new Covid19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 53577 UAEs Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement the new cases include many nationalities All are in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment Xinhua reported A total of 1288 more patients have recovered from the virus taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 43570 according to the ministry It also confirmed one more deaths pushing the countrys death toll to 328 The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report Covid19 cases It has been showing solidarity with China in fight against the novel coronavirus On February 2 and March 12 the iconic landmarks in the UAE including Burj Khalifa in Dubai were lit up twice in the colors of Chinas national flag to show its solidarity with China In late April the Chinese consulate general in Dubai organized an online conference for Chinese doctors and medical experts to share experience in preventing and treating the coronavirus with UAE counterparts IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/532-new-covid-19-cases-reported-in-uae-53-577-in-total-49425.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 12:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/pompeo-says-very-hopeful-to-continue-us-nkorea-dialogue-49426.html Washington July 10 US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said the United States is very hopeful to continue dialogue with North Korea at various levels though the latter has signalled its unwillingness to do so Were very hopeful that we can continue to have this conversation whether thats at levels beneath the summit or if its appropriate and there is a useful activity to take place to have senior leaders get back together as well Pompeo said on Thursday during a press briefing when asked whether another USNorth Korea summit is possible before the US presidential election in November Xinhua reported As for who and how and timing I just dont want to talk about that today he added US President Donald Trump suggested earlier this week that he is open to another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jongun I understand they want to meet and we would certainly do that Trump said in an interview with Gray Televisions Greta Van Susteren I would do it if I thought it was going to be helpful added Trump US Deputy Secretary of State and special envoy for North Korea Stephen Biegun also noted that Washington is ready for talks with Pyongyang When Chairman Kim appoints a counterpart to me who is prepared and empowered to negotiate on these issues they will find us ready at that very moment Biegun said on Wednesday in Seoul I believe this is very much possible President Trump has given us his full support to continue this effort he noted South Korean President Moon Jaein said last week that his country would make allout efforts to let North Korea and the US hold talks before the US presidential election Pyongyang however has expressed its unwillingness for more talks with Washington Kwon Jong Gun director general of the Department of US Affairs of North Koreas Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that North Korea was unwilling to talk face to face with the United States urging South Korea to stay away from meddling in Pyongyangs affairs Denuclearization talks between Washington and Pyongyang have been stalled since the Hanoi summit between the two leaders in February 2019 ended with no agreement Tensions escalated on the peninsula as North Korea demolished the interKorean liaison office building in North Koreas border city of Kaesong last month in protest against antiPyongyang leaflets sent across the border by South Korean civic group activists mostly defectors from North Korea Pyongyang has cut off all communication lines with Seoul IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/pompeo-says-very-hopeful-to-continue-us-nkorea-dialogue-49426.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 12:54:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-deaths-rise-to-44-602-49427.html London July 10 Another 85 Covid19 patients have died in Britain bringing the total coronavirusrelated death toll in the country to 44602 the British Department of Health and Social Care said The figures include deaths in all settings including hospitals care homes and the wider community As of Thursday morning 287621 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain a daily increase of 642 according to the department Xinhua reported British high street pharmacy chain Boots announced on Thursday that it will cut more than 4000 jobs and close 48 opticians stores in an attempt to mitigate the significant impact caused by the Covid19 pandemic The announcement came after the footfall into its stores dramatically reduced and its revenuedriving beauty and fragrance counters were shut down amid the coronavirus pandemic The chain anticipated that the high street will take considerable time to recover under the uncertain economic outlook although restrictions are beginning to lift IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-deaths-rise-to-44-602-49427.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:01:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/19-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-49428.html Beijing July 10 The National Health Commission said on Friday that 19 Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Thursday There were 342 patients still being treated including four in severe conditions the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 78609 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Thursday the report said As of Thursday a total of 83585 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/19-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-49428.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/new-york-prosecutors-can-see-trumps-financial-records-us-sc-49434.html Washington July 10 The US Supreme Court has ruled that President Donald Trumps financial records can be examined by prosecutors in New York In a related case the court ruled that this information did not have to be shared with Congress the BBC reported on Thursday Trump has come under fire for not making his tax returns public like his predecessors His lawyers had argued that he enjoyed total immunity while in office and that Congress had no valid justification to seek the records Two Democraticcontrolled House of Representatives committees and New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance also a Democrat had demanded Trumps tax documents over several years in order to determine whether current conflictofinterest laws on a US president were tough enough Trump a Republican denies wrongdoing and has called the investigation into his tax affairs a witch hunt The Supreme Court sends case back to Lower Court arguments to continue This is all a political prosecution he wrote in a series of tweets following the court rulings In the case regarding the request from the New York prosecutors the Supreme Court ruled by a majority of seven to two that the president did not have absolute immunity from criminal investigation Two hundred years ago a great jurist of our Court established that no citizen not even the President is categorically above the common duty to produce evidence when called upon in a criminal proceeding the court said We reaffirm that principle today But the two cases regarding Congressional committees were closely watched as they could have had implications on how far US lawmakers could scrutinise the activities of a sitting president The court ruled that Congress had significant but not limitless power to request the presidents personal information In this case the court returned the case to the lower courts IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/new-york-prosecutors-can-see-trumps-financial-records-us-sc-49434.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-122mn-johns-hopkins-49439.html Washington July 10 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has surged to over 122 million while the deaths have increased to more than 554000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Friday morning the total number of cases stood at 12232211 while the fatalities rose to 554291 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 3112252 and 133228 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1755779 infections and 69184 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 767296 and is followed by Russia 706240 Peru 316448 Chile 306216 the UK 289154 Mexico 282283 Spain 253056 Iran 250458 Italy 242363 Pakistan 240848 South Africa 238339 Saudi Arabia 223327 Turkey 209962 France 207356 Germany 199001 Bangladesh 175494 Colombia 128638 Canada 108656 and Qatar 102110 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 44687 Italy 34926 Mexico 33526 France 29982 Spain 28401 India 21129 Iran 12305 Peru 11314 and Russia 10826 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-122mn-johns-hopkins-49439.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:50:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bolivias-interim-president-tests-covid-19-positive-49459.html La Paz July 10 Bolivias Interim President Jeanine Anez announced that she has tested positive for COVID19 and will be in quarantine Along with my entire team we have been working for Bolivian families during this whole time and given that in the past week many of them tested positive for the coronavirus I took the test and I also came out positive Anez who took office after the controversial ouster of Bolivias first Indigenous President Evo Morales last November said on Thursday in an online video I feel very good strong I am going to continue to work remotely from isolation Anez said adding that she will remain in isolation for 14 days before taking another test In recent days three ministers in her cabinet have also tested positive for COVID19 Minister of the Presidency of the InterimGovernment Yerko Nunez Health Minister Eidy Roca and Mining Minister Fernando Oropeza Some deputy ministers and other officials were also infected with the virus Bolivia has so far reported a total of 44113 COVID19 cases with 1638 deaths Anez is the second South American leader to be infected with COVID19 this week after the coronavirussceptic Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro tested positive on Tuesday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bolivias-interim-president-tests-covid-19-positive-49459.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 15:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/tokyo-covid-19-cases-surge-to-highest-since-outbreak-49352.html Tokyo July 9 The number of new COVID19 cases in Tokyo surged to a record high of 224 on Thursday the highest since the virus outbreak hit the Japanese capital officials said The new figure beats the previous record of 206 cases confirmed in Tokyo a city of 14 million on April 17 reports Xinhua news agency The capital city has continued to grapple with a resurgence of cases since the Japanese governments emergency declaration over the virus was completely lifted on May 25 Tokyos ongoing virus resurgence has seen many of those testing positive in their 20s and 30s Tokyo metropolitan government officials said Disproportionately high numbers of cases have also been found to be connected to downtown nighttime entertainment districts in Tokyo it added Local officials have voiced concerns about the rising possibility of the virus being passed on from younger carriers infected in downtown areas to the elderly who will likely suffer more severe symptoms that will require hospitalization and could once again put a heavy strain on medical facilities in Tokyo and beyond As well as urging those patronizing such nighttime districts to ensure that necessary virus prevention measures are being taken inside the establishments the Tokyo metropolitan government has also asked residents to refrain from making unnecessary trips across prefectural borders The government however said that reissuing a state of emergency in the capital or reissuing tighter restrictions on peoples movements and business operations was not being considered at the moment Japan has so far registered 20174 COVID19 cases with 980 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/tokyo-covid-19-cases-surge-to-highest-since-outbreak-49352.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 04:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-jrs-girlfriend-reports-being-asymptomatic-49361.html Washington July 9 Kimberly Guilfoyle the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr and a top fundraiser for the US President reelection campaign revealed that she was asymptomatic after she tested positive for COVID19 last week On Wednesday Guilfoyle told the Trump campaigns online show The Right View that Im doing my best and following my doctors orders The Hill news website reported So far I am asymptomatic and have been feeling really pretty good she added Guilfoyle who is the national chairwoman of the Trump Victory Finance Committee and a campaign adviser added that the President had reached out to her after she tested positive last week I believe in President Donald Trump He called right away to check in on me and to make sure that I was doing okay and had everything that I needed and I know personally that the President is doing everything he possibly can for all American families and to usher along a vaccine while balancing the safe reopening of America Guilfoyle was quoted as saying by The Hill news website Guilfoyle tested positive in South Dakota last week before she was set to attend the Presidents Independence Day event at Mount Rushmore on July 3 Trump Jr tested negative for the virus following Guilfoyles diagnosis and the two did not come into contact with the President it was reported Guilfoyle a former Fox News personality who now works for the Trump campaign is the latest person close to the President to test positive for coronavirus In May a member of the US military who worked in the White House tested positive for the virus Days later Katie Miller Vice President Mike Pences spokeswoman also tested positive IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-jrs-girlfriend-reports-being-asymptomatic-49361.html Fri, 10 Jul 2020 05:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/445-new-covid-19-cases-reported-in-uae-53-045-in-total-49237.html Dubai July 9 The United Arab Emirates UAE on Wednesday announced 445 new Covid19 cases bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 53045 UAEs Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement the new cases include many nationalities All are in a stable condition and receiving medical treatment Xinhua reported citing the statement Besides 568 more patients have recovered from the virus taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 42282 according to the ministry It also confirmed one more death pushing the countrys death toll to 327 The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report Covid19 cases It has been showing solidarity with China in fight against the novel coronavirus On February 2 and March 12 the iconic landmarks in the UAE including Burj Khalifa in Dubai were lit up twice in the colors of Chinas national flag to show its solidarity with China In late April the Chinese consulate general in Dubai organised an online conference for Chinese doctors and medical experts to share experience in preventing and treating the coronavirus with UAE counterparts IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/445-new-covid-19-cases-reported-in-uae-53-045-in-total-49237.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 18:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-1-335-new-covid-19-cases-33-557-in-total-49249.html Jerusalem July 9 Israels Ministry of Health reported 1335 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday the second highest daily rise since the pandemic outbreak in the country in late February This brings the total coronavirus cases to 33557 of which 14875 are active cases The number of death cases rose from 344 to 346 while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 86 to 113 out of 405 patients currently hospitalized Xinhua reported The number of recoveries rose to 18338 with 111 new recoveries Earlier on Wednesday Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a consultation with Health Minister Yuli Edelstein and National Security Council head Meir BenShabbat at which they discussed morbidity data at various centres ahead of declaring restricted zones Also the Israeli Ministry of Transport announced that buses would operate at 50percent passenger capacity as agreed with the Health Ministry A previous decision to ban the operation of bus air conditioners was cancelled In addition all bus lines will end operations at 10 pm on weekdays IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-1-335-new-covid-19-cases-33-557-in-total-49249.