Worldwide / 135

Russia's coronavirus cases surpass 100,000 following record daily rise

April 30, 2020

It said 108 people diagnosed with the novel coronavirus had died in the last 24 hours, a record daily rise. Over half of these cases were located in Moscow and the surrounding region, while Russia's second-largest city, St. Various Russian regions have kept all businesses shut until further notice, except for grocery stores, pharmacies and a few others. Opposition politician Dmitry Gudkov denounced an electronic pass system introduced in Moscow as a "digital concentration camp".

Lebanon: Protester Death Triggers Hundreds Rioting as Coronavirus Cripples Economy

April 30, 2020

The protests prevented medical teams from leaving Beirut to conduct coronavirus tests, with Lebanon's Health Ministry urging protestors to let the medical teams through, according to the AP. The economic decline has left tens of thousands of Lebanese unemployed and frustrated, leading many citizens to protest the conditions in Tripoli and other cities.

Trump said that China is interested in his losing the presidential election

April 30, 2020

They must have known more than they knew because they came after what other people knew that weren't even involved", Trump said. Many others question whether China, with its economy hit hard by the pandemic, is able to meet the trade deal's mandate that it increase purchases of USA goods and services by $200 billion over 2017 levels.

Swedish town to use 'stinky' fertiliser to deter spring revellers

April 30, 2020

Local authorities in Lund, a city in Sweden of about 125,000 people, are dumping a ton of chicken manure into its central park to stop tens of thousands of people from gathering for a traditional celebration on the last day of April. "But as far as I understand it will obviously smell a little outside the park as well". I can not guarantee that the rest of the city will be odourless.

China says it has no interest in meddling in US presidential election

April 30, 2020

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang says Beijing has no interest in the election. The American leader insists that China should have informed the world about COVID-19 much sooner. During a meeting with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards in the Oval Office, Trump was asked by a reporter, "Mr. President, what are you hoping to learn about China and the World Health Organization with this investigation you've commissioned with the intelligence agencies?" "It should have been stopped ...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce plan to reopen state

April 30, 2020

Starting on Monday, restaurants will be allowed to have outdoor seating and 25 percent indoor seating, retail stores can reopen at 25 percent capacity and elective surgeries can resume. "These moments will be forever lost", DeSantis said. "Part of our strategy in Phase One is to expand testing", DeSantis said, adding that Florida would increase walk-up virus screening sites to 11 throughout the state.

Over 1.5b people at risk of losing livelihoods- UN, ILO

April 30, 2020

Informal workers are the most vulnerable of the 3.3 billion global workforce, lacking welfare protection, access to good healthcare, or the means to work from home, it stressed. Other sectors of the economy that are hardest hit, he said in a virtual news briefing, include the manufacturing sector (111 million enterprises), accommodation and food services (51 million) and real estate and administrative business services (42 million).

Pregnant inmate gives birth on ventilator before dying of COVID-19

April 30, 2020

The death of Andrea Circle Bear, the first female federal inmate to succumb to the respiratory disease, and the circumstances surrounding it will likely fuel more anger among criminal justice reform advocates and families of incarcerated relatives who have criticized the Justice Department for a confusing rollout of rules to release non-violent offenders into home confinement.

Prime minister Boris Johnson to lead first briefing since Covid-19 recovery

April 30, 2020

Both mother and baby are doing "very well" Johnson's spokesperson said . The number of people who have died in hospital with Covid-19 has reached more than 20,000, with the number of daily deaths reaching their highest so far in early April.

United States coronavirus deaths surpass 60,000: Johns Hopkins

April 30, 2020

More than one million US Americans have now contracted the coronavirus. It's been reported that New York City remains the epicenter of the USA outbreak, with over 160, 000 cases of Coronavirus and 12, 509 deaths. The coronavirus has killed more people in the United States than the seasonal flu in recent years, except for the 2017-2018 season, according to the U.S.

President Trump Hints Kim Jong-un Is Alive: ‘I Hope He’s Fine’

April 30, 2020

His weekslong absence, including skipping an annual event marking the birth anniversary of his grandfather and national founder Kim Il-sung, has sparked rumors about his health. With questions still lingering about Kim Jong Un, a former longtime CIA official says the U.S. intelligence community will ramp up its information-gathering on the despot's sister, Kim Yo Jong , who has emerged as his most likely successor , according to a report.

ASSANGE EXTRADITION: Hearing Put Off Until July or November Because of Virus

April 30, 2020

The 48-year-old has been in a London jail for a year since he was kicked out of the Ecuadorian embassy where he was hiding from Swedish sexual-assault allegations. The proceedings have been fully suspended until May 4 so that Assange's legal team and the USA representatives could agree on the schedule. To highlight the difficulty of holding the case remotely, much of Monday's hearing was inaudible to journalists who dialled in to listen via a conference call, leading to a court clerk having ...