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/un-chief-highlights-need-for-decent-jobs-to-fuel-covid-19-recovery-49256.html United Nations July 9 UN SecretaryGeneral Antonio Guterres has highlighted the need for decent jobs to fuel the Covid19 recovery In a video message the UN chief told heads of state and government and others attending a virtual meeting that they are essential to global efforts to build back better after the pandemic Together we can emerge from this crisis stronger with decent jobs and a brighter more equal and greener future for all he said on Wednesday Xinhua reported More than 50 heads of state and government alongside global employers and trade union leaders have been taking part in an online discussion on Wednesday looking at the impact of the Covid19 pandemic on the world of work The summit is part of a fiveday virtual event organized this month by the International Labour Organization ILO to examine issues that include countering the economic and social impact of the crisis The Covid19 pandemic has exposed the extreme vulnerability of millions of workers and businesses worldwide It has led to a 14 percent drop globally in working hours during the second quarter of this year equivalent to the loss of 400 million full time jobs according to data from the ILO Furthermore most of the worlds workers a staggering 93 per cent continue to live in countries that have implemented some form of workplace closures As of Wednesday the World Health Organization reported more than 116 million confirmed cases of Covid19 worldwide and nearly 540000 deaths The UN chief pointed out that while some countries are just entering the worst days of the pandemic others are struggling to open up their economies amid the threat of a resurgence in cases But lets be clear its not a choice between health or jobs and the economy he said They are interlinked We will either win on all fronts or fail on all fronts The UN chief underscored the importance of global solidarity as no country can solve the crisis alone This global summit is an opportunity for governments workers and employers representatives to shape winning responses said the secretarygeneral Responses that stimulate the economy and employment Solutions that support enterprises decent jobs and incomes Approaches that safeguard workers and expand social protection Plans that promote gender equality and reinforce social cohesion Proposals that protect the most vulnerable and invest in essential workers such as those in health and care services who are on the frontlines of the response And above all initiatives that are grounded in unity and solidarity Leaders addressed the summit via video messages outlining how their countries or organizations are responding to the crisis The summit was preceded by five regional virtual events held last week looking at the challenges of recovery and building a better future of work after the pandemic IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/un-chief-highlights-need-for-decent-jobs-to-fuel-covid-19-recovery-49256.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:10:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/harvard-mit-file-case-to-stop-student-visas-restriction-49257.html By Arul Louis New York July 9 Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT have filed a lawsuit against US President Donald Trump administrations decision to ban foreign students taking only online courses according to heads of the two institutions The two elite institutions are jointly asking the Boston federal court to stop federal agencies dealing with immigration from enforcing the new guidance and to declare it unlawful MITs President Rafael Reif said in an email to MIT faculty and students on Wednesday The Trump administration unveiled on Monday new guidelines for F1 and M1 visas given to students restricting them to only students who take inperson courses or a combination of online and inperson courses Those who take only online courses would not be eligible for the visa As many universities switch to online teaching because of Covid19 restrictions not all foreign students can take inperson courses and they could be denied visas or fall out out visa status and have to leave the US Harvard President Larry Summers said in a message announcing the suit International students will not be allowed to stay in the country if they attend institutions like Harvard that are holding courses online this fall Their choices are either to transfer to another institution that provides inperson or hybrid both inperson and online instructionaor to depart the country and risk not being able to return Those students who fail to comply with this guidance may face deportation The new rule issued as a guidance comes after many US colleges and universities either released or are readying their final decisions for the fall decisions designed to advance their educational mission and protect the health and safety of their communities Reif said This disrupts our international students lives and jeopardises their academic and research pursuits he added Moreover he said the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Is unable to offer the most basic answers about how its policy will be interpreted or implemented Our international students now have many questions about their visas their health their families and their ability to continue working toward an MIT degree he said Summers accused the Trump administration of using the visa restriction to force universities to return to inperson courses in pursuit of Trumps goal of opening the economy even as the pandemic continues to ravage parts of the country Although not specifically directed against universities Trump tweeted a threat to cut federal funding to schools if they do not reopen with inperson teaching His tweet alleged that the Democrats did not want the schools to reopen before the November elections Summers said It appears that it was designed purposefully to place pressure on colleges and universities to open their oncampus classrooms for inperson instruction this fall without regard to concerns for the health and safety of students instructors and others This comes at a time when the United States has been setting daily records for the number of new infections with more than 300000 new cases reported since July 1 he added Summers warned that if an institution pursues inperson or hybrid instruction and there is a serious COVID19 outbreak it would face strong pressure not to switch to online instruction as Harvard and others did in March because that would immediately place its international students in jeopardy Facing national and international criticism the State Department reiterated the element in the guidance that foreign students taking a combination of inperson and online courses would still be able to get visas to study in the US However that will not help students at universities that offer only online courses or a sufficient number of inperson courses US universities and ultimately the US depend on foreign students for their programmes in science and technology About 80 per cent of graduate students in computer science and electrical industrial and petroleum engineering are from abroad Arul Louis can be reached at arulliansin and followed on Twitter at arulouis IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/harvard-mit-file-case-to-stop-student-visas-restriction-49257.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:20:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-surpasses-3-million-covid-19-cases-49260.html Washington July 9 More than three million people in the US have now tested positive for Covid19 according to Johns Hopkins University Over 131000 deaths have been reported and on Tuesday the US broke its record for most new cases reported in one day the BBC reported on Thursday Despite the rise the White House wants to press forward on some reopenings including for schools US VicePresident Mike Pence who leads the White House Coronavirus Taskforce argued rules should not be too tough Cases were flattening out he said while President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that America was in a good place regarding the pandemic Over 60000 new cases were reported Tuesday shattering the previous highest tally of 55220 new cases on July 2 The latest figures came as the states of California and Texas each reported more than 10000 new daily cases Dr Anthony Fauci an infectious disease expert and adviser to the White House on the coronavirus said the country was still kneedeep in only its first coronavirus wave Speaking to reporters at the US Department of Education on Wednesday Pence defended the Trump administrations response to the pandemic While we mourn with those who mourn because of what the American people have done because of the extraordinary work of our healthcare workers around the country we are encouraged that the average fatality rate continues to be low and steady he said after lowering his face mask He added that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC will issue new guidelines on reopening schools after Trump criticised a plan put forward by the expert body as very tough and expensive and threatened to cut off funding to schools that dont open in the autumn The president said today we just dont want the guidance to be too tough Mr Pence said Thats the reason why next week CDC is going to be issuing a new set of tools five different documents that will be giving even more clarity on the guidance going forward Schools in the US normally begin for the year in either August or early September The CDCs guidelines suggest pupils and staff all wear face coverings and stay at home if necessary They also suggest schools should implement staggered timetables and socially distanced seating arrangements and close communal spaces IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-surpasses-3-million-covid-19-cases-49260.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:24:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-9-new-imported-covid-19-cases-49265.html Beijing July 9 The Chinese mainland reported nine new imported Covid19 cases on Wednesday bringing the total number of imported cases to 1958 the National Health Commission said on Thursday Of the nine imported cases Liaoning and Shanghai each reported three cases Guangdong saw two and Sichuan reported one the commission said Xinhua reported Among all the imported cases 1884 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery and 74 remained hospitalized with no one in severe condition the commission said No deaths had been reported from the imported cases IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-9-new-imported-covid-19-cases-49265.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-pass-12mn-mark-johns-hopkins-49268.html Washington July 9 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has surpassed the 12 million mark while the deaths have increased to more than 548000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Thursday morning the total number of cases stood at 12009301 while the fatalities rose to 548822 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 3053328 and 132277 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1713160 infections and 67964 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 742417 and is followed by Russia 699749 Peru 312911 Chile 303083 the UK 288511 Mexico 275003 Spain 252513 Iran 248379 Italy 242149 Pakistan 237489 South Africa 224665 Saudi Arabia 220144 Turkey 208938 France 206072 Germany 198699 Bangladesh 172134 Colombia 124494 Canada 108334 and Qatar 101553 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 44602 Italy 34914 Mexico 32796 France 29936 Spain 28396 India 20642 Iran 11731 Peru 11133 and Russia 10650 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-pass-12mn-mark-johns-hopkins-49268.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 19:57:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-spike-in-us-city-after-trump-rally-49278.html Washington July 9 The US city of Tulsa has witnessed a sudden spike in the number of COVID19 cases after President Donald Trump held his reelection campaign rally on June 20 amid the pandemic authorities said This week saw high numbers of confirmed cases being reported in the second largest city in Oklahoma state with nearly 500 new infections in two days Xinhua news agency quoted Bruce Dart executive director of the Tulsa Health Department as saying to the media on Wednesday The Tulsa Health Department reported 266 new cases on Wednesday bringing the total number in the county to 4571 There are 17894 cases in Oklahoma and 452 deaths according to Johns Hopkins University When asked if the cases in Tulsa were going up due to the rally on June 20 Dart said that there were several large events a little over two weeks ago I guess we just connect the dots Dart was quoted as saying The Presidents rally was 18 days ago all attendees had their temperature checked everyone was provided a mask and there was plenty of hand sanitizer available for all Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told CNN About 6200 people attended the rally in an indoor arena according to the Tulsa Fire Department Most of them didnt wear a mask during the rally All of Trumps campaign staffers who attended the rally went into quarantine however after interacting with several colleagues who later tested positive for the virus Multiple Secret Service officers were also instructed to selfquarantine after two of their colleagues who were on site for the rally tested positive IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-spike-in-us-city-after-trump-rally-49278.html Thu, 09 Jul 2020 20:42:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-says-ongoing-threats-came-up-in-consultations-but-india-silent-on-it-48834.html Lisbon Italys Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte left and Portugals Prime Minister Antonio Costa pose for a photo before their meeting at the Sao Bento palace in Lisbon Tuesday July 7 2020 Southern European countries are mounting a show of strength as negotiations over how much money they get from the EU and in what form comes to a crunch PTI By Arul Louis New York July 8 Meeting under the storm clouds of Chinas confrontation with India in Ladakh Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla and US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale have discussed the ongoing threats to the international order and agreed to endeavour to support each others objectives the State Department said But the press release issued by Indias Ministry of External Affairs after their virtual consultation on Tuesday was silent on these elements discussions of threats and support to each others objectives as well as an agreement work with other IndoPacific partners The MEA said that the two diplomats who held the USIndia Foreign Office Consultations virtually because of the Covid19 pandemic restrictions also discussed visas for students and professionals which have come under restrictions imposed by President Donald Trump But the State Department statement was silent on the visas Shringla participating in the consultation from New Delhi and Hale from Washington agreed to work to strengthen the USIndia Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership the US and Indian statements saidThe discussions included ongoing threats to the rulesbased international order bilateral and multilateral diplomatic cooperation maritime security and the global response to the Covid19 pandemic the State Department note on the consultation saidHale and Shringla agreed to consult closely on all challenges and endeavour to support each others objectives according to the State Department Indias election to a twoyear term starting in January on United Nations Security Council also figured in their talks They agreed on the need to deepen cooperation in the United Nations especially during Indias membership of the United Nations Security Council the MEA said Washington has expressed support for India gaining a permanent seat on the Council With China acting aggressively in recent months across the broad swath of the IndoPacific from Ladakh to the South China Sea strategic interests figured in the talks Shringla and Hale discussed USIndia cooperation on a full range of international issues and developed concrete steps to strengthen the USIndia Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership established by their leaders the State Department saidThe partnership was laid out in February in a joint statement issued when Trump visited India and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi According to the ModiTrump joint statement the partnership envisages greater defence and security cooperation expanded joint military exercises and codevelopment and coproduction of advanced defence equipmentThe State Department said that Shringla and Hale affirmed the US and Indian visions of a free and open IndoPacific region and agreed to work with other IndoPacific partners to bring these visions to reality The MEA release spoke of reaffirming the commitment to a free open inclusive peaceful and prosperous IndoPacific but was silent about other partners The main partners are Japan and Australia which together with India and the US form the Quad that promotes joint consultations and joint military exercisesTurning to the coronavirus pandemic that is roiling the world Shringla and Hale stressed the cooperation between the two countries in pharmaceutical and vaccine development which they said will continue to play a critical role in the worlds recovery from Covid19 according to the State Department The State Department was silent on discussions of the contentious bilateral issues like visas and trade The MEA statement said Shringla and Hale discussed ways to further enhance mutually beneficial trade and peopletopeople ties including through visa facilitation for students and professionals On Monday the Trump administration ordered that foreign students who do only online courses will not be eligible for visas and this may affect a large proportion of the 202000 Indians at US institutions of higher learning Last month he suspended the issuance of most categories of H1B visas issued to professionals citing the high unemployment caused by the economic shutdown resulting from the Covid19 pandemic Indians usually get about 70 per cent of the H1B visas New Delhi and Washington are embroiled in trade disputes and a longexpected trade deal is on hold while the US has scrapped the General Scheme of Preferences that gave concessional terms for some imports from India worth 63 billion Arul Louis can be reached at arulliansin and followed on Twitter at arulouis IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-says-ongoing-threats-came-up-in-consultations-but-india-silent-on-it-48834.html Wed, 08 Jul 2020 11:33:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/china-is-greatest-threat-to-us-says-fbi-director-48852.html Beijing Fu Cong director general of the Depatment of Arms Control of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs speaks to media at a press briefing on nuclear arms talks in Beijing on Wednesday July 8 2020 The senior Chinese arms control official called US pressure to join nuclear arms talks with Russia a ploy to walk away from them and said China would gladly participate if the US would agree to parity among all three PTI Washington July 8 Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Director Christopher Wray has said that acts of espionage and theft by Chinas government pose the greatest longterm threat to the future of the US Speaking to the Hudson Institute in Washington Wray described a multipronged disruption campaign the BBC reported on Wednesday He said China had begun targeting Chinese nationals living abroad coercing their return and was working to compromise US coronavirus research The stakes could not be higher Wray said adding China is engaged in a wholeofstate effort to become the worlds only superpower by any means necessary he added In a nearly hourlong speech on Tuesday the FBI Director outlined a stark picture of Chinese interference a farreaching campaign of economic espionage data and monetary theft and illegal political activities using bribery and blackmail to influence US policy Weve now reached a point where the FBI is now opening a new Chinarelated counterintelligence case every 10 hours Wray said Of the nearly 5000 active counterintelligence cases currently underway across the country almost half are related to China He said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had spearheaded a programme called Fox Hunt geared at Chinese nationals living abroad seen as threats to the Chinese government Were talking about political rivals dissidents and critics seeking to expose Chinas extensive human rights violations he said The Chinese government wants to force them to return to China and Chinas tactics to accomplish that are shocking He continued When it couldnt locate one Fox Hunt target the Chinese government sent an emissary to visit the targets family here in the United States The message they said to pass on The target had two options return to China promptly or commit suicide This is not the first time FBI Director Christopher Wray categorised China as a top intelligence threat for the US but on Tuesday he ramped up the criticism by focussing on Beijings wholeofstate effort to become the worlds only superpower It clearly signals that Washington now sees Beijing not only as an aggressive adversary but also an ambitious contender for global leadership Since the Covid19 outbreak in the US the Donald Trump administration has unleashed anger over China from its initial response to coronavirus economic espionage to Hong Kongs new national security law Wrays remarks are among a series of hardhitting speeches by senior US officials on the topic The Trump administration says its now time to wake up from the 40 years of policy failures with regard to China while critics see this as an attempt to deflect attention from the president own failures in office and to increase his chances of winning reelection IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/china-is-greatest-threat-to-us-says-fbi-director-48852.html Wed, 08 Jul 2020 12:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/german-court-lifts-covid-19-lockdown-near-meat-plant-48870.html Berlin July 7 A German court has ended a lockdown imposed to tackle a coronavirus outbreak at a meat packing facility the media reported on Tuesday Officials in North RhineWestphalia state brought back restrictions around Gutersloh in June after more than 1500 Tonnies plant workers tested positive reports the BBC The lockdown was due to end on Wednesday although there was an option to extend it once more But the states Higher Administrative Court overturned the measures on Monday calling them disproportionate While bringing in a lockdown at the start of the outbreak was not unreasonable a court statement said that should have given authorities time to impose a more focused lockdown Restaurants bars and gyms can now reopen in Gutersloh district and up to 10 people can meet outside in line with national restrictions Kindergartens will reopen on Wednesday officials said Since the weekend there have been 44 new confirmed cases Only two have no connection to the Tonnies facility It is crucial for our citizens that the tightened restrictions which they have endured in a very disciplined manner are now a thing of the past the BBC quoted Mayor Henning Schulz as saying Local officials imposed lockdowns in Gutersloh and the nearby Warendorf district on June 23 after the outbreak at the meatpacking plant the first restrictions in Germany since the country began lifting nationwide measures in May According to the Robert Koch Institute RKI the number of new COVID19 infections in Germany increased by 219 within one day to 196554 with 9012 confirmed deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/german-court-lifts-covid-19-lockdown-near-meat-plant-48870.html Wed, 08 Jul 2020 13:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-existed-worldwide-before-emerging-in-china-oxford-expert-48661.html London July 7 The novel coronavirus has existed worldwide and broke out whenever and wherever favourable conditions occurred before it emerged in China last December leading to the ongoing global pandemic an Oxford University expert said I think the virus was already here here meaning everywhere We may be seeing a dormant virus that has been activated by environmental conditions Xinhua news agency quoted Tom Jefferson a senior associate tutor at the Centre for EvidenceBased Medicine CEBM at Oxford and a visiting professor at Newcastle University as saying There was a case in the Falkland Islands in early February Now where did that come from There was a cruise ship that went from South Georgia to Buenos Aires and the passengers were screened and then on day eight when they started sailing towards the Weddell Sea they got the first case Was it in prepared food that was defrosted and activated Strange things like this happened with Spanish Flu In 1918 around 30 per cent of the population of Western Samoa died of Spanish Flu and they hadnt had any communication with the outside world Jefferson added The explanation for this could only be that these agents dont come or go anywhere They are always here and something ignites them maybe human density or environmental conditions and this is what we should be looking for he stressed Last week Spanish virologists announced the discovery of traces of the novel coronavirus in a sample of Barcelona waste water collected in March 2019 nine months before COVID19 was identified in China The Italian National Institute of Health said last month that sewage water from Milan and Turin showed coronavirus traces on December 18 2019 By Tuesday morning the total number of global COVID19 cases stood at 11590195 while the fatalities rose to 537429 according to the Johns Hopkins University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-existed-worldwide-before-emerging-in-china-oxford-expert-48661.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 17:17:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-deaths-rise-to-44-236-48538.html London July 7 Another 16 Covid19 patients have died in Britain bringing the total coronavirusrelated death toll in the country to 44236 the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Monday The figures include deaths in all settings including hospitals care homes and the wider community As of Monday morning 285768 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain a daily increase of 352 according to the department Xinhua reported Britains arts culture and heritage industries will receive a 157billionpound 196billion rescue package to help weather the impact of the coronavirus pandemic the government has announced Thousands of organisations across a range of sectors including the performing arts and theaters heritage historic palaces museums galleries live music and independent cinema will be able to access the emergency grants and loans said the government in a statement published Sunday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-deaths-rise-to-44-236-48538.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 01:28:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-29-million-48539.html New York July 7 The number of Covid19 cases in the US topped 29 million on Monday reaching 2910023 according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the national death toll reached 130090 according to the CSSE Xinhua reported The state of New York reported the most cases and the highest death toll in the country standing at 397649 and 32219 respectively Other states with over 100000 cases include California Florida Texas New Jersey Illinois Massachusetts and Arizona the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-29-million-48539.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 02:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-admin-slams-door-on-f-1-visa-students-attending-online-only-classes-48541.html By Nikhila Natarajan New York July 7 International students in the US are panicking after a shock announcement by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE on Monday afternoon that slams the door shut on students with F1 and M1 visas if their universities move to onlineonly instruction during the Fall 2020 semester which begins early September immediately after Labor Day weekend F1 students pursue academic coursework and M1 nonimmigrant students attend vocational courses in the United States Students enrolled in US universities that are moving to an onlineonly education model will be barred from getting F1 visas stopped from entering the US on F1 visas and not allowed to maintain F1 status in the Fall semester according to immigration attorney Cyrus Mehtas explanation of the onepager ICE statement So Trump is forcing foreign students to study in unsafe conditions during Covid19 Mehta tweeted The language of the statement terms the new rules as modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester Nonimmigrant F1 and M1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States the first line of the July 6 statement says The US Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools andor programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will US Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures such as transferring to a school with inperson instruction to remain in lawful status If not they may face immigration consequences including but not limited to the initiation of removal proceedings The Trump administration says it had allowed only a temporary exemption for online courses limited to the spring and summer semesters The ICE announcement comes at a time when the US leads the world in coronavirus caseload Covid19 has sickened more than 29 million Americans and killed more than 130000 till date IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-admin-slams-door-on-f-1-visa-students-attending-online-only-classes-48541.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 04:25:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/atlanta-mayor-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-48542.html Washington July 7 Keisha Lance Bottoms the mayor of Atlanta the capital city of US state of Georgia said she has tested positive for the novel coronavirus Covid19 has literally hit home Bottoms tweeted on Monday Xinhua reported I have had NO symptoms and have tested positive she said on Twitter Bottoms 50 is reportedly in the running to become the running mate to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden She has gained national attention in recent weeks for her handling of the pandemic and the protest against police brutality and racial injustice IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/atlanta-mayor-tests-positive-for-coronavirus-48542.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 05:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-admin-says-foreign-students-must-leave-us-if-classes-go-fully-online-48544.html By Nikhila Natarajan New York July 7 International students in the US are panicking and universities are scrambling to make sense of a new policy announcement by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE that says foreign students in the US will be forced to leave the country or transfer to another college if their universities offer only online classes this Fall Nonimmigrant F1 and M1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States the first line of the July 6 statement says Officials in the International Students Office at the University of Southern California told IANS they are still analysing the new information and swamped by a flood of enquiries from worried students According to immigration attorney Cyrus Mehta the latest one pager policy announcement means three things Students enrolled in US universities that are moving to an onlineonly education model will be barred from getting F1 visas they will be stopped from entering the US on F1 visas and not allowed to maintain F1 status in the Fall semester ICE is now turning the screws on universities to reopen despite the coronavirus roaring back across 40 of 50 states So Trump is forcing foreign students to study in unsafe conditions during Covid19 Mehta tweeted Fall 2020 semester begins early September in the US immediately after Labor Day weekend By that time Americas death toll is projected to have crossed the grim milestone of 170000 according to at least a couple of predictive models The new policy incentivises inperson classes during the ongoing pandemic which has already killed 130000 Americans The ICE announcement comes amidst heated debate across the country on what the coming Fall school session is going to look like A vaccine against the coronavirus will not be available until at least year end or later The announcement leaves the door open for hybrid models of online plus inperson classes as a way for students to remain in the US It says Nonimmigrant F1 students attending schools adopting a hybrid model that is a mixture of online and in person classes will be allowed to take more than one class or three credit hours online Andrew Ng cofounder of Coursera and a Stanford computer science faculty member described this latest development as a loselose situation for both students and universities In a tweet Ng termed the policy as a horrible one which will hurt the US students and universities Pushes universities to offer inperson classes even if unsafe or no pedagogical benefit or students to leave US amidst pandemic and risk inability to return Ng tweeted Most of my current PhD students are international This is an unnecessary crisis tweeted Paula Kagan Professor at DePaul College of Science and Health The language of the ICE statement terms the new rules as modifications to temporary exemptions for nonimmigrant students taking online classes due to the pandemic for the fall 2020 semester The US Department of State will not issue visas to students enrolled in schools andor programs that are fully online for the fall semester nor will US Customs and Border Protection permit these students to enter the United States Active students currently in the United States enrolled in such programs must depart the country or take other measures such as transferring to a school with inperson instruction to remain in lawful status If not they may face immigration consequences including but not limited to the initiation of removal proceedings The Trump administration says it had allowed only a temporary exemption for online courses limited to the spring and summer semesters The ICE announcement comes at a time when the US leads the world in coronavirus caseload Covid19 has sickened more than 29 million Americans and killed more than 130000 till date According to US Department of Commerce 2018 data the student population contributed 45 billion to the US economy Nearly 390000 foreigners received student visas in Fiscal Year 2019 according to publicly available US government data F1 students pursue academic coursework and M1 nonimmigrant students attend vocational courses in the United States Nikhila Natarajan is on Twitter byniknat IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-admin-says-foreign-students-must-leave-us-if-classes-go-fully-online-48544.