Official resigns after throwing cat, drinking beer in Zoom meeting

April 30, 2020

At another point during the meeting, Platzer appears to be drinking beer. Commissioner Chris Platzer was asked if he'd like to make any comments. "OK, first, I'd like to introduce my cat", said Platzer, lifting it close to the camera and then, with two hands, tossing it offscreen.

Iran: Over 700 Die After Drinking Methanol as ‘Cure’ for Chinese Coronavirus

April 30, 2020

Fake remedies have spread across social media in Iran, where people remain deeply suspicious of the Government after it downplayed the crisis before it overwhelmed the country. © Provided by The Independent The Iranian government mandates that manufacturers of toxic methanol add an artificial colour to their products so the public can tell it apart from ethanol, the kind of alcohol that can be used in cleaning wounds.

Captain Tom: Train named in honour of NHS fundraiser

April 30, 2020

Later today he'll receive two flypasts in his honour, one from RAF helicopters and one from World War II Spitfires and Hurricanes. Yesterday, Moore thanked the thousands around the world who had paid their respects: "It is quite extraordinary I am turning 100".

'WE ARE NOT HAPPY': Trump blames China for coronavirus spread

April 30, 2020

Before the coronavirus pandemic began, the USA and China were already engaged in a trade war that has resulted in billions of dollars in tarrifs. Trump has been heaping blame on China for a global pandemic that has killed at least 60,000 people in the United States according to a Reuters tally, and thrown the us economy into a deep recession, putting in jeopardy his hopes for another four-year term.

India Dismisses Plasma Therapy as Treatment for COVID-19

April 30, 2020

Karnataka has collected plasma from two recovered Covid patients but this has not yet been administered as none of the seven patients in ICUs across the state are eligible under the therapy protocol. "Just taking plasma from everyone who has recovered and giving it to patients may not be enough". Talking about medical professionals getting infected across the country, Agarwal said that if a healthcare professional does not take precautions and follow the laid down guidelines then he can ...

Amash launches possible bid for White House

April 30, 2020

Fellow Trump critics on the right criticised the decision, insisting that any third-party bid for the USA presidency from the right would only increase the odds of Trump being re-elected in November. " Justin Amash presents an option for right-wing skeptics of Trump and libertarian skeptics of Trump and civil libertarian skeptics of Trump", the Republican consultant said.

Covid-19: Asian Development Bank approves $1.5-billion loan for India

April 30, 2020

With 73 more deaths reported, the number of deaths due to coronavirus in the country breached the 1,000 mark and stood at 1,007. They are quarantined at a Delhi government centre in Mandawali which is a few kilometres from the base of their battalion.

Prague District Mayor Says Russian Agent Sent To 'Liquidate Me'

April 30, 2020

In an recorded interview broadcast by Prima television, Prague 6 mayor Ondrej Kolar said he had police protection because of "some facts that have been found, the fact that there's a Russian here whose goal is to liquidate me". Last week, Czech media reported he had been placed under "temporary police protection" and had filed a police complaint after concerns he was being followed near his home.

Canadian NATO helicopter goes missing off Greek island: air force

April 30, 2020

I have spoken with Minister [of National Defense] Harjit Sajjan, and search and rescue efforts are now underway. The helicopter was part of Operation REASSURANCE, a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation mission in Central and Eastern Europe.

8 dead, 10 missing in construction site fire in South Korea

April 30, 2020

The death toll is expected to rise as many workers were still unaccounted for. Rescue workers in white protective suits were seen carrying out victims in body bags. Mr Seo said victims who died on other floors likely inhaled toxic gas. Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ordered the mobilisation of "all necessary personnel and resources" to find and rescue those trapped inside and extinguish remaining flames.

Coronavirus: UK death toll now second highest in Europe

April 30, 2020

In a reminder that much is still unknown about the novel coronavirus , British health secretary Matt Hancock said some children with no underlying health conditions had died from a rare inflammatory syndrome which researchers believe to be linked to Covid-19.

Police called after NYC funeral home puts bodies in trucks

April 30, 2020

NY has freezer trucks that funeral homes can use if they are overwhelmed, and the city sent one to hold the bodies, CNN affiliate WABC reported . Police were seen taking bodies out of a U-Haul and putting them into a refrigerated truck. "It appears the truck was full", Eric L. Adams, the Brooklyn borough president, told the Times. A neighbour to the funeral home told the New York Post he had observed bodies being stored in the trucks for at least several weeks.

Deadliest Covid-19 outbreak at USA care facility kills 68 veterans

April 30, 2020

Washington, April 30 (SocialNews.XYZ) As many as 82 residents living at an aging veterans home in the USA state MA have died, including 70 having tested positive for coronavirus, the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services said on Wednesday.