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 06:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/61-magnitude-quake-jolts-indonesia-no-tsunami-alert-issued-48545.html Jakarta July 7 An earthquake measuring 61 on the Richter scale rocked Indonesias western Central Java province on Tuesday morning the meteorology and geophysics agency said It however did not issue a warning for tsunami The quake struck at 554 am with the epicentre at 53 km northwest Jepara of the province and a depth of 578 km under the sea bed Xinhua reported Indonesia has been frequently jolted by earthquakes as it lies on a vulnerable quakehit zone called the Pacific Ring of Fire IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/61-magnitude-quake-jolts-indonesia-no-tsunami-alert-issued-48545.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/10-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-48548.html Beijing July 7 Ten Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland Monday the National Health Commission said on Tuesday There were 403 patients still being treated including seven in severe conditions the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 78528 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Monday the report said As of Monday a total of 83565 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/10-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-48548.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 07:59:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-115mn-johns-hopkins-university-48551.html Washington July 7 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has increased to more than 115 million while the deaths have soared to over 537000 according to the Johns Hopkins University On Tuesday morning the total number of cases stood at 11590195 while the fatalities rose to 537429 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2935008 and 130277 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1623284 infections and 65487 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 697413 and is followed by Russia 686777 Peru 305703 Chile 298557 the UK 287290 Mexico 261750 Spain 251789 Iran 243051 Italy 241819 Pakistan 231818 Saudi Arabia 213716 Turkey 206844 South Africa 205721 France 205597 Germany 198064 Bangladesh 165618 Colombia 117412 Canada 107748 and Qatar 100345 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 44321 Italy 34869 Mexico 31119 France 29923 Spain 28388 India 19693 Iran 11731 Peru 10772 and Russia 10271 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-115mn-johns-hopkins-university-48551.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 08:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-top-3-500-in-us-la-county-48558.html Los Angeles July 7 US public health officials registered an additional 48 COVID19 deaths in Los Angeles County the most populated in the country taking the total number of fatalities to 3534 On Monday the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health also reported 1584 new cases of novel coronavirus infections bringing the caseload to 116570 in the metropolitan area reports Xinhua news agency Los Angeles County public health officials noted that almost 50 per cent of new cases were among residents aged 1840 There are 1921 people currently hospitalized 28 per cent of whom are in the intensive care units and 18 per cent on ventilators Hospitalizations for individuals aged 1840 have increased from a little over 10 percent of hospitalized cases in April to about 25 percent in July according to the daily update of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health Many families are experiencing the profound grief of losing a loved one to COVID19 We are so sorry for your loss and wish you healing and peace Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said Our ability to follow the most basic infection control and distancing directives reduces serious illness and even death of the people we love and the death of those loved by others What we do now determines where we are in 34 weeks The sooner we all recommit to taking care of each other the sooner we create a new normal where we get back to work school and our friends and extended family she added California reported 5699 new COVID19 cases on Monday mainly driven by a backlog of infections in Los Angeles County state officials noted The state has had 271684 confirmed cases and 6337 COVID19 deaths up to date according to the California Department of Public Health IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-top-3-500-in-us-la-county-48558.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 09:38:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-current-state-really-not-good-fauci-48564.html Washington July 7 Americas top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci warned the current state is really not good due to the fresh spike in the number of COVID19 cases in the country We had been in a situation where we were averaging about 20000 new cases a day Xinhua news agency quoted Fauci Director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases as saying on Monday In a livestream with Director of the US National Institutes of Health Francis Collins Fauci said a series of circumstances associated with various states and cities trying to open up in the sense of getting back to some form of normality has led to a situation where the country now has recordbreaking cases He said the average age of people getting infected now is 15 years younger than it was a few months ago but young people must understand they are not in a vacuum Innocently they could infect someone whod infect someone and then all of a sudden someones grandmother or grandfather or aunt whos getting chemotherapy for breast cancer gets infected Youre part of the propagation of the pandemic so its your responsibility to yourself as well as to society to avoid infection Fauci added The US currently accounts for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities at 2935008 and 130277 respectively according to the Johns Hopkins University The worsthit states due to the fresh outbreak are California Arizona Texas and Florida Nearly two dozen states have paused their reopenings to combat the virus spread while others have taken extra measures to keep it out of their borders said a CNN report New York New Jersey and Connecticut issued a travel advisory that requires people arriving from eight states with high coronavirus rates to quarantine for two weeks IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-current-state-really-not-good-fauci-48564.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 10:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bolsonaro-takes-4th-covid-19-test-48635.html Brasilia July 7 Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who has repeatedly insisted that quarantine and social distancing were not necessary to combat the coronavirus pandemic has taken a fourth COVID19 test The test results will come out by Tuesday afternoon Xinhua news agency reported Everything is well Bolsonaro told his supporters on Monday The President said all the previous test results are negative but did not give any proof to support his statements On July 4 Bolsonaro exercised his veto power to water down parts of a national law that would require the use of face masks on public transportation in commercial and religious places and other enclosed public spaces In addition he spoke publicly against quarantine measures and tried to overrule measures enforced by state and municipal governments citing impacts on the economy The President was stopped by a Supreme Court ruling which stated that local governments can formulate quarantine and social distancing regulations despite federal governments actions Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of COVID19 cases and deaths in the world at 1623284 and 65487 respectively according to the Johns Hopkins University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/bolsonaro-takes-4th-covid-19-test-48635.html Tue, 07 Jul 2020 16:00:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-fda-commissioner-refuses-to-offer-covid-19-vaccine-timing-48389.html Washington July 6 Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration FDA Stephen Hahn HAS refused to offer a timeline for Covid19 vaccine which US President Donald Trump suggested could be available long before the end of the year I cant predict when a vaccine will be available Hahn told a leading media outlet on Sunday Xinhua reported We are seeing unprecedented speed for the development of a vaccine But our solemn promise to the American people is that we will make a decision based upon the data and science on a vaccine with respect to the safety and effectiveness of that vaccine During a Fourth of July address in Washington on Saturday Trump said the country is likely to have a therapeutic andor vaccine solution long before the end of the year Hahn said Thursday that he was cautiously optimistic about current efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine pointing to years end or early next year as potential completion dates More than 2852000 Covid19 cases have been reported in the United States with the fatalities surpassing 129700 as of Sunday afternoon according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-fda-commissioner-refuses-to-offer-covid-19-vaccine-timing-48389.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:39:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-4-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-48391.html Beijing July 6 Chinese health authority said on Monday that it received reports of four new confirmed Covid19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Sunday of which one was domestically transmitted The domestically transmitted case was reported in Beijing the National Health Commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported No deaths related to the disease were reported on Sunday according to the commission IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-4-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-48391.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-114mn-johns-hopkins-university-48395.html Washington July 6 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has increased to more than 114 million while the deaths have soared to over 533000 according to the Johns Hopkins University On Monday morning the total number of cases stood at 11409805 while the fatalities rose to 533684 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2880130 and 129906 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1603055 infections and 64867 deaths In terms of cases India ranks third 697887 and is followed by Russia 680283 Peru 302718 Chile 295532 the UK 286931 Mexico 256848 Spain 250545 Italy 241611 Iran 240438 Pakistan 228474 Saudi Arabia 209509 Turkey 205758 France 204222 Germany 197523 South Africa 196750 Bangladesh 162417 Colombia 113685 and Canada 107394 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 44305 Italy 34861 Mexico 30639 France 29896 Spain 28385 India 19268 Iran 11571 Peru 10589 and Russia 10145 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-114mn-johns-hopkins-university-48395.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 14:12:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/fda-chief-declines-to-back-trumps-harmless-covid-19-claim-48478.html Washington July 6 US Food and Drug Administration FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn has declined to back President Donald Trumps claim that 99 per cent of COVID19 cases were totally harmless During his remarks on Saturday at the White House Independence Day event Trump had claimed without evidence that 99 per cent of coronavirus cases are totally harmless When pressed in a CNN interview on Sunday to respond to Trumps remarks Hahn refused to answer and instead said Im not going to get into who is right and who is wrong Xinhua news agency reported Hahn said the coronavirus pandemic is a rapidly evolving situation but stressed that the US absolutely must take this seriously What Ill say is that we have data in the White House task force Those data show us that this is a serious problem People need to take it seriously he added Also on Sunday Hahn refused to offer a timeline for a COVID19 vaccine which Trump suggested could be available long before the end of the year I cant predict when a vaccine will be available the FDA chief said We are seeing unprecedented speed for the development of a vaccine But our solemn promise to the American people is that we will make a decision based upon the data and science on a vaccine with respect to the safety and effectiveness of that vaccine Hahns remarks came as COVID19 cases have surged in recent weeks in more than 30 US states including Arizona California Texas and Florida According to the latest tally by Johns Hopkins University the US currently accounts for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2880130 and 129906 respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/fda-chief-declines-to-back-trumps-harmless-covid-19-claim-48478.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 19:48:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-deaths-rise-to-44-220-48376.html London July 6 Another 22 Covid19 patients have died in Britain bringing the total coronavirusrelated death toll in the country to 44220 the British Department of Health and Social Care said on Sunday The figures include deaths in all settings including hospitals care homes and the wider community As of Sunday morning 285416 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain a daily increase of 516 according to the department Xinhua reported On Sunday afternoon British Prime Minister Boris Johnson joined a nationwide clapping to pay tribute to the staff of National Health Service NHS on the 72nd anniversary of its founding On Saturday major landmarks across Britain were lit up blue in celebration of the anniversary and to remember those who have died during the pandemic IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uk-covid-19-deaths-rise-to-44-220-48376.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:49:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/2-killed-8-injured-in-us-nightclub-shooting-48378.html Washington July 6 At least two persons were killed and eight others injured in a nightclub shooting in the US state of South Carolina on Sunday authorities said The shooting took place just before 2 am local time in the city of Greenville when Greenville County Sheriffs deputies saw a large commotion outside the nightclub and called for backup due to active gunfire from inside the building the local sheriffs spokesperson Jimmy Bolt told media The nightclub was hosting a very very very large crowd for a concert when the shooting erupted Sheriff Hobart Lewis said in an interview with a local media outlet Xinhua reported That was a direct violation of Governor Henry McMasters executive order restricting nightclubs and any type of concert due to the coronavirus pandemic The eight injured people are in various conditions Lewis added The authorities are looking for at least two suspects and possibly more in the shooting according to a report The Sheriffs Office said no one is currently in custody and police are actively investigating the shooting IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/2-killed-8-injured-in-us-nightclub-shooting-48378.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 12:58:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/coronavirus-cases-in-israel-nudge-30-000-48380.html Jerusalem July 6 The Israeli health ministry reported 788 new coronavirus cases on Sunday raising the total number in the country to 29958 Meanwhile the death toll increased from 330 to 331 while the number of patients in serious condition increased from 84 to 86 out of 333 patients currently hospitalised according to the ministry Xinhua reported The number of recoveries rose to 17950 with 134 new recoveries while the number of active cases reached a record 11677 All members of Israels judo national team have entered home quarantine after one of the athletes tested positive for coronavirus All team members are scheduled to undergo coronavirus tests on Monday including world champion Sagi Muki who suffered high fever on Sunday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/coronavirus-cases-in-israel-nudge-30-000-48380.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-reports-683-new-covid-19-cases-51-540-in-total-48382.html Dubai July 6 The United Arab Emirates UAE on Sunday announced 683 new Covid19 cases bringing the total confirmed cases in the country to 51540 UAEs Ministry of Health and Prevention said in a statement that the new cases of many nationalities are all in stable condition and receiving medical treatment Xinhua reported Meanwhile 440 more patients have recovered from the virus taking the tally of recoveries in the UAE to 40297 according to the ministry It also confirmed two more deaths pushing up the countrys death toll to 323 The UAE was the first among the Gulf countries to report Covid19 cases It has been showing solidarity with China in fight against the novel coronavirus On February 2 and March 12 the iconic landmarks in the UAE including Burj Khalifa in Dubai were lit up twice in the colours of Chinas national flag to show its solidarity with China In late April the Chinese consulate general in Dubai organized an online conference for Chinese doctors and medical experts to share experience in preventing and treating the coronavirus with their UAE counterparts IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/uae-reports-683-new-covid-19-cases-51-540-in-total-48382.html Mon, 06 Jul 2020 13:15:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/florida-texas-report-record-surges-in-covid-19-cases-48139.html Washington July 5 Florida and Texas have reported new record high number of COVID19 cases in a 24hour time period forcing authorities in other parts of the US to scale down Fourth of July celebrations On Saturday Florida reported 11458 new coronavirus cases smashing the previous singleday record and almost tying New York states peak daily figure set in April reports Xinhua news agency The soar was the second time in three days that the states caseload increased by more than 10000 The new record also continues a marked upturn in cases that began in late May forcing the state to roll back part of its reopening starting on May 4 In Texas 8258 cases were reported with the total infections now standing at 191790 according to local health officials Health experts argued however that the true number of coronavirus infections is likely to be much higher since the majority of the local population have yet to be tested Meanwhile the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday reported an increase of nearly 53000 infections bringing the national count to 2838678 while the death toll stood at 129672 With some 40 states in the US reporting resurgence of COVID19 cases Independence Day celebrations have been either scaled down or cancelled In Chicago the local government has cancelled the fireworks displays at Navy Pier and most of the surrounding suburbs to prevent the spread of COVID19 There was also no public activity and access to the annual Houston Fourth of July celebration Saturday night as COVID19 continues its rapid spread in Texas The city of Houston will celebrate freedom this year but out of an abundance of caution during the COVID19 pandemic we want people to stay home and watch the fireworks said Mayor Sylvester Turner The virtual celebration will include a dazzling display of red white and blue as we reflect on the history of our country and the challenging events of 2020 he added Following Texas Governor Greg Abbotts statewide face covering mandate Lina Hidalgo judge of Harris County where Houston is located has issued an order prohibiting outdoor gatherings of 10 or more people The order went into effect on Friday and will last until August 26 In New York once the epicentre of the COVID19 outbreak in the country the public were urged to avoid crowds and Nathans Famous July Fourth hot dog eating contest happened at an undisclosed location without spectators on hand according to local media reports IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/florida-texas-report-record-surges-in-covid-19-cases-48139.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 13:43:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-reports-record-hike-in-covid-19-cases-48141.html Geneva July 5 The World Health Organisation WHO reported a record hike in the number of global coronavirus cases with the total rising by 212326 in 24 hours in the highest singleday increase since COVID19 broke out The biggest increase was reported in the Americas region with 129772 new cases Xinhua news agency quoted the WHO as saying on Saturday It further said that nearly half of the new cases were recorded in the US and Brazil with 53213 and 48105 new infections respectively The Southeast Asia region recorded the second largest surge with 27947 new cases and 534 deaths over the past 24 hours the WHO added According to the Johns Hopkins University the overall number of global COVID19 cases stood at 11199747 on Sunday while the deaths have soared to 528953 The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2838678 and 129672 respectively the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update Brazil came in the second place with 1539081 infections and 63174 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-reports-record-hike-in-covid-19-cases-48141.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/catalonia-locks-down-area-of-210-000-people-48245.html Barcelona July 5 The government in Spains Catalonia region has reimposed coronavirus controls on an area of 210000 people after a sharp rise in infections the media reported on Sunday On Saturday President Quim Torra said noone would be allowed to enter or leave Segria an agricultural area west of Barcelona which includes the city of Lleida reports the BBC The local lockdown began on Saturday afternoon with provisions made to allow nonresidents to leave and residents were advised not to travel between towns within Segria We are taking a step back to protect ourselves and control the outbreak he said The lockdown will be enforced using police checkpoints Within the area gatherings will be limited to 10 people and special measures are being taken to keep people in care homes safe A field hospital was set up outside LLeidas Arnau de Vilanova hospital on Friday with capacity to treat up to 105 patients if required The Spanish region of Aragon which borders Lleida also reimposed restrictions on several areas last month after an outbreak among fruit pickers in its Huesca province According to the Spanish Health Ministry on Friday Catalonia is the secondworst affected region of Spain by the COVID19 pandemic with 5673 people losing their lives to COVID19 out of a total of 62057 infections of which 834 were diagnosed in the last seven days As of Sunday morning Spain has registered a total of 250545 COVID19 cases with 28385 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/catalonia-locks-down-area-of-210-000-people-48245.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 22:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/melbourne-locks-down-tower-blocks-as-covid-19-cases-rise-48253.html Melbourne July 5 Authorities in the Australian city of Melbourne on Sunday confined people living in nine housing estate tower blocks due to a sudden spike in the number of coronavirus cases The city is putting stage three restrictions on 12 suburbs reports the BBC People there will only be able to leave the house for four reasons work or education exercise medical care or caregiving and shopping for supplies But the nine tower blocks in Flemington and North Melbourne face a hard lockdown The 3000 or so residents of the blocks are being told not to leave their homes for any reason for at least five days At least 23 cases of infection were found on two estates in recent days According to Victorias Minister for Housing Richard Wynn some of the states most vulnerable people live in the nine towers and mental health and drug and alcohol support will be offered The towers he said were characterised by having common lifts and common walkways and they presented an acute challenge going forward Andrews said that it should take at least five days to test everyone in the towers We are extremely concerned that there are many hundreds of people in these towers who have already been exposed to the cases that weve found and possibly to cases that exist and that we havent found Deputy Chief Health Officer Annaliese van Diemen was quoted as saying by the BBC This is not just a matter of 23 to 30 odd people this is a matter of many hundreds who have already been exposed and who may already be incubating Acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said a new phase of the pandemic was underway in Australia For the first time in Australia its an actual complete lockdown he was quoted as saying by the Sydney Morning Herald While the infection numbers remain below Australias peak in March what concerns the authorities is that local transmission is now the key source of infections Previously most cases came from travellers returning from overseas Australia has so far reported a total of 8362 COVID19 cases with 104 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/melbourne-locks-down-tower-blocks-as-covid-19-cases-rise-48253.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 23:27:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-russia-surpass-674-000-48083.html Moscow July 5 Russia recorded 6632 Covid19 cases since Friday raising its total number of infections to 674515 the countrys coronavirus response centre said on Saturday The death toll grew by 168 to 10027 while 446879 people have now recovered including 8986 over the last 24 hours according to the statement Xinhua reported Moscow the countrys worsthit region reported 680 new cases taking its tally of infections to 224210 As of Friday 280415 people were still under medical observation while more than 207 million Covid19 lab tests have been conducted nationwide Russias consumer rights and human wellbeing watchdog said Saturday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-in-russia-surpass-674-000-48083.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 01:52:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/1-killed-3-wounded-in-us-nightclub-shooting-48084.html Washington July 5 A man was shot dead and three others were wounded on Saturday at a sports bar in the US state of Mississippi officials said The incident took place after an altercation broke out at MBar Sports Grill in Jackson the capital city of Mississippi Xinhua reported The deceased has been identified as 41yearold Cortez Shelby police said in a release adding that the woman and two men who were wounded in the shooting have been hospitalised with their injuries were not considered lifethreatening The sheriffs office shared images of the suspect on social media seeking help to identify the man who it said is still at large IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/1-killed-3-wounded-in-us-nightclub-shooting-48084.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 02:23:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-discontinues-hydroxychloroquine-lopinavirritonavir-trial-for-covid-19-treatment-48085.html Geneva July 5 The World Health Organization WHO announced on Saturday that it was discontinuing hydroxychloroquine and lopinavirritonavir arms for its Solidarity Trial citing little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalised Covid19 patients The WHO said the decision was in light of the evidence from the Solidarity Trial interim results These interim trial results show that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavirritonavir produce little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized Covid19 patients when compared to standard of care Solidarity trial investigators will interrupt the trials with immediate effect the WHO said in a press release Xinhua reported But the organization said this decision applies only to hospitalized patients and does not affect the possible evaluation in other studies of hydroxychloroquine or lopinavirritonavir in nonhospitalised patients or as pre or postexposure prophylaxis for Covid19 The Solidarity Trial was established by the WHO in March to find an effective Covid19 treatment for hospitalised patients It was originally designed to have five trial arms including standard or usual care provided to Covid19 patients remdesivir lopinavirritonavir combined lopinavirritonavir combined with interferon beta and hydroxychloroquine or chloroquine By enrolling patients in multiple countries the Solidarity Trial aims to rapidly discover whether any of the drugs slow disease progression or improve survival IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-discontinues-hydroxychloroquine-lopinavirritonavir-trial-for-covid-19-treatment-48085.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 03:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-28-million-48086.html New York July 5 The number of Covid19 cases in the US has topped 28 million reaching 2808003 according to the Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE at Johns Hopkins University Meanwhile the national death toll reached 129476 the CSSE said on Saturday Xinhua reported The state of New York reported the most cases and the highest death toll in the country standing at 395872 and 32137 respectively Other states with over 100000 cases include California Florida Texas New Jersey Illinois and Massachusetts the CSSE data showed IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-cases-surpass-28-million-48086.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 05:35:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-in-britain-rise-to-44-198-48087.html London July 5 Another 67 Covid19 patients have died in Britain bringing the total coronavirusrelated death toll in the country to 44198 the British Department of Health and Social Care has said The figures include deaths in all settings including hospitals care homes and the wider community As of Saturday morning 284900 people have tested positive for the disease in Britain a daily increase of 624 according to the department Xinhua reported Millions of people in England emerged from the Covid19 lockdown on the so called Super Saturday to enjoy coffee shops bars restaurants and hair salons for the first time in over three months Meanwhile political leaders and health chiefs were nervously watching the days progress gauging the impact of the first taste of real freedom since March In advance of the biggest easing of lockdown rules British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it would benefit the local businesses as well as the whole country warning he would not hesitate to reimpose restrictions if the new freedoms sent the number of coronavirus patients rocketing IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-deaths-in-britain-rise-to-44-198-48087.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 06:06:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/iran-files-lawsuit-against-us-over-sanctions-amid-covid-19-fight-48088.html Tehran July 5 Iran has filed a lawsuit in the International Court of Justice against the US over effects of sanctions on Irans fight against the Cov id19 pandemic Leila Joneidi Irans presidential aide for legal affairs has said The continuous US sanctions against Iran at the time of the Covid19 pandemic are an indication of inhuman move and against human rights Joneidi was quoted as saying by a leading Iranian daily on Saturday Xinhua reported The official made the remarks during a visit to the Pasteur Institute in the capital Tehran US President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Iranian nuclear deal also known as the JCPOA in May 2018 and reimposed heavy sanctions against Iran IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/iran-files-lawsuit-against-us-over-sanctions-amid-covid-19-fight-48088.