Donald Trump says will resume travelling next week

April 30, 2020

Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls South Dakota shut down its plant earlier this month after state health officials confirmed more than 200 COVID-19 cases are related to the plant, most of which involved Smithfield employees. I want to get back (to a full economy) with or without (a vaccine), but obviously we have to wait till it's gone. President Trump also met industry leaders on Wednesday and assured them that the USA economy will quickly bounce back from the losses it has faced due to the ...

Inmate who gave birth on ventilator dies of Covid-19

April 30, 2020

Department of Justice , and sentenced in January. Circle Bear was transported from a jail in South Dakota on March 20 to Federal Medical Center Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas , and quarantined on arrival. Officials say she began exhibiting symptoms of the new coronavirus in late March, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator. A federal inmate is someone inside a prison or jail operated by the federal government as opposed to a particular state.

Canadian military helicopter reported missing while operating in Mediterranean sea

April 30, 2020

They say the aircraft disappeared after taking off from a Canadian frigate as part of a military exercise. "Search and rescue efforts are now underway", the Twitter post noted. It is also likely to raise questions about the aircraft. Five other people were meant to be aboard, but they are still missing. MacKay is now a candidate in the Conservative leadership race.

How Dalby State School is adapting to online learning

April 30, 2020

NSW Catholic Schools CEO Dallas McInerny said for those schools that had offered parents fee relief the offer could prove attractive. "The main constraint is the availability of staff". The decision to start school after labor day will be based on the status of COVID-19 at the end of July and early August. In a statement, Independent Schools Queensland welcomed the Federal government's funding offer but said the conditions on reopening for all students put private schools in a hard position.

United States says Remdesivir shows 'clear-cut' effect in treating coronavirus

April 30, 2020

Gilead Sciences's drug, remdesivir, is the first treatment to pass such a strict test against the virus, which has killed more than 220,000 people worldwide since it emerged late a year ago in China. "These data are promising, and given that we have no proven treatments yet for Covid, it may well lead to fast-track approval of remdesivir for treatment of Covid", said Babak Javid, principal investigator of Tsinghua University School of Medicine in Beijing.

Pompeo says 'still hopeful' for a North Korea deal

April 30, 2020

The latest images follow a recent report from the North American surveillance project 38 North, which reported that satellite photos showed what was believed to be Kim's train at his villa in Wonsan. Wonsan is one of the larger and better appointed compounds, but it also has a useful location that allows Kim to easily travel to other areas along the coast, or return quickly to Pyongyang in his private train or along a special highway designated for use only by the Kim family or top ...

Chinas legislature to meet in May after coronavirus delay

April 30, 2020

It was not immediately clear how that process would affect the gathering of almost 3,000 delegates. "This is a show of strength ", said Willy Lam (林和立), adjunct professor at the Center for China Studies at Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Britain Adds Nursing Home Deaths to Daily Total, Coronavirus Toll Passes 26,000

April 30, 2020

Last week, a Financial Times analysis based on the gap between the significant increase in all deaths and those that mentioned coronavirus put Britain's true death toll at over 40 000. There will be a substantial number (of deaths)". That's because the new data includes - for the first time - deaths that have happened in care homes and the wider community.

Joe Biden's campaign tells Democrats to deny Tara Reade allegations

April 30, 2020

Supreme Court. Now they're stuck with him . And yet the endorsements just keep rolling in. Clinton joined Biden in a videoconference on the coronavirus's effect on women. A number of other persons who appear to corroborate her claims have recently made headlines, one of them being Reade's former neighbour, who told Business Insider that she recalled hearing about the ex-Biden staffer's alleged assault when Reade said the incident occurred - back in 1993.

India virus deaths pass 1,000, but low toll puzzles experts

April 30, 2020

He said in the last 24 hours, 1,543 new COVID-19 cases have been reported, taking the total number of cases to 29,435, and no new cases of COVID-19 has been reported from 17 districts in the last 28 days. Gujarat after Maharashtra remained badly affected from COVID-19 with 3,548 cases and 162 fatalities. Andhra Pradesh has reported 1,332 cases and 31 deaths; Bihar, 383 cases and two deaths; Haryana, 310 cases and 3 deaths; Jammu and Kashmir, 565 cases and 8 deaths; Karnataka 532 cases and ...

California could start new school year as early as July

April 30, 2020

There are more than 46,000 confirmed positive cases and 1,862 deaths related to COVID-19 in California so far, according to a continuous Los Angeles Times survey of numbers released by local health agencies across the state. He noted the modifications, based on science, health and data, will happen in four stages. California is now in the first stage, which involves making essential workplaces as safe as possible.

Hundreds Take Part in Funeral of Man Killed in Lebanon Riots

April 30, 2020

Demonstrators, mainly youths armed with sticks and stones, stormed several banks and attempted to break into the headquarters of the central bank in Beirut and the local offices of the national credit institute in Sidon. The violence was a reflection of the rising poverty and despair gripping the country amid a crippling financial crisis that has worsened since October, when nationwide protests against a corrupt political class broke out.