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 06:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-977-new-coronavirus-cases-29-032-in-total-48089.html Jerusalem July 5 Israels Ministry of Health has reported 977 new coronavirus cases bringing the total number of infections in the country to 29032 The number of Covid19 deaths increased from 326 to 330 while the number of patients in serious conditions increased from 77 to 84 out of 296 patients currently hospitalised Xinhua reported The number of recoveries increased to 17773 with 104 new recoveries while the number of active cases hit 10929 Earlier on Saturday Israeli police said that Israeli border police chief Yaakov Shabtai tested positive for the novel coronavirus adding that his health condition is good As a result Minister of Public Security Amir Ohana has entered home quarantine until July 12 after meeting twice with Shabtai in the past two weeks Meanwhile the Health Ministry said that Israeli President Reuven Rivlin Defence Minister Benny Gantz and army chief of staff Aviv Kochavi will not have to undergo quarantine despite meeting with Shabtai on Thursday IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/israel-reports-977-new-coronavirus-cases-29-032-in-total-48089.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 06:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/7-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-48091.html Beijing July 5 Seven Covid19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery in the Chinese mainland on Saturday the National Health Commission said on Sunday There were 403 patients still being treated including six in severe conditions the commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported Altogether 78516 patients had been cured and discharged from hospitals by Saturday the report said As of Saturday a total of 83553 confirmed Covid19 cases had been reported on the mainland among whom 4634 died of the disease IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/7-covid-19-patients-discharged-in-chinese-mainland-48091.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 07:40:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/south-africa-marks-100-days-in-covid-19-lockdown-48092.html Cape Town July 5 South Africa has marked 100 days since the country went into a Covid19 lockdown amid a rising national caseload The country enforced the lockdown on March 27 three weeks after the first case was detected Since May 1 it has started phased easing of lockdown Nonetheless as the country is slowly downgrading lockdown rules it has seen rapid rises in coronavirus cases and deaths The country reported 10853 new cases over the past 24 hours another record daily increase taking the national tally to 187977 according to a Covid19 update report released on Saturday by the South African Health Department Xinhua reported Meanwhile the nationwide death toll has reached 3026 with 74 new deaths reported over the past 24 hours The Western Cape province remains the epicentre of South Africa with 68376 cases and 2026 deaths as of Saturday both figures the highest among all the nine provinces in the country according to the update In his remarks to mark the 100 days in lockdown Western Cape Premier Alan Winde warned that South Africans will have to live with the virus for quite some time to come saying that the lockdown has been hard for residents because its been a completely new experience for everyone IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/south-africa-marks-100-days-in-covid-19-lockdown-48092.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 08:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinas-hubei-reports-no-new-covid-19-cases-48094.html Wuhan July 5 No new confirmed asymptomatic or suspected cases of Covid19 were reported in central Chinas Hubei Province on Saturday the provincial health commission said on Sunday Currently Hubei has a total of three asymptomatic cases and 121 close contacts under medical observation Xinhua reported As of Saturday Hubei had reported a total of 68135 confirmed Covid19 cases with 63623 cases having been cured and discharged from hospitals The disease has claimed 4512 lives in the province IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinas-hubei-reports-no-new-covid-19-cases-48094.html Sun, 05 Jul 2020 08:32:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/texas-begins-face-covering-mandate-amid-covid-19-cases-rise-47974.html Beijing People wearing face masks to protect against the new coronavirus wait to show the results of a smartphone health check app before they can enter an outdoor shopping mall in Beijing Saturday July 4 2020 China reported a single new case of coronavirus in Beijing on Saturday plus a few more cases elsewhere believed to have come from abroad PTI Houston July 4 A statewide mask mandate came into effect in Texas as it registered more than 7500 new COVID19 cases According to Texas Health and Human Services as of Friday there have been 183532 confirmed COVID19 cases in the state 7555 more than that of Thursday reports Xinhua news agency The death toll reached 2575 Starting from Friday noon the statewide face covering mandate came into effect The order issued by Texas Governor Greg Abbott a day ago requires all people to wear face covering over the nose and mouth in public places in counties with 20 or more positive COVID19 cases with few exceptions Also on Friday Sylvester Turner mayor of Houston the largest city in the state made a statement on the state Republicans decision to proceed with inperson convention as COVID19 cases spike The convention was scheduled for July 1618 at the George R Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston The decision was made by State Republican Executive Committee Now that the Executive Committee has made the decision to move forward the City will decide what steps must be taken to protect the health and safety of employees visitors and the general public said Turner who expressed hope earlier that the inperson convention would be changed into a virtue one At the very minimum masks will be a requirement for attendance and service However it is also my hope that over the next several days the partys leadership will reconsider in view of the rising number of positive COVID19 cases increased hospitalizations and shortage of ICU beds said the statement Texas is among four the US states along with Arizona California and Florida which have together a combined total of 25000 new COVID19 cases Amid te new surge in the number of cases in the country the US currently accounts for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2793425 and 129432 respectively according to the Johns Hopkins University IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/texas-begins-face-covering-mandate-amid-covid-19-cases-rise-47974.html Sat, 04 Jul 2020 14:08:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-taskforce-head-calls-for-increased-testing-47363.html Washington June 30 Deborah Birx head of the White House Coronavirus Taskforce has called on local authorities to expand testing as the us continues to grapple with the largest outbreak in the world In a call with the countrys governors on Monday Birx identified the states of Texas and Arizona as signficant hotspots and said the task force wanted to help deploy some new testing techniques to really test large populations at the community level the BBC reported citing CBS News Although our mortality continues to decline week over week we believe this week it will stabilize with the potential of going back up if we dont intervene comprehensively now she added As of Tuesday morning the US accounted for 2588582 COVID19 cases with 126133 deaths according to the Johns Hopkins University Both tallies are currently the highest in the world On June 26 the US reported the highest number of new cases in a single day with at least 40173 new infections Thirtysix states were reporting a rise in COVID19 cases During Mondays call Anthony Fauci Americas top infectious disease expert said young people needed to understand they had a role to play in helping to contain the spread We dont want to go back to shutdown he added We want to let the public health process be the vehicle to opening up not the obstacle to opening up The call came a day after US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the window is closing for the country to curb the surge of coronavirus cases Things are very different from two months ago So it is a very different situation but this is a very very serious situation and the window is closing for us to take action and get this under control Xinhua news agency quoted Azar as saying in a CNN interview on Sunday Azar said that in many southern states where the virus is spiking including Florida and Texas the majority of the cases were people under 35 and a large number of those will be asymptomatic Azar said the administration is working with local authorities and states to understand why the virus is surging in certain areas He noted that treatments like steroids and remdesivir were now available for COVID19 and encouraged people who have had the virus to donate plasma to increase the supply IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/us-covid-19-taskforce-head-calls-for-increased-testing-47363.html Thu, 02 Jul 2020 05:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-103mn-johns-hopkins-university-47116.html Washington June 30 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has increased to over 103 million while the deaths have soared to more than 505000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Tuesday morning the total number of cases increased to 10302052 while the fatalities stood at to 505505 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2590552 and 126140 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1368195 infections and 58314 deaths In terms of cases Russia ranks third 640246 and is followed by India 566840 the UK 313470 Peru 282365 Chile 275999 Spain 248970 Italy 240436 Iran 225205 Mexico 220657 Pakistan 209337 France 201522 Turkey 198613 Germany 195042 Saudi Arabia 186436 South Africa 144264 Bangladesh 141801 and Canada 105830 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 43659 Italy 34744 France 29816 Spain 28346 Mexico 27121 India 16893 and Iran 10670 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-103mn-johns-hopkins-university-47116.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 09:13:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/italys-registers-recrd-low-covid-19-deaths-47119.html Rome June 30 Italy registered a record low of six COVID19 fatalities over the past 24 hours national health authorities said The country had not seen such a limited daily death figure since February 24 in the very first phase of the pandemic at national level when it had registered five fatalities within a total of 219 cases assessed reports Xinhua news agency With Mondays daily increase the countrys death toll reached 34744 Active infections dropped to 16496 cases down by 185 compared to Sunday according to the Health Ministry The regions with the highest concentration of active infections were northern Lombardy 10823 and Piedmont 1490 and central Emilia Romagna 1032 Those with the lowest level of active cases were northwest Aosta Valley 3 southern Basilicata 3 central Umbria 9 the Sardinia Island 14 and southern Calabria 26 Of all those active infections only 96 patients are currently in intensive care down by 2 from Sunday and 1120 hospitalized with symptoms down by 40 The remaining 15280 were isolated at home because they are asymptomatic or with mild symptoms The Health Ministry also stated 305 more recoveries in the same 24 hours which took the total to 189196 since the pandemic officially broke out in the northern regions of the country on February 21 As of Tuesday morning the overall number of COVID19 cases in Italy stood at 240436 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/italys-registers-recrd-low-covid-19-deaths-47119.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 09:31:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-level-off-in-canada-47159.html Ottawa June 30 As far as the reopening of businesses was concerned Canada has been better than the US at slowing the spread of COVID19 through physical distancing and people increasingly wearing face masks in public according to a health official As the epidemic has slowed the incident rate has steadily declined in all age groups Xinhua news agency quoted Theresa Tam Canadas chief public health officer as saying at a briefing here on Monday The epidemiology indicates the transmission is largely under control Canada has so far reported a total of 105830 COVID19 cases with 8628 deaths In contrast 41075 new cases were reported in the US on Monday bringing its national total to 2590552 while the death toll stood at 126140 after with 885 new fatalities wer reported on Monday The CanadaUS border closed to nonessential travel since March 21 is scheduled to reopen on July 21 But at his regular COVIDrelated news conference on Monday Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hinted that it could be halted We will continue to assess the situation and work with the Americans on what steps need to be taken in the month of August he said What the situation were seeing in the US and elsewhere highlights for us is that even as our economy is reopening we need to make sure we are continuing to remain vigilant individually and collectively he said However with the return of instore shopping and greater numbers of people gathering the demographic picture of the pandemic in Canada has changed People 80 years of age and older remain the hardesthit population accounting for nearly 18000 cases Yet the 80plus crowd has experienced the steepest decline in transmission since late May according to the Public Health Agency of Canada which reported a relative increase in cases among people between the ages of 20 and 39 who now account for a greater proportion of total cases in recent weeks said Tam IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/covid-19-cases-level-off-in-canada-47159.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:11:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/flu-virus-with-pandemic-potential-found-in-china-47186.html Beijing June 30 A new strain of flu that has the potential to become a pandemic has been found in China by scientists the media reported The scientists wrote in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that the new flu strain which the researchers call G4 EA H1N1 is similar to the 2009 swine flu but with some new changes the BBC reported on Tuesday They found evidence of recent infection carried by pigs was starting in people who worked in abattoirs and the swine industry in China The researchers were concerned that it could mutate further so that it can spread easily from person to person and trigger a global outbreak While it is not an immediate problem they said that it has all the hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans and needs close monitoring The scientists further said that measures to control the virus in pigs and the close monitoring of swine industry workers should be swiftly implemented Professor KinChow Chang who works at Nottingham University in the UK told the BBC Right now we are distracted with coronavirus and rightly so But we must not lose sight of potentially dangerous new viruses While this new virus is not an immediate problem he says We should not ignore it Professor James Wood head of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge said the work comes as a salutary reminder that we are constantly at risk of new emergence of pathogens and that farmed animals with which humans have greater contact than with wildlife may act as the source for important pandemic viruses The last pandemic flu the world encountered the swine flu outbreak of 2009 that began in Mexico was less deadly than initially feared largely because many older people had some immunity to it probably because of its similarity to other flu viruses that had circulated years before said the BBC report That virus called AH1N1pdm09 is now covered by the annual flu vaccine to make sure people are protected The development comes as the world is still struggling to contain the COVID19 pandemic that originated in Chinas Wuhan city last December As of Tuesday the virus has infected a total of 10302867 people globally while the death toll stood at 505518 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/flu-virus-with-pandemic-potential-found-in-china-47186.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 13:53:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/skorean-churches-temples-emerge-as-new-covid-19-clusters-47286.html Seoul June 30 The religious community in South Korea is on alert over the possible further spread of the novel coronavirus as churches and Buddhist temples have emerged as new infection clusters in the country it was reported on Tuesday As of Tuesday COVID19 cases traced to a major church in Seouls southwestern ward of Gwanak reached 31 while those tied to a church in Anyang rose to 23 reports Yonhap News Agency Eight people related to a church in Suwon which has more than 9000 congregants tested positive for COVID19 Moreover at least 14 cases linked to Gwangleug Temple in Gwangju were reported They are the first coronavirus infections stemming from a Buddhist institution amid the nationwide outbreak in South Korea Health authorities are conducting virus tests on some 70 people for potential transmission The temple is a small independent organization not an affiliated temple of a bigger Buddhist order such as the Jogye Order The religious community is concerned that gatherings at churches and temples could be new epicentres of the resurgence of COVID19 The United Christian Churches of Korea UCCK have launched talks with the health authorities to discuss ways to slow down the spread of the virus at churches said the Yonhap News Agency report But some noted that massive infections will unlikely spread further in churches as the Christian circle has well complied with social distancing guidelines at facetoface gatherings South Korea has so far reported 12800 COVID19 cases with 282 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/skorean-churches-temples-emerge-as-new-covid-19-clusters-47286.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 19:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/4-week-covid-19-lockdown-in-melbourne-47318.html Melbourne June 30 Australian authorities announced on Tuesday that they will impose a fourweek mandatory lockdown in 10 areas of Melbourne following an exponential increase in COVID19 cases due to fresh outbreaks in the city The stayathome orders will come into effect at 1159 pm on Wednesday and will remain until July 29 Victorias Premier Daniel Andrews said in a press conference Andrews also announced a judicial inquiry into the states management of hotel quarantines after a number of cases between late May and early June were suspected to be linked to infection control protocol breaches reports Efe news Andrews explained that a significant number of cases in northern Melbourne have been attributed through genomic sequencing to breaches of infection control protocols by staff members in hotel quarantine The state government will also ask Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to divert international flights to Melbourne over the next two weeks to reduce the number of people in mandatory hotel quarantine although domestic flights will continue to operate The state authorities which imposed the countrys strictest restrictions at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic have conducted some 93000 tests to detect the novel coronavirus among its inhabitants over the past five days when it stepped up their testing plan which includes health care workers going doortodoor to test the residents The authorities of Victoria which have asked the central government and other states for reinforcement to tackle the crisis have reported 71 new cases since Monday a large part of them linked to the new outbreak bringing the total number of infections since the start of the epidemic to 2099 Australia which has managed to control the pan and has resumed a large part of its economic activities has recorded more than 7760 cases with 104 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/4-week-covid-19-lockdown-in-melbourne-47318.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 23:03:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/leicester-to-remain-under-lockdown-due-to-high-covid-19-cases-47101.html London June 30 UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that Leicester city will remain under a lock down due to a spike in the number of COVID19 cases In Leicester nonessential shops have been ordered to close from Tuesday schools from Thursday while the citys 330000 citizens have been asked to remain indoors as much as possible Xinhua news agency reported The easing of lockdowns across England will begin from July 4 while the restrictions imposed in Leicester will be reviewed in two weeks Hancock told MPs in the House of Commons on Monday He said that controls will only remain as long as is necessary in the city Hancock also said people in the city and some of its surrounding communities must get tested if they display any symptoms of the virus The Secretary said that the number of positive new cases across the UK is now below 1000 a day He said the sevenday infection rate in Leicester is 135 cases per 100000 people which is three times higher than the next highest city Leicester accounts for around 10 per cent of all positive cases in the country over the past week said Hancock Following an emergency meeting with local officials in the city which is just over 160 km north of London further measures to tackle the outbreak in Leicester were agreed Given the growing outbreak in Leicester we cannot recommend that the easing of the national lockdown set to take place on the July 4 happens in Leicester Hancock told politicians Special laws will be introduced quickly to allow the local lockdown measures he said We recommend to people in Leicester stay at home as much as you can and we recommend against all but essential travel to from and within Leicester Hancock said He added adherence to social distancing rules will be closely monitored with further steps taken if that is whats necessary The UK has so far reported a total of 313470 COVID19 cases with 43659 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/leicester-to-remain-under-lockdown-due-to-high-covid-19-cases-47101.html Wed, 01 Jul 2020 07:09:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/1st-covid-19-patient-from-beijing-market-cluster-discharged-46880.html Beijing June 29 The first COVID19 patient from Beijing cluster infections linked to the wholesale market outbreak was discharged from hospital on Monday after recovering according to authorities On June 3 the patient aged 56 stopped for about 20 minutes at the beef and mutton trading centre of the Xinfadi market in south Beijings Fengtai district reports Xinhua news agency He went to a hospital on June 12 after experiencing symptoms of fever and fatigue and tested positive in a nucleic acid test The patient had been treated in Beijing Ditan Hospital since June 13 His body temperature returned to normal on June 16 and his clinical symptoms imaging and laboratory indicators gradually improved said Xu Yanli the attending doctor adding that Hes nucleic acid test results on June 21 and 26 were all negative From June 11 to 28 Beijing reported 318 confirmed locally transmitted cases all of whom were receiving treatment at the same hospital A total of 108 medics from other Beijing hospitals have joined to help with the treatment of COVID19 patients Although the virus originated in Hubei provinces capital city of Wuhan last December China ranks lower in terms of both COVID19 deaths and cases than some other countries including the US which currently accounts for the worlds highest tallies As of Monday China reported a total of 83512 cases with 4634 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/1st-covid-19-patient-from-beijing-market-cluster-discharged-46880.html Tue, 30 Jun 2020 10:18:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/dozens-of-skorean-defence-ministry-officials-self-isolated-46728.html New Delhi Labourers work to convert Commonwealth Games Village CWG indoor stadium into a dedicated COVID19 care centre as coronavirus cases increase in the national capital in New Delhi Monday June 29 2020 PTI Seoul June 29 Dozens of South Korean Defence Ministry officials have been put into selfisolation after a threeyearold boy who attended a Ministryrun day care centre tested positive for COVID19 officials said on Monday The boy was confirmed to have the COVID19 virus on Sunday following the infection of a teacher at the nursery located inside the Ministry compound in central Seoul the Yonhap News Agency quoted the officials as saying The childs parents tested negative deputy spokesperson Col Moon Hongsik said As a preventive step however we ordered colleagues of his father to be in selfisolation for two weeks starting Monday As the boys father works at the Ministrys main building officials carried out disinfection work at major facilities of the building including the briefing room according to the spokesperson The day care centre was shut down on Saturday after the first patient was reported A total of 214 kids had attended the centre and most of their parents are Ministry officials or service members Tests are under way for all attendees and if necessary their parents We will continue to thoroughly monitor the situation and take necessary steps Yonhap News Agency quoted Moon as saying As of Monday the total number of infections among the military population stood at 58 Of them 54 have completely recovered according to the Ministry Currently 18 service personnel are quarantined in accordance with health authorities guidelines In addition military authorities have put 989 members in isolation as a preventive step it added South Korea added 42 more new coronavirus cases Monday raising the total caseload to 12757 according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention KCDC IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/dozens-of-skorean-defence-ministry-officials-self-isolated-46728.html Mon, 29 Jun 2020 17:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-101mn-johns-hopkins-university-46748.html Washington June 29 The overall number of global coronavirus cases has increased to over 101 million while the deaths have soared to more than 500000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Monday morning the total number of cases increased to 10115912 while the fatalities stood at to 501233 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update The US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2548143 and 125799 respectively according to the CSSE Brazil came in the second place with 1344143 infections and 57622 deaths In terms of cases Russia ranks third 633563 and is followed by India 528859 the UK 312640 Peru 279419 Chile 271982 Spain 248770 Italy 240310 Iran 222669 Mexico 216852 Pakistan 202955 France 199476 Turkey 197239 Germany 194693 Saudi Arabia 182493 South Africa 138134 Bangladesh 137787 and Canada 105153 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 43634 Italy 34738 France 29781 Spain 28343 Mexico 26648 India 16095 and Iran 10508 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-101mn-johns-hopkins-university-46748.html Mon, 29 Jun 2020 19:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/window-is-closing-to-curb-covid-19-surge-in-us-official-46777.html Washington June 29 US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said the window is closing for the country to curb the surge of coronavirus cases Things are very different from two months ago So it is a very different situation but this is a very very serious situation and the window is closing for us to take action and get this under control Xinhua news agency quoted Azar as saying in a CNN interview on Sunday He encouraged all Americans to follow the governments guidelines about social distancing and wearing of masks Azar said that in many southern states where the virus is spiking including Florida and Texas the majority of the cases were people under 35 and a large number of those will be asymptomatic Weve got our fatality rates and our hospitalization rates are the lowest theyve been in two months but this is a very serious situation he said Azar said the administration is working with local authorities and states to understand why the virus is surging in certain areas He noted that treatments like steroids and remdesivir were now available for COVID19 and encouraged people who have had the virus to donate plasma to increase the supply On Friday the US reported the highest number of new cases in a single day with at least 40173 new infections The previous daily high was reported on Thursday Thirtysix states were reporting a rise in COVID19 cases As of Monday morning the US accounted for the worlds highest number of infections and fatalities with 2548143 and 125799 respectively IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/window-is-closing-to-curb-covid-19-surge-in-us-official-46777.html Mon, 29 Jun 2020 20:47:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/beijing-issues-fresh-guidelines-on-covid-19-prevention-46396.html Beijing June 27 Beijing on Saturday issued fresh guidelines on COVID19 containment calling on its residents to continue to wear masks maintain social distancing and wash hands frequently in the wake of a fresh outbreak in the Chinese capitals wholesale food market Masks have been made compulsory in hospitals crowded scenic spots and public transports according to Beijings disease control and prevention centre The guidelines stipulate that residents with respiratory infections should avoid going to public places and if they do under unavoidable circumstances they must wear masks reports Xinhua news agency People are advised to wash their hands frequently when processing raw meat poultry or aquatic products and keep unwashed hands away from the mouth nose and eyes according to the guidelines Besides members of the public are asked to cooperate with health monitoring at residential compounds workplaces and other public facilities Since June 11 the Chinese capital has seen a resurgence in locallytransmitted COVID19 cases related to the Xinfadi market outbreak prompting the municipal government to tighten containment measures As of Saturday China reported a total of 84725 COVID19 cases with 4642 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/beijing-issues-fresh-guidelines-on-covid-19-prevention-46396.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 13:44:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-to-raise-313-billion-against-covid-19-46267.html Geneva June 27 The World Health Organization WHO has said the WHOled global response to Covid19 needs 313 billion for therapeutics vaccines and diagnostics over the next 12 months including two billion doses of vaccines The money would go to the Access to Covid19 Tools Accelerator or ACTAccelerator a global collaboration initiated in April to accelerate development production and equitable access to Covid19 tests treatments and vaccines Xinhua reported The WHO said on Friday some 34 billion has been contributed to date resulting in a funding gap of 279 billion of which 137 billion of the remaining gap is urgently needed It plans to scale up delivery of 500 million tests and 245 million courses of treatments to low and middleincome countries LMICs by mid2021 as well as two billion vaccine doses of which one billion to be purchased for LMICs by the end of 2021 The investment required is significant but it pales in significance when compared to the cost of Covid19 said WHO in a statement adding that the total cost of the ACTAccelerators work is less than a tenth of what the International Monetary Fund estimates the global economy is losing every month due to the pandemic The ACTAccelerator is led by the work of WHOs partner organizations collaborating under four pillars including diagnostics therapeutics vaccines and the health systems connector The vaccine pillar with the combination of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations CEPI and Gavi the Vaccine Alliance has the estimate that it will cost up to 181 billion dollars to deliver two billion doses by the end of 2021 In addition 950 million doses will need to be procured by selffinancing highincome countries and upper middleincome countries The good news is we have over 200 vaccine candidates at some stage of clinical development 15 of them are now on human clinical trials said WHO Chief Scientist Soumya Swaminathan at the press briefing of the organization on Friday According to her at least four Chinese companies are ready going from phase two to phase three trails for vaccine candidates and the WHO is in the process of exchanging documents signing confidentiality agreement with them in order to provide advice and support and facilitate conduct of clinical trials IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/who-to-raise-313-billion-against-covid-19-46267.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 00:05:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-21-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-46274.html Beijing June 27 Chinese health authority said on Saturday it received reports of 21 newly confirmed Covid19 cases on the Chinese mainland on Friday including 17 domestically transmitted and four imported ones All the domestically transmitted cases were reported in Beijing the National Health Commission said in its daily report Xinhua reported No deaths related to the disease were reported on Friday according to the commission IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/chinese-mainland-reports-21-new-confirmed-covid-19-cases-46274.