Life slowly returns to streets in European capitals

April 30, 2020

But leaders and experts remain divided on how quickly to revive shuttered economies while maintaining a delicate balance between freedom and safety. Conte's office responded to the CEI statement late last night, reports Italian news agency ANSA, stating that "a protocol will be studied that will allow the faithful to participate in liturgical celebrations as soon as possible in conditions of maximum security".

Hillary Clinton to Endorse Joe Biden for President

April 30, 2020

I'm wondering what a staffer would do, besides go to the press in Washington". She now says that she was sexually assaulted by Biden in 1993 when she worked in his Senate office. "We encourage them to do so, because these accusations are false", she said. "I wish you were president right now", the former First Lady said, adding the country needed to learn from the "crazy, scary times that we find ourselves in".

VP Mike Pence Tours Mayo Clinic Without Mask Despite Institution’s Pandemic Policy

April 30, 2020

MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace kicked off her day by blasting Vice President Mike Pence after video of him visiting Minnesota's Mayo Clinic Tuesday afternoon went viral . If you believe you may have contracted the virus, call your doctor (don't visit) or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.

North Atlantic Treaty Organisation helicopter reported missing between Greece and Italy

April 30, 2020

The Associated Press wire service has published a report saying that a military helicopter operating off of a Canadian frigate went missing while taking part in a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation operation in the Mediterranean. An unnamed Greek military source told news agency AFP that the country's naval and air forces were ready to assist in a rescue operation "if Italy requests it".

China embassy accuses Australia of petty tricks in coronavirus dispute

April 30, 2020

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg responded to the Chinese ambassador on Wednesday, telling local broadcaster Sky News that his country "won't bow to economic coercion, we will continue to talk up in Australia's national interest and we won't trade off health outcomes for economic outcomes".

United Kingdom leader Boris Johnson, fiancee announce birth of baby boy

April 30, 2020

Johnson only returned to work Monday after suffering from a bout of coronavirus that left him dangerously ill. They made history as the first unmarried couple to officially live together in Downing Street when they moved into the flat above Number 11, following Mr Johnson's election as Conservative Party leader.

Trump mocks Amash for exploring Libertarian presidential run

April 29, 2020

The Republican-turned-independent said on Twitter that the USA was ready for new leadership. "Americans are ready for practical approaches based in humility and trust of the people", Amash said in a statement on social media. It's impossible to say whether people will vote for Biden or Trump if I'm in the race or not in the race, so I think there's a bit of a factual issue there.

NYC ER doctor takes life after working COVID-19 frontlines

April 29, 2020

Officers responded Sunday to a call for medical assistance and identified the victim as Breen, the Charlottesville Police Department said in a news release . "On a daily basis, these professionals operate under the most stressful of circumstances, and the coronavirus has introduced additional stressors".

Pence bucks Mayo Clinic's mandatory mask policy during visit

April 29, 2020

Other people in the room with Pence, including US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Stephen Hahn, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and US Representative Jim Hagedorn (R-MN) can all be seen wearing masks. The news comes as the U.S. coronavirus death toll has now exceeded the 58,220 American lives lost during the Vietnam War, according to the latest official figures.

COVID-19: See Them? Thunderbirds, Blue Angels Take Flight Over Area

April 29, 2020

The flyover started over the George Washington Bridge at noon and then made its way over Manhattan and Newark, crossing the East River around 12:15 p.m. Blue Angels' commander Brian Kesselring said the flight was "to salute those working on the frontline of the COVID-19 response". "Thank you to all of those in essential industries keeping our nation moving forward".

Pentagon officially releases military videos of UFOs

April 29, 2020

The videos showed a round object that moves fast and does not appear electronically on the radar. In two of the videos , the pilots reacted in awe at the speed with which the object was moving, with one person speculating it could have been a drone, the CNN report said .

Russian Federation 'surprised' by Haftar declaration as ruler of Libya

April 29, 2020

He did not spell out in his brief televised speech on Monday what form the new power structure would take and the wider political ramifications were not immediately clear. Haftar's offensive to seize Tripoli ground to a stalemate that has left hundreds dead and some 200 000 displaced. Although the LNA a year ago managed to advance into the southern suburbs of the city, it lost ground to pro-GNA forces during clashes this month.

NY hospitalization rate down 70% from peak of outbreak

April 29, 2020

Cuomo this week said that while he will likely extend stay-at-home orders beyond May 15, restrictions could be relaxed in some regions if they have sufficient hospital capacity and the capacity to test and contact trace positive cases. "This is just total waste, to me", Cuomo said. The governor said regions of NY will need to coordinate plans with the state and federal governments to keep people safe and to allow the economy to reopen in phases.