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 00:29:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-97mn-johns-hopkins-university-46279.html Washington June 27 The overall number of global COVID19 cases has topped 97 million while the deaths were nearing 500000 according to the Johns Hopkins University As of Saturday morning the total number of cases stood at 9776963 while the fatalities increased to 493609 the Universitys Center for Systems Science and Engineering CSSE revealed in its latest update With 2467658 cases and 125046 deaths the US continues with the worlds highest number of COVID19 infections and fatalities according to the CSSE Brazil comes in the second place with 1274974 infections and 55961 deaths In terms of cases Russia ranks third 619936 and is followed by India 490401 the UK 310836 Peru 272364 Chile 263360 Spain 247905 Italy 239961 Iran 217724 Mexico 208392 France 199473 Pakistan 195745 Turkey 194511 Germany 194036 Saudi Arabia 174577 Bangladesh 130474 South Africa 124590 and Canada 104629 the CSSE figures showed The other countries with over 10000 deaths are the UK 43498 Italy 34708 France 29781 Spain 28338 Mexico 25779 India 15301 and Iran 10239 IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/global-covid-19-cases-top-97mn-johns-hopkins-university-46279.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 01:04:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/as-us-cases-surge-fauci-points-americas-youth-to-societal-responsibility-46285.html By Nikhila Natarajan New York June 27 As US coronavirus infections per day surged to an alltime high of 40000 Americas top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci renewed his call to the countrys youth going maskless partying on beaches and crowded indoor spaces to be conscious about their societal responsibility and not put the most vulnerable population at heightened risk of Covid19 infection The coronavirus has killed more than 124000 Americans and infected more than 24 million The US is currently recording 3803 deaths per 100000 population and a 5 per cent case fatality ratio Texas reported more than 17000 new cases in the past three days In Florida the daily number of new cases neared 9000 almost doubling a record set earlier this week I think what were missing in this is something that weve never faced before Is that a risk for you is not just isolated to you Because if you get infected You are part innocently or inadvertently of propagating the dynamic process of a pandemic Fauci urged during a White House coronavirus task force briefing Friday the first one in nearly two months The largest increase in test positives are coming from Texas and Arizona followed by Florida Mississippi South Carolina Alabama Georgia Louisiana Nevada and Utah One of the hardhit areas is Phoenix where thousands of young attendees nearly all maskless thronged US president Donald Trumps rally Coronavirus fatalities in the US are currently at around 600 per day down from a midApril peak of 2200 White House task force officials pointed today to the age profile of new cases as an upside based on current knowledge of survival rates More than 50 per cent of new cases are concentrated in the under 35 age category Fauci said hes never seen anything like the coronavirus in terms of its range of symptoms from 40 per cent asymptomatic to the other extreme of intubation and death Depending on where you are in that spectrum you have a different attitude to this particular thing but anyone who gets infected or is at risk of getting infected to a greater or lesser degree is part of the dynamic process of the outbreak Fauci reminded Americans Drawing from the US disease pattern from January Fauci repeatedly made the case that the coronavirus must be understood as a chain of intimately interconnected events despite the countrys heterogeneous nature So people are infecting other people and then ultimately you will infect someone whos vulnerable And that may be somebodys grandmother grandfather uncle whos on radiation or chemotherapy or a child who has leukaemia he said According to US officials 20 million Americans have likely been infected with the coronavirus since it first arrived in the United States in early January and that the vast majority of the population remains susceptible New confirmed infections this week according to Johns Hopkins University eclipsed the previous high of 36400 on April 24 The White House said it is tracking the rate of increase in new cases at the county level and about 130 counties out of the 3100 in the United States are of concern Faucis plea to Americans especially the youth centered on the interconnected nature of the domestic outbreak So remember what happened in China affected us What happened in Europe affected us Whats happening here is affecting others we cant get away from that We are all in it together Fauci said And the only way were going to end it is by ending it together Nikhila Natarajan is on Twitter byniknat IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/as-us-cases-surge-fauci-points-americas-youth-to-societal-responsibility-46285.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 01:55:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/pregnant-women-may-be-at-increased-risk-for-severe-covid-19-illness-46302.html Washington June 27 Pregnant women might be at increased risk for severe COVID19 illness according to a report byf the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC Hispanic and nonHispanic black pregnant women appear to be disproportionately affected by the infection during pregnancy Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying on Friday To reduce severe COVID19associated illness pregnant women should be aware of their potential risk for severe COVID19 illness said the CDC During January 22 to June 7 a total of 8207 cases of COVID19 in pregnant women were reported to CDC representing approximately 9 per cent of cases among women of reproductive age with data available on pregnancy status The higherthanexpected percentage of COVID19 cases among women of reproductive age who were pregnant might also be attributable to increased screening and detection of the infection in pregnant women compared with nonpregnant women or by more frequent health care encounters which increase opportunities to receive testing said the CDC The report also suggests that among adolescents and women aged 15 to 44 years with COVID19 pregnancy is associated with increased risk for ICU admission and receipt of mechanical ventilation but it is not associated with increased risk for mortality IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/pregnant-women-may-be-at-increased-risk-for-severe-covid-19-illness-46302.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 04:14:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/ny-to-assist-states-with-high-covid-19-infection-rates-cuomo-46315.html New York June 27 New York will offer to assist states with high COVID19 infection rates due to the recent spike in the number of cases Governor Andrew Cuomo said Cuomo said at a briefing on Friday that 60000 healthcare workers from outside New York came to help the state when it was at the epicentre of the crisis and it is now ready to repay the favour reports Xinhua news agency We had numerous states who came to our assistance when we needed it and I was very appreciative Massachusetts Oregon et cetera said Cuomo We will never forget that graciousness and we will repay it any way we can He said the state is also in touch with Arizona Texas and Florida to see if there is anything New York can do to help them combat the disease The Empire State now boasts a 11per cent COVID19 positivity rate based on a sevenday rolling average the lowest of all big states in the country according to the Governor Five upstate regions that started reopening first North Country Mohawk Valley Central New York Southern Tier Finger Lakes entered phase four on Friday Phase four allows lowrisk indoor and outdoor arts and entertainment events film and TV production Higher education can resume and professional sports can be held without fans Social gatherings of up to 50 people are also allowed New York registered 14 COVID19 deaths on Thursday while another 805 new cases were confirmed bringing the statewide total to 391220 according to the Governors office New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed on Friday phase three of reopening will begin on July 6 New Yorkers have shown incredible resilience during this crisis and its because of their hard work that we are on track for Phase 3 on July 6 he said at his briefing The Mayor also called on the state government to extend the states eviction moratorium until August 20 as a previous moratorium signed by Cuomo in March expired the past weekend and many New Yorkers are still reeling from the economic impact of the pandemic So many people are hurting so many people just dont have money for rent Keeping a roof over their head is crucial right now he said IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/ny-to-assist-states-with-high-covid-19-infection-rates-cuomo-46315.html Sun, 28 Jun 2020 06:07:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/24-islamic-state-militants-killed-in-iraq-46263.html Baghdad June 27 A total of 24 Islamic State IS militants were killed in a security operation and airstrikes in Salahudin province in north of Baghdad the Iraqi military said on Friday The Iraqi CounterTerrorism Service CTS backed by the Iraqi and international coalition aircraft carried out a twoday operation against IS hideouts in the mountainous area of alKhanouga in the northern part of the province the CTS said in a statement Xinhua reported The operation resulted in the killing of 16 IS militants in the first day and eight others in the second the statement said without exactly specifying the days The Iraqi and coalition airstrikes destroyed a number of IS hideouts and several caves and tunnels where the militants were holed up the statement added The operation came as the extremist IS militants have intensified their attacks on the security forces including Hashd Shaabi forces and civilians in the formerly IScontrolled Sunni provinces resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017 However IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas carrying out frequent guerrilla attacks against security forces and civilians IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/24-islamic-state-militants-killed-in-iraq-46263.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 23:46:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-signs-executive-order-to-protect-monuments-from-vandalism-46062.html Washington Ivanka Trump right applauds as President Donald Trump holds an executive order that he signed during a meeting with the American Workforce Policy Advisory Board in the East Room of the White House Friday June 26 2020 in Washington PTI Washington June 27 US President Donald Trump has said on social media that he has signed an executive order to protect the countrys monuments I just had the privilege of signing a very strong Executive Order protecting American Monuments Memorials and Statues and combatting recent Criminal Violence Trump tweeted on Friday Xinhua reported Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country the president said on Twitter The order enforces laws prohibiting the desecration of public monuments the vandalism of government property and recent acts of violence withholds federal support tied to public spaces from state and local governments that have failed to protect public monuments and withdraws federal grants for jurisdictions and law enforcement agencies that fail to stop their desecration said a local media report It also provides assistance for protecting federal statues according to the report Also on Friday Attorney General Bill Barr directed the creation of a task force to counter antigovernment extremists specifically naming those who support the farright boogaloo movement and leftwing radicals who identify as Antifa Trump said on Tuesday he would sign such an executive order one night after police thwarted demonstrators attempts to tear down a statue of former President Andrew Jackson near the White House Four hundred National Guard troops have been activated in Washington DC to guard monuments and infrastructure and Trump has personally instructed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to restore the only Confederate statue in the US capital city after it was torn down on June 19 local media reported Trumps order came as numerous controversial statues across the country have been targeted amid weeks of protests and civil unrest across the country following the death of George Floyd a black man killed by a white police officer who held him down with a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes a month ago Protesters supporting the statues removal have said that the monuments are in memory of figures believed to be symbols of racism Trump warned that protesters who deface statues would face up to 10 years in prison calling them vandals hoodlums anarchists and agitators The Veterans Memorial Preservation Act a federal law passed in 2003 already makes it a crime to destroy or attempt to destroy a plaque monument or statue commemorating the service of anyone who served in the armed forces The law carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison according to another US media outlet report IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/trump-signs-executive-order-to-protect-monuments-from-vandalism-46062.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 11:30:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/highest-alert-issued-in-texas-county-for-uncontrolled-covid-19-spread-46068.html Dallas Cars weave around Ellis Davis Field House at a COVID19 testing site on Friday June 26 2020 in Dallas Texas Gov Greg Abbott on Friday took more countermeasures to stem a tide of coronavirus infections as he closed bars ordered restaurants to return to 50 capacity shut riverrafting outfits and gave local officials more control over large gatherings ahead of the Fourth of July holiday PTI Houston June 27 The highest Red Level 1 alert was issued in Texas Harris County where the US fourth largest city of Houston is located due to an uncontrolled spread of the novel coronavirus On Friday Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo issued the red alert the most serious level on the newlylaunched coronavirus threat scale reports Xinhua news agency Today we find ourselves careening toward a catastrophic and unsustainable situation she said in a news conference While Texas Governor Greg Abbott removed her ability to create an enforceable stayhome order Hidalgo has asked people to follow guidelines including staying at home as possible as they can avoiding all gatherings cancelling all nonessential travel and visits to nursing homes and longterm care facilities If we dont act now we will be at the point of no return Hidalgo said Earlier on Friday Abbott issued an executive order limiting certain businesses and services to contain the spread of COVID19 According to the order all bars and similar establishments that receive more than 51 per cent of their gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages were asked to close Restaurants may remain open for dinein service but at a capacity of less than 50 per cent of indoor occupancy beginning from June 29 said the order The order also banned outdoor gatherings of 100 or more people unless approved by local governments Texas one of the badlyhit US states has so far reported a total of 138000 COVID19 cases with 2324 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/highest-alert-issued-in-texas-county-for-uncontrolled-covid-19-spread-46068.html Sat, 27 Jun 2020 11:36:00 +0530 https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/kuwait-parliament-extends-suspension-after-coffee-boy-tests-covid-19-positive-45840.html Kuwait City June 25 The Kuwait Parliament has extend the selfquarantine of its members for 10 more days after a coffee boy tested positive for COVID19 state media reported The latest extensions comes after the House was suspended for two weeks due to the suspected infection of a lawmaker Gulf news quoted Al Seyassah newspaper as saying on Wednesday The expatriate boy who serves drinks to MPs had the virus and the Ministry of Health called on the lawmakers who were in contact with him recently to selfquarantine It is still widely expected that the Cabinet will on Thursday launch Kuwaits transition to the second phase of the fivephase plan to return to normal life The threeweek phase will see the curfew shortened to between 9 pm and 6 am In this phase workforces in government and private sectors should be less than 30 per cent in addition to the resumption of work in the construction sector banking malls opening for eight hours and according to special instructions parks and pickups from restaurants Parliaments Speaker Marzouq Al Ghanem said that the lawmaker suspected of having contracted the virus had attended a session of the assembly held on June 16 when the ministers of finance and education were grilled Kuwait has so far reported 41879 COVID19 cases with 337 deaths IANS https://dailyworld.in/foreign-under-international/kuwait-parliament-extends-suspension-after-coffee-boy-tests-covid-19-positive-45840.html Fri, 26 Jun 2020 17:06:00